Competitive Power Ventures gas plant uses new GE combustion system to cut fuel costs with ethane blend

CPV says its 1,050 MW Fairview natural gas-fired power plant can run on a cheaper fuel mix without impacting operational efficiency or increasing emissions.

By Matthew Bandyk • March 24, 2020

Tracking the impacts of coronavirus on the US power sector

Oct. 8: How Austin Energy simultaneously managed COVID-19 and a new carbon price adder; Public-private partnerships hold the key to a clean energy future post-COVID

By Nami Sumida • Updated Oct. 8, 2020

18 Senate Democrats call on Congress to include renewables in stalled stimulus package

A Friday letter recommends tax credit extensions or an elimination of the tax credit phase-out, direct payment, refunds, or safe harbor extensions, among other options.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 23, 2020

PG&E, SCE abandon big microgrid plans for temporary emergency measures as wildfire season nears

Regulators' push to implement a law requiring microgrid rollouts is being frustrated by the costs of traditional generation and clean energy complexities.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 23, 2020

Unemployment poised to skyrocket, creating urgent need to spur renewables: Obama veteran of 2008 financial crisis

Power sector leaders are pushing Congress to address hits to the industry, as a former Obama transition team member says renewables and transmission buildouts could be the first jobs to start hiring.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 20, 2020

PJM MOPR compliance plan allays renewable sector concerns of being shut out of capacity auctions

The grid operator's long-awaited compliance filing is a "phenomenal" attempt to minimize the most contentious aspects of the federal order, according to an industry lawyer.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 19, 2020

Oklo submits first advanced reactor license application in US as NRC moves to streamline reviews

Advanced reactors purport to be the "next generation" of nuclear that can fix the problems facing the current industry, but first they need to go through a lengthy regulatory process.

By Matthew Bandyk • March 18, 2020

DOE nixes automatic confidentiality designations for utilities, seen by NGOs as potential boost for coal and nuclear

"You could see a pathway for DOE using this information to prohibit coal or nuclear plants from closing and limiting the public's ability to engage in that decision making process," a clean energy advocate said.

By Robert Walton • March 18, 2020

A red state template for 100% renewables? Utah bill unites Rocky Mountain Power, cities and activists

An 80% Republican legislature has approved HB 411, which will move more than a third of the state’s electricity load to 100% renewables by 2030.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 17, 2020

Retail buyers may be key to clean energy procurement in ISO-NE, PJM, NYISO: Report

As states increasingly find capacity markets incompatible with their clean energy goals, a new report finds reform to the retail model is needed for those states to realize the competitive market's full potential.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 17, 2020

Wind plants can provide grid services similar to gas, hydro, easing renewables integration: CAISO

Tests conducted at a wind farm near San Diego indicate that when equipped with inverter-based smart controllers, commercial wind plants can provide a variety of grid services.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 13, 2020

Global coal developers at risk of losing over $600B through building new plants: Report

There are 499 GW of new coal generation planned or under construction globally, and all of that power will be undercut by cheaper renewables in all major global markets by 2030, a new analysis finds.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 12, 2020

Nuclear energy storage? Advanced reactor developers trying to expand nuclear power's selling points

Molten salt reactors have been trying to reach commercialization for several years, and developers are now emphasizing their potential storage capability. But that may not be enough.

By Matthew Bandyk • March 12, 2020

Over reliance on gas in PREPA IRP jeopardizes Puerto Rico's 100% clean energy goals, groups say

The future of Puerto Rico's electric grid hinges on a lot of moving parts: the utility's long-term plan, a debt restructuring agreement, the search for replacement generation and access to federal emergency funding.

By Robert Walton • March 12, 2020

Indiana passes coal plant support bill as Democrats removed from conference committee deliberations

The final version of the bill keeps the 90-day fuel supply provision out, but reverts back to other elements of the House version that would make coal plants more difficult to retire in the state.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 11, 2020

Gov Northam signs clean energy bill in dramatic transition for Virginia amid dispute over customer costs

Virginia regulators put a high price on implementing the Clean Economy Act, which calls for 3.1 GW of storage by 2035, along with other measures. But supporters say some benefits could not be quantified.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated April 13, 2020

Duke, Dominion, Southern won't hit clean energy targets at current pace: Report

Slowed coal retirements and aggressive natural gas investments will leave the companies far behind their mid-century carbon goals, according to Synapse Energy Economics.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 10, 2020

Exelon's Peach Bottom becomes second US nuclear plant to get license approval to 80 years

The extension allows the two-unit reactor in Pennsylvania to operate until 2054, but comes as debate intensifies over the role of subsidies for emissions-free sources of power generation.

By Larry Pearl • March 9, 2020

Democratic Senators push to include FERC reform in comprehensive Senate energy bill

Though none of the proposed amendments were added to the bill's updated version, observers say versions of the amendments could resurface in the House.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 9, 2020

Wind, solar and storage take up 95% of ISO-New England interconnection queue, marking 'dramatic shift'

Five years ago, the majority of the queue was natural gas capacity, CEO Gordon van Welie told reporters.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 9, 2020

Virginia passes bill to bring scrutiny to coal plant closures, despite Dominion opposition

Clean energy and consumer advocates call the state Senate's passage of the bill a momentous signal after years of agreeing with the energy giant.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 6, 2020

Renewables, EV tax credits won't be included in Senate energy bill 'unless we have a miracle on the floor': Wyden

"We're not going to win this round," the top Democrat of the Senate Finance Committee said, as House members and clean energy interests push for greater renewables incentives in the Senate's comprehensive energy bill.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 5, 2020

Florida signs off on FPL's 1.5 GW community solar program, despite lack of competition

NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light got unanimous approval for the largest solar subscription program in the nation.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 4, 2020

Additional gas capacity, baseload generation 'critical' to maintaining reliability: DOE analysis

Based on how units slated for retirement functioned during the 2018 "bomb cyclone," the study concludes grid resiliency is increasingly linked to the natural gas delivery system.

By Robert Walton • March 4, 2020

DOE Secretary holds out hope for new low carbon coal plants as Senate drills him on renewables cuts

Congress is faced with an energy "budget that, frankly, sucks," Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., told Secretary Dan Brouillette during the hearing.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 4, 2020