PJM CEO urges FERC to move on resilience as Trump coal bailout looms

A market-based rule for grid resilience would be preferable to a federal bailout, the head of the nation's largest wholesale power market told senators Thursday.

By Gavin Bade • Updated Oct. 15, 2018

Gulf Power: 'Unprecedented' storm may require system rebuild

The hurricane is estimated to be the strongest to hit the U.S. in 50 years and Southern Company is reducing output at two units of its Alabama nuclear plant as a "precautionary measure" as the storm continues northeast. 

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated Oct. 11, 2018

AEP to shutter 1,590 MW Ohio coal plant two years ahead of schedule

American Electric Power analyzed the results of recent power auctions before coming to the conclusion that it will shutter its Conesville coal plant by the end of May 2020.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 10, 2018

Gulf coast utilities brace for Michael, strongest storm in Florida panhandle history

The storm will be a test for Duke Energy, whose outage management system failed last year during Hurricane Irma.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated Oct. 10, 2018

Westmoreland Chapter 11 marks 4th major US coal company to declare bankruptcy

Westmoreland Coal will join producers Peabody Energy, Arch Coal and Alpha Natural Resources, who found the sector's headwinds too much to overcome.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 10, 2018

Montana case could set FERC precedent for paired storage treatment under PURPA

A utility and developer are battling at FERC over whether wind-plus-storage facilities qualify under the federal law, which compels utilities to purchase power from small renewable generators. 

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 9, 2018

GE sells $1B portfolio of energy assets

The sale of approximately 20 investments to Apollo Global Management continues GE's efforts to streamline the business.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 9, 2018

Federal regulators OK $6B CenterPoint-Vectren merger

Shares of CenterPoint initially fell when the deal was announced in April on concerns it was paying too much, but since then, have risen about 8.5%.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 9, 2018

Mountain Valley stalled, Atlantic Sunrise cleared for service in busy pipeline week

The diverging fortunes of the two Appalachian projects illustrate the struggle between environmental advocates and natural gas companies over the siting and construction of new pipelines.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 5, 2018

First US freshwater offshore wind project gets DOE approval, funding proposal

Federal regulators determined the Ohio Icebreaker Wind project, opposed by the coal company Murray Energy, will not have a "significant" environmental impact. 

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 5, 2018

Trump administration tackles pipeline cybersecurity

The U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security this week co-chaired a meeting with the oil and gas industry to address how pipelines can be protected from cyberattacks.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 5, 2018

Illinois regulators seek to appease greens, Vistra with coal plant emission rules

The Illinois Pollution Control Board modified its plan to change emissions accounting methods, attempting to satisfy both environmentalists and coal plant owner Vistra Energy.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 5, 2018

Russian hackers indicted for targeting nuclear firm Westinghouse Electric

The hackers allegedly tried to steal the login credentials for Westinghouse employees involved in advanced nuclear reactor development — a common tactic in cyberattacks. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 5, 2018

Con Ed plans renewable gas, LNG storage facilities amid pipeline constraints

The utility wants to turn waste into natural gas and build two to five compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas storage sites to address rapidly growing demand in New York City and Westchester County.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 5, 2018

Brattle: Nevada could cost-effectively deploy 1 GW of energy storage by 2030

The state is revamping the planning process for its utilities, and the Public Utilities Commission is considering establishing an energy storage target.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 4, 2018

Coal lobby pleased as Trump nominates ally McNamee to FERC

The Department of Energy official is expected to align closer with White House priorities than former Commissioner Robert Powelson, who stepped down in August. 

By Gavin Bade • Updated Oct. 4, 2018

FERC authorizes expansion of US-Mexico pipeline

Kinder Morgan expects the new expansion capacity to come online in 2020. The rise in natural gas exports to Mexico comes as President Trump pushes for the United States to achieve "energy dominance."

By Robert Walton • Oct. 3, 2018

Connecticut agencies say Millstone 'at risk' as Dominion seeks boost in clean energy RFP

If the state's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority agrees Dominion's Millstone nuclear plant is 'at risk,' it could receive above-market rates in Connecticut's solicitation for zero emission resources.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 3, 2018

PJM recasts capacity repricing in market reform filing at FERC

The generator is trying for a second time to boost revenues for coal and gas generators in its capacity market after federal regulators threw out its market rules in June.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 3, 2018

Ahead of FERC storage order deadline, new rules begin to take shape in PJM

PJM Interconnection's straw proposal gives a glimpse into how energy storage might participate more in wholesale markets.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 2, 2018

S&P downgrades Georgia Power's partners in Vogtle nuclear project

After hammering out a last-minute agreement to keep the nuclear project alive, the munis and cooperative utilities in the Vogtle nuclear project are hit with downgrades.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 2, 2018

EPA MATS rollback threatens DOE carbon capture priorities, critics warn

Allowing utilities to stop using pollution scrubbers mandated under the EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards could raise the price for coal plants to adopt carbon capture, proponents of the technology said. 

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 2, 2018

PJM: FirstEnergy can shut 4 GW of fossil plants without harming reliability

FirstEnergy warned of blackouts if its plants retire, but the grid operator said it has plenty of time to address the lost capacity.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 2, 2018

McDermott gets go-ahead for $937M Texas power plant

McDermott International said its contract for the natural gas plant project, which is expected to generate 750 jobs at peak construction, is between $500 million and $750 million.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 2, 2018

ISO-NE to focus on market solutions for winter energy security in 2019

ISO New England is considering an "interim compensation treatment for periods associated with reliability reviews for fuel security," the grid operator says in its 2019 Annual Work Plan.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 2, 2018