Judge OKs $8.6M Vistra coal plant closure settlement seen by NGOs as model for helping impacted communities

The agreement to close the E.D. Edwards plant in Illinois calls for a community-led process to transition the surrounding areas rather than the abrupt closure that many coal plants are going through, one NGO noted.

By Larry Pearl • Nov. 14, 2019

Last GW of 2.25 GW coal-fired Navajo Generating Station expected to shut down any day now

After two years of searching for a new power purchaser, the mammoth plant will close this week, its majority utility owner confirmed.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated Nov. 19, 2019

How does AI improve grid performance? No one fully understands and that's limiting its use

Machine learning's greatest impact will be helping algorithms understand "how the voltage here affects the voltage there," which will enable "optimizing grid operations like dispatching battery storage," one industry executive said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 14, 2019

What will your city's climate feel like in 2080?

At current emissions rates, New York summers are projected to feel nearly 10 degrees warmer. Learn how 10 city climates are projected to feel in 60 years.

By Cailin Crowe • Nov. 13, 2019

California proposes extending 4.8 GW gas capacity as bridge to 3.3 GW of new clean energy by 2023

The state's newly authorized procurement aims to have renewables-plus-storage and standalone storage compete well against other resources, along with energy efficiency and demand response resources.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Nov. 11, 2019

The last gasp of natural gas

Policymakers, regulators and investors would be wise to see the writing on the wall: The gas bubble is about to burst, and they won’t want to be caught with billions of dollars in sunk infrastructure costs when it does, the authors write.

By Bruce Nilles and Mark Dyson • Nov. 8, 2019

Renewables growth, market changes tanked Invenergy's Rhode Island gas plant, regulators say

The Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board denied an 850-1,000 MW new gas plant over the summer, but a formal order released Tuesday gives detailed insight into the reasoning.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 7, 2019

Dominion Virginia plan for 1.5 GW new peaking capacity will lead to more gas plants, NGOs fear

The utility released a request for proposals yesterday, saying it needs the new capacity beginning in 2022 to replace generation retirements and provide system balancing needs for its growing renewables fleet.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 7, 2019

Congressional Policy Tracker: Everything you need to know from carbon capture to wind energy

Renewable energy developers are lobbying for tax credit extensions while Republican leaders seek bipartisan research-focused solutions to support advanced nuclear, carbon capture and energy storage.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated Dec. 2, 2019

Sen. Manchin 'fighting' for White House nomination of Democratic FERC candidate

The independent energy regulatory agency has two vacancies but President Donald Trump only nominated FERC general counsel James Danly for the open Republican seat.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Nov. 6, 2019

Trump administration continues efforts to ease utility regulatory burdens with dual coal ash proposals

Environmental advocates say the new rules would allow coal-fired power plants to continue polluting and coal ash waste to remain in place longer.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 5, 2019

As Dominion, others target 80-year nuclear plants, cybersecurity concerns complicate digital upgrades

Nuclear reactors need new digital controls as part of a push to avoid retirement, but cybersecurity concerns and high costs complicate the transition from analog.

By Matthew Bandyk • Nov. 4, 2019

Solar, energy efficiency to drive drops in load, peak demand over next 10 years, ISO-NE says

The region remains energy constrained, but the grid operator expects to have sufficient resources to meet electricity demand through 2028.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 1, 2019

Energy, megaprojects dominate 2019 US construction industry

An economist contributes the trend to a rise in domestic oil and gas production. "The U.S. has become a powerhouse in energy. 10 to 20 years ago, the U.S. was importing oil and gas, and it doesn't have to now," he said.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 1, 2019

North Carolina eliminates controversial Duke multiyear rate plan from energy legislation

After six months of debate, state legislators agreed Tuesday to eliminate "the biggest paradigm shift in North Carolina electricity regulation in 100 years" from the bill.

By Catherine Morehouse • Oct. 31, 2019

Vogtle opponents get new chance to press case in court as plant manager reprimanded for firing whistleblower

The $27 billion nuclear project is more than 80% complete, Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning told analysts on the company's Q3 earnings call, but potential legal roadblocks remain.

By Lynn Freehill-Maye • Oct. 31, 2019

House introduces $500M carbon capture bill as study questions technology's environmental benefits

"It's never going to be cheaper to use carbon capture or direct air capture because it always has an equipment cost and it never reduces air pollution" from fossil fuel extraction, a Stanford professor said.

By Catherine Morehouse • Oct. 30, 2019

PSEG in talks to acquire 25% of Ørsted's 1,100 MW New Jersey offshore wind project

The utility is in exclusive negotiations to launch a joint venture while working to divest from coal assets and have carbon-free generation by 2050.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 30, 2019

Florida Power & Light passes key milestone in quest for first US 80-year reactor license

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a final environmental assessment of the utility's application to operate the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station's two oldest units for an additional 20 years.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 30, 2019

11 attorneys general urge FERC to respect state energy rights

Federal regulators must "promote market design choices that appropriately recognize the rights of states under the Federal Power Act to shape their resource mixes," they write.

By Catherine Morehouse • Oct. 29, 2019

California may be a climate leader, but it could be a century behind on its carbon goals: study

Renewables are driving carbon out of the power sector, but economic expansion has led to much less progress in reducing emissions from the transportation, building and industrial sectors, the nonprofit Next 10 found.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 29, 2019

Puerto Rico grid modernization plan tops $20B

The plan, which the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority sketched out over the summer, includes installing almost 1.4 GW of solar generation and 920 MW of battery storage.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 29, 2019

Murray Energy, largest US producer, joins long list of bankrupt coal companies

The Trump administration vowed to save the coal sector, but Murray is the eighth company to go bankrupt in the last year.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 29, 2019

Report debunks contention that increased renewables worsen air quality

Scientists were concerned the frequent start and stop of gas plants filling in for intermittent resources in California were increasing overall air emissions, but found such operations are still cutting pollutants.

By Catherine Morehouse • Oct. 28, 2019

FirstEnergy subsidy opponents look to Ohio Supreme Court amid missed deadline on ballot measure

Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts failed to get enough signatures within the required 90 days to get a measure opposing recently enacted coal and nuclear subsidies on the November 2020 ballot.

By John Funk • Oct. 28, 2019