The UK helped usher in the coal era – now it’s closing its last remaining plant Sep 23, 2024 By the end of the month, the United Kingdom is set to shutter its last operating coal-fired power plant. The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire is slated to close on September…
NTEC receives DOE funding to study Four Corners carbon capture
NTEC receives DOE funding to study Four Corners carbon capture September 16, 2024 A minority owner of the Four Corners Power Plant received federal funding to study retrofitting the coal-fired generating station with carbon capture technology. The Navajo Transitional Energy Company—an enterprise division of the Navajo Nation—announced this week that…
Entergy Mississippi begins building new natural gas power station
Entergy Mississippi begins building new natural gas power station September 05, 2024 Entergy Mississippi LLC, which provides electricity to roughly 459,000 customers in 45 counties across the state, is building a new power station for the first time in 50 years. The new natural gas power station is expected to…
Palisades nuclear relaunch gets more subsidies in Michigan — and more backlash
Palisades nuclear relaunch gets more subsidies in Michigan — and more backlash September 9, 2024 The Palisades Nuclear power plant restart effort has secured another round of public subsidies, with two rural electric cooperatives set to receive hundreds of millions of dollars to buy power from the facility. The U.S.…
West Virginia’s PSC faces lawsuit over coal-plant directive
West Virginia’s PSC faces lawsuit over coal-plant directive September 3, 2024 The Public Service Commission of West Virginia is facing legal challenges for its 2021 directive that Appalachian Power increase the usage of three of its coal plants. Critics say the utility is paying more to keep coal plants open,…
When are Colorado’s last coal-fired power plants closing?
When are Colorado’s last coal-fired power plants closing? Aug 27, 2024 Coal may be on its way out in Colorado’s power picture, but it’s definitely still here. About a third of Colorado’s electricity is still generated by 10 coal-fired power units around the state. That should drop to zero by…
Controversy growing as Three Mile Island revival talks gain traction
Controversy growing as Three Mile Island revival talks gain traction Aug 12, 2024 Discussions of possibly reopening the Three Mile Island nuclear generators are ramping up, with some government power players showing their excitement, while others their nervousness. It has been 45 years since Three Mile Island became ground zero…
DC Circuit rejects bids to put hold on EPA power plant carbon rule
DC Circuit rejects bids to put hold on EPA power plant carbon rule Jul 22, 2024 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday rejected requests to put a hold on an Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants while litigation…
Before key hearings in North Carolina, Duke Energy makes tiny concessions to big gas ambitions
Before key hearings in North Carolina, Duke Energy makes tiny concessions to big gas ambitions July 18, 2024 Before pivotal hearings that begin Monday, Duke Energy has made a few small concessions to its plans for a giant fossil fuel buildout in North Carolina, winning over the once-skeptical state-sanctioned ratepayer…
Manchin, Barrasso announce permitting reform deal, breaking lengthy impasse
Manchin, Barrasso announce permitting reform deal, breaking lengthy impasse 07/22/24 Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have reached an agreement on a bill to speed up the nation’s energy and infrastructure projects after about two years of trying to reach a deal. The bill takes on a suite…
With electricity demand predicted to double, Dominion Energy looks to add “peaker plants”
With electricity demand predicted to double, Dominion Energy looks to add “peaker plants” July 16, 2024 In 2020, Virginia became the first southern state to lay out a legal mandate for a carbon-free electrical grid. That’s why it was a surprise to many when Dominion Energy announced plans to build…
Arizona voters will vote on going green fast or keeping fossil-fuel choices in the mix
Arizona voters will vote on going green fast or keeping fossil-fuel choices in the mix July 8, 2024 Three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission are up for grabs in the coming primary and general elections, and the results of these votes will help set the state’s water and power…
How Chevron’s fall could remake the energy sector
How Chevron’s fall could remake the energy sector 07/01/2024 The Supreme Court’s decision Friday to give judges more authority over federal agencies creates new hurdles for the Biden administration as it seeks to promote low-carbon energy and address climate change. Forty years after the justices first decided Chevron v. NRDC,…
Major coal CCS project hits delays, cost spikes
Major coal CCS project hits delays, cost spikes 06/25/2024 The lead developer of one of the world’s largest carbon capture proposals is delaying a final decision on construction, citing challenges such as “uncertainty” created by EPA’s final power plant rule. Developers of Project Tundra — which envisions capturing up to…
Clean energy mandate for Vt. utilities becomes law after Democrats override veto
Clean energy mandate for Vt. utilities becomes law after Democrats override veto June 17, 2024 The biggest energy policy to come out of Montpelier this year is hitting home in concrete ways for two Vermont mothers who showed up to the Statehouse on Monday. The legislation requires all Vermont utilities…
Babcock & Wilcox to proceed with coal-to-biomass plant conversion
Babcock & Wilcox to proceed with coal-to-biomass plant conversion JUN 4, 2024 Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) has been granted a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) by NorthStar Clean Energy to begin work on a Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) conversion of a former coal-fired power plant in Filer…
US Energy Secretary calls for more nuclear power while celebrating $35 billion Georgia reactors
US Energy Secretary calls for more nuclear power while celebrating $35 billion Georgia reactors May 31, 2024 U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Friday called for more nuclear reactors to be built in the United States and worldwide. But the CEO of the Georgia utility that just finished the first…
Australia’s largest coal-fired power plant Eraring in Lake Macquarie to stay open for two extra years
Australia’s largest coal-fired power plant Eraring in Lake Macquarie to stay open for two extra years 22 May 2024 The Eraring Power Station in Lake Macquarie will remain open for an additional two years beyond its original 2025 closure date in a deal between Origin and the NSW state government.…
Coal-Fired Mill Creek Generating Station Readies for New 7HA.03 Gas-Fired Unit
Coal-Fired Mill Creek Generating Station Readies for New 7HA.03 Gas-Fired Unit Apr 30, 2024 Louisville Gas and Electric Co. and Kentucky Utilities Co. (LG&E and KU) will replace two aging coal generation units at Mill Creek Generating Station in Kentucky—a combined 600 MW—with a 645-MW GE Vernova hydrogen-ready 7HA.03 gas…
G7 offers leeway to Germany, Japan in deal to quit coal by 2035
G7 offers leeway to Germany, Japan in deal to quit coal by 2035 April 30, 2024 Energy ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies agreed on Tuesday to end the use of coal in power generation during the first half of the next decade, but gave leeway to…
PacifiCorp scales back renewables
PacifiCorp scales back renewables April 16, 2024 PacifiCorp, parent company to Wyoming’s largest utility, Rocky Mountain Power, has issued major updates to its Integrated Resource Plan, a blueprint that highlights key changes to the company’s business strategy and its ever-evolving energy portfolio. The update shines a light on the world…
New England’s last coal plants set to shutter, ushering in era of green energy
New England’s last coal plants set to shutter, ushering in era of green energy April 6, 2024 The final coal-fired power plants in New England are slated to shutter in the coming years, making it the second region to phase out the energy source that powered the U.S. economy for…
With time short, S.C. senators take up comprehensive energy bill
With time short, S.C. senators take up comprehensive energy bill Apr. 5, 2024 Utilities, conservation groups, and other stakeholders are all in agreement: South Carolina needs to expand its energy capacity to keep up with its growth. It’s a top priority for leaders in Columbia as well, but they face…
SC customers could pay millions for a new power plant that may only run at half capacity
SC customers could pay millions for a new power plant that may only run at half capacity April 1, 2024 Imagine South Carolina building a large power plant to meet future electricity demand, then not being able to fully use it. That’s a possibility under a new federal rule proposed…
Cox signs bill to keep coal plant open amid warnings of federal conflict
Cox signs bill to keep coal plant open amid warnings of federal conflict MARCH 21, 2024 Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill that would extend the life of the coal-fired Intermountain Power Plant, but amid pushback from the facility owner and the possibility of conflict with a federal agency,…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans March 18, 2024 State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce…
Methane emissions were flat in 2023 but still too high to curb climate change, IEA says
Methane emissions were flat in 2023 but still too high to curb climate change, IEA says Energize Weekly, March 20, 2024 Methane emissions from the production and use of fossil fuels reached 20 million tons in 2023, and while levels have been generally flat for the past five years, they…
EPA LEAVES OUT EXISTING NATURAL GAS-FIRED POWER PLANTS FROM CARBON RULE
EPA Leaves Out Existing Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants from Carbon Rule MARCH 8, 2024 The Biden administration’s recent announcement that it would hold off on regulating carbon emissions from existing natural gas-fired power plants means the agency will wait until after the election to regulate one of Pennsylvania’s largest sources…
Demand for small modular reactors surges 65% as clean energy ambitions grow
Demand for small modular reactors surges 65% as clean energy ambitions grow March 8, 2024 A growing desire to include nuclear energy in many nations’ clean energy mix has seen a strong push for the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) because of their potential cost savings and adaptability. According…
New Jersey waters down proposed referendum on new fossil fuel power plant ban
New Jersey waters down proposed referendum on new fossil fuel power plant ban March 4, 2024 New Jersey lawmakers wanted to ask voters whether to ban new fossil fuel-fired power plants. And then they added a loophole big enough to drive a fleet of oil trucks through. A state Senate…
Retired coal plant’s revival as natural gas station sparks debate across South Carolina
Retired coal plant’s revival as natural gas station sparks debate across South Carolina February 26th 2024 A retired coal-fired power plant in Colleton County may be revamped in the next decade. The plant would be a joint station between Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper. It will function as a natural…
Eversource seeks 19% rate hike on CL&P customers
Eversource seeks 19% rate hike on CL&P customers February 15, 2024 Eversource filed a request Thursday for a $784 million rate adjustment that would bump its Connecticut Light & Power electric rates by nearly 19%, costing an average residential customer an additional $38 a month on May 1. The United…
New 1.2-GW Natural Gas-Fired Plant Announced for Texas
New 1.2-GW Natural Gas-Fired Plant Announced for Texas Feb 13, 2024 A Texas-based energy company has announced plans to build a 1.2-GW natural gas-fired power plant in Lee County, Texas, with construction expected to begin in 2025. Sandow Lakes Energy Co. on Feb. 12 said it would build the plant…
Facing a growing crypto-mining sector, the U.S. to require reports of power use by miners
Facing a growing crypto-mining sector, the U.S. to require reports of power use by miners Energize Weekly, February 14, 2024 Faced with a burgeoning cryptocurrency market and its rising demand for electricity, the U.S. government is going to collect monthly data on the industry’s use of power. The federal Energy…
U.S. Thermal Coal Finds New Life Overseas
U.S. Thermal Coal Finds New Life Overseas Feb 6, 2024 US thermal coal exporters recorded more than $5 billion in overseas sales in 2023, shipping upwards of 32.5 million metric tons of the high-polluting power fuel, according to Reuters, citing data from ship-tracking firm Kpler. These coal export earnings were…
Energy Professionals welcome Pickering Nuclear life extension announcement
Energy Professionals welcome Pickering Nuclear life extension announcement Jan 30, 2024 The Society of United Professionals welcomes the government’s announcement to pursue the refurbishment of the Pickering B Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS). PNGS, and the thousands of high-quality union jobs that the plant supports, are a vital piece of the…
Global coal exports and power generation hit new highs in 2023
Global coal exports and power generation hit new highs in 2023 January 18, 2024 Worldwide electricity generation from coal hit record highs in 2023, while thermal coal exports surpassed 1 billion metric tons for the first time as coal’s use in power systems continues to grow despite widespread efforts to…
Solar generation continues expand rapidly on the U.S. grid while coal continues its decline
Solar generation continues expand rapidly on the U.S. grid while coal continues its decline Energize Weekly, January 17, 2024 Solar and coal-fired electricity generation are continuing to head in opposite directions over the next two years with solar being the leading source of new generation and coal activity falling to…
AES Closes California Natural Gas-Fired Plant
AES Closes California Natural Gas-Fired Plant January 4, 2024 AES Corp. has ended operations at one of the group’s four remaining natural gas-fired power plants in California. AES on Dec. 31 shut down its 1,300-MW Redondo Beach Generating Station, a facility that operated at less than full capacity in recent…
Biden administration awards $9M grant to research carbon capture for proposed Southcentral Alaska coal power plant
Biden administration awards $9M grant to research carbon capture for proposed Southcentral Alaska coal power plant December 29, 2023 The University of Alaska Fairbanks is set to receive a $9 million dollar grant from the Biden administration to research a project that would aim to capture carbon emission from a…
Energy cases to watch in 2024
Energy cases to watch in 2024 01/02/2024 Energy regulators’ power to address planet-warming emissions is in the crosshairs in federal courts in 2024. In one of the year’s biggest cases, the Supreme Court could rein in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s ability to use 50-year-old laws to take bold action…
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030 DECEMBER 14, 2023 California energy regulators voted Thursday to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down. The California Public Utilities Commission agreed to…
Pritzker signs Illinois measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology
Pritzker signs Illinois measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology December 10, 2023 Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a measure that will allow for the limited development of new nuclear power generation technology in the state. The measure, House Bill 2473, does not allow new large-scale power generation…
What Wyoming shows about going ‘carbon negative’ in coal country
What Wyoming shows about going ‘carbon negative’ in coal country 12/05/2023 Wyoming is highlighting a question at the center of the nation’s electricity mix: Can a coal state go “carbon negative”? Republican Gov. Mark Gordon’s stated goal for the nation’s top-producing coal state is to suck more carbon out of…
Palisades owner plans for two more reactors at shuttered nuclear plant on Lake Michigan
Palisades owner plans for two more reactors at shuttered nuclear plant on Lake Michigan Dec. 4. 2023 A nuclear power company seeking to restart the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in southwest Michigan has plans to build two additional small reactors to nearly double the capacity of the site. Holtec International…
IEA takes aim at oil and gas sector at COP28, industry offers an agreement to cut methane
IEA takes aim at oil and gas sector at COP28, industry offers an agreement to cut methane Energize Weekly, December 6, 2023 As the climate conference – COP28 – opened in Dubai, the International Energy Agency (IEA) fired a shot across the bow of the oil industry with an analysis…
NYISO says “peaker plants” should remain open longer than expected to meet demand
NYISO says “peaker plants” should remain open longer than expected to meet demand November 28, 2023 In its Short-Term Reliability Process Report, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) said plants scheduled for retirement in May of 2025 may have to stay in service longer temporarily to keep the grid…
Georgia Power says economic growth reason for updated plan to generate more electricity
Georgia Power says economic growth reason for updated plan to generate more electricity Nov. 13, 2023 Georgia Power recently filed an updated Integrated Resource Plan with the Georgia Public Service Commission, citing the need to support recent economic growth. But an environmental group opposed a portion of the proposed update…
Fossil-fuel producing countries set to blow past climate targets for oil, natural gas, and coal
Fossil-fuel producing countries set to blow past climate targets for oil, natural gas, and coal Energize Weekly, November 15, 2023 Fossil-fuel producing countries are set to turn out double the amount of coal, oil, and natural gas between now and 2050 needed to keep the increase in global warming to…
Xcel Energy proposes 175-mile transmission line routes to connect renewable energy for southwest Minnesota
Xcel Energy proposes 175-mile transmission line routes to connect renewable energy for southwest Minnesota November 03, 2023 Xcel Energy turned in two proposed routes for its approximately 175-mile long Minnesota Energy Connection transmission line to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and Minnesota Department of Commerce this week. Either route would…
