ERCOT cancels additional capacity request for winter, CEO says Texas grid is ‘adequately’ prepared November 19, 2023 The state’s power grid won’t add any additional capacity this winter, according to an ERCOT statement. ERCOT said it made this decision after weighing various factors and accounting for a limited market response.…
Entergy’s nuclear plant north of Baton Rouge was forced into temporary emergency shutdown
Entergy’s nuclear plant north of Baton Rouge was forced into temporary emergency shutdown November 21, 2023 Entergy’s River Bend nuclear power plant near St. Francisville was forced into a temporary emergency shutdown over the weekend due to a technical issue, but was brought back online the following day, officials said.…
PG&E bills to soar next year after regulators approve 13% rate increase Thursday
PG&E bills to soar next year after regulators approve 13% rate increase Thursday Nov 16, 2023 Monthly bills for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers will climb even higher next year after California regulators on Thursday unanimously approved allowing the utility giant to increase its rates for electricity and natural…
Global LNG market stable for this winter, but there will be more volatility down the road
Global LNG market stable for this winter, but there will be more volatility down the road Energize Weekly, November 22, 2023 Ample gas inventories in the U.S. and Europe and increased liquified natural gas (LNG) export and import capacity will likely meet global needs this winter, but growing demand over…
US plans to buy 1.2 million barrels of oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve
US plans to buy 1.2 million barrels of oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve November 13, 2023 The U.S. plans to buy 1.2 million barrels of oil to help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after it sold off the largest amount ever last year, the Energy Department said on Monday. The…
Security researchers raise concerns regarding electric vehicle chargers
Security researchers raise concerns regarding electric vehicle chargers November 13, 2023 Security researchers have found voltage vulnerabilities while putting home electric vehicle chargers to the test. Consumer Adviser Clark Howard delves into why they want more regulation for manufacturers to keep the power grid safe. Read more
PacifiCorp now wants protection from fire victims
PacifiCorp now wants protection from fire victims November 10, 2023 Oregon’s second-largest electricity provider wants state regulators to protect it from the costs of future lawsuits seeking reimbursement from destructive wildfires. The Oregonian reported that PacifiCorp’s request to the Public Utility Commission (PUC) was made just months after the utility…
Fossil-fuel producing countries set to blow past climate targets for oil, natural gas, and coal
Fossil-fuel producing countries set to blow past climate targets for oil, natural gas, and coal Energize Weekly, November 15, 2023 Fossil-fuel producing countries are set to turn out double the amount of coal, oil, and natural gas between now and 2050 needed to keep the increase in global warming to…
Dominion plans large liquified natural gas facility in Person County near Rougemont
Dominion plans large liquified natural gas facility in Person County near Rougemont NOVEMBER 3, 2023 Dominion Energy, the main corporate actor behind the defunct Atlantic Coast Pipeline, plans to build the Moriah Energy Center, two 25-million-gallon liquified natural gas facilities on 485 acres in southeastern Person County, about two miles…
Xcel Energy proposes 175-mile transmission line routes to connect renewable energy for southwest Minnesota
Xcel Energy proposes 175-mile transmission line routes to connect renewable energy for southwest Minnesota November 03, 2023 Xcel Energy turned in two proposed routes for its approximately 175-mile long Minnesota Energy Connection transmission line to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and Minnesota Department of Commerce this week. Either route would…
Partial owner of Xcel’s newest and last coal plant awarded judgement over year-long power outage
Partial owner of Xcel’s newest and last coal plant awarded judgement over year-long power outage NOVEMBER 4, 2023 A Denver District Court jury recently awarded an electricity distributor $26.45 million after the distributor sued Xcel Energy over what it called mismanagement of a power plant. CORE Electric Cooperative sued Xcel…
Clean power installations set a Q3 record even as the sector faces headwinds
Clean power installations set a Q3 record even as the sector faces headwinds Energize Weekly, November 8, 2023 New clean power utility-scale installations set a record in the third quarter of 2023, bringing online 5.6 gigawatts (GW) of generation and storage capacity, even as the sector was coping with troubling…
Fukushima water released without technical concerns, IAEA says
Fukushima water released without technical concerns, IAEA says Oct 28, 2023 Japan’s release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into the sea is “progressing as planned and without any technical concerns,” the U.N. nuclear watchdog has said. The International Atomic Energy Agency wrapped up…
AI threats are here. Are Biden and the energy industry ready?
AI threats are here. Are Biden and the energy industry ready? 10/30/2023 The White House launched a new strategy Monday to protect American privacy — and critical infrastructure like the electric grid — from artificial intelligence gone wrong. But as AI creeps into the energy sector, experts say much more…
Lower fuel prices to lead to lower winter heating bills for homes using natural gas, propane
Lower fuel prices to lead to lower winter heating bills for homes using natural gas, propane Energize Weekly, November 1, 2023 Winter heating bills will be lower than last year for homes using natural gas and propane but will be up for those relying on heating oil, according to forecasts…
Forest Service says Denver Water is taking down too many trees, rushing requests to change plan to raise Gross Dam
Forest Service says Denver Water is taking down too many trees, rushing requests to change plan to raise Gross Dam Oct 20, 2023 Denver Water is cutting down too many trees on federal land at the major expansion of Gross Dam and Reservoir in Boulder County, and must conduct more…
Xcel Energy seeks to grow wind energy in southwest Minnesota
Xcel Energy seeks to grow wind energy in southwest Minnesota October 19, 2023 Xcel Energy is seeking a major expansion of wind energy in southwestern Minnesota. The Minneapolis-based utility is asking for proposals for about 1,200 megawatts of new wind projects. That’s enough to power more than 485,000 homes in…
Mountain Valley pipeline delayed: 4 questions answered
Mountain Valley pipeline delayed: 4 questions answered 10/19/2023 Completion of the closely watched Mountain Valley pipeline will be delayed until next year, and its cost will exceed $7 billion, the project’s lead developer said Wednesday. The updates from Equitrans Midstream mark the latest twist in the saga of the controversial…
Global oil, coal, and gas demand to peak by 2030: IEA
Global oil, coal, and gas demand to peak by 2030: IEA October 24, 2023 Many countries have mandated that automobiles, businesses, and more employ clean energy initiatives, aimed at reducing their carbon footprint. The rate of production and adoption of things like electric cars and the use of solar energy…
U.S. DOE awards $3.5 billion for 58 projects to make electric grids safer and more resilient
U.S. DOE awards $3.5 billion for 58 projects to make electric grids safer and more resilient Energize Weekly, October 25, 2023 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has made $3.5 billion in grants to utilities in 44 states to improve grid reliability and to take measures to meet the risks…
News From the Oil Patch: U.S. sets all-time crude production record
News From the Oil Patch: U.S. sets all-time crude production record Oct 16, 2023 U.S. operators set an all-time record for crude oil production last week. According to the Energy Information Administration, domestic output averaged 13,218,000 barrels per day last week. That’s the best weekly tally ever, 140,000 barrels per…
Global electricity grid must be upgraded urgently to hit climate goals, says IEA
Global electricity grid must be upgraded urgently to hit climate goals, says IEA 17 Oct 2023 Ministers have been urged to “open their eyes” to the need to build a vast network of new electricity grids to allow countries to hit climate goals, the chief of the world’s energy watchdog…
1,000 additional workers to help out during Cook plant refueling outage
1,000 additional workers to help out during Cook plant refueling outage October 12, 2023 A refueling outage is about to begin at the Cook nuclear power plant. Plant spokesperson Bill Downey tells us Unit 1 will be taken offline at 3 a.m. on Saturday for both refueling and maintenance. The…
U.S. sets records for crude oil and natural gas exports in the first six months of 2023
U.S. sets records for crude oil and natural gas exports in the first six months of 2023 Energize Weekly, October 18, 2023 The U.S. set export records for both oil and natural gas in the first half of 2023, with Europe as the prime destination, according to the federal Energy…
Exxon’s blockbuster Pioneer merger needs Biden’s blessing
Exxon’s blockbuster Pioneer merger needs Biden’s blessing Oct 8, 2023 Exxon Mobil Corp. needs approval from the Biden administration before it can take over independent oil and gas producer Pioneer Natural Resources Co. in what would be the world’s biggest deal this year. That might not be such an easy…
Vogtle Unit 4 startup date pushed back after motor fault discovered in reactor coolant pump
Vogtle Unit 4 startup date pushed back after motor fault discovered in reactor coolant pump 10.9.2023 The in-service date for Plant Vogtle Unit 4 is being pushed back to 2024 due to a motor fault in one of four reactor coolant pumps, Georgia Power said in a filing to the…
The problem with making green hydrogen to fuel power plants
The problem with making green hydrogen to fuel power plants 10 October 2023 Today, utility Florida Power & Light will begin operations at its Cavendish NextGen Hydrogen Hub, one of the country’s first green hydrogen facilities. The 25-megawatt project will use solar power to split water into oxygen and hydrogen…
PG&E to Pay $45 Million for Second-Largest California Fire
PG&E to Pay $45 Million for Second-Largest California Fire October 9, 2023 PG&E Corp. will pay a $45 million penalty for its role in starting the second-largest wildfire in California history under a settlement proposal issued by state regulators. The California utility giant agreed to the shareholder-funded penalty proposed by…
EVs could capture 80 percent of new car sales in China, Europe, and the U.S. by 2030
EVs could capture 80 percent of new car sales in China, Europe, and the U.S. by 2030 Energize Weekly, October 11, 2023 While it took six years for electric vehicles (EVs) to climb to from 1 percent to 10 percent of the passenger car market, in another seven, they could…
In the shadow of a nuclear plant, Prairie Island celebrates steps toward a green future
In the shadow of a nuclear plant, Prairie Island celebrates steps toward a green future October 3, 2023 Standing in the same former bean field he played in as a child, Prairie Island Indian Community President Johnny Johnson recently led a crowd of project partners and community members in celebrating…
Ameren wants to build two gas power plants. Critics call them ‘a big concern.’
Ameren wants to build two gas power plants. Critics call them ‘a big concern.’ Sep 27, 2023 Regional electric utility Ameren said Tuesday that it aims to build two natural gas power plants over the next decade, a revelation that appears to conflict with corporate goals to slash carbon emissions…
NRC approves transfer of three Energy Harbor nuclear plants to Vistra
NRC approves transfer of three Energy Harbor nuclear plants to Vistra 10.3.2023 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved the transfer of the operating licenses of Energy Harbor’s three nuclear plants to Vistra. In March 2023, Vistra reached an agreement to acquire Energy Harbor in a $3.4 billion deal, including debt.…
Favorable economics, the need for new reserves boost global oil exploration investments
Favorable economics, the need for new reserves boost global oil exploration investments Energize Weekly, October 3, 2023 Global oil and gas exploration and production investments are set for a big rebound, according to energy analysts Wood Mackenzie and Rystad Energy. While not reaching the levels of the 2006-to-2014 boom years,…
EPA Awards Nearly $8M For Research Grants To Advance Groundwater Availability And Quality
EPA Awards Nearly $8M For Research Grants To Advance Groundwater Availability And Quality September 21, 2023 Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $7,837,196 in funding to four institutions to research the use and risks of enhanced aquifer recharge (EAR) to improve groundwater availability and quality. EAR is the…
Appeals Court Blocks Biden Bid to Limit Oil Drilling Auction
Appeals Court Blocks Biden Bid to Limit Oil Drilling Auction September 25, 2023 A federal court left in place an order forcing the Biden administration to expand an upcoming sale of offshore drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico, while giving the government more time to hold the auction. The…
US natgas futures steady on healthy demand, lower supply
US natgas futures steady on healthy demand, lower supply Sept 25 U.S. natural gas futures steadied on Monday and consolidated gains from the previous session, buoyed by healthy demand and slightly lower output projections, even as the market transitions into the shoulder period for gas demand. Demand for power usually…
Hawaiian Electric begins restoration work in Lahaina at request of Maui Emergency Operations Center
Hawaiian Electric begins restoration work in Lahaina at request of Maui Emergency Operations Center September 21, 2023 Hawaiian Electric reports that replacement of poles and electrical equipment damaged in last months windstorms and wildfires in Lahaina will get underway at the request of Maui emergency management officials. This work will…
Xcel plans to replace Colorado power plant in Pueblo with renewable energy battery system
Xcel plans to replace Colorado power plant in Pueblo with renewable energy battery system SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 Xcel Energy recently announced its intent to construct a long duration energy storage system at the site of a coal-fired power plant in Pueblo. Once operational, the system in Colorado “will allow Xcel…
Hawaiian Electric Industries Hires Utility Bankruptcy Expert As CFO
Hawaiian Electric Industries Hires Utility Bankruptcy Expert As CFO September 20, 2023 A utility dealmaker with experience in mergers, restructuring and bankruptcy will become chief financial officer for Hawaiian Electric Industries next month as HEI and its subsidiaries address legal, financial and political issues related to the deadly Maui wildfires.…
Takahama No. 2 nuclear reactor restarted after 12-year halt
Takahama No. 2 nuclear reactor restarted after 12-year halt Sep 15, 2023 Kansai Electric Power on Friday rebooted its nearly 50-year-old No. 2 reactor at the Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture for the first time since 2011, marking the 12th unit to be restarted in the country since the…
Dominion to seek air permit for proposed Chesterfield gas plant
Dominion to seek air permit for proposed Chesterfield gas plant SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 Dominion Energy’s plans to build a new natural gas plant in Chesterfield will require a state permit for major new sources of emissions, state air quality regulators said Wednesday. Mike Dowd, the Department of Environmental Quality’s director…
United Illuminating lawsuit claims electric rates approved by CT will force it to operate at a loss
United Illuminating lawsuit claims electric rates approved by CT will force it to operate at a loss Sep. 18, 2023 Arguing that an August decision by Connecticut regulators on utility rates will force it to operate at a loss, United Illuminating Co. filed a lawsuit on Monday in New Britain…
Increased U.S. natural gas production in 2023 is boosting LNG and ethane exports
Increased U.S. natural gas production in 2023 is boosting LNG and ethane exports Energize Weekly, September 20, 2023 Record U.S. natural gas production in 2023 is leading to a record ethane production and liquified natural gas (LNG) exports, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA is forecasting…
Legal assault awaits Biden’s Alaska lease cancellation
Legal assault awaits Biden’s Alaska lease cancellation 09/11/2023 An Alaska corporation is already teeing up a legal battle over the Biden administration’s decision to cancel contested oil and gas leases in a massive wildlife refuge. The Interior Department announced plans last week to revoke seven leases held by the Alaska…
China-Linked Hackers Breached a Power Grid—Again
China-Linked Hackers Breached a Power Grid—Again SEP 12, 2023 The loose nexus of Chinese-origin cyberspies collectively called APT41 is known for carrying out some of the most brazen hacking schemes linked to China over the past decade. Its methods range from a spree of software supply chain attacks that planted…
CMP accused of overspending $53.6 million in storm recovery efforts
CMP accused of overspending $53.6 million in storm recovery efforts Sep 8, 2023 Maine’s advocate for utility customers wants state regulators to withhold more than $50 million that it says Central Maine Power Co. overspent in violation of staffing guidelines when restoring power to customers during a dozen storms in…
Losing member co-ops, Tri-State seeks to sell its electricity on the wholesale power market
Losing member co-ops, Tri-State seeks to sell its electricity on the wholesale power market Energize Weekly, September 13, 2023 Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a wholesale power supplier for rural electric cooperatives, is seeking to sell excess power on the open market as it loses some of its biggest members.…
New EPA Data Shows 27 Million Americans Receive Drinking Water Contaminated With PFAS
New EPA Data Shows 27 Million Americans Receive Drinking Water Contaminated With PFAS August 30, 2023 The U.S. EPA has announced a new official estimate for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in public water systems, releasing data that could shape forthcoming regulation and compensation from manufacturers. “Toxic ‘forever chemicals’…
California regulators OK gas storage expansion despite risks
California regulators OK gas storage expansion despite risks SEP 5, 2023 California regulators have approved a proposal to vastly increase natural gas storage at the site of the nation’s largest known methane leak, which sickened thousands of families and forced them from their Los Angeles homes in 2015. Despite opposition…
FirstEnergy subsidiaries file settlement with the Pennsylvania PUC
FirstEnergy subsidiaries file settlement with the Pennsylvania PUC September 05, 2023 FirstEnergy Corporation’s announced Thursday its subsidiaries – Met Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power, Keystone Appalachian Transmission Company (KATCO), and Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission, LLC (MAIT) – had filed settlement agreements with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (Pa PUC)…
