Washington State Issues Enforcement Order Against U.S. Army Over Yakima Training Center Contamination February 1, 2023 The U.S. Army’s Yakima Training Center contains dozens of sites contaminated by chemical spills and toxic waste, including some that have threatened drinking water supplies in nearby wells. In order to ensure the Army…
Judge dismisses lawsuit over TVA’s long-term deals
Judge dismisses lawsuit over TVA’s long-term deals Feb. 7, 2023 A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by environmental groups that challenged how the nation’s largest public utility signs up local power providers for two-decade contracts. A ruling by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker in Memphis last week sided…
California is lone holdout in Colorado River cuts proposal
California is lone holdout in Colorado River cuts proposal January 31, 2023 Six Western states that rely on water from the Colorado River have agreed on a model to dramatically cut water use in the basin, months after the federal government called for action and an initial deadline passed. California…
SNC-Lavalin, Aecon join team building North America’s first small modular reactor
SNC-Lavalin, Aecon join team building North America’s first small modular reactor 30.01.23 Canadian power company Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has retained Candu Energy, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group, and Canadian contractor Aecon to design and build a small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington nuclear plant in Ontario before the…
Senators explore power supply failure — especially natural gas — during Christmas storm
Senators explore power supply failure – especially natural gas – during Christmas storm January 26, 2023 The winter storm of Dec. 23-25 produced an unexpectedly high demand for electricity. Despite the surprise, PJM, the 13-state power grid organization — thought it had plenty of reserve on hand. But the power…
Chemical Navigation: St Petersburg University Scientists Develop A Water Remediation Method Using Nanoparticles
Chemical Navigation: St Petersburg University Scientists Develop A Water Remediation Method Using Nanoparticles January 18, 2023 Chemists from St Petersburg University have developed a method for purifying water from organic compounds using tin oxide nanoparticle based photocatalysts. Water pollution is one of the acute environmental issues of our time. Due…
CPS Energy will phase out coal, close Spruce plant
CPS Energy will phase out coal, close Spruce plant January 24, 2023 Before the end of the decade, the electricity powering San Antonio’s homes and businesses won’t rely on a polluting coal plant. But CPS Energy isn’t committing to all renewables just yet. The city-owned utility’s board voted 4-1 yesterday…
Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says
Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says Energize Weekly, January 25, 2023 The world has reached – or is close to reaching – peak demand for fossil fuels for generating electricity as the installation of cheaper renewable generation continues to grow, according to an…
Japan’s ‘clean coal’ power experiment is starting to bear fruit
Japan’s ‘clean coal’ power experiment is starting to bear fruit January 16, 2023 On a small island in western Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture, reachable only by a 30-minute ferry ride from the mainland, a decadelong attempt to prove coal can be made “clean” is drawing to an end — though its…
Coal-to-nuclear plans may speed up reactor build in series
Coal-to-nuclear plans may speed up reactor build in series January 16, 2023 New nuclear projects, especially first-of-a-kind (FOAK) technology, are expected to be expensive and difficult to plan efficiently as their deployment must also include the creation of new supply chains, the training of a new workforce, and the construction…
India expects utilities’ annual coal demand to surge about 8% after renewables shortfall
India expects utilities’ annual coal demand to surge about 8% after renewables shortfall January 10, 2023 India expects its power plants to burn about 8% more coal in the fiscal year ending March 2024, according to a senior government official and a power ministry presentation, after the country missed its…
Meet the renewable energy source poised for growth with the help of the oil industry
Meet the renewable energy source poised for growth with the help of the oil industry 01/01/2023 One of the oldest forms of clean power is ready for a comeback — and it’s not wind or solar. Geothermal energy — the technology that harnesses the heat beneath the Earth’s crust —…
Sweden turns to France as it looks to buy two new nuclear reactors
Sweden turns to France as it looks to buy two new nuclear reactors January 3, 2023 Sweden and France could be set to join forces to build new nuclear power stations in the Nordic nation, to boost domestic power production and guarantee security of supply. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson…
Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns
Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns Energize Weekly, December 28, 2022 Global investment in energy efficiency – from building renovations to public transport to electric vehicle infrastructure – increased 16 percent in 2022, reaching $560 billion as efficiency gains grew fourfold, according to the International…
Holtec to reapply for funding to restart Palisades
Holtec to reapply for funding to restart Palisades 20 December 2022 Holtec agreed in 2018 to purchase the plant for decommissioning from operator Entergy, completing the acquisition in June. In July, Holtec – with the support of Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer – submitted an application for funding under the…
High gas prices, energy security concerns make capturing fugitive and flared gas profitable
High gas prices, energy security concerns make capturing fugitive and flared gas profitable Energize Weekly, December 21, 2022 The combination of higher natural gas prices and geopolitical concerns about energy security is making the capture and commercialization of fugitive and flared emissions economically viable around the world, according to a…
Keystone pipeline has now leaked more oil in the US than any other since 2010: report
Keystone pipeline has now leaked more oil in the US than any other since 2010: report 12/12/22 On the heels of another spill last week, the massive Keystone pipeline has now leaked more oil than any other pipeline since 2010, according to a new report from Bloomberg. With more than…
DTE Energy retires two coal plants as part of its vision to generate carbon-free power for the grid of the future
DTE Energy retires two coal plants as part of its vision to generate carbon-free power for the grid of the future December 08, 2022 DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE), Michigan’s largest producer of clean energy, today announced the retirement of two coal-fired power plants, bringing Southeast Michigan closer to a carbon-free future…
U.S. announces nuclear fusion energy breakthrough
U.S. announces nuclear fusion energy breakthrough DECEMBER 13, 2022 The U.S. Department of Energy announced Tuesday a monumental milestone in nuclear fusion research: a “net energy gain” was achieved for the first time in history by scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. “Simply put, this is one…
Department of Energy rejects Holtec International’s plan to restart Palisades Nuclear Power Plant
Department of Energy rejects Holtec International’s plan to restart Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Dec 6, 2022 No second life for Palisades: after applying for a Civil Nuclear Credit program, the United States Department of Energy rejected Holtec International’s plan to restart the decommissioned facility. “Obviously, it was disappointing news when…
California Cities Brace for Water Cuts and a Fourth Year of Drought
California Cities Brace for Water Cuts and a Fourth Year of Drought 11/28/22 Federal water authorities warned California cities and industrial water users to prepare for water cuts in 2023 as the state enters what is likely to be a fourth consecutive year of drought. The potential cuts will affect…
Interior Department finalizes plans for sale of oil and gas leases off coast of Alaska
Interior Department finalizes plans for sale of oil and gas leases off coast of Alaska November 28, 2022 The Interior Department announced final steps to carry out an oil and gas lease sale off Alaska’s coast, just the second such offshore lease sale of President Joe Biden ‘s tenure. The…
Experts say Virginia is capable of building a small modular nuclear reactor today if approvals were in place
Experts say Virginia is capable of building a small modular nuclear reactor today if approvals were in place November 28, 2022 It would likely take a decade to place a small modular nuclear reactor in Southwest Virginia as Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed, but nuclear experts say the technology is…
Equinor Leads the Way in Adoption of Low-emission Offshore Drilling Rigs, Westwood Says
Equinor Leads the Way in Adoption of Low-emission Offshore Drilling Rigs, Westwood Says November 15, 2022 The availability of emission-lowering upgrades for offshore rigs has been on the rise, but adoption of these new technologies is slow outside of Norway and the US Gulf of Mexico due to limited regulatory…
NET Power Natural Gas Generating Plant Captures Its Own Emissions
NET Power Natural Gas Generating Plant Captures Its Own Emissions Nov. 14, 2022 NET Power, based in Durham, North Carolina, has developed a new way to make electricity by burning natural gas that it says is cheaper than conventional gas generation. That’s good news, sort of, but the real benefit…
As Europe Quits Russian Gas, Half of France’s Nuclear Plants Are Off-Line
As Europe Quits Russian Gas, Half of France’s Nuclear Plants Are Off-Line Nov. 15, 2022 An army of engineers has fanned out through nuclear power plants across France in recent months, inspecting reactors for signs of wear and tear. Hundreds of expert welders have been recruited to repair problems found…
Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022
Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022 Energize Weekly, November 9, 2022 Wind, solar and storage installations for the third quarter of 2022 were the lowest in three years as developers struggled with supply chain and trade restrictions, according to a market report…
EPA determines water in Jackson, Mississippi, is safe to drink two months after treatment plant failure
EPA determines water in Jackson, Mississippi, is safe to drink two months after treatment plant failure October 31, 2022 The Environmental Protection Agency has determined water from both treatment plants in Jackson, Mississippi, is safe to drink, an agency spokesperson said in a statement. The announcement comes just over two…
PG&E formally moves to extend life of Diablo Canyon, the last nuclear plant in California
PG&E formally moves to extend life of Diablo Canyon, the last nuclear plant in California NOVEMBER 01, 2022 PG&E Corp. formally asked federal regulators Monday to extend the life of Diablo Canyon, the last operating nuclear plant in California, as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort to improve reliability of…
Xcel to exit coal nationwide by 2030
Xcel to exit coal nationwide by 2030 October 31, 2022 Xcel Energy plans to stop using coal nationwide by the end of 2030 after announcing Monday that it will speed up retirement of coal-fired units at its Tolk Generating Station in Texas. Xcel said it now plans to retire the…
War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says
War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says Energize Weekly, November 2, 2022 Global fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are slowing with oil, coal and natural gas either peaking or reaching a plateau by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).…
Jackson Wastewater Hauler Pleads Guilty To Clean Water Act Violation
Jackson Wastewater Hauler Pleads Guilty To Clean Water Act Violation October 18, 2022 An employee of Partridge-Sibley Industrial Services, Inc., a wastewater hauling business based in Jackson, Mississippi, pled guilty today for his part in illegally discharging industrial waste into the Jackson sewer system, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca…
Inside EPA’s climate strategy for power plants
Inside EPA’s climate strategy for power plants 10/24/2022 EPA’s game plan to comprehensively attack pollution from the coal-fired power industry began to take shape almost immediately following President Joe Biden’s inauguration, recently released records show. In early February 2021, senior EPA appointees briefed White House officials on a strategy that…
Global carbon capture capacity set to grow sixfold by 2030, BloombergNEF says
Global carbon capture capacity set to grow sixfold by 2030, BloombergNEF says Energize Weekly, October 26, 2022 Global carbon capture capacity, with more than $3 billion invested in the technology this year, is set to increase sixfold from current levels by 2030, according to an analysis by energy research firm…
Scientists Say PFAS Contamination Should Be Presumed At Over 57,000 U.S. Sites
Scientists Say PFAS Contamination Should Be Presumed At Over 57,000 U.S. Sites October 12, 2022 Tens of thousands of locations across the United States may be contaminated by PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), according to a study published today in Environmental Science & Technology Letters. According to the research team,…
Louisiana project highlights unknowns of carbon capture
Louisiana project highlights unknowns of carbon capture October 17, 2022 A carbon capture project proposed for a central Louisiana power plant has been dubbed “Project Diamond Vault” by its owner, Louisiana utility Cleco. The utility says the project will have “precious value” to the company, customers and state. Yet less…
Xcel Energy-Colorado positioned to lead clean energy transition, new president says
Xcel Energy-Colorado positioned to lead clean energy transition, new president says October 16, 2022 Robert Kenney took over as President of Xcel Energy-Colorado as the utility sought approval from state regulators for rate increases, a new clean energy plan and a proposal to reduce emissions from its natural gas system.…
Ontario’s electricity sector will need more natural gas generation: report
Ontario’s electricity sector will need more natural gas generation: report October 11, 2022 Ontario plans to secure more natural gas generation in order to fuel an expected surge in demand for electricity, the energy minister said Friday, the latest announcement in what critics describe as a scramble in the face…
As electric vehicles shrink gas tax revenue, more states may tax mileage
As electric vehicles shrink gas tax revenue, more states may tax mileage OCTOBER 11, 2022 The increasing popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles is shrinking revenue from gas taxes, prompting more states to consider charging fees based on miles driven to help pay for roads and bridges. This year at…
Unsafe Lead Contamination Found In Chicago Drinking Water
Unsafe Lead Contamination Found In Chicago Drinking Water September 28, 2022 Recent tests for thousands of consumers in Chicago found that 5% of them were being served with drinking water that contained exceedingly high levels of lead contamination. “One in 20 tap water tests performed for thousands of Chicago residents…
Oil-eating microbes excrete the world’s cheapest “clean” hydrogen
Oil-eating microbes excrete the world’s cheapest “clean” hydrogen October 03, 2022 Texan company Cemvita is promising clean hydrogen at less than US$1/kg, after testing a fascinating new technique in the lab and the field. The idea is to pump specially developed microbes into depleted oil wells, where they’ll eat oil…
Holtec, Nuclear Regulatory Commission keep focus on dismantling Palisades
Holtec, Nuclear Regulatory Commission keep focus on dismantling Palisades Oct 2, 2022 Despite efforts to resume the operation of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert Township, it appears its decommissioning will begin in earnest. Holtec International, which bought the plant from Entergy Inc., has been given the green light…
Las Vegas Bets On A Range Of Conservation Measures In Face Of Megadrought
Las Vegas Bets On A Range Of Conservation Measures In Face Of Megadrought September 21, 2022 Banking on its continued position as an oasis among the desert, Las Vegas is placing its bets on ambitious water conservation measures as regional drought conditions and consumption demand grow. According to recent coverage…
Argonne National Laboratory and Constellation look at producing hydrogen at NPPs
Argonne National Laboratory and Constellation look at producing hydrogen at NPPs 27 September 2022 Constellation Energy Corporation and the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have announced a long-term agreement to evaluate trends in the US energy system and develop technologies for more efficient, carbon-free power generation. One…
Global coal-fired generation spikes in 2021, even as wind and solar reach new highs
Global coal-fired generation spikes in 2021, even as wind and solar reach new highs Energize Weekly, September 28, 2022 The world recorded an unprecedent spike in coal-fired generation in 2021 – even as wind and solar generation also reached record levels, according to a report by Bloomberg NEF and Bloomberg…
Gas, a ‘bridge fuel,’ dominates U.S. power at any price
Gas, a ‘bridge fuel,’ dominates U.S. power at any price 09/20/2022 Surging natural gas prices normally result in booming coal generation. But 2022 isn’t normal. Power companies are shrugging off the highest gas prices in over a decade as they ramp up electricity generation at U.S. gas plants, which are…
Old coal-fired power plants could gain a second life as sites for nuclear units, DOE says
Old coal-fired power plants could gain a second life as sites for nuclear units, DOE says Energize Weekly, September 21, 2022 Old coal-fired power plants could have an economical, second life as sites for a new generation of nuclear power projects, according to a study by the U.S. Department of…
Pa. Turnpike jumping into solar power as it explores electrified road services for electric vehicles
Pa. Turnpike jumping into solar power as it explores electrified road services for electric vehicles SEP 11, 2022 The Pennsylvania Turnpike is jumping into solar energy production to power its maintenance and office buildings with a long-term goal: using solar-generated power to electrify portions of the toll road so electric…
Could the Nation’s Coal Plant Sites Help Drive a Clean Energy Transition?
Could the Nation’s Coal Plant Sites Help Drive a Clean Energy Transition? SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 The nation’s coal power plant sites that helped build the U.S. economy during the country’s electrification could play a huge role once again in helping the nation transition to clean energy. A new U.S. Department…
New methane tax more a regulation aimed at curbing emissions than a revenue raiser
New methane tax more a regulation aimed at curbing emissions than a revenue raiser Energize Weekly, September 14, 2022 A methane tax in the Inflation Reduction Act will likely serve more as a regulation than a revenue raiser, spurring oil and gas operations to cut down on fugitive emissions to…
