Generation
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Can carbon capture save the San Juan coal plant?
A proceeding before New Mexico regulators begs the question of when and how the 940 MW plant will retire, and the decision may leave mandates under the state's landmark clean energy law behind.
By Catherine Morehouse • Nov. 21, 2019 -
Deep DiveRoad to 100: How one man's mission to power his hometown by wind created a Northwest Missouri boon
The town of 1,200 was the first in the country to be able to power all of its electricity from wind resources. Now, the county is booming in wind production.
By Catherine Morehouse • Nov. 21, 2019 -
Sanders, Warren join fellow senators in urging New England to speed clean energy transition
Lawmakers from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont want to see the New England grid operator incorporate market reforms that will accelerate the region's transition away from fossil fuels.
By Robert Walton • Nov. 20, 2019 -
House clean energy tax bill sees broad industry support, but Senate path uncertain
The draft legislative package, introduced Tuesday, spans from energy storage to offshore wind, including extensions for the solar investment tax credit and the electric vehicle tax credit.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • Nov. 20, 2019 -
Deep DiveNew money: Green banks and green bonds are bringing billions to utilities for the energy transition
The financial mechanisms are bringing investors to renewables and distributed energy as utilities, co-ops and munis move away from uneconomic legacy assets.
By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 19, 2019 -
100+ hydro plants have greater warming impacts than fossil fuels: EDF study
Hydropower supporters countered the report, saying the facilities in question are not a major source of emissions and the "real story" is the industry’s role in decarbonizing the electric system to meet clean energy targets.
By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 19, 2019 -
Generators call on PJM to expedite delayed capacity auction, once new rules are set
FERC still needs to approve capacity market reforms, leaving the grid operator in limbo with regard to its annual auction.
By Robert Walton • Nov. 18, 2019 -
Energy secretary nominee distances himself from Ukraine scandal, pledges baseload power support
Dan Brouillette was grilled on his commitment to Montana's Colstrip power plant and other baseload generation.
By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 15, 2019 -
NRC explores streamlined environmental reviews to accelerate advanced reactor approvals
Several Republican senators have called upon the NRC to develop the expedited process, saying it would deliver on changes to nuclear regulation recently approved by Congress and signed by President Trump.
By Matthew Bandyk • Nov. 15, 2019 -
OpinionTo get to net zero, cities need to think wider than buildings
Solutions to climate change may lie in some old-fashioned values, like building strong communities, relying on neighbors and believing that design matters.
By Tom Sieniewicz • Nov. 15, 2019 -
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 at 10:33 a.m. -
Deep DiveHow 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 -
OpinionThe 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. 08, 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. 07, 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. 07, 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 • Nov. 06, 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. 06, 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. 05, 2019 -
Deep DiveAs 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. 04, 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. 01, 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. 01, 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
