Generation
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Utility leaders hail clean energy tax incentives as House sends historic climate bill to Biden’s desk
The bill's 15% minimum corporate tax could ding some investor-owned utilities, however.
By Ethan Howland • Aug. 15, 2022 -
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FERC commissioners press financial giant Vanguard over possible efforts to influence utility power portfolios
“Should a company like Vanguard seek to influence the management and operation of utilities’ generation portfolio, for example, this could have a significant impact on the rates consumers pay for electrical service,” the commissioners said.
By Ethan Howland • Aug. 12, 2022 -
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US generating capacity additions expected to double in H2 to 29.4 GW, led by solar and wind: EIA
While solar leads the projected utility-scale additions for 2022 at 17.8 GW, that number is down 3.7 GW since the beginning of the year due to supply chain disruptions, an ongoing tariff investigation and other factors.
By Larry Pearl • Aug. 9, 2022 -
Courtesy of Bechtel
NRC authorizes Southern Nuclear to begin operation of Vogtle Unit 3
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision follows it issuing the first design certification for a small modular reactor and comes as Congress considers billions of dollars in financial incentives for existing nuclear plants.
By Larry Pearl • Aug. 4, 2022 -
Nicholas Smith via Getty Images
Deep DiveNextEra’s ‘game-changing’ Real Zero emissions goal spurs questions about hydrogen, demand-side management
NextEra, the world’s biggest IOU by market cap, wants a “real” reduction of all carbon emissions by FPL, its regulated subsidiary, with solar, batteries and green hydrogen, but it will go without much help from the demand side.
By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 3, 2022 -
Permission granted by ISO New England
Reserve margin may need to rise to 300% by 2040 as more renewables added to grid: ISO New England
A scenario where reliability criteria are met using only solar, wind and storage would challenge the transmission system and require “an outsized amount of land or offshore areas” for wind and solar farms, ISO-NE found.
By Robert Walton • Aug. 2, 2022 -
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FERC, NERC urge North American Energy Standards Board to help boost gas-electric coordination
NAESB announced plans last year to support improved coordination between the natural gas and electricity markets, but that initiative has made little progress.
By Robert Walton • Aug. 2, 2022 -
Permission granted by NuScale Power
NRC to certify NuScale small modular reactor design for use in the US
The first small modular nuclear reactor design to be approved in the U.S. is expected to go online at an Energy Department laboratory in Idaho in 2029.
By Larry Pearl • Aug. 1, 2022 -
"Diablo Canyon Family Open House" by Tracey Adams is licensed under CC BY 2.0
‘The clock is ticking’: PG&E exploring possibility of keeping Diablo Canyo open to boost reliability: CEO
State regulators in 2018 approved a settlement to close the plant, but some experts are now questioning whether it should be shut down.
By Kavya Balaraman • July 29, 2022 -
Courtesy of Vanguard Renewables
Q&ARNG producer Vanguard Renewables CEO on $700M sale to BlackRock, digester expansion
Neil Smith, who joined Vanguard after leading an energy company during a similar period of expansion, breaks down what the sale means for the company’s efforts to launch dozens of RNG-producing facilities.
By Cole Rosengren • July 27, 2022 -
Photo illustration by Ethan Howland/Utility Dive; photograph by Kathy Kafka via Getty Images
Western RTO could add up to $79.2 billion to regional economy, report finds
The report, commissioned by Advanced Energy Economy, found that every individual Western state, as well as the region as a whole, would see economic benefits from an RTO.
By Kavya Balaraman • July 27, 2022 -
Shaiith via Getty Images
NextEra plan for 200 MW solar, 75 MW storage at shuttered nuclear plant approved by Iowa regulators
An Alliant Energy utility plans to buy the project and recently increased a proposed cost cap for it by 23% because of supply chain and solar market disruptions.
By Ethan Howland • July 27, 2022 -
Permission granted by Fluor
US becomes world's largest LNG exporter amid Ukraine war-driven demand, rising gas and power prices
The growth in U.S. liquefied natural gas exports has raised some concern that it may be driving up domestic gas and electricity prices.
By Robert Walton • July 26, 2022 -
Massachusetts passes 'landmark' climate bill to decarbonize multiple sectors, add 5.6 GW offshore wind
The wide-ranging bill supports the decarbonization of the state’s building and transportation sectors, scrapping language that would have blocked residential retail energy choice.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 22, 2022 -
The image by Sam Nash is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
State regulators approve Georgia Power's plans to retire all coal plants by 2028 except for Plant Bowen
The state’s Public Service Commission voted to decide the retirement of the remaining two units at Plant Bowen, totaling nearly 1,600 MW, in the utility’s 2025 IRP proceeding.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 22, 2022 -
Courtesy of Vanguard Renewables
In move to expand renewable natural gas, BlackRock fund buys Vanguard Renewables
The Massachusetts-based company, known for farm-based projects, aspires to have 100 anaerobic digesters by 2026. This new investment comes as renewable natural gas projects are increasingly popular.
By Cole Rosengren • July 21, 2022 -
'Batteries aren't going to do it': NERC's Moura calls for gas investment to maintain reliability
Key metrics tracking outages and unserved energy demand spiked in 2021, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp.
By Robert Walton • July 21, 2022 -
WAPA approves interconnection request for ConnectGen's 504-MW Wyoming wind project
ConnectGen aims to bring the Rail Tie wind farm’s first phase online late next year, with a second phase starting operations a year later.
By Ethan Howland • July 20, 2022 -
Pixabay
Texas heat wave could mean big payday for Vistra in ERCOT market: Morgan Stanley
Vistra could see an additional $10 million in earnings for each hour the Texas grid operates at its peak pricing of $5,000/MWh, Morgan Stanley analysts estimate.
By Robert Walton • July 19, 2022 -
Gunther Fraulob via Getty Images
No near-term credit quality risks for US public power, cooperative utilities from potential blackouts: Fitch
Customers of public utilities should still anticipate rate increases, the ratings agency said.
By Robert Walton • July 18, 2022 -
Puerto Rico's electricity rates have nearly doubled since 2020: IEEFA
A recently approved plan to overhaul the island’s electric grid will do little to reduce costs, according to the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis.
By Robert Walton • July 18, 2022 -
Permission granted by Convergent Energy + Power
Sponsored by Convergent Energy + PowerEnergy storage 101: how energy storage works
Without energy storage, electricity must be produced and consumed exactly at the same time.
July 18, 2022 -
Retrieved from Public Utilities Commission of Texas.
Texas expands industrial demand response program as grid goes to the brink of rolling outages
The state’s Emergency Response Service was deployed on Wednesday to reduce grid stress and a “substantial” portion of its budget was used, regulators said.
By Robert Walton • July 15, 2022 -
Photo VS via Getty Images
Carbon capture projects, regional CO2 pipeline design to get $2.6B in DOE funding proposal
The funding would support four carbon capture and storage projects at coal- and gas-fired power plants, plus two at industrial facilities.
By Ethan Howland • July 14, 2022 -
Maudib via Getty Images
OpinionBay staters are choosing clean energy. Why are lawmakers favoring utility monopolies?
Now is the time to expand choice, not to shut down a market that is saving ratepayers money while enabling a transition to a clean energy future, the author writes.
By Christopher Ercoli • July 14, 2022
