Dominion faces March 15 deadline to secure utility contracts for Millstone nuke

The plant owner has been negotiating with Eversource and United Illuminating to secure higher priced power purchase agreements, according to local news reports. 

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 8, 2019

ISO-NE forecasts transition to distributed, renewable generation

The grid operator released its 2019 Regional Electricity Outlook last week, listing natural gas plants as the only new conventional generation resource expected online between 2018 and 2020.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 7, 2019

Oregon OKs dual PGE approach to procure renewables for business customers

Portland General Electric's clean energy offerings are part of a wave of creative Power Purchase Agreement tariffs utilities are offering to corporate and municipal customers.

By Robert Walton • March 7, 2019

Efficiency leads 2019 energy job growth prospects

Energy efficiency employers project a 7.8% growth rate for jobs this year, more than double the increase last year, in what the latest U.S. Energy and Employment Report deemed the "toughest hiring climate."

By Robert Walton • March 7, 2019

EPS Ep. 8: 'The coal bailout no one is talking about' with Joe Daniel of UCS

Customers are subsidizing coal plants with more than a billion dollars a year, the Union of Concerned Scientists analyst says, thanks to market rules that allow monopoly-owned plants to choose when they generate electricity.

By Gavin Bade • March 6, 2019

ERCOT sees increased chance for emergency capacity with record demand forecast this summer

The grid operator's preliminary summer analysis of extreme scenarios indicates ERCOT may need to issue energy alerts, but does not expect to use rolling brownouts.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 6, 2019

Great Plains states dominate renewables generation in 2018

While natural gas dominated generation additions last year, an NRDC analyst found that several Midwest states across the Great Plains region dominated renewables generation, indicating a shift in the energy mix driven by "economics" and "corporate interest."

By Catherine Morehouse • March 6, 2019

Industrial consumers oppose evolving Pennsylvania nuclear subsidy proposal

An early-February draft bill leaked last week would create a tier under Pennsylvania's Alternative Energy Portfolio to direct utilities to purchase power from the state's nine nuclear plants.

By Gavin Bade • March 6, 2019

Minnesota 100% carbon-free bill joins flurry of state level clean energy action

Gov. Tim Walz's proposal expands energy efficiency programs and removes benchmark emissions requirements that utilities "have always blown by."

By Catherine Morehouse • March 5, 2019

Wyoming passes coal support bill in spate of Western action to save ailing plants

Montana lawmakers are also considering a bill to support the 2.2 GW Colstrip plant and a New Mexico clean energy bill includes provisions to help utility PNM recoup coal closure costs. 

By Gavin Bade • Updated March 11, 2019

Efforts to save largest Western US coal plant stall; December decommissioning on track

Navajo Generating Station's owners say the latest prospective buyer, the Navajo Transitional Energy Company, is unable to provide the necessary assurances to protect the plant's stakeholders in the event of a sale.

By Robert Walton • March 4, 2019

'Virtually all' coal plants monitoring groundwater show ash pollution, report finds

The first comprehensive analysis of utility groundwater reports — representing three quarters of the U.S. coal fleet — reveals a widespread environmental and public health issue.

By Gavin Bade • March 4, 2019

New Brunswick Power, Florida developer partner to build first hydrogen-powered electric grid

The Canadian utility and Joi Scientific are looking to build a prototype in two to three years that could generate 10-100 MW, with the goal to make New Brunswick Power an "emissions-free utility."

By Catherine Morehouse • March 1, 2019

New York moves to phase out older peaking plants as it targets 100% clean energy

A new state proposal would set lower thresholds for emissions of nitrogen oxides, and allow plant owners to meet the new standards in part by installing renewable or batteries.

By Robert Walton • March 1, 2019

Business, enviro groups see strong prospects for Illinois 100% clean energy bill

Analysts consider energy efficiency essential to achieving a 100% renewables by 2050 goal, and the bill recommends extending the timeline for such energy saving programs to maximize benefits.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 1, 2019

Sen. Inhofe: Carbon capture hearing is 'first official recognition' that US needs fossil fuel generation

The senator on Wednesday co-sponsored the carbon capture infrastructure build out bill, the USE IT Act, reintroduced Feb. 7 after unanimous approval last year by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 28, 2019

EPA enforcement shift will allow coal plants to pollute more, former air official says

EPA's decision to de-prioritize enforcement of the New Source Review standards will allow plants to make upgrades without oversight, a former director of the agency's Air Enforcement Division told Congress.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 27, 2019

TVA staff sees no need to add solar capacity until 2023

"There was a strategy in the draft IRP to promote efficient load shape and it emphasized energy efficiency, demand response, electrification and storage," said Jane Elliott, part of TVA's enterprise planning group.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 27, 2019

Possible reprieve for New Mexico coal plant is a surprise for PNM

The San Juan Generating Station is slated for shutdown in 2022, but the city of Farmington, New Mexico, has reached an "initial agreement" with a private holding company to keep it operating.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 26, 2019

SEU 2019 survey: Uncertainty mounts in the clean energy transition

Utilities are still moving to a cleaner, more distributed power system, but our annual survey shows they are increasingly unsure about what types of regulation and market structures they want to foster the transition.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 26, 2019

New Orleans finalizes $5M Entergy fine, buoying utility's gas plant plans

The fine is the largest ever imposed by the city — a response to the utility's role in paying actors to support a proposed power plant at local hearings — but the settlement allows plans for the gas plant to move forward.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 25, 2019

Alabama Power says federal regulations forcing it to close century-old coal plant

The utility said it could cost $300 million to comply with new environmental mandates to continue operating Gorgas' three coal-fired generating units — money it is not willing to spend.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 25, 2019

DTE, Consumers push natural gas redundancy check in fire-driven Michigan energy review

A January fire at the Ray Natural Gas Compressor Station prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to order a review of the supply, engineering and deliverability of natural gas, electricity and propane systems.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 21, 2019

APS to install 850 MW of storage, 100 MW of solar in major clean energy buy

The utility also signed a seven-year contract for natural gas peaking capacity, which it hopes will be replaced by renewables and storage in the mid 2020s. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 21, 2019

EPA: Carbon emissions from power plants rose in 2018 amid higher electricity demand

The report is the second in as many months to forecast a reversal of years of emissions cuts from the U.S. power sector.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 21, 2019