Surge in clean generation and storage projects creating a backlog on U.S. electric grids

Surge in clean generation and storage projects creating a backlog on U.S. electric grids

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…

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A key link in bringing Wyoming wind power to California gets federal BLM approval

A key link in bringing Wyoming wind power to California gets federal BLM approval

A key link in bringing Wyoming wind power to California gets federal BLM approval Energize Weekly, April 19, 2023 After 15 years of planning and permitting battles, a key piece in billionaire Philip Anschutz’s $8 billion project to bring Wyoming wind power to California – the 732-mile TransWest Express transmission…

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Southwest Power Pool takes a first step in creating a western wholesale electricity market

Southwest Power Pool takes a first step in creating a western wholesale electricity market

Southwest Power Pool takes a first step in creating a western wholesale electricity market Energize Weekly, April 12, 2023 A group of 26 utilities and organizations representing power producers – ranging from the Rockies to the Southwest to the Pacific Northwest – agreed to join the initial phase of the…

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The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures quickens, coal’s share of generation to plummet

The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures quickens, coal’s share of generation to plummet

The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures quickens, coal’s share of generation to plummet Energize Weekly, April 5, 2023 The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures continues to accelerate with half of all the capacity, which peaked in 2011, closed by 2026, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and…

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U.S. EV and battery investments reached $120 billion in 2023 spurred by federal legislation

U.S. EV and battery investments reached $120 billion in 2023 spurred by federal legislation

U.S. EV and battery investments reached $120 billion in 2023 spurred by federal legislation Energize Weekly, March 29, 2023 Electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing investments in the U.S. surged by $120 billion in the last eight years with federal legislation spurring activity, according to a study by the Environmental…

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More than 43,000 miles of new transmission lines needed in the U.S. by 2040, DOE study says

More than 43,000 miles of new transmission lines needed in the U.S. by 2040, DOE study says

More than 43,000 miles of new transmission lines needed in the U.S. by 2040, DOE study says Energize Weekly, March 15, 2023 The United States is projected to need more than 47,300 gigawatt-miles of new transmission lines by 2040 – in some cases they will be needed as soon as…

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Global bank financing for low-carbon energy rose 15 percent to $550 billion in 2022

Global bank financing for low-carbon energy rose 15 percent to $550 billion in 2022

Global bank financing for low-carbon energy rose 15 percent to $550 billion in 2022 Energize Weekly, March 8, 2023 Investments in low-carbon energy supply rose by 15 percent in 2022 – the fastest growth rate in seven years – to $550 billion, according to BloombergNEF’s (BNEF) annual report on energy…

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Renewables and nuclear set to cover global growth in electricity demand, IEA says

Renewables and nuclear set to cover global growth in electricity demand, IEA says

Renewables and nuclear set to cover global growth in electricity demand, IEA says Energize Weekly, February 15, 2023 New renewable and nuclear generation is set to meet 90 percent of the growing demand for electricity globally during the next three years, while increasing extreme weather will test grid resilience, according…

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Renewable tax credits and changes on the grid are making most coal-fired plants uneconomical

Renewable tax credits and changes on the grid are making most coal-fired plants uneconomical

Renewable tax credits and changes on the grid are making most coal-fired plants uneconomical Energize Weekly, February 8, 2023 A combination of new federal incentives for renewable generation and a shift in the way electric grids are managed has led to a point where it is more expensive to operate…

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Number of oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hits a 17-year low in Q4 of 2022

Number of oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hits a 17-year low in Q4 of 2022

Number of oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hits a 17-year low in Q4 of 2022 Energize Weekly, February 1, 2023 The volume of oil and gas sector mergers and acquisitions fell to a 17-year low in the last quarter of 2022 as deal value for the quarter declined 13…

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Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says

Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says

Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says Energize Weekly, January 25, 2023 The world has reached – or is close to reaching – peak demand for fossil fuels for generating electricity as the installation of cheaper renewable generation continues to grow, according to an…

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Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways

Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways

Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways Energize Weekly, January 18, 2023 Winter Storm Elliott, the bomb cyclone with freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions that swept across the U.S. east of the Rockies, sparked a wave of outages with its impacts varying from regional…

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Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm

Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm

Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm Energize Weekly, January 11, 2023 The fallout from the soaring natural gas prices created by Winter Storm Uri in 2021 continues as four rural Colorado electric cooperatives have filed a complaint with federal regulators saying they were overcharged…

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To replace Russian gas, Europe builds more LNG capacity and boosts U.S. imports

To replace Russian gas, Europe builds more LNG capacity and boosts U.S. imports

To replace Russian gas, Europe builds more LNG capacity and boosts U.S. imports Energize Weekly, January 4, 2023 In the dash to replace Russian natural gas supplies, liquefied natural gas (LNG) import capacity in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) is set to expand by a third…

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Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns

Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns

Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns Energize Weekly, December 28, 2022 Global investment in energy efficiency – from building renovations to public transport to electric vehicle infrastructure – increased 16 percent in 2022, reaching $560 billion as efficiency gains grew fourfold, according to the International…

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High gas prices, energy security concerns make capturing fugitive and flared gas profitable

High gas prices, energy security concerns make capturing fugitive and flared gas profitable

High gas prices, energy security concerns make capturing fugitive and flared gas profitable Energize Weekly, December 21, 2022 The combination of higher natural gas prices and geopolitical concerns about energy security is making the capture and commercialization of fugitive and flared emissions economically viable around the world, according to a…

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Wholesale on-peak electricity rates set to jump this winter by as much as 60 percent, EIA says

Wholesale on-peak electricity rates set to jump this winter by as much as 60 percent, EIA says

Wholesale on-peak electricity rates set to jump this winter by as much as 60 percent, EIA says Energize Weekly, December 14, 2022 On-peak wholesale and retail electricity prices are set to rise across the country this winter, with some regional wholesale rates jumping as much as 60 percent compared to…

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Deepwater oil and gas production set to grow 60 percent by 2030 hitting 17 million BOE/D

Deepwater oil and gas production set to grow 60 percent by 2030 hitting 17 million BOE/D

Deepwater oil and gas production set to grow 60 percent by 2030 hitting 17 million BOE/D Energize Weekly, December 7, 2022 Deepwater oil and gas production is set to increase more than 60 percent between 2022 and 2030, reaching 17 million barrels oil equivalent per day (BOE/D) – equal to…

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Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town

Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town

Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town Energize Weekly, November 30, 2022 A growing number of electric cars and trucks on highways will by 2035 require charging stations demanding the same power as an outdoor sports arena or even a small town, according…

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U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns

U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns

U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns Energize Weekly, November 23, 2022 A large swatch of the U.S. electricity grid – in Texas, the Midwest, Southeast and New England – is at risk of being unable to provide adequate power in the face of extreme…

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Spurred by high commodity prices, energy production revenues on federal lands surge

Spurred by high commodity prices, energy production revenues on federal lands surge

Spurred by high commodity prices, energy production revenues on federal lands surge Energize Weekly, November 16, 2022 Energy production on federal lands and offshore areas in 2022 generated $22 billion for the federal and state governments – the highest in revenues since 2008 and second highest in 39 years, according…

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Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022

Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022

Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022 Energize Weekly, November 9, 2022 Wind, solar and storage installations for the third quarter of 2022 were the lowest in three years as developers struggled with supply chain and trade restrictions, according to a market report…

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War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says

War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says

War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says Energize Weekly, November 2, 2022 Global fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are slowing with oil, coal and natural gas either peaking or reaching a plateau by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).…

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Global carbon capture capacity set to grow sixfold by 2030, BloombergNEF says

Global carbon capture capacity set to grow sixfold by 2030, BloombergNEF says

Global carbon capture capacity set to grow sixfold by 2030, BloombergNEF says Energize Weekly, October 26, 2022 Global carbon capture capacity, with more than $3 billion invested in the technology this year, is set to increase sixfold from current levels by 2030, according to an analysis by energy research firm…

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A colder winter and higher energy prices will boost winter heating costs, EIA says

A colder winter and higher energy prices will boost winter heating costs, EIA says

A colder winter and higher energy prices will boost winter heating costs, EIA says Energize Weekly, October 19, 2022 American households will pay more for natural gas, electricity, heating oil and propane to heat their homes, spurred by increased energy prices and the forecast of a colder winter, according to…

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Despite pandemic and supply chain problems, utility-scale solar posts a record in 2021

Despite pandemic and supply chain problems, utility-scale solar posts a record in 2021

Despite pandemic and supply chain problems, utility-scale solar posts a record in 2021 Energize Weekly, October 12, 2022 A record 12.5 gigawatts (GW) of large, utility-scale photovoltaic solar projects came online in 2021 as the levelized cost of such projects has fallen 85 percent in the last 12 years, according…

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Threat of recession and drop in oil demand and prices worry Permian producers

Threat of recession and drop in oil demand and prices worry Permian producers

Threat of recession and drop in oil demand and prices worry Permian producers Energize Weekly, October 5, 2022 Even as oil production rebounds in the Permian Basin, industry executives are worried about a drop in demand due to a recession and remain dogged by rising costs and supply chain problems,…

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Global coal-fired generation spikes in 2021, even as wind and solar reach new highs

Global coal-fired generation spikes in 2021, even as wind and solar reach new highs

Global coal-fired generation spikes in 2021, even as wind and solar reach new highs Energize Weekly, September 28, 2022 The world recorded an unprecedent spike in coal-fired generation in 2021 – even as wind and solar generation also reached record levels, according to a report by Bloomberg NEF and Bloomberg…

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Old coal-fired power plants could gain a second life as sites for nuclear units, DOE says

Old coal-fired power plants could gain a second life as sites for nuclear units, DOE says

Old coal-fired power plants could gain a second life as sites for nuclear units, DOE says Energize Weekly, September 21, 2022 Old coal-fired power plants could have an economical, second life as sites for a new generation of nuclear power projects, according to a study by the U.S. Department of…

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New methane tax more a regulation aimed at curbing emissions than a revenue raiser

New methane tax more a regulation aimed at curbing emissions than a revenue raiser

New methane tax more a regulation aimed at curbing emissions than a revenue raiser Energize Weekly, September 14, 2022 A methane tax in the Inflation Reduction Act will likely serve more as a regulation than a revenue raiser, spurring oil and gas operations to cut down on fugitive emissions to…

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War and pandemic are leading to a surge in government support for fossil fuels, study says

War and pandemic are leading to a surge in government support for fossil fuels, study says

War and pandemic are leading to a surge in government support for fossil fuels, study says Energize Weekly, September 7, 2022 The combination of the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine has spurred an almost doubling in government support for fossil fuel production among major economies, according to an…

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Onshore and offshore U.S. wind development made big gains in 2021, DOE says

Onshore and offshore U.S. wind development made big gains in 2021, DOE says

Onshore and offshore U.S. wind development made big gains in 2021, DOE says Energize Weekly, August 31, 2022 Wind generation posted strong performances – both onshore and offshore – in 2021, according to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) market reports. Land-based wind generation grew by 13.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2021…

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Texas natural gas exports to Mexico hit a record but a regional shortage may loom

Texas natural gas exports to Mexico hit a record but a regional shortage may loom

Texas natural gas exports to Mexico hit a record but a regional shortage may loom Energize Weekly, August 24, 2022 West Texas natural gas exports to Mexico reached a record in May, but the combination of growing Mexican exports and new Gulf Coast liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals could leave…

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Developers set to add 44 gigawatts of new generation to the U.S. grid, EIA says

Developers set to add 44 gigawatts of new generation to the U.S. grid, EIA says

Developers set to add 44 gigawatts of new generation to the U.S. grid, EIA says Energize Weekly, August 17, 2022 Fifteen gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric generating capacity were added to U.S. grid in the first half of 2022, with another 29 GW projected to come online by year’s…

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Climate bill cuts carbon emissions and inflation while boosting economy, studies say

Climate bill cuts carbon emissions and inflation while boosting economy, studies say

Climate bill cuts carbon emissions and inflation while boosting economy, studies say Energize Weekly, August 10, 2022 The climate, healthcare and budget bill passed by the U.S. Senate Aug. 7 will help curb both greenhouse gas emissions and inflation while providing a modest boost to the economy, according to three…

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Facing trade, tax and economic uncertainties, clean power installations fall in Q2

Facing trade, tax and economic uncertainties, clean power installations fall in Q2

Facing trade, tax and economic uncertainties, clean power installations fall in Q2 Energize Weekly, August 3, 2022 Beleaguered by uncertainties over the future of tax subsidies and trade policy, new clean power installations plummeted 55 percent in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Solar…

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North American power grid faced extreme weather and cyberattack risks in 2021

North American power grid faced extreme weather and cyberattack risks in 2021

North American power grid faced extreme weather and cyberattack risks in 2021 Energize Weekly, July 27, 2022 The North American electric grid faced unprecedented challenges from severe weather, cyberattacks and problems with natural gas supplies in 2021, but with except one exception – in Texas – utilities and grid operators…

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Q2 oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hit by volatile equity and commodity markets

Q2 oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hit by volatile equity and commodity markets

Q2 oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hit by volatile equity and commodity markets Energize Weekly, July 20, 2022 Oil and gas sector mergers and acquisitions (M&A) buffeted by market volatility slipped in the second quarter of 2022 to $12 billion – an 18 percent decline from the first quarter…

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U.S. Supreme Court ruling won’t change coal’s downward trend in the power sector

U.S. Supreme Court ruling won’t change coal’s downward trend in the power sector

U.S. Supreme Court ruling won’t change coal’s downward trend in the power sector Energize Weekly, July 13, 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling limiting federal regulation of power plant greenhouse gas emissions will not do much to reverse the decline of coal-fired generation or greenhouse gas emissions, according to two…

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Fossil-fuel electric generation challenged in Texas heat wave, raising reliability questions

Fossil-fuel electric generation challenged in Texas heat wave, raising reliability questions

Fossil-fuel electric generation challenged in Texas heat wave, raising reliability questions Energize Weekly, July 6, 2022 An early season heat wave in May tested the Texas grid, raising questions about the relation of baseload, fossil-fuel generation to wind and solar, according to analysis by the Institute for Energy Economics and…

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Oil and gas production rising in the Permian Basin in the face of mounting costs

Oil and gas production rising in the Permian Basin in the face of mounting costs

Oil and gas production rising in the Permian Basin in the face of mounting costs Energize Weekly, June 29, 2022 Oil and gas production in Texas and New Mexico – the most productive U.S. fields – increased in the second quarter of 2022, even as operators face rising costs and…

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New York grid operator sees generating margins shrinking, increased reliability risks

New York grid operator sees generating margins shrinking, increased reliability risks

New York grid operator sees generating margins shrinking, increased reliability risks Energize Weekly, June 22, 2022 The buffer of extra generating capacity – the reserve or reliability margin – is shrinking in New York State as fossil-fuel plants retire faster than renewable sources are being added, according to an assessment…

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U.S. LNG exports soar as Europe scrambles to fill gap left by Russian cutback

U.S. LNG exports soar as Europe scrambles to fill gap left by Russian cutback

U.S. LNG exports soar as Europe scrambles to fill gap left by Russian cutback Energize Weekly, June 15, 2022 Exports of U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) to Europe soared in the first four months of 2022 and are poised to grow even more as the European Union (EU) scrambles to…

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New England hits a record low in electricity demand thanks to distributed solar

New England hits a record low in electricity demand thanks to distributed solar

New England hits a record low in electricity demand thanks to distributed solar Energize Weekly, June 8, 2022 It was a typical spring Sunday afternoon – sunny with temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s – but May 1 was also historic as the demand for electricity in New England dropped…

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Two new pipelines to feed Louisiana Coast LNG export terminals approved by FERC

Two new pipelines to feed Louisiana Coast LNG export terminals approved by FERC

Two new pipelines to feed Louisiana Coast LNG export terminals approved by FERC Energize Weekly, June 1, 2022 Two natural gas pipeline projects to feed the growing liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities on the Louisiana Gulf Coast were recently approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The Evangeline…

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West and Midwest U.S. face summer electricity shortfalls due to heat, drought, and fire

West and Midwest U.S. face summer electricity shortfalls due to heat, drought, and fire

West and Midwest U.S. face summer electricity shortfalls due to heat, drought, and fire Energize Weekly, May 25, 2022 The West and Midwest U.S. risk severe electricity shortfalls this summer due to high temperatures, drought, severe storms and wildfire – all driven by a changing climate, according to the North…

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