Earth Day roundup: The latest private-sector and Biden administration decarbonization efforts

As various companies and federal agencies release a flurry of announcements in tandem with Earth Day celebrations, Utility Dive takes a look at the biggest news in the sector.

By Utility Dive Editors • April 22, 2022

Texas regulators look to distributed resources, additional coal reserves, to boost reliability

Coal stockpiles may boost reliability, but Public Utilities Commissioner Lori Cobos questioned, "what are we ultimately going to have to pay for, a pile of coal? Or are we going to be asked to pay for a scrubber?"

By Robert Walton • April 22, 2022

PG&E asks DOE to extend deadline for applying for nuclear power plant funding

The request comes as California lawmakers debate a bill that could provide funding that would help the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant keep running.

By Ethan Howland • Updated June 29, 2022

Courts dismiss co-op suits seeking exits from long-term power supply contracts

The decisions could affect cooperative power supply arrangements across the U.S.

By Ethan Howland • April 20, 2022

Capacity prices jump across MISO's central and northern regions, driven by supply shortfall

MISO’s market monitor calls for market reforms to prevent power plants from retiring when they are still needed.

By Ethan Howland • April 18, 2022

Natural gas-fired generation peaked in 2020 amid growing renewable energy production: IEEFA

The Energy Information Administration sees gas generation slipping this year and in 2023.

By Ethan Howland • April 13, 2022

Arizona regulators deny SRP gas plant expansion, citing community impacts and insufficient supporting evidence

Salt River Project said the decision creates a near-term resource issue and that it will continue to evaluate its "generation and market options."

By Robert Walton • April 13, 2022

Virginia SCC staff questions Dominion Energy's offshore wind cost assumptions

The regulatory commission's staff testimony addresses whether the cost estimates were based on accurate assumptions by Dominion, the first utility to build large-scale offshore wind in the United States.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • April 12, 2022

Reliability concerns drive need for energy market design reforms, but regions diverge in FERC proceeding

Filings from FERC proceedings show a one-size-fits-all reform can't sufficiently address regional market diversity, but federal guidelines can target growing uncertainties and costs from rising variable and distributed resource penetrations.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 11, 2022

TVA board nominees support exploring clean energy options as federal utility plans coal retirements

The Tennessee Valley Authority is lagging on shifting to renewable energy, according to Senate Democrats.

By Ethan Howland • April 8, 2022

Senators press for quicker solar anti-dumping investigation amid reports of sector's 'rapid degeneration'

U.S. solar developers reported 318 projects totaling 51 GW of solar capacity and 6 GWh of attached battery storage are being canceled or delayed in the wake of the Department of Commerce investigation.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated May 3, 2022

FERC approves ISO-NE plan to end MOPR in 2025 while accepting some renewables in capacity auctions

The plan “strikes a reasonable balance” among issues like maintaining grid reliability and market certainty, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Friday.

By Ethan Howland • Updated May 31, 2022

DOE takes stock of offshore wind supply chain, calls for 2,100 turbines to meet 30 GW goal

Barring supply-chain constraints, NREL said, it expects 30.1 GW of offshore wind to be installed in the U.S. by the end of 2030, meeting the Biden administration's goals.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 31, 2022

Ukraine war could extend bump in US coal use, but utilities remain confident in decarbonization path

When 2021 natural gas demand drove prices up, generators turned to coal. The war in Ukraine seems to be driving a similar pattern.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 24, 2022

Coal plant owners seek to shut 3.2 GW in PJM in face of economic, regulatory and market pressures

ESAI Power analysts expect PJM's coal capacity to plunge from 50 GW to 22 GW by 2036.

By Ethan Howland • March 22, 2022

Virginia report lays groundwork for state's exit from regional emissions trading group

Virginia joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative last year, but newly-elected Gov. Glenn Youngkin says it is "a bad deal" for the state and is taking steps to withdraw.

By Robert Walton • March 18, 2022

SRP faces backlash on proposed Arizona gas plant expansion: 'You're pushing it down their throat'

Arizona regulators heard concerns about environmental justice and the project's potential impact on a historically Black community during oral arguments on Wednesday.

By Robert Walton • March 17, 2022

ISO-NE's market rules biased toward gas plants, clean energy groups say in FERC complaint

The alleged bias lowers capacity prices and crowds out renewable energy and storage resources from New England’s markets, according to a complaint filed March 15 at FERC.

By Ethan Howland • March 16, 2022

Florida solidifies its status as the nation's waste-to-energy capital with supportive new law

A bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis will establish a unique program to subsidize power purchase agreements and expansion expenses for municipally-owned combustion facilities.

By Cole Rosengren • Updated June 22, 2022

Consumers Energy to exit coal-fired generation in 2025 under agreement with Michigan AG, others

The agreement filed Wednesday with the Michigan PSC sets the utility on a path to being carbon neutral by 2040.

By Ethan Howland • Updated April 21, 2022

A 'conservative' approach to Texas grid operations is raising costs for consumers: ERCOT market monitor

The expanded use of reliability unit commitments to ensure sufficient reserves is distorting wholesale markets in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, observers warn.

By Robert Walton • March 15, 2022

California prepares for $10.5M port renovations for offshore wind development

The funding will help outfit the Humboldt Bay port — an area that is estimated to accommodate 1.6 GW of offshore wind — to handle the development and integration of floating platforms. 

By Kavya Balaraman • March 11, 2022

EPA plans sweeping regulatory strategy for power plants covering air, water and land pollution

The agency aims to give guidance to utilities and investors so they can make informed financial decisions about the future of their power plants, EPA Administrator Regan said Thursday.

By Ethan Howland • March 11, 2022

Total ISO-NE capacity revenue falls 25% to $1B in latest auction

About 311 MW of new generation, consisting of solar, battery storage, and hybrid projects, won capacity obligations in the auction, down from about 950 MW of new resources last year.

By Ethan Howland • March 10, 2022

Challenge from renewables forces nuclear industry to look beyond electricity generation

DOE and other researchers are investigating how nuclear power plants could be used outside of electricity generation, offering new potential for a range of industrial applications, such as ammonia and hydrogen production.

By Jason Plautz • March 9, 2022