Hydropower's absence in the reconciliation bill is a major gap in U.S. clean energy strategy

Hydro helps integrate wind and solar, so why isn't it supported in the reconciliation bill?

By Alicia Barton • Oct. 28, 2021

New York rejects proposed NRG, Danskammer Energy gas plants, citing 2019 climate law

Environmental groups called the decision "precedent-setting" while industry stakeholders said rejecting nearly 1 GW of new resources was shortsighted and bad public policy.

By Larry Pearl • Oct. 28, 2021

NextEra's failure to upgrade Seabrook plant jeopardizes planned $1B transmission line, Avangrid warns

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's decision in the interconnection dispute could affect clean energy ambitions nationwide, Massachusetts officials warned.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 25, 2021

California groups divided on inclusion of gas in 11.5 GW 'clean' procurement order

"It's another day and another month, and the Commission is still asking the same tired questions about procuring more gas..." clean energy groups said in a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Oct. 25, 2021

FERC's Glick urges power plant owners to line up fuel supplies as gas prices soar

Rising liquefied natural gas exports are helping drive up natural gas prices, posing a risk in New England markets, FERC said Thursday in a report.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 22, 2021

California markets in the Lone Star State? Texas regulators consider 'quasi-capacity' market system

Generators and transmission operators will need to weatherize their systems ahead of winter as Texas regulators consider "monumental" market changes.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 22, 2021

NextEra doubles down on green hydrogen, other renewables

The company said Wednesday it has added more than 5,700 megawatts over the first nine months of 2021 to its backlog of renewable energy and storage projects.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Oct. 21, 2021

Meeting state offshore wind, renewable goals requires up to $3.2B in transmission, PJM says

A report on future transmission needs marks a change in how the largest U.S. grid operator considers state renewable energy goals, but more work needs to be done, observers say.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 21, 2021

To secure the energy supply chain, feds want to reimagine the power sector as defense

Department of Energy officials say vulnerable software and data supply chains expose the U.S. power grid to attack.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 21, 2021

Coal-fired electricity rebounds in 2021, but resurgence could be short-lived

As the price of natural gas soars, a federal report finds coal-fired power plants are expected to produce significantly more electricity this year than in 2020.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Oct. 20, 2021

Close to $16B in gas investments could be stranded with a net-zero by 2050 timeline, report finds

The report doesn’t completely write gas off, however, and acknowledges that a handful of units may be required to sit idle and be called upon when needed for short-term, emergency power.

By Kavya Balaraman • Oct. 19, 2021

By 2030, Portland General sees distributed resources meeting up to 25% of peak demand

The utility said it will need up to 2 GW of clean or renewable resources and 800 MW of non-emitting dispatchable capacity resources to decarbonize its system by 2040.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 18, 2021

Clean energy, environmental groups sue FERC over approval of Southeast energy market

A broad coalition of 13 groups asked a federal appeals court to overturn the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s tacit approval of the bilateral market for utilities.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Feb. 9, 2022

PJM market monitor calls for penalties on generators to spur grid flexibility

Market incentives would be a better way to make the grid more nimble, power plant operators argued to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 13, 2021

DOE commits $20M to create clean hydrogen from nuclear power with Palo Verde project

The goal is to learn more about "integrating nuclear energy with hydrogen production technologies," which will help with deploying "future clean hydrogen production deployments at scale," DOE said.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Oct. 12, 2021

Electric co-ops must heed the lessons of Kodak and others in pushing to overhaul today's G&Ts

It must have been painful to throw away the still-working Walkman, film camera or eight-track tape player (and the car it came in), but the world moved on, United Power's CEO writes.

By Mark A. Gabriel • Oct. 12, 2021

Extending Dominion's Millstone nuclear plant a 'critical' part of path to zero carbon, Connecticut finds

Connecticut's new Integrated Resources Plan finds the state's decarbonization goals are achievable.  But it will require the expanded use of energy storage and demand management and continued reliance on nuclear energy.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 11, 2021

The pace of Biden's clean energy standard is a 'tall order' for utilities, says Sen. King

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, questioned whether utilities can add renewable power sources quickly enough to meet the proposed clean energy standard.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Oct. 7, 2021

Vistra sues FERC over decision setting offer caps for PJM capacity market

With PJM's next capacity auction set for January, Vistra intends to ask the appeals court to review the case on a fast-track process.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Nov. 5, 2021

North Carolina passes bill expected to give Duke timely cost recovery, implement clean energy plan

Gov. Roy Cooper, D, is expected to sign the bill, though opponents say it could drive up electric rates by 50%.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Oct. 8, 2021

MISO, ISO-NE execs stress need for new power supply planning framework at FERC reliability meeting

Increasing wildfires, heat domes and deep freezes require a new paradigm for resource adequacy planning, experts from grid operators told FERC.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 1, 2021

As California's solar net metering battle goes to regulators, a focus on reliability may be the best answer

The reliability value of solar plus storage in ensuring resource adequacy might be the key to solar's future, according to Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies Executive Director V. John White.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 1, 2021

PJM's 'focused' MOPR takes effect, boosting renewables and nuclear as FERC commissioners deadlock

The action is a victory for state clean energy policies, but power generators are eyeing avenues to fight PJM’s plan to lift bidding limits on subsidized resources.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 30, 2021

State, federal actions show growing push for a nuclear role in reaching net zero emissions

Former critics of nuclear power agree, financial support may be justified for firm power options to tackle climate change and get over the net zero emissions finish line.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 28, 2021

FERC Chair Glick wants mandatory winterization standards for power plants following Texas grid failure

Chairman Richard Glick said FERC would not permit the weakening of the recent recommendations, which one expert said could lead to $1 million per-day penalties for power plants that fail to prepare for climate change.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 24, 2021