Feds close to issuing 1st nuclear license in 20 years

Tennessee Valley Authority's 1,150-MW Watts Bar-2 is "substantially complete" and a license could be issued by the end of this month, the first one since 1996. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 16, 2015

600 MW of Midwest power plants to retire amid environmental and economic concerns

For varying reasons, a combined 600 MW of  coal, biofuels and gas plants in the Midwest shut down by the end of this year.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 16, 2015

Explore the Trendline➔

Electricity Supply and Demand

After nearly two decades of flat demand, U.S. electricity consumption reached an all-time high in 2024 and is expected to continue rising. This trendline brings together the best of Utility Dive’s coverage of emerging trends in supply and demand and the decisions being made today that will impact the power system for years to come. 

By Utility Dive staff

Despite Supreme Court's MATS ruling, coal plants still on track to retire

With a few exceptions, coal facilities that had been planning to shut down due to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards are still heading in that direction.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 16, 2015

AEP, international coalition urge energy research ahead of Paris climate summit

Ahead of International climate talks in Paris, American Electric Power has joined with 10 other utilities from around the globe to advocate for consistent long-term carbon policies.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 15, 2015

Appalachian Power asks regulators to shutter 2 coal plants

Converting the two plants to use natural gas would not be economical, the utility told regulators. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 14, 2015

Entergy to shut down Pilgrim nuclear plant by 2019

Low energy prices and rising operating costs led to the decision to retire Massachusetts' last remaining nuclear plant. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 14, 2015

Michigan plans to shutter 25 coal units by 2020

The coal retirements will help comply with the Clean Power Plan even though they were planned before rule was finalized.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 13, 2015

Report: Utilities don't plan to join fight against EPA's Clean Power Plan

The Obama administraton's Clean Power Plan is pushing the country to embrace a cleaner energy future, but many utilities say market forces were already leading them in that direction.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 13, 2015

Facing coal retirements, Western utilities turn to cheap natural gas

While still integrating cleaner renewable energy, utilities are increasingly turning to natural gas as a cheap alternative to coal or out-of-state power.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 13, 2015

Staff recommends PUCO reject AEP's coal plant subsidy proposal

Staff of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has recommended that regulators reject a plan to guarantee profits from five coal-fired power plants run by American Electric Power, but left the door open for a revamped proposal. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 13, 2015

NY Gov. Cuomo proposes linking RGGI, California carbon markets

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants the link the northeast's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative with carbon markets in Canada and California.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 12, 2015

Green groups push for alternatives to Florida utility's proposed $1.2B gas plant

Florida Power & Light's proposed $1.2 billion, 1.6 GW plant faces questions from two environmental groups that would rather see the utility look to renewables.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 12, 2015

EEI took middle road, pushed for 70 ppb ozone standard, report says

The utility group, seeing the writing on the wall, advocated new ozone standards be set at 70 parts-per-billion, even though some of its allies in the generation and industrial sectors wanted the standard to stay where it was.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 9, 2015

FERC investigating MISO auction over market manipulation allegations

Federal regulators lauched a private investigation over alleged market manipulation by Dynegy in MISO's April capacity auction, spurred by complaints filed from Illinois AG's office and a handful of consumer and industry stakeholders. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Oct. 9, 2015

Talen Energy announces sale of three power plants for $1.5B

The deal is the latest  in an ongoing trend of Canadian companies buying up U.S. power assets, with over $11 billion spent on such acquisitions this year. 

By Davide Savenije • Oct. 9, 2015

EIA: Gas generation surpasses coal in U.S. for 2nd time ever

Natural gas was king in July for the second time this year, edging out coal generation by 0.1%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 9, 2015

Utility-scale solar booms as costs drop, challenging gas on price

Utility-scale solar is on the verge of edging out gas on price, and it offers cost benefits that fossil fuel plants lack.  

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 8, 2015

Idaho Power's IRP: Coal plant retirements, 400 MW of demand response, and community solar

The public comment period has closed on Idaho Power's long term plan, which predicts average load growth to climb 1.2% each year until 2034 and proposes a community solar project to increase renewable energy in its portfolio mix. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 8, 2015

PNM defends data used in developing San Juan plant proposal

The New Mexico attorney general is also defending the utility against claims by a clean energy group that PNM manipulated baseline data to continue operating its San Juan coal fired plant.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 8, 2015

Settlement could spell early retirement for Utah coal plant

Deseret Electric Power Cooperative has agreed to pollution controls and reduced coal burn at its power plant in Uintah County, but said the costs of retrofitting the plant will pass on to ratepayers. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 8, 2015

Mass. regulators approve electric utilities to contract for gas supply

The decision last week opens the door for electric utilities in gas-constrained Massachusetts to enter long-term contracts for their fuel, in spite of worries that customers could be subsidizing gas pipeline infrastructure costs. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 7, 2015

Generators ask PJM to reconsider capacity performance rules

A group of generators asked PJM Interconnection to consider easing some of its reliability rules as well as altering force majeure scenarios.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 7, 2015

Updated: Exelon, DC Mayor Bowser announce settlement deal on Pepco merger

Exelon and District of Columbia mayor Muriel Bowser (D) recently announced they had reached a settlement on the proposed Exelon-Pepco Holdings merger, increasing Exelon's proposed investment in DC to $78 million. 

By Gavin Bade and Krysti Shallenberger • Oct. 6, 2015

Regulators approve CAISO's grid reliability, backstop auction requests

FERC last week approved the California ISO's request to develop a backstop capacity auction in order to deal with unexpected shortages and reliability issues.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 6, 2015

North Dakota, Wyoming will push for additional CPP compliance time

Governors of those states say they were blindsided by large increases in emissions cuts between the proposed and final rule, and call for more time to ensure compliance while planning to file legal challenges to the rule. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 6, 2015