Duke's North Carolina customers will pay $232M for coal ash cleanup

State regulators slashed Duke Energy's requested rate increase and hit the utility with a $30 million fine, but still allowed customer fixed costs to rise 25%.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 26, 2018

NV Energy proposes operating North Valmy coal plant through 2025

Sierra Club says operating both units at the coal-fired North Valmy plant through 2025 could cost consumers $30 million more than renewable energy options.   

By Robert Walton • Feb. 23, 2018

Solving our energy grid problems requires a data sharing economy

Solving energy grid problems in New York, Puerto Rico and beyond will depend on innovative leaders who are willing to foster standards and knowledge sharing, according to Lisa Salley, vice president of Global Industry Services at the American Petroleum Institute.  

By Lisa Salley • Feb. 23, 2018

FirstEnergy CEO says generation subsidiary headed for bankruptcy protection

Chuck Jones said he would be "shocked" if the company's merchant generation business did not file for bankruptcy protection by the end of March.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 23, 2018

California energy agency predicts rising power demand

The California Energy Commission on Feb. 21 released its updated demand forecast, which sees higher consumption driven by electric vehicles and climate change. 

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 23, 2018

New Orleans City Council moves closer to approving Entergy's gas peaker

The $210 million, 128 MW gas-fired peaker is a smaller version of the utility's original and preferred project.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 22, 2018

Atlantic Coast Pipeline pricetag could reach $6.5B, says Duke CEO

Delays and stringent conditions agreed to as part of the permitting process have driven the project's cost more than 20% higher, Duke CEO Lynn Good said during an earnings call. 

By Robert Walton • Feb. 22, 2018

Customer empowerment upheaval forces California into hold on renewables

Customer choice aggregation is sweeping through California, putting almost everything about the state’s already groundbreaking power delivery into doubt.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 22, 2018

EPA moves to reject CT complaint over Brunner Island plant emissions

Connecticut had filed a complaint with the agency arguing that cross-state pollution from the plant was putting it in violation of ground-level ozone standards. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 22, 2018

Florida PSC staff pushes approval of FPL gas plant over opposition

The commission will vote March 1 on whether to approve a 1,163 MW gas plant — far larger than opponents say is necessary to cover demand.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 22, 2018

NRC says Vogtle employees falsified inspection reports, proposes $145K fine

Southern Nuclear, which will have 30 days to either protest or pay the fine, has taken disciplinary action as well as making revisions to procedures, oversight and training.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 21, 2018

LaFleur warns against PJM plan altering 'fundamental' energy market mechanics

The federal regulator said her agency should "think very hard" before it alters which resources can set market prices during an address that also touched on grid resilience and the growth of Western energy markets.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 21, 2018

Arizona regulator wants cost analysis of proposed clean energy plan

Commissioner Andy Tobin is requesting the Residential Utility Consumer Office compare the costs of his proposal to require utilities to produce 80% of its power with clean energy by 2050. 

By Robert Walton • Feb. 21, 2018

DOE 'would never use' emergency order for uneconomic plants, Walker says

"It's never come to my attention, nobody's talked about it, nobody in my department is doing anything with it," DOE Assistant Secretary Bruce Walker said of a potential 202(c) order to prop up coal plants. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 20, 2018

Why utilities and environmentalists can find common (green) ground

Ex-FERC Chair Norman Bay argues clean energy can gain more ground if utilities and enviros team up. 

By Norman C. Bay • Feb. 20, 2018

Michigan utility to end coal use, cut emissions 80% by 2040

Consumers Energy will reveal a "strategic roadmap" for ending its use of coal generation when it files its integrated resource plan later this year. 

By Robert Walton • Feb. 20, 2018

Reports: NextEra nearing bid for troubled Santee Cooper

The Florida-based utility could pay up to nearly $15.9 billion for the public utility, but exact pricing remains unclear. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 20, 2018

FirstEnergy to reluctantly 'deactivate' West Virginia coal plant

The utility will sell or shutter the coal-fired Pleasants Power Station in West Virginia, but initially had looked for other options.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 16, 2018

PJM board sends competing capacity market reforms to FERC

The grid operator's decision sets up a rare policy face-off at FERC that could raise legal stakes for the agency.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 16, 2018

South Carolina House votes to fire all PSC regulators

The bill, passed 108-1, would remove all seven regulators by the end of next year and set stricter ethics requirements following the cancellation of the V.C. Summer nuclear plant expansion. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 16, 2018

Consumers deserve a market fix from FERC, PJM

PJM's proposal to compensate generators fairly when their power is needed to meet demand will help increase energy market efficiency, benefiting both consumers and suppliers, former FERC Commissioner Marc Spitzer writes.

By Marc Spitzer • Feb. 16, 2018

Moody's pans White House plan to divest TVA, BPA

Both the Tennessee Valley Authority and Bonneville Power Administration are well managed and selling them would be credit negative, according to the ratings agency.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 15, 2018

South Carolina lawmakers push back, putting Dominion acquisition of SCANA in doubt

State senators said Wednesday they would give the Public Service Commission until Dec. 21 to decide how to handle customer charges for costs associated with the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 15, 2018

DOE taps 9 ‘clean coal’ projects for funding, support

The Department of Energy had announced possible funding opportunities up to $50 million to support "transformational coal technologies," last year. Now the agency is following through. 

By Robert Walton • Feb. 15, 2018

FERC issues storage, reliability orders, calls conference on aggregated DERs

The commission directed grid operators to design rules that allow storage to provide energy, capacity and ancillary services, as well as set wholesale prices as buyers and sellers. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 15, 2018