New clean generation technology is needed for the West to achieve 100 percent clean electricity Energize Weekly, February 16, 2022 The West could run on 90 percent clean electricity by 2040 with existing renewable generation and storage, but to get to 100 percent, new, clean generation filling the same baseload and ramping capabilities done by…
New York State OKs transmission projects to bring clean energy to New York City Energize Weekly, December 8, 2021 Setting the stage for its biggest transmission initiative in 50 years, New York State has struck agreements for two high-tension lines to bring more than 2 gigawatts of wind, solar and hydroelectricity to New York City…
U.S. grid ready for winter, NERC says, New England and California may face fuel pinch Energize Weekly, December 1, 2021 Winter electricity-generating resources across the North American grid are forecast to be adequate, although weather and fuel access issues may create challenges for New England, California and parts of Canada. Those regions were highlighted by…
Infrastructure bill offers a $30 billion down payment on upgrading the nation’s grid Energize Weekly, November 17, 2021 The federal infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden this week, includes a nearly $30 billion down payment in grants and loan authorities to upgrade the nation’s aging and challenged electric grid. There are about $17 billion…
Western U.S. could reap $2 billion in benefits from a regional electricity market Energize Weekly, October 27, 2021 The American West – one of only two regions in the country without a regional electricity market – could see benefits of as much as $2 billion a year by creating a western market, while linking eastern…
Solar could power 45 percent of U.S. electricity by 2050 with multi-billion dollar investment, DOE says Energize Weekly, September 15, 2021 The U.S. could get 40 percent of its electricity from solar installations by 2035 and 45 percent by 2050 – through $225 to $560 billion in the power grid investments, according to a new…
PJM puts transmission upgrades for onshore renewables and offshore wind at up to $3.2 billion Energize Weekly, August 18, 2021 The PJM Interconnection – the nation’s largest grid operator – estimates that it will take between $2.2 billion and $3.2 billion in new transmission investments by 2035 to accommodate the system’s growing onshore and offshore…
Energize Weekly, March 17, 2021 Climate change – the heat waves, flooding, droughts, and hurricanes it may bring – poses a multibillion-dollar threat to the country’s aging electric grid, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Without significant efforts to upgrade the grid and make it more resilient, the annual cost…
Energize Weekly, February 24, 2021 The near collapse of Texas’ electric grid was caused in the main by a failure of the natural gas system from the wellhead to pipeline to gas turbine, according to an analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA). “Texas has a power shortage because it has a gas shortage,” the…
Energize Weekly, September 16, 2020 In a pair of September rulings, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has undercut the development of clean energy projects, according to environmentalists and a dissenting commissioner. A Sept. 1, FERC decision limited the flexibility of small, renewable energy projects to get certification that assures their electricity will be bought…
Energize Weekly, May 13, 2020 A new front was opened last week in the battle between Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and some of its electric cooperatives, as United Power, its largest member, filed a complaint in a Colorado district court charging subterfuge and breach of contract. Meanwhile on May 18, hearings will open at…
Energize Weekly, January 3, 2018 The utility industry faced a tumultuous 2017 with big policy initiatives from Washington and strong underlying trends continuing to challenge the sector. Many of the year’s big stories came from the Trump administration, but markets and corporate decisions also played a big role in defining 2017. And despite the high-profile…