PSEG unloads fossil fuel plants for $1.9B in push toward decarbonization

PSEG is taking another big step towards cleaning up its grid, with the New Jersey utility announcing plans on Thursday to sell a 6,750 MW portfolio of fossil-fuel plants for $1.92 billion.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Aug. 13, 2021

FERC's Chatterjee laments the politicization of grid resilience in wake of ERCOT, CAISO struggles

The commissioner said he worries his rhetoric that focused on potential plans to save ailing coal plants early in his tenure as chair may have fueled a partisan divide that equates resiliency issues with the use of certain fuels.

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 12, 2021

NYPA and Argonne launch hyperlocalized study of climate change impact on power plants

The New York Power Authority wants to focus on the impact climate change could have on individual power plants and infrastructure.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Aug. 10, 2021

California's Aliso Canyon review could offer key lessons on transition from natural gas, analysts say

The state's consideration of whether to wean itself from one of its largest natural gas storage facilities could be a model, regardless of its success.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 10, 2021

FERC requests more evidence of reliability impacts as Spire STL pipeline seeks temporary approval

Environmental groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund, which brought the pipeline company to court in the first place, say the proposal for temporary certification has "serious deficiencies."

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 10, 2021

[Podcast] Ensuring Grid Resilience in a Time of Change

This 3-part podcast series provides you with expert insights into the questions and topics utilities need to address to properly harden their systems for a future full of change.

By Utility Dive's studioID • Aug. 9, 2021

Push for green energy could strand more than $68B in coal and gas assets, S&P says

New natural gas plants could lose as much value as recent investments in coal due to accelerating renewable energy deployments, an S&P report finds — but not for the same reasons.

By Emma Penrod • Aug. 9, 2021

State, federal efforts too late to save Exelon's Illinois nuclear plants, CEO Crane says

Exelon's leadership has months to decommission the Byron and Dresden plants in Illinois, which CEO Chris Crane described as "the right economic decision" absent legislation.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Aug. 6, 2021

Entergy touts hydrogen as tool to meet industrial customers' green goals

On the utility's second quarter earnings call, CEO Leo Denault said it is working to offer industrial clients "some of the cleanest electricity in the country."

By Jason Plautz • Aug. 6, 2021

DC Circuit orders FERC to analyze climate, environmental justice more thoroughly

The court ruling is the latest one consistent with Chair Richard Glick’s stance that FERC should go farther in analyzing whether the gas projects it assesses are contributing to the climate crisis or cause harm to local communities.

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 4, 2021

The US power sector is halfway to net zero emissions, but it gets harder now, analysts say

Renewables led the power sector's recent energy transition, but breakthroughs are needed to take the transportation, building and industrial sectors to net zero emissions by mid-century.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 4, 2021

Bipartisan $1 trillion Senate infrastructure bill focuses on transmission, nuclear, carbon capture

"While there is much to celebrate in this product of our bipartisan efforts, more work still needs to be done," Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., who leads the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said Monday.

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 3, 2021

California governor moves to free up electricity supply amid projected 3.5 GW summer shortfall

Gavin Newsom, D, is pushing regulators to expedite clean energy projects, but experts are skeptical that the state will be able to bring online more than a limited amount of additional clean energy this summer. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 3, 2021

Xcel plans to roll out 10,000 MW of renewable energy in Minnesota, Colorado by 2030

Xcel Energy is accelerating plans to cut its carbon emissions in Minnesota, the utility's home base, and is also gearing up for a major transition, with longtime CEO Ben Fowke slated to retire on Aug. 18.

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 30, 2021

Georgia Power announces another delay to Vogtle nuclear project

Completion of hot functional testing is "the last major milestone" for the plant's Unit 3, now expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2022.  

By Jason Plautz • July 30, 2021

Murkowski highlights potential boost to US critical minerals ahead of bipartisan infrastructure deal

Senators voted 67-32 to advance the latest version of the bipartisan infrastructure deal, securing the support of 17 Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 29, 2021

'This is starting on the right path': Hawaii sees early successes with performance-based regulation

Regulators are also considering developing new performance incentive mechanisms to regulate the retirement of a series of fossil fuel plants over the next few years. 

By Kavya Balaraman • July 29, 2021

House grills FERC about commission's regulatory authority on cybersecurity, pipeline climate impacts

"There's no doubt that ... the biggest threat facing the electric grid today is cybersecurity," FERC Chair Richard Glick said during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 28, 2021

A brighter day for distribution co-ops? FERC's Tri-State proceeding and reformation of the G&T model

Stakeholders might not look to Tupac Shakur in the first instance when analyzing the troubles of the generation and transmission model. But recent developments at FERC suggest perhaps they should, the authors write.

By Ray Gifford and Matt Larson • July 27, 2021

NextEra adds 1,840 MW renewables and storage to more than 15 GW backlog in Q2

NextEra Energy is nearing the halfway mark in its campaign to roll out 30 million solar panels across Florida by 2030, the multistate utility said Friday in its second quarter earnings report. 

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 26, 2021

AEP seeing 'credible interest' from potential buyers of Kentucky Power subsidiary, CEO says

AEP is ramping up its push to build more renewable generation, executives said Thursday, as the company detailed an increase in second quarter earnings amid a rebounding economy and interest in its Kentucky subsidiary.

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 23, 2021

Texas PUC, ERCOT pledge 'reliability is first' as state pursues market reform

Regulators want the market to pay for reliability "in any form," including through additional thermal resources or on-site battery storage. They're also looking to better incentivize generators that provide power during periods of grid stress.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 23, 2021

FirstEnergy agrees to pay $230M fine for bribing Ohio officials to bail out two nuclear plants

Ohio groups called the fee a "drop in the bucket," despite it being the largest federal criminal penalty ever to be collected in the Southern District of Ohio, surpassing the $200 million fee imposed on Exelon subsidiary ComEd in 2020.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 23, 2021

Democrats' 'Hot FERC Summer' campaign aims to boost FERC's visibility on Capitol Hill

As part of the campaign, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., and his colleagues are introducing a trio of FERC-related bills, including one that could open the door for FERC to implement a carbon price.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 21, 2021

Avangrid, PNM report progress with merger critics as criminal probe of Iberdrola raises new questions

As the utilities work to win over the remaining critics of their proposed $8.3 billion merger, the New Mexico hearing examiner wants more information about a criminal investigation into the activities of Avangrid's parent company.

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 21, 2021