California Power Officials Warn of Power Shortfalls This Summer Amid Increasing Strain from Climate Change May 6, 2022 California power regulators are warning of power shortages and possible blackouts this summer as the state’s electrical grid faces increasing strain from drought and extreme heat. “We know reliability is going to…
We Energies seeks rate plan to fund clean energy investments, grid hardening
We Energies seeks rate plan to fund clean energy investments, grid hardening May 02, 2022 We Energies proposed a new rate plan to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) last week, potentially raising customers’ rates for electricity, natural gas and steam next year to pay for a large-scale clean…
Consumers Energy settles with stakeholders over Clean Energy Plan, pledges coal elimination by 2025
Consumers Energy settles with stakeholders over Clean Energy Plan, pledges coal elimination by 2025 April 22, 2022 After agreeing to a settlement with key stakeholders, Consumers Energy announced this week that, as part of its Clean Energy Plan, it will cease using coal as a fuel source for electric generation…
US EPA’s plan for interstate smog might force even more early coal retirements
US EPA’s plan for interstate smog might force even more early coal retirements 18 Apr, 2022 With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s climate authority over the nation’s power sector in legal limbo, the Biden administration unveiled a plan in March for addressing interstate smog pollution that is projected to drive…
California utility to pay $55 million for massive wildfires
California utility to pay $55 million for massive wildfires April 11, 2022 Pacific Gas & Electric, the nation’s largest utility, has agreed to pay more than $55 million to avoid criminal prosecution for two major wildfires sparked by its aging Northern California power lines and submit to five years of…
House bill would streamline approval of small nuclear reactors in Alaska
House bill would streamline approval of small nuclear reactors in Alaska March 21, 2022 A bill moving through the Alaska Legislature would streamline the state’s approval process for small nuclear reactors, which have been touted as cleaner, more cost-effective sources of energy for Alaska. Read more
Supply chain problems and rising prices are pinching the U.S. solar industry
Supply chain problems and rising prices are pinching the U.S. solar industry Energize Weekly, March 23, 2022 Facing supply chain problems and rising prices, the U.S. solar industry delayed about a third of its utility-scale capacity in the fourth quarter of 2021, and installations are projected to be down in…
Nuclear regulators to reconsider environmental impact of Point Beach license extension
Nuclear regulators to reconsider environmental impact of Point Beach license extension Mar 10, 2022 Federal regulators are taking a fresh look at plans to keep Wisconsin’s only remaining nuclear power plant operating through mid-century. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has suspended its review of NextEra Energy’s application to extend the operating licenses for…
Feds rescind license extension for Florida nuclear plant
Feds rescind license extension for Florida nuclear plant February 26, 2022 Federal officials have reversed a decision to allow a South Florida nuclear power plant to continue running for another 30 years by ordering a new review of potential environmental risks, including those posed by climate change. Read more
Cyber insurance premiums soar for energy companies
Cyber insurance premiums soar for energy companies Feb. 18, 2022 Cyber insurance rates are rising because of geopolitics, ransomware, a growing threat to operational technology, and continued fallout from last year’s Colonial Pipeline attack, say experts. Read more
Former Ohio regulator linked to $4M payoff directed agency to limit response to FirstEnergy corruption
Former Ohio regulator linked to $4M payoff directed agency to limit response to FirstEnergy corruption February 15, 2022 Newly produced documents show that Sam Randazzo, former chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, came up with the idea to let FirstEnergy show it didn’t use ratepayer money for House Bill…
Peco parent Exelon completes spinoff of its power generation business
Peco parent Exelon completes spinoff of its power generation business Feb 2, 2022 Exelon Corp. on Wednesday completed its separation into two companies: a new generation and marketing business that owns the nation’s largest fleet of nuclear power plants, and a Chicago-based utility giant whose operations include Peco, Atlantic City…
Energy and Commerce Committee leaders seek information from TVA on business practices
Energy and Commerce Committee leaders seek information from TVA on business practices January 17, 2022 Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are seeking information from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on its lack of deployment of renewable energy and other business practices. Specifically, the lawmakers are concerned that TVA…
Insurance Companies Sue Texas Power Grid Operator Over 2021 Winter Storm Losses
Insurance Companies Sue Texas Power Grid Operator Over 2021 Winter Storm Losses January 7, 2022 More than 100 insurance companies are suing the Texas power grid operator and several power-generating companies (PGCs) over losses suffered from 2021 Winter Storm Uri, which resulted in more than 500,000 insurance claims and approximately…
NRC denies Oklo license application
NRC denies Oklo license application 07 January 2022 The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has denied Oklo Power’s application to build and operate an Aurora compact fast reactor in Idaho, saying gaps in the information supplied by the company mean that the regulator’s review of the combined licence application cannot move…
Exelon separation moves forward, with New York Public Service Commission approval
Exelon separation moves forward, with New York Public Service Commission approval December 20, 2021 Exelon Corp. announces that the New York State Public Service Commission has approved a unanimous settlement agreement that allows Exelon to move forward with its plan to separate into two companies in the first quarter of 2022. Read…
Cincinnati, Columbus settle civil claims related to FirstEnergy bailout
Cincinnati, Columbus settle civil claims related to FirstEnergy bailout December 14, 2021 The cities of Cincinnati and Columbus have dismissed their state court claims against FirstEnergy and Energy Harbor for the companies’ actions relating to House Bill 6, the nuclear and coal bailout law at the heart of a $60…
Energy companies push for proposed merger in New Mexico
Energy companies push for proposed merger in New Mexico NOVEMBER 13, 2021 New Mexico’s largest electric provider and global energy giant Iberdrola say they’re committed to customer protections as they push for regulatory approval for a multibillion-dollar merger. Read More
Virginia GOP targets clean energy law, but options for rollback are limited
Virginia GOP targets clean energy law, but options for rollback are limited November 9, 2021 Newly emboldened Virginia Republicans are vowing to roll back the state’s landmark clean energy reforms enacted by Democrats over the last two years. Read more
Two Norway wind farms lose license in landmark ruling over indigenous rights
Two Norway wind farms lose license in landmark ruling over indigenous rights October 11, 2021 Norway’s supreme court stripped two wind farms of their operating licenses on Monday in a case that could boost the legal rights of the country’s indigenous Sami people. Read more
CMP, public power backers locked in war to weaken each other’s 2022 referendum bids
CMP, public power backers locked in war to weaken each other’s 2022 referendum bids October 11, 2021 Supporters and opponents of establishing a consumer-owned utility in Maine both made changes to their ballot initiatives in the past week in attempts to render the other ineffective ahead of a possible referendum fight…
Why California is shutting down its last nuclear plant
Why California is shutting down its last nuclear plant OCT 2 2021 As blackouts and flex hours roil California, the state and the local utility responsible for its last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon, are pushing ahead with plans to shut it down. This despite the fact that nuclear energy…
Illinois Legislature saves at-risk nuclear plants with clean energy bill
Illinois Legislature saves at-risk nuclear plants with clean energy bill September 13, 2021 The Illinois Legislature has approved legislation providing nearly $700 million in subsidies over five years to save unprofitable nuclear plants, acting in the final hour to stop at least one from shutting down. Read more
Westinghouse to pay over $20 million for failed Summer project
Westinghouse to pay over $20 million for failed Summer project Sep 2, 2021 Westinghouse Electric Company has entered into a cooperation agreement with the Department of Justice in connection with its role in the failed effort to build two AP1000 reactors at the Summer nuclear plant in Jenkinsville, S.C. Read…
Connexus electricity co-op wants a new power deal with Great River Energy
Connexus electricity co-op wants a new power deal with Great River Energy AUGUST 30, 2021 Connexus Energy, the largest owner of Great River Energy, wants to exit the big electricity generating co-op as a member, saying its longtime arrangement has become too costly and inflexible. Read more
New Mexico customers sound alarm over major utility merger
New Mexico customers sound alarm over major utility merger Aug 10, 2021 New Mexico customers are sounding the alarm over a proposed multibillion-dollar merger of the state’s largest electric utility provider with a U.S. subsidiary of Spanish energy giant Iberdrola, citing a sordid track record of reliability and customer service.…
Bipartisan $1T Senate infrastructure bill focuses on nuclear, carbon capture, transmission
Bipartisan $1T Senate infrastructure bill focuses on nuclear, carbon capture, transmission Aug. 3, 2021 A bipartisan group of senators on Sunday unveiled its nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill, formalized into text following a 67-32 consensus to advance the legislation. The vote to advance the bill included the support of 17 Republicans. Read…
FirstEnergy Federally Charged in Ohio Nuclear Bailout Scheme
FirstEnergy Federally Charged in Ohio Nuclear Bailout Scheme Jul 22, 2021 Facing a federal charge for honest services wire fraud in a corruption case related to the billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout in Ohio, FirstEnergy Corp. has agreed to abide by the terms of a three-year deferred prosecution settlement to get…
Duke Energy, hedge fund continue battle
Duke Energy, hedge fund continue battle July 19, 2021 Duke Energy and a hedge fund continued a public battle Monday about the financial performance of the utility, including the operations of Duke Energy Florida. The West Palm Beach-based Elliott Investment Management L.P. sent an 11-page letter to the Duke Board…
Watchdog subpoenas FirstEnergy info on payment to regulator
Watchdog subpoenas FirstEnergy info on payment to regulator July 2, 2021 Ohio’s consumer utility watchdog is demanding that FirstEnergy Corp. share more information about $4.3 million that was paid to an attorney to end his consulting contract shortly before he became the state’s top utility regulator. Read more
U.S. NRC launches investigation at Southern Georgia Vogtle 3 nuclear unit
U.S. NRC launches investigation at Southern Georgia Vogtle 3 nuclear unit Jun 21, 2021 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said Monday it launched a special inspection at Southern Co’s Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia to identify what led to remediation work at the third unit, which is under…
Duke Energy commits to helping struggling Floridians save money, avoid disconnections
Duke Energy commits to helping struggling Floridians save money, avoid disconnections May 11, 2021 Duke Energy announced a series of steps it is taking to ensure customers who are behind on their utility bills don’t have their power cut off at a dangerous time. Read more
Maine Lawmakers Unveil Effort To Purchase CMP, Versant To Create Consumer-Owned Utility
Maine Lawmakers Unveil Effort To Purchase CMP, Versant To Create Consumer-Owned Utility Maine Public | By Mal Leary Published April 19, 2021 A group of Maine lawmakers has unveiled an effort to buy Maine’s two largest utilities and operate them as a consumer-owned corporation. At a news conference outside the State House…
Bills to defend Wyoming’s coal industry clear House, head to Senate
Camille Erickson, Mar 22, 2021 An effort by lawmakers to defend Wyoming’s leading industry gained ground Monday after a pair of bills aimed at slowing coal plant closures cleared the House. Read more
State Regulators Announce Limits to Eversource Cost Recovery
BY BRENDAN CROWLEY MARCH 20, 2021 Eversource will be prevented from recovering a large portion of the costs of Tropical Storm Isaias, state utility regulators announced Friday evening in a draft decision based on an investigation into widespread and lengthy power outages stemming from the August storm. Read more
Ohio House votes to kill scandal-tainted nuclear bailout
Jim Provance, Wed, March 11, 2021 The Ohio House on Wednesday voted 86-7 to repeal provisions of a law now tainted by scandal that would have financially benefited Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. as well as two northern Ohio nuclear power plants. Read more
U.S. Congress launches probe into multibillion-dollar ‘clean coal’ tax credit
By Tim McLaughlin, MARCH 15, 2021 The U.S. Congress is investigating a multibillion-dollar subsidy for chemically treated coal that is meant to reduce smokestack pollution, after evidence emerged that power plants using the fuel produced more smog not less. Read more
La Plata Electric Association joins contract buyout lawsuit in Adams County
By Patrick Armijo Education, business & real estate reporter, Jan. 24, 2021 1:30 PM La Plata Electric Association has joined a civil lawsuit initially filed by United Power of Brighton claiming Tri-State Generation and Transmission broke Colorado law by adding three nonutility members so it would become federally regulated. Read more
Pritzker admin hires firm to verify Exelon’s nuke hardship claims
Steve Daniels, January 11, 2021 The Pritzker administration has hired an outside firm to scrutinize Exelon’s claims that some of its Illinois nuclear plants are losing money. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency early this month finalized a $215,000 emergency contract with Cambridge, Mass.-based Synapse Energy Economics. The firm, which has done…
117th Congress opens to new energy, environment fights
Nick Sobczyk, Geof Koss and Kelsey Brugger, E&E News reporters; Monday, January 4, 2021 The 117th Congress opened to an uncertain political landscape yesterday, with a tight vote for the House speakership and with Senate control still up in the air. Lawmakers face fresh fights on energy and environmental issues, particularly climate change, but…
Judge Blocks Fees Set by Tainted Ohio Nuclear Bailout Law
By Associated Press, Wire Service Content Dec. 21, 2020, at 5:33 p.m. A central Ohio judge on Monday blocked the subsidies from a $1 billion nuclear bailout law at the center of a $60 million bribery probe, as state lawmakers scrambled to decide the fate of a repeal effort and nominees were chosen to…
Voters weigh in on local and state energy issues from renewable energy to oil and gas taxes
Energize Weekly, November 11, 2020 Election returns on state and local energy issues were both literally and figuratively all over the map last week on issues ranging from renewable energy to oil and gas taxes. Voters in Alaska rejected a tax on oil operations while the industry was denied a…
