Modernizing the last mile: Distribution is key to resilient power grid

Extreme weather continues to be a major threat to grid reliability and resilience.

April 17, 2023

Chinese supply chains for critical infrastructure threaten the US power grid

State and federal policymakers, utilities and other stakeholders must develop and implement effective strategies to secure supply chains while minimizing the financial impact on ratepayers.

By Brien J. Sheahan • April 14, 2023

FERC gives PJM flexibility for handling member defaults as Winter Storm Elliott complaints pile up

At least six complaints are pending at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from generators that are seeking to avoid penalties for failing to run during the late-December freeze.

By Ethan Howland • April 10, 2023

Texas Senate passes $10B plan to develop 10,000 MW of gas-fired ‘insurance’ capacity

There is broad opposition to the plan, which some critics say is a “fundamental U-turn away from the competitive electric market,” will cost consumers billions and fails to improve reliability.

By Robert Walton • April 10, 2023

Montana court vacates air permit for NorthWestern Energy’s $275M Laurel power plant

“To most Montanans who clearly understand their fundamental constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment, this is a significant project,” District Court Judge Michael Moses said Thursday.

By Ethan Howland • April 7, 2023

PacifiCorp plans to reach 7.4 GW of storage by 2029, 20 GW of wind and solar by 2032 in latest resource plan

The utility’s resource plan is expected to reduce its system's greenhouse gas emissions 70% from 2005 levels by the end of the decade and 100% by 2050.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 7, 2023

Arizona Public Service proposed interconnection process for replacing power plants stifles competition: SEIA

The solar energy trade group urged federal regulators to launch a broad investigation into interconnection rules for replacing retiring power plants.

By Ethan Howland • April 4, 2023

Bipartisan group of US senators proposes legislation to advance nuclear power

The industry and policymakers are working on several fronts to build out nuclear energy — particularly advanced reactors and small modular reactors, SMRs — to meet increasingly stringent zero-carbon goals.

By Stephen Singer • April 3, 2023

PJM plans capacity auction delays as it develops market reforms to bolster resource adequacy

“Despite the implications of auction delay, reforms are necessary to the capacity market design in order to conduct an effective Base Residual Auction,” the PJM Interconnection said Monday in an email to stakeholders.

By Ethan Howland • March 28, 2023

Reuse of coal plants can cut small modular nuclear reactor development costs by 35%: report

Re-using coal plant sites could have labor force advantages, with 77% of jobs transferable to nuclear plants with no new workforce licensing requirements, the report said.

By Stephen Singer • March 27, 2023

Xcel Energy powers down Minnesota nuclear plant after finding 2nd leak of radioactive water

The new leak will not materially increase the amount of tritium Xcel is working to recover, Xcel said.

By Stephen Singer • March 27, 2023

TVA, GE Hitachi, 2 others commit to $400M international small modular reactor project

“We’ve got to be on schedule, on budget and it’s got to be a competitive cost,” said Jay Wileman, CEO of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. 

By Stephen Singer • March 24, 2023

Spearmint Energy acquires 900 MW/2,000 MWh battery storage portfolio in Texas

The acquisition makes Spearmint one of the largest battery energy storage developers in Texas, the company said.

By Stephen Singer • March 22, 2023

NuScale Power, the canary in the small modular reactor market

SMRs are being marketed as a solution to the climate crisis, but they're already far more expensive and take much longer to build than renewable and storage resources — technologies we already have.

By David Schlissel • March 21, 2023

World hurtling toward critical global warming benchmark, but IPCC report highlights clean energy potential

For the electric sector, demand-side management technologies could play a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report by the IPCC.

By Robert Walton • March 21, 2023

Texas court rules for Vistra, says PUC exceeded authority with Winter Storm Uri $9,000/MWh pricing order

The decision to hold prices at the system-wide cap added $16 billion to consumer costs, according to Texas energy market monitor Potomac Economics.

By Robert Walton • March 20, 2023

Drone-in-a-box: the future of solar operations and maintenance

Drone-in-a-box technology is going to completely change the face of solar O&M within the next couple of years. Learn how utilities and other solar asset owners can take advantage of this new technology.

By Don Nista, Head of Knowledge, Raptor Maps • March 20, 2023

NuScale must triple subscription level for small modular reactor in Idaho by early 2024, company says

Asked by an analyst if NuScale will seek to increase subscriptions from members, power producers yet to join the consortium or others, Colbert said, “all of the above.”

By Stephen Singer • March 17, 2023

Treasury Department guidance urgently needed to tap IRA’s clean energy ‘gold mine,’ analysts say

Clarifications defining Inflation Reduction Act provisions on labor, domestic content, energy community, and clean hydrogen are urgently needed to put the “boldest action” by Congress to work, they say.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 16, 2023

Power plant owners in 22 states face tighter NOx requirements under EPA’s final Good Neighbor rule

The rule released Wednesday includes flexibility for power plant owners to help maintain grid reliability, according to EPA Administrator Michael Regan.

By Ethan Howland • March 15, 2023

NRC chair defends reactor licensing changes: “We are in the middle of the rulemaking process, not at the end.”

Christopher Hanson’s upbeat message comes as nuclear energy enjoys rising support as an energy source that can help states and the federal government meet increasingly stringent greenhouse gas emissions limits.

By Stephen Singer • March 14, 2023

Confidential PJM meetings hinder state energy policy, oversight: West Virginia PSC, Maryland lawmaker

Efforts are underway to increase transparency at the largest U.S. grid operator, with Exelon and FirstEnergy opposing a bill to require annual voting reports of PJM meetings.

By Ethan Howland • March 14, 2023

Lower gas prices to drive 35%-45% ‘plunge’ in 2023 peak power prices across most of US: Moody’s

California is the exception, where peak prices are expected to fall “only around 9%,” according to the ratings and financial research agency.

By Robert Walton • March 14, 2023

‘Welcome to ERCOT.’ Regulators approve city of Lubbock, Texas, shift to retail competition

The Public Utility Commission of Texas on Thursday authorized the move after a last-minute agreement was struck regarding the allocation of termination fee proceeds.

By Robert Walton • March 10, 2023

California regulators set to launch proceeding to investigate natural gas price spikes this winter

With natural-gas fired generators producing about half of the state's electricity, the CPUC is looking at how high gas prices have affected California's power markets.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 10, 2023