California unlikely to run short of electricity this summer thanks to winter storms, new power sources May 25, 2023 California regulators say the state is unlikely to experience electricity shortages this summer after securing new power sources and a wet winter that filled the state’s reservoirs enough to restart hydroelectric power plants that were dormant…
Kentucky’s largest utility tests new law creating barrier to retire fossil fuel plants May 30, 2023 Republican lawmakers in Kentucky, raising concerns that planned and ongoing retirements of coal-fired power plants could affect the reliability and resilience of the electric grid, passed a new law that creates an extra barrier for utilities to retire such…
Ocean Wind 1 project moves forward; BOEM completes environmental analysis May 23, 2023 The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Monday said it completed its environmental analysis of the proposed Ocean Wind 1 wind project off the New Jersey Shore. BOEM said Ocean Wind could power up to a half-million homes with clean renewable energy.…
Hawaiian Electric proposes to repower Waiau Power Plant 5/18/2023 Hawaiian Electric is proposing to replace six aging fossil fuel-powered generators at its Waiau Power Plant in Pearl City with smaller, more efficient and fuel-flexible units that can provide reliable, firm generation to back up the expanding portfolio of variable resources like solar and wind on…
U.S. grid facing blackout risks this summer and next winter, reliability agency warns Energize Weekly, May 24, 2023 U.S. power grids are facing a risky summer and an even riskier winter, according to analyses by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), the agency that oversees grid reliability and security. While most of the U.S.…
Three Wisconsin utilities apply for rate hikes in 2024, citing renewable energy construction costs May 15, 2023 Three utilities have submitted proposals to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to increase rates in 2024, and consumer advocates worry about how rate hikes could affect customers. Those utilities are Alliant Energy, Xcel Energy and Madison Gas…
Winter rains lift California hydropower outlook, easing regional demand for natural gas Energize Weekly, May 17, 2023 Heavy rains have filled California reservoirs and boosted the prospect for hydropower – welcomed news to the rest of the West, which saw natural gas prices soar last winter as California utilities scrambled to fill a hydropower gap.…
Race for ever-larger wind turbines might be unsustainable 8 May, 2023 The offshore wind supply chain is pushing back against the constant pursuit for bigger turbines given the financial difficulties experienced by the major turbine manufacturers and the ripple effects that the race for greater scale could create for other equipment-makers. The largest turbine offerings…
Another power line proposed to carry electricity from Quebec through New Hampshire 5/4/2023 Five years after Northern Pass was rejected by the state, another proposal is on the books to bring Quebec hydropower through New Hampshire but this time along a different route – passing through Dunbarton instead of Concord – with different owners and…
Federal agency opens Gulf of Maine for wind development as state tries to balance interests Energize Weekly, May 3, 2023 The Biden administration has opened a 10-million-acre tract in the Gulf of Maine for offshore wind (OSW) development proposals, as the state is trying to balance promoting wind and protecting fisheries. “This represents an early…
Surge in clean generation and storage projects creating a backlog on U.S. electric grids Energize Weekly, April 26, 2023 A surge in clean energy projects – a 40 percent year-over-year increase in 2022 – is creating a traffic jam in getting onto the U.S. electric grid, according to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study. There…
Denver, state using speedy solar permitting apps to quicken clean energy transition Apr 18, 2023 Denver plans to use a permitting software app to slash 30 days from the oft-frustrating process of getting rooftop solar panels approved for homeowners. And the Colorado solar industry is so fired up about the idea that it’s helping push…