Grid’s ‘town crier’ separates cyber signal from noise 08/17/2021 The U.S. power grid’s hub for cyberthreat information got word last December that hackers had breached FireEye Inc., one of the world’s largest cybersecurity companies. Read more
As Vogtle’s costs rise, changes near for reviewing project’s run-away expenses
As Vogtle’s costs rise, changes near for reviewing project’s run-away expenses AUGUST 17, 2021 State regulators will consider signing off Tuesday on a plan marking a significant shift in how cost overruns are handled for Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle expansion, which is already billions of dollars over budget and years…
PSEG Agrees to Sell PSEG Fossil Generating Portfolio to ArcLight Capital
PSEG Agrees to Sell PSEG Fossil Generating Portfolio to ArcLight Capital Aug 12, 2021 Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) has entered into an agreement to sell its 6,750-megawatt fossil generating portfolio to newly formed subsidiaries of ArcLight Energy Partners Fund VII, L.P., a fund controlled by ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC…
PJM puts transmission upgrades for onshore renewables and offshore wind at up to $3.2 billion
PJM puts transmission upgrades for onshore renewables and offshore wind at up to $3.2 billion Energize Weekly, August 18, 2021 The PJM Interconnection – the nation’s largest grid operator – estimates that it will take between $2.2 billion and $3.2 billion in new transmission investments by 2035 to accommodate the…
W.Va. PSC approves plan to keep Mitchell Power Plant open
W.Va. PSC approves plan to keep Mitchell Power Plant open AUG 5, 2021 The West Virginia Public Service Commission approved a plan to keep several power plants, including Marshall County’s Mitchell Power Plant, operating until at least 2040. But questions remain about the plant’s future. Read more
3D-printed components in service at TVA reactor
3D-printed components in service at TVA reactor 10 August 2021 Four first-of-a-kind 3D-printed fuel assembly channel fasteners have been installed and are now under routine operating conditions at unit 2 of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Alabama. The components were produced at the US Department…
New Mexico customers sound alarm over major utility merger
New Mexico customers sound alarm over major utility merger Aug 10, 2021 New Mexico customers are sounding the alarm over a proposed multibillion-dollar merger of the state’s largest electric utility provider with a U.S. subsidiary of Spanish energy giant Iberdrola, citing a sordid track record of reliability and customer service.…
Global clean energy technology investment reached a record $500 billion in 2020
Global clean energy technology investment reached a record $500 billion in 2020 Energize Weekly, August 11, 2021 Global investment in clean energy technologies reached a record $501.3 billion in 2020, with renewable energy generation accounting for 60 percent of the total, according to a BloombergNEF analysis. The 2020 figure represents…
As Maui approaches 100% renewables, NREL models grid options
As Maui approaches 100% renewables, NREL models grid options AUGUST 2, 2021 Maui’s electric power grid is expected to operate with 100% solar and wind on an instantaneous basis as early as 2024, and NREL is helping the island plan to reliably supply electricity. Read more
Nuclear Power Could Get Lifeline in Senate Infrastructure Bill
Nuclear Power Could Get Lifeline in Senate Infrastructure Bill August 1, 2021 Struggling nuclear power reactors could be given a $6 billion lifeline in the bipartisan infrastructure bill being written in the U.S. Senate, according to a draft obtained by Bloomberg News. Read more
Bipartisan $1T Senate infrastructure bill focuses on nuclear, carbon capture, transmission
Bipartisan $1T Senate infrastructure bill focuses on nuclear, carbon capture, transmission Aug. 3, 2021 A bipartisan group of senators on Sunday unveiled its nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill, formalized into text following a 67-32 consensus to advance the legislation. The vote to advance the bill included the support of 17 Republicans. Read…
Incentives, reliability concerns spur adoption of home solar+storage, but not economics
Incentives, reliability concerns spur adoption of home solar+storage, but not economics Energize Weekly, August 4, 2021 The twinning of residential solar arrays and batteries, which rose from near zero in 2016 to about 550 megawatts (MW) of combined storage by 2020, is being driven by government and utility incentives and…
The US’s largest solar farm is canceled because Nevada locals don’t want to look at it
The US’s largest solar farm is canceled because Nevada locals don’t want to look at it Jul. 26th 2021 The Battle Born Solar Project in Nevada – what would have been the largest solar farm in the US – is now canceled because nearby residents said it would be an…
FirstEnergy Federally Charged in Ohio Nuclear Bailout Scheme
FirstEnergy Federally Charged in Ohio Nuclear Bailout Scheme Jul 22, 2021 Facing a federal charge for honest services wire fraud in a corruption case related to the billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout in Ohio, FirstEnergy Corp. has agreed to abide by the terms of a three-year deferred prosecution settlement to get…
U.S. Power Sector Sees Biggest One-Year Drop in Emissions in More Than Two Decades
U.S. Power Sector Sees Biggest One-Year Drop in Emissions in More Than Two Decades JULY 23, 2021 U.S. power sector emissions dropped 10 percent between 2019 and 2020, owing to greater energy efficiency, less reliance on coal, and the coronavirus pandemic suppressing demand for electricity, according to a new report. This…
Global coal-fired generation rebounds in 2021 with continued expansion in some countries
Global coal-fired generation rebounds in 2021 with continued expansion in some countries Energize Weekly, July 28, 2021 Global coal-fired electricity generation is making a rebound in 2021 as billions of dollars in government support continue to flow to the sector and new coal-fired plants are being built or planned around…
Hydropower worries grow as Colorado River reservoirs continue to dry up
Hydropower worries grow as Colorado River reservoirs continue to dry up July 19, 2021 The water levels behind the Colorado River’s biggest dams are fast-approaching or already at record lows, thanks to a 21-year megadrought that’s squeezing water supplies across the Southwest. But the effects of drought are likely to…
TransAlta completes 2nd of 3 planned Alberta plant conversions to natural gas
TransAlta completes 2nd of 3 planned Alberta plant conversions to natural gas July 19, 2021 TransAlta Corp. has taken another step in its goal of becoming carbon neutral by converting the second of three planned coal-to-gas conversions at its Alberta Thermal power generation facilities near Wabamun. Read more
Barrasso says new legislation sets stage for new Wyoming Natrium nuclear reactor
Barrasso says new legislation sets stage for new Wyoming Natrium nuclear reactor July 19, 2021 Wyoming’s U.S. Sen. John Barrasso on Friday helped introduce the “American Nuclear Infrastructure Act,” legislation which he says would set the stage “to deploy advanced nuclear technologies like the Natrium reactor coming to Wyoming.” Read…
Nuclear cost overrun could mean billions in extra Georgia Power profit
Nuclear cost overrun could mean billions in extra Georgia Power profit July 9, 2021 Consumers may end up paying for billions of dollars in cost overruns on the Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion. But for Georgia Power and its parent Southern Co., the extra costs could represent a huge financial windfall:…
Clean electricity standard carries $1.8T upside – study
Clean electricity standard carries $1.8T upside – study July 12, 2021 A national clean electricity standard would save thousands of lives and yield other health and climate benefits that would outweigh the policy’s costs, according to a first-of-its-kind study. Read more
Western drought hurts hydropower production, California among the hardest hit states
Western drought hurts hydropower production, California among the hardest hit states Energize Weekly, July 14, 2021 The drought conditions smothering the West are crippling hydropower production with hydro-generation’s share of energy production forecast to be 6.5 percent this year – the lowest it has been since 2015, according to the…
NJ Board of Public Utilities awards 2,658 MW of offshore wind
NJ Board of Public Utilities awards 2,658 MW of offshore wind July 02, 2021 The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) awarded 2,658 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity this week, bringing the state closer to Gov. Phil Murphy’s goal of 7,500 MW of offshore wind by 2035. Read…
California energy officials seeking additional capacity for the summer
California energy officials seeking additional capacity for the summer July 2, 2021 Citing climate change-driven heat events, California energy officials announced Thursday that the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the operator of the state’s power grid, would exercise its authority to procure additional capacity. Read more
San Juan Generating Station taken offline after cooling tower collapse
San Juan Generating Station taken offline after cooling tower collapse July 6, 2021 Unit one of the San Juan Generating Station was taken off line last week after a cooling tower collapsed, sources familiar with the incident told NM Political Report. The cooling tower is necessary to operate the unit and,…
More than half the U.S. faces electricity supply problems in the face of a long, hot summer
More than half the U.S. faces electricity supply problems in the face of a long, hot summer Energize Weekly, July 7, 2021 More than half the U.S. – primarily in the West, Texas, Midwest and to a lesser extent, New England – is at risk of energy emergencies this summer,…
NJ set to award second massive offshore wind project
NJ set to award second massive offshore wind project JUNE 29, 2021 In a decision that could make New Jersey a leader in wind power, the state is poised to award a deal for the second-largest procurement of new offshore turbine projects yet to be developed anywhere in the U.S.…
Texas power grid overcomes problems to meet record June demand
Texas power grid overcomes problems to meet record June demand June 25, 2021 Peak electricity demand in Texas broke June’s record on Thursday and was expected to do so again on Friday, the power grid operator said, but there was no repeat of last week’s problems when a significant amount…
Oklo has a plan to make tiny nuclear reactors that run off nuclear waste
Oklo has a plan to make tiny nuclear reactors that run off nuclear waste JUN 28 2021 The face of nuclear energy is changing, and one of the companies working to redefine what nuclear energy looks like is Oklo. The 22-person Silicon Valley start-up has a plan to build mini-nuclear reactors,…
Lawmakers introduce American Cybersecurity Literacy Act
Lawmakers introduce American Cybersecurity Literacy Act June 28, 2021 Bipartisan House lawmakers introduced legislation to increase cybersecurity literacy and security awareness among the American public amid a spike in cybersecurity threats against critical infrastructure. Read more
IOUs cut carbon emissions in 2020, though the footprint remains big for some
IOUs cut carbon emissions in 2020, though the footprint remains big for some Energize Weekly, June 30, 2021 Coal-fired generation and carbon emissions are down among the largest investor-owned utilities, but even with sharp drops in emissions, the carbon footprint for some companies remains large, according to survey data from…
FirstEnergy Taking Proactive Steps to Prepare Transmission System for Summer Weather
FirstEnergy Taking Proactive Steps to Prepare Transmission System for Summer Weather Jun 21, 2021 FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has completed annual inspections and maintenance throughout its transmission system to help ensure reliability for customers ahead of the summer season. Read more
U.S. NRC launches investigation at Southern Georgia Vogtle 3 nuclear unit
U.S. NRC launches investigation at Southern Georgia Vogtle 3 nuclear unit Jun 21, 2021 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said Monday it launched a special inspection at Southern Co’s Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia to identify what led to remediation work at the third unit, which is under…
Solar installations break records in Q1 of 2021, but face rising costs and supply chain issues
Solar installations break records in Q1 of 2021, but face rising costs and supply chain issues Energize Weekly, June 23, 2021 A record-breaking 5 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity was installed in the first quarter of 2021, pushing total installed U.S. capacity to 100 GW – more than doubling in…
U.S. nuclear regulator approves fuel for next-generation reactors
U.S. nuclear regulator approves fuel for next-generation reactors June 15, 2021 The U.S. nuclear power regulator has approved production of uranium fuel that is far more enriched than fuel for conventional nuclear power plants, the company aiming to make the material said on Monday. Read more
Hacker group REvil claims responsibility for Invenergy data breach
Hacker group REvil claims responsibility for Invenergy data breach JUNE 14, 2021 Chicago-based solar and wind developer Invenergy said that it has been hacked, following a recent trend in energy-data security breaches. Russia-linked hackers “REvil” claimed involvement in the breach. Read more
North Carolina joins other East Coast states in push for 36 gigawatts of offshore wind
North Carolina joins other East Coast states in push for 36 gigawatts of offshore wind Energize Weekly, June 16, 2021 North Carolina is the latest state to set big offshore wind power goals – 2.8 gigawatts (GW) of generation by 2020 and 8 GW by 2040 – joining seven other…
Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions Breaks Ground on Pisgah Ridge Solar
Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions Breaks Ground on Pisgah Ridge Solar June 7, 2021 Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy, has started construction of the 250 MW Pisgah Ridge Solar project in Navarro County, Texas. Once in operation, it will be the largest utility-scale solar facility in…
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are building a $1 billion next-generation nuclear reactor in Wyoming
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are building a $1 billion next-generation nuclear reactor in Wyoming Jun 3, 2021 The billionaire friends Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are set to build a $1 billion next-generation nuclear reactor in Wyoming, Gov. Mark Gordon said on Wednesday. Read more
Xcel Energy Cuts Emission, Set to Attain Carbon Neutrality
Xcel Energy Cuts Emission, Set to Attain Carbon Neutrality June 8, 2021 Xcel Energy announced that it has achieved more than 50% of the carbon neutrality target and is among the few utilities that have pledged to cut emissions from the electricity generation process by 100%. Read more
New England offshore wind could shift Canada-US power trade balance
New England offshore wind could shift Canada-US power trade balance 28 May, 2021 A flood of cheap power generated by planned U.S. offshore wind projects could find its way onto Canada’s power grid, reversing a long-standing trend of mostly one-way trade that sees massive exports of Canadian hydropower to the…
Queue for electric generation and storage projects is growing across the U.S.
Queue for electric generation and storage projects is growing across the U.S. Energize Weekly, June 2, 2021 The queue of electricity generation and storage projects is growing year-on-year, reaching a total of 950 gigawatts (GW) of capacity by the end of 2020, according to a survey by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.…
‘Time to move on’: Infrastructure talks near collapse
‘Time to move on’: Infrastructure talks near collapse 05/24/2021 Washington’s bipartisan infrastructure talks may soon look a lot like its cicada population: squashed after staggering around haplessly. Read more
Biden Administration Strikes Deal To Bring Offshore Wind To California
Biden Administration Strikes Deal To Bring Offshore Wind To California May 25, 2021 The Biden administration plans to open the California coast to offshore wind development, ending a long-running stalemate with the Department of Defense that has been the biggest barrier to building wind power along the Pacific Coast. Read…
Duke Energy to test novel approach to turn coal plants into energy storage stations
Duke Energy to test novel approach to turn coal plants into energy storage stations MAY 19, 2021 Funded by a Department of Energy grant, the project will evaluate Malta Inc.’s thermal energy storage system as a viable, scalable solution. Read more
Texas Legislature close to approving billions to pay for winter storm financial fallout
Texas Legislature close to approving billions to pay for winter storm financial fallout MAY 25, 2021 Several billions of dollars in state-approved financing will be necessary to stabilize the state’s distressed energy market after the winter storm. Texas approves more in finance bailouts for its utilities than any other state.…
Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant Trial Begins
Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant Trial Begins May 16, 2021 After years of dispute, oral arguments began Sunday in a trial concerning the ownership rights of the unfinished Bellefonte nuclear plant. Read more
Green push presents cybersecurity problems of its own
Green push presents cybersecurity problems of its own May 17, 2021 The shift to cleaner energy forebodes greater cybersecurity challenges as the economy adds new technologies and relies increasingly on electricity to fuel vehicles and heat homes. Read more
Rising natural gas prices boost coal production and summer coal-fired generation
Rising natural gas prices boost coal production and summer coal-fired generation Energize Weekly, May 19, 2021 A steady rise in natural gas prices since the start of 2021 has given the U.S. coal industry a boost as electric utilities, the nation’s prime coal consumer, are set to switch to coal-fired…
GOP weighs going bigger on infrastructure
GOP weighs going bigger on infrastructure 05/10/2021 Senate Republicans are signaling that they could raise the price tag of their infrastructure offer to President Joe Biden, days ahead of a pivotal series of meetings that could make-or-break Biden’s hopes for a bipartisan deal. Read more
