Constellation’s Carbon-Free Nuclear Fleet Ran at Near 100% Capacity During Hottest Summer on Record Sept. 21, 2023 While wildfires, hurricanes and extreme heat battered Americans from coast to coast during the hottest summer in Earth’s recorded history, Constellation’s carbon-free nuclear units ran nearly 100% of the time, powering more than…
Xcel plans to replace Colorado power plant in Pueblo with renewable energy battery system
Xcel plans to replace Colorado power plant in Pueblo with renewable energy battery system SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 Xcel Energy recently announced its intent to construct a long duration energy storage system at the site of a coal-fired power plant in Pueblo. Once operational, the system in Colorado “will allow Xcel…
Takahama No. 2 nuclear reactor restarted after 12-year halt
Takahama No. 2 nuclear reactor restarted after 12-year halt Sep 15, 2023 Kansai Electric Power on Friday rebooted its nearly 50-year-old No. 2 reactor at the Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture for the first time since 2011, marking the 12th unit to be restarted in the country since the…
Dominion to seek air permit for proposed Chesterfield gas plant
Dominion to seek air permit for proposed Chesterfield gas plant SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 Dominion Energy’s plans to build a new natural gas plant in Chesterfield will require a state permit for major new sources of emissions, state air quality regulators said Wednesday. Mike Dowd, the Department of Environmental Quality’s director…
United Illuminating lawsuit claims electric rates approved by CT will force it to operate at a loss
United Illuminating lawsuit claims electric rates approved by CT will force it to operate at a loss Sep. 18, 2023 Arguing that an August decision by Connecticut regulators on utility rates will force it to operate at a loss, United Illuminating Co. filed a lawsuit on Monday in New Britain…
Indigenous tribes urge federal officials to deny loan request for Superior, WI natural gas plant
Indigenous tribes urge federal officials to deny loan request for Superior, WI natural gas plant September 11, 2023 Indigenous tribes in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin have asked federal officials to deny a utility’s request for a loan to help build a natural gas-fired power plant on the shores of Lake…
CMP accused of overspending $53.6 million in storm recovery efforts
CMP accused of overspending $53.6 million in storm recovery efforts Sep 8, 2023 Maine’s advocate for utility customers wants state regulators to withhold more than $50 million that it says Central Maine Power Co. overspent in violation of staffing guidelines when restoring power to customers during a dozen storms in…
Losing member co-ops, Tri-State seeks to sell its electricity on the wholesale power market
Losing member co-ops, Tri-State seeks to sell its electricity on the wholesale power market Energize Weekly, September 13, 2023 Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a wholesale power supplier for rural electric cooperatives, is seeking to sell excess power on the open market as it loses some of its biggest members.…
West Virginia coal-fired power plant targeted for deactivation to be restarted for hydrogen use
West Virginia coal-fired power plant targeted for deactivation to be restarted for hydrogen use August 31, 2023 A West Virginia coal-fired power plant that had been targeted for deactivation was restarted Wednesday under a new owner that plans to retrofit the facility to use hydrogen to generate electricity, Gov. Jim…
US regulator ready for next-generation nuclear, NRC says
US regulator ready for next-generation nuclear, NRC says September 1, 2023 The NRC is under pressure to show it can move fast on a new generation of nuclear technology, including small modular reactors (SMRs) and other previously untested designs, as many in the industry call for deep reforms at the…
FirstEnergy subsidiaries file settlement with the Pennsylvania PUC
FirstEnergy subsidiaries file settlement with the Pennsylvania PUC September 05, 2023 FirstEnergy Corporation’s announced Thursday its subsidiaries – Met Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power, Keystone Appalachian Transmission Company (KATCO), and Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission, LLC (MAIT) – had filed settlement agreements with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (Pa PUC)…
Solar panel shipments set a record in 2022 but uncertainty over tariffs loom in the future
Solar panel shipments set a record in 2022 but uncertainty over tariffs loom in the future Energize Weekly, September 6, 2023 Solar photovoltaic panel shipments in the U.S. rose 10 percent in 2022 year-over-year, setting an annual record of 31.7 million peak kilowatt-hours of modules, with 88 percent of the…
Hawaii power utility takes responsibility for first fire on Maui, but faults county firefighters
Hawaii power utility takes responsibility for first fire on Maui, but faults county firefighters August 28, 2023 Hawaii’s electric utility acknowledged its power lines started a wildfire on Maui but faulted county firefighters for declaring the blaze contained and leaving the scene, only to have a second wildfire break out…
TVA Plans to Invest $15 Billion Over the Next Three Years to Meet Region’s Growth
TVA Plans to Invest $15 Billion Over the Next Three Years to Meet Region’s Growth Aug. 28, 2023 During the decade before COVID, TVA’s seven-state region saw almost no electric load growth. Post-COVID, the region has experienced tremendous economic growth, fueled by several factors. The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of…
State power grid operator calls on Texans to conserve energy late Sunday
State power grid operator calls on Texans to conserve energy late Sunday AUG. 20, 2023 The state’s electric grid operator is asking Texans to limit their power use on Sunday between 7 and 10 p.m., the second such request in three days as extreme heat continues to grip the state.…
Sentar wins grant to boost cyber resilience in US nuclear plants
Sentar wins grant to boost cyber resilience in US nuclear plants Aug 21, 2023 Sentar Inc., a small business specialising in cyber resilience solutions and technology, has been awarded a research grant from the US Department of Energy. The grant will be used to develop a proof-of-concept solution that will,…
Florida raises eyebrows with decision on $377 million of crucial federal funding: ‘Negative implications for Florida residents’
Florida raises eyebrows with decision on $377 million of crucial federal funding: ‘Negative implications for Florida residents’ August 19, 2023 Last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rejected $377 million in federal energy-efficiency funding despite the Sunshine State experiencing record-setting heat. Bloomberg reported the money included “hundreds of millions of dollars…
Inflation Reduction Act could unleash $3 trillion in renewable energy investments
Inflation Reduction Act could unleash $3 trillion in renewable energy investments Energize Weekly, August 23, 2023 The $1.2 trillion in incentives proposed under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will spur about $3 trillion investment in renewable energy technology over the next decade, according to Goldman Sachs Research. Goldman Sachs…
Experts eye ways to mitigate physical assaults on US power grid
Experts eye ways to mitigate physical assaults on US power grid 11 Aug, 2023 Industry experts offered a range of ideas for how power system planners can help bolster physical grid security during an Aug. 10 technical conference hosted by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff. The gathering, held jointly with…
Quebec government says it is open to studying whether to restart nuclear reactor
Quebec government says it is open to studying whether to restart nuclear reactor Aug 14, 2023 Quebec Energy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon said Monday he agrees with Hydro-Québec’s decision to study a possible reopening of the province’s only nuclear power plant. Fitzgibbon was reacting to last week’s news that the power…
Hawaiian Electric shares plummet 40% after Maui wildfires lawsuit
Hawaiian Electric shares plummet 40% after Maui wildfires lawsuit August 15, 2023 Shares of Hawaiian Electric have plummeted nearly 40% since trading opened Monday over concerns that the utility company could be held liable for damage wrought by the Maui wildfires. A class-action lawsuit filed against Hawaiian Electric on Saturday…
How a grid rule change could derail Texas renewables
How a grid rule change could derail Texas renewables 08/04/2023 In the midst of a sweltering summer when renewable energy has helped Texas avoid grid outages despite record demand, wind and solar companies are warning that a proposed rule may cripple their industry. The state’s main grid operator is reviewing…
SRP and APS report record-breaking electricity demand during July heat wave
SRP and APS report record-breaking electricity demand during July heat wave Aug. 4, 2023 After July’s historic heat wave, both SRP and APS reported electricity demand skyrocketed, and the companies recorded the highest demand they have ever seen from customers. Both companies say it only takes one megawatt to power…
Cyberattacks on the power grid are on the rise as utilities seeking security play catch-up
Cyberattacks on the power grid are on the rise as utilities seeking security play catch-up Energize Weekly, August 9, 2023 In the summer of 2022, the Colorado Springs Utilities alerted its customers that their data from its system had been hacked. Several months later, 2,000 wind turbines in Germany were…
Wind and solar are propping up the Texas power grid amid a brutally long heat wave
Wind and solar are propping up the Texas power grid amid a brutally long heat wave July 28, 2023 As Texas bakes under a sweltering heat dome this summer and people crank their air conditioners, the state’s energy demand has smashed records. But the power has stayed on and prices…
Northland transmission line to boost reliability as renewables replace power plants
Northland transmission line to boost reliability as renewables replace power plants July 31, 2023 Large cross-country transmission lines carrying clean energy from remote rural areas to population centers will be a key strategy for reducing emissions. But as a project in Minnesota illustrates, the grid puzzle is more complicated than…
America’s first new nuclear reactor in nearly seven years starts operations
America’s first new nuclear reactor in nearly seven years starts operations JUL 31 2023 Monday marked the first time a new nuclear reactor has begun delivering power to the electric grid in the United States in nearly seven years. Nuclear energy does not generate the greenhouse gas emissions that cause…
Michigan PSC approves DTE Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, setting path to net zero emissions by 2050
Michigan PSC approves DTE Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, setting path to net zero emissions by 2050 July 28, 2023 DTE Energy received approval for its CleanVision Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) this week from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), greenlighting a clean energy plan that will speed the end of…
Global temperatures are rising in 2023 and so is worldwide consumption of coal and oil
Global temperatures are rising in 2023 and so is worldwide consumption of coal and oil Energize Weekly, August 2, 2023 As the world sizzles, with July the hottest month on Earth since records have been kept, consumption of coal and oil – the two main sources of climate-warming greenhouse gases…
Feds propose $2B in PNW energy grid upgrades to meet rising demand
Feds propose $2B in PNW energy grid upgrades to meet rising demand July 24, 2023 The Pacific Northwest’s need for more — and renewable — electricity is increasing, and Bonneville Power Administration officials say the grid needs billions of dollars’ of work to keep those higher energy loads flowing across…
NV Energy wants $1.8B to replace Nevada’s last coal plant
NV Energy wants $1.8B to replace Nevada’s last coal plant July 20, 2023 NV Energy is committing to shutting down its last coal plant by 2025, the utility announced Wednesday, and will spend nearly $2 billion to do it. The news comes after questions were raised early this year on…
State regulators to hear Plant Vogtle progress report after nuclear expansion stalled again
State regulators to hear Plant Vogtle progress report after nuclear expansion stalled again July 24, 2023 Georgia Power announced on Friday that the Waynesboro’s nuclear energy facility operators, Southern Nuclear, has turned over to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission the 364 inspections, tests and analyses required for regulatory approval to assure…
Congestion on the U.S. electric grid added $20.8 billion in costs in 2022
Congestion on the U.S. electric grid added $20.8 billion in costs in 2022 Energize Weekly, July 26,2023 The increasingly choked U.S. electric grid – sometimes preventing the cheapest generation from getting online – cost consumers $20.8 billion in 2022, a 55 percent year-over-year increase, according to utility consultant Grid Strategies.…
PPL outlines first-of-its-kind technology
PPL outlines first-of-its-kind technology Jul 16, 2023 PPL Electric Utilities is bolstering the reliability of the power it delivers to its more than 1.4 million customers with the use of Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) technology, a first-of-its-kind technology that is garnering national recognition. In 2022, PPL Electric became the first…
DTE Energy to move up retirement of its coal-fired Monroe Power Plant by 3 years
DTE Energy to move up retirement of its coal-fired Monroe Power Plant by 3 years July 12, 2023 Detroit-based DTE Energy Co. announced a clean energy plan Wednesday that includes moving up the retirement of its coal-fired Monroe Power Plant — one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in…
Holtec gets NRC go-ahead for US used nuclear fuel store
Holtec gets NRC go-ahead for US used nuclear fuel store 13 July 2023 Holtec International has received the final licence from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for construction and operation of a waste storage facility in Lea County, southeast New Mexico. The site will temporarily store nuclear waste from…
Probe Into 2022 Attack on Kern County PG&E Facility Hits Dead End
Probe Into 2022 Attack on Kern County PG&E Facility Hits Dead End Jul 10 Investigators have hit a dead end in their investigation of a July 2022 incident in which gunfire caused nearly $6 million in damage to a PG&E substation near Bakersfield. It’s one of a string of unsolved…
Ontario Building More Small Modular Reactors to Power Province’s Growth
Ontario Building More Small Modular Reactors to Power Province’s Growth July 07, 2023 The Ontario government is working with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to commence planning and licensing for three additional small modular reactors (SMRs), for a total of four SMRs at the Darlington nuclear site. Once deployed, these four…
NS Power plans to produce electricity with fuel oil until 2050 instead of with coal
NS Power plans to produce electricity with fuel oil until 2050 instead of with coal July 4, 2023 Nova Scotia’s power utility plans to convert a coal-burning electricity station in Cape Breton to burn heavy fuel oil once federal regulations phase out coal entirely in 2030. The proposal has raised…
Xcel Energy seeks $45M rate increase — down from $312M — amid consumer outrage over rising bills
Xcel Energy seeks $45M rate increase — down from $312M — amid consumer outrage over rising bills Jul 11, 2023 Xcel Energy filed a plan for a $312 million electricity rate increase last year, but as hearings on the bill hike open this week at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission…
Global EV sales set to triple by 2026 led by China, Europe, and the U.S.
Global EV sales set to triple by 2026 led by China, Europe, and the U.S. Energize Weekly, July 12, 2023 Electric vehicle (EV) sales are projected to almost triple between 2022 and 2026, reaching nearly 27 million vehicles as the technology pushes beyond automobiles to trucks and buses, according to…
How old coal plants could help fuel a renewable boom
How old coal plants could help fuel a renewable boom 06/30/2023 When Pennsylvania’s largest coal plant closes Saturday, it will leave behind more than towering smokestacks and mounds of coal waste. The Homer City Generating Station has a valuable asset: a connection to both the nation’s largest regional power grid…
Colorado and Wyoming, at odds over energy policy, find common ground on carbon capture
Colorado and Wyoming, at odds over energy policy, find common ground on carbon capture Energize Weekly, July 5, 2023 When it comes to energy policy, there isn’t a lot that Wyoming and Colorado see eye to eye on, but the two neighbors have common ground on capturing carbon dioxide from…
Northern Maine power line project moves forward, slowly
Northern Maine power line project moves forward, slowly June 26, 2023 Plans for a major renewable energy project that would connect Aroostook County to New England’s electric power grid are inching forward. Last week, legislators and Gov. Janet Mills signed off on a bill for construction of a high-voltage transmission…
EnergySolutions sets its sights on nuclear new build
EnergySolutions sets its sights on nuclear new build Jun 22, 2023 Utah-based decommissioning company EnergySolutions has entered the early phases of exploring the possible use of former nuclear sites acquired by the company, such as the closed Kewaunee nuclear power plant in Wisconsin, as potential locations for future new nuclear…
TVA preparing to start up new gas-powered turbines at former Alabama coal plant
TVA preparing to start up new gas-powered turbines at former Alabama coal plant June 21, 2023 Seven years after the last of the coal-fired generators were shut down at the Colbert Fossil Plant, the Tennessee Valley Authority is preparing to start up three new natural gas combustion turbines at the…
West Virginia bets on hydrogen in gamble to save coal plant
West Virginia bets on hydrogen in gamble to save coal plant 06/25/2023 A little-known company that enjoys the backing of West Virginia’s top political leaders is in talks to turn one of the state’s largest coal plants into a clean energy behemoth. Omnis Global Technologies, a California-based firm, says it…
U.S. solar industry sets record in the first quarter of 2023 but faces a host of challenges
U.S. solar industry sets record in the first quarter of 2023 but faces a host of challenges Energize Weekly, June 28, 2023 After a record-setting first quarter in 2023, the U.S. solar industry is poised for rapid growth while facing a spate of challenges including system underperformance, labor shortages and…
FERC finalizes new rules to improve reliability in extreme weather conditions
FERC finalizes new rules to improve reliability in extreme weather conditions June 20, 2023 The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalized two new rules last week that are designed to help improve reliability of the bulk power system against threats of extreme weather. The first rule directs the North American…
Gov. Abbott vetoes energy efficiency bill
Gov. Abbott vetoes energy efficiency bill JUNE 20, 2023 Gov. Abbott vetoed SB 2453, by Senator Jose Menendez, and sponsored in the House by Rep. Ana Hernandez, a bill allowing the state to adopt strong energy efficiency standards for new buildings, on Friday. The measure, collateral damage to an unrelated…
