Drought spurred by climate change cut 2024 U.S. hydropower to its lowest level in 18 years Energize Weekly, November 13, 2024 U.S. hydropower plants – beleaguered by drought and above average temperatures – are projected to produce 13 percent less electricity in 2024 than the 10-year average, according to the…
Clean tech investments overtake oil and gas financing in 2023 and are set to triple by 2035
Clean tech investments overtake oil and gas financing in 2023 and are set to triple by 2035 Energize Weekly, November 6, 2024 Investments in low-carbon technologies are accelerating – accounting for more than 50 percent of all energy financing in 2023 for the first time – and are set to…
Tri-State won $2.5 billion to close coal plants, get new renewable energy for rural customers
Tri-State won $2.5 billion to close coal plants, get new renewable energy for rural customers Oct 29, 2024 Tri-State Generation has won praise from environmental groups for an aggressive plan to build clean, renewable energy, and Friday the co-op won the financing to do it: $2.5 billion in federal loans…
Boulder to host Xcel ‘virtual power plant’ demonstration
Boulder to host Xcel ‘virtual power plant’ demonstration October 21, 2024 Boulder has been chosen to host Xcel Energy Colorado’s upcoming demonstration of a “virtual power plant” concept. Typically, energy utilities build bigger, centralized power plants that run on coal, gas, nuclear power and other types of energy. But in…
World entering the “age of electricity” as demand outpaces all other forms of energy
World entering the “age of electricity” as demand outpaces all other forms of energy Energize Weekly, October 23, 2024 The world is set to enter the “age of electricity” as demand has grown more quickly than any other energy source and is set to accelerate even more, according to the…
DOE’s No 2: Congress needs to move on permitting reform
DOE’s No 2: Congress needs to move on permitting reform 10/15/2024 Biden administration officials often tout their historic clean energy investments and how they’re creating real, long-lasting momentum in the fight against climate change. But one of those officials, Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk, also has a warning about that…
NYPA’s internal probe of security breach at Moses-Saunders Power Dam
NYPA’s internal probe of security breach at Moses-Saunders Power Dam Oct. 14, 2024 One year ago a man was able to walk across the Moses-Saunders Power Dam near Massena and illegally enter the U.S. from Canada. Now, 7News has the details of an internal investigation. Titled “Privileged and Confidential,” a…
New York awards $24M for 26 clean energy innovation projects
New York awards $24M for 26 clean energy innovation projects October 07, 2024 The New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarded $24 million for 26 innovation projects in multiple clean energy sectors on Oct. 3. The projects were selected through NYSERDA’s Innovation program, which is dedicated to…
US to unveil first of two decisions on more solar tariffs
US to unveil first of two decisions on more solar tariffs September 30, 2024 U.S. trade officials this week may impose new tariffs on solar panels from four Southeast Asian nations that American manufacturers have complained employ unfair subsidies that make U.S. products uncompetitive. The announcement, due on Tuesday, is…
Eversource Energy Completes Exit of Offshore Wind Business
Eversource Energy Completes Exit of Offshore Wind Business September 30, 2024 Eversource Energy (NYSE: ES) today announced that it has completed the sale of its 50 percent interest in the 132-megawatt South Fork Wind project (South Fork Wind) and the 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project (Revolution Wind) to Global Infrastructure Partners…
Minnesota Power Announces Two Large Solar Projects Totaling Over 200 MW in Northern Minnesota
Minnesota Power Announces Two Large Solar Projects Totaling Over 200 MW in Northern Minnesota 24th September 2024 Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE Inc. has announced plans to build two major solar projects in northern Minnesota, advancing its commitment to a cleaner energy future while prioritizing regional renewable energy investments.…
Governor Gianforte Celebrates Nearly $1 Billion Energy Investment in Montana
Governor Gianforte Celebrates Nearly $1 Billion Energy Investment in Montana September 20 2024 Governor Greg Gianforte yesterday cut the ribbon on NextEra Energy Resources’ Clearwater Wind Energy Center in Miles City and celebrated the company’s nearly $1 billion investment in Montana. “We’re ramping up energy production in Montana with our…
Federal $500M bailout for Muskrat Falls power delays to keep N.S. rate hikes in check
Federal $500M bailout for Muskrat Falls power delays to keep N.S. rate hikes in check September 17, 2024 Ottawa is negotiating a $500-million bailout for Nova Scotia’s privately owned electric utility, saying the money will be used to prevent a big spike in electricity rates. Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan…
Renewables, cleantech sector will grow regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election
Renewables, cleantech sector will grow regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election Energize Weekly, September 18, 2024 The results of the U.S. presidential election – even if there is a victory by Donald Trump – will likely not derail growth in the renewable energy and cleantech sectors, according to…
Appalachian Power to get $5 million for Claytor hydroelectric upgrades
Appalachian Power to get $5 million for Claytor hydroelectric upgrades September 9, 2024 Appalachian Power will receive $5 million in federal funding to upgrade its Claytor hydroelectric plant on the New River in Pulaski County. Virginia’s second-largest electric utility will use the money to help pay for replacing original equipment…
Promoters of clean-energy data centers in Virginia coal country unfazed by doubters
Promoters of clean-energy data centers in Virginia coal country unfazed by doubters September 10, 2024 Will Payne and Will Clear are all too aware of the skeptics. But those doubters only fuel the duo’s vision for Southwest Virginia. The former Virginia state energy office bureaucrats turned private-sector consultants have an…
Global clean tech and power market M&A led in 2024 by electricity generation deals
Global clean tech and power market M&A led in 2024 by electricity generation deals Energize Weekly, September 11, 2024 Global clean technology and power market mergers and acquisitions have totaled $105 billion with 234 deals so far this year, slightly ahead of the 2023 pace, according to Enverus Research Intelligence.…
Residential solar prices drop as size of installations grow and more batteries are added
Residential solar prices drop as size of installations grow and more batteries are added Energize Weekly, September 4, 2024 The size of residential solar systems has been rising as solar module efficiency increases and solar panel costs decline, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s annual Tracking the Sun report.…
ERCOT successfully navigates heat wave, new peak demand record
ERCOT successfully navigates heat wave, new peak demand record Aug 26, 2024 Despite record temperatures last week and a new peak demand record, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said it was able to maintain service without conservation requests, which it required last summer. Large additions of renewables and battery…
Renewable energy projects are facing increased delays, cancellations, and big losses
Renewable energy projects are facing increased delays, cancellations, and big losses Energize Weekly, August 21, 2024 Wind and solar projects across the U.S. are facing increased local and state opposition, leading to delays, cancellations, and millions of dollars in lost investments, according to university and national laboratory analyses. A Lawrence…
Texas grid’s first geothermal deal will put clean-energy battery on coal facility land
Texas grid’s first geothermal deal will put clean-energy battery on coal facility land 08/13/24 Early next year, the Texas grid will get its first dose of clean power from underground — by means of a “battery” buried in the rock. On Tuesday, the San Miguel Electric Cooperative announced a deal…
SRP Sets New Record for Amount of Energy Delivered to Customers
SRP Sets New Record for Amount of Energy Delivered to Customers August 6, 2024 Arizona public power utility Salt River Project recently set a new record for the amount of energy delivered to its retail customers. On Sunday, Aug. 4, between 5 and 6 p.m., SRP delivered its highest system…
U.S. electricity demand to rise spurred by the growth of data centers and electric vehicles
U.S. electricity demand to rise spurred by the growth of data centers and electric vehicles Energize Weekly, July 31, 2024 After remaining relatively flat for the last 20 years, U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow 13 percent by 2030, boosted by demands from data centers, electric vehicles (EVs) and…
Largest US Offshore Wind Farm Begins Construction
Largest US Offshore Wind Farm Begins Construction July 22, 2024 Governor Hochul recently announced the start of construction on New York’s largest offshore wind project, Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt project developed by Ørsted. Once completed, the project will provide enough clean energy to power approximately 600,000 New York homes, according…
Manchin, Barrasso announce permitting reform deal, breaking lengthy impasse
Manchin, Barrasso announce permitting reform deal, breaking lengthy impasse 07/22/24 Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have reached an agreement on a bill to speed up the nation’s energy and infrastructure projects after about two years of trying to reach a deal. The bill takes on a suite…
U.S. offshore wind development falters in 2023 but is projected catch up in the next 10 years
U.S. offshore wind development falters in 2023 but is projected catch up in the next 10 years Energize Weekly, July 17, 2024 Offshore wind development in the U.S. suffered setbacks in 2023 with projects being cancelled and less than half of the 30-gigawatt (GW) target set by the Biden administration…
Arizona voters will vote on going green fast or keeping fossil-fuel choices in the mix
Arizona voters will vote on going green fast or keeping fossil-fuel choices in the mix July 8, 2024 Three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission are up for grabs in the coming primary and general elections, and the results of these votes will help set the state’s water and power…
FBI warns of increased cyber threats to expanding US renewable energy sector
FBI warns of increased cyber threats to expanding US renewable energy sector JULY 02, 2024 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published Monday a Private Industry Notification (PIN) emphasizing how malicious cyber actors may seek to disrupt power-generating operations, steal intellectual property, or ransom information critical for normal functionality to…
Arizona utility SRP seeks proposals for emerging storage technologies
Arizona utility SRP seeks proposals for emerging storage technologies Jul 02, 2024 Arizona utility Salt River Project (SRP) has launched a request for proposals (RFP) for non-lithium-ion, long-duration energy storage (LDES) demonstration projects, aiming to back its goal for a sustainable power system. The company said it is targeting both…
Despite bad weather and forced power plant outages the nation’s grid was reliable in 2023
Despite bad weather and forced power plant outages the nation’s grid was reliable in 2023 Energize Weekly, July 3, 2024 Even in the face of extreme weather events and higher rates of forced outages at generating facilities, the U.S.-Canadian electric grid remained “reliable and secure” in 2023, according to the…
NYSERDA reaches MOU for Witmer Road Landfill solar project
NYSERDA reaches MOU for Witmer Road Landfill solar project 6/25/24 The former Witmer Road landfill in the Town of Wheatfield is a step closer to potentially housing a solar farm. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced recently it has reached a memorandum of understanding on the…
N.C.’s ratepayer advocate: Duke Energy ‘failed’ to consider incentives that would cut costs & enable more clean energy
N.C.’s ratepayer advocate: Duke Energy ‘failed’ to consider incentives that would cut costs & enable more clean energy June 25, 2024 Duke Energy’s plan to zero out its carbon pollution all but ignores a federal loan program that could save ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars and enable more clean…
Record temperatures will increase electricity demand, but not natural gas or coal prices
Record temperatures will increase electricity demand, but not natural gas or coal prices Energize Weekly, June 26, 2024 Record temperatures are set to increase electricity demand this summer, but analyses find that a combination of ample gas storage and more renewable generation will help prevent a spike in natural gas…
Ontario’s new energy minister says natural gas plants must stay ‘to help fuel our economy’
Ontario’s new energy minister says natural gas plants must stay ‘to help fuel our economy’ June 13, 2024 Ontario’s new energy minister says the fast-growing province can’t afford an “ideological” push to wean its electricity system off fossil fuels even as concerns about climate change mount. “I cannot underscore this…
Clean energy mandate for Vt. utilities becomes law after Democrats override veto
Clean energy mandate for Vt. utilities becomes law after Democrats override veto June 17, 2024 The biggest energy policy to come out of Montpelier this year is hitting home in concrete ways for two Vermont mothers who showed up to the Statehouse on Monday. The legislation requires all Vermont utilities…
Big energy projects moving fast, face $150 billion a year in cost overruns, Bain & Co. says
Big energy projects moving fast, face $150 billion a year in cost overruns, Bain & Co. says Energize Weekly, June 19, 2024 The scale and speed of the energy transition risks project delays and setbacks leading to cost overruns of 15 percent to 20 percent, equal to $150 billion a…
U.S. Solar Sector Shows Record-Setting Growth
U.S. Solar Sector Shows Record-Setting Growth Jun 6, 2024 A new report from two leading energy industry groups said a record 11 GW of new solar power module manufacturing capacity entered service during the first three months of this year, representing the largest quarter of solar manufacturing growth in U.S.…
Babcock & Wilcox to proceed with coal-to-biomass plant conversion
Babcock & Wilcox to proceed with coal-to-biomass plant conversion JUN 4, 2024 Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) has been granted a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) by NorthStar Clean Energy to begin work on a Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) conversion of a former coal-fired power plant in Filer…
AI is poised to drive a doubling in data center electricity demand by 2030, studies say
AI is poised to drive a doubling in data center electricity demand by 2030, studies say Energize Weekly, June 5, 2024 Data centers, spurred by increased artificial intelligence applications, could double their demand for electricity in the U.S. reaching 9.1 percent of the nation’s electricity load by 2030, according to…
Wind towers crumpled after Iowa wind farm suffers rare direct hit from powerful twister
Wind towers crumpled after Iowa wind farm suffers rare direct hit from powerful twister May 22, 2024 A wind farm in southwest Iowa suffered a direct hit from a powerful tornado that crumpled five of the massive, power-producing towers, including one that burst into flames. But experts say fortunately such…
California ISO Greenlights Transmission Plan for Offshore Wind Integration
California ISO Greenlights Transmission Plan for Offshore Wind Integration May 24, 2024 The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has approved the 2023-2024 Transmission Plan that identifies and plans for key upgrades to California’s transmission system to deliver power from offshore wind turbines to the state’s homes and businesses. CAISO unveiled…
FERC adopts sweeping transmission planning regulations with the aim of speeding projects
FERC adopts sweeping transmission planning regulations with the aim of speeding projects Energize Weekly, May 22, 2024 The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) adopted a sweeping new regulation, on May 13, aimed at spurring the planning and construction of new transmission lines to meet the growing needs of the nation’s…
Zombie coal plants could threaten the US energy transition
Zombie coal plants could threaten the US energy transition 14 May 2024 On the banks of Maryland’s Patapsco River, about 10 miles south of Baltimore, there’s an aging coal plant that pretty much everyone wants to shut down. Local community activists, environmental groups, state officials, even the company that owns…
Biden hikes tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, steel, aluminum
Biden hikes tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, steel, aluminum May 14, 2024 President Joe Biden slapped major new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment on Tuesday, taking potshots at Donald Trump along the way as he embraced a strategy that’s increasing…
Global financing for clean tech manufacturing soared to $200 million in 2023
Global financing for clean tech manufacturing soared to $200 million in 2023 Energize Weekly, May 15, 2024 Global investment in clean technology manufacturing grew year-over-year by 70 percent to $200 billion in 2023, making it one of the largest industrial sectors for new financing, according to a report by the…
AI could drive a natural gas boom as power companies face surging electricity demand
AI could drive a natural gas boom as power companies face surging electricity demand MAY 5 2024 Natural gas producers are planning for a significant spike in demand over the next decade, as artificial intelligence drives a surge in electricity consumption that renewables may struggle to meet alone. After a…
Philadelphia begins powering City Hall and the airport by a solar array 100 miles away
Philadelphia begins powering City Hall and the airport by a solar array 100 miles away APRIL 29, 2024 Philadelphia has begun pulling large amounts of power for city-owned buildings from a solar array on farmland near Gettysburg. The project, begun nearly six years ago under former Mayor Jim Kenney, started…
U.S. hydropower generation expected to increase by 6% in 2024 following last year’s lows
U.S. hydropower generation expected to increase by 6% in 2024 following last year’s lows APRIL 18, 2024 Last year, U.S. hydropower electricity generation fell to its lowest since 2001. This year, we expect hydropower to increase 6% and account for 250 billion kilowatthours of electricity generation in the power sector,…
New cybersecurity center to protect grids integrated with renewables, microgrids
New cybersecurity center to protect grids integrated with renewables, microgrids 23-Apr-2024 Bringing renewable energy to the power grid raises all kinds of “internet-of-things” issues, said Iowa State University’s Manimaran Govindarasu. That’s because “everything is connected,” said the Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering. Solar inverters are connected to the internet.…
Bureau of Land Management finalizes rules for renewable energy projects on public lands
Bureau of Land Management finalizes rules for renewable energy projects on public lands April 15, 2024 The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently published its final rules regarding leasing and rental rates for renewable energy projects on public lands. The new rules will reduce rents and fees for renewable…