Regulation & Policy: Page 13


  • Inside Detail of Nuclear Reactor
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    E+ via Getty Images
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    NRC exemption for Hermes 2 test reactor shows nuclear licensing ‘progress’: NIA

    NRC’s decision against a full environmental impact statement shows its progress on more efficiently and effectively licensing advanced nuclear technologies, Nuclear Innovation Alliance’s Patrick White said.

    By Brian Martucci • Sept. 17, 2024
  • A transmission line tower and wind turbines in Illinois.
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    Allkindza via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    The Energy Permitting Reform Act is our best shot at advancing critical climate goals

    The bill would be a crucial step toward America realizing its potential as a 21st century clean energy superpower, but only if we can put our desires for a perfect policy aside and embrace practical compromise.

    By Danielle Russo • Sept. 17, 2024
  • A picture of wind turbines in front of solar panels in Palm Springs, California. Explore the Trendline
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    Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Sustainability

    Companies are pursuing increasingly ambitous sustainability goals around clean energy, but integrating rising amounts of renewables, minimizing environmental impacts, and achieving carbon reduction targets can be challenging.

    By Utility Dive staff
  • The back of a person who is pointing a remote at a wall-mounted air conditioner.
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    evrim ertik via Getty Images
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    Low-income families face high energy burden, prompting calls for more government action

    One in four low-income U.S. households spends more than 15% of their income on energy bills, finds an analysis by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 17, 2024
  • Aerial shot of city buildings
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    Art Wager via Getty Images
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    DOE spurs new building energy codes with another $90M

    Construction-heavy states that lack the latest energy-efficiency codes are among the focus areas for this round of federal funding, a U.S. Department of Energy official said.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 16, 2024
  • Electric transmission lines run through a wooded area with houses in the foreground.
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    Issiah Levett via Getty Images
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    Clean energy groups urge FERC to reject Southeast Energy Exchange Market

    The SEEM produced $3.7 million in benefits in 2023 but had $4.3 million in administrative costs, according to Advanced Energy United and other groups.

    By Sept. 16, 2024
  • Nuclear power plant after sunset. Dusk landscape with big chimneys.
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    vlastas via Getty Images
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    US nuclear, coal power sites could host up to 269 GWe of new nuclear capacity: DOE

    Up to 145 coal sites in 36 states and 41 nuclear sites in 31 states, including some recently retired plants, are potentially suitable for nuclear repowering, DOE said.

    By Brian Martucci • Sept. 16, 2024
  • Russian sanctions for Ukraine war, litigation funding disclosure
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    Drew Angerer / Staff via Getty Images
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    Biden finalizes China tariff hikes, including for EVs, batteries and solar panels

    The administration's increases for this year include a 100% tariff on electric vehicles, a 25% tariff on lithium-ion EV batteries and a 50% tariff on photovoltaic solar cells.

    By Kate Magill • Sept. 16, 2024
  • Several vehicles lined up along a curb are blurred while in the foreground a white and silver electric vehicle charger is in focus.
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    Permission granted by Enel X Way North America
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    California PUC sets grid connection timelines for large investor-owned utilities

    The decision could cut in half the time it takes PG&E, SDG&E and SoCal Edison to connect EV charging stations, homes and commercial buildings to the grid, according to the PUC.

    By Sept. 16, 2024
  • The sun sets behind some transmission lines.
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    "sunset2" by Barbara Eckstein is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Opinion

    Politicized energy policies aren’t working, but a better system is possible

    Pairing partisanship with extraordinary demands on our power grid from load growth and energy evolution is a recipe for catastrophic failure.

    By Christina Hayes and Todd Snitchler • Sept. 13, 2024
  • A wall of six electric smart meters against gray, metal paneling.
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    Permission granted by Ethan Howland
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    Rising power prices increase credit risk for utilities: Moody’s

    “As utilities seek to pass through higher capacity payments and new investment costs to customers, regulators will continue to be mindful of the scale of the rate increases they approve,” Moody’s said.

    By Sept. 13, 2024
  • A skyline of New York City
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    TomasSereda via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    The impacts of climate change on deeply decarbonized energy systems: A New York case study

    As the impacts of climate change intensify, it will become increasingly important for energy system planners to directly account for the effects that warming temperatures will have across every segment of the industry.

    By Kevin Steinberger, Vignesh Venugopal and Tory Clark • Sept. 12, 2024
  • Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, speaks at a roundtable discussion.
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    FERC greenlights BlackRock’s $12.5B purchase of Global Infrastructure Partners

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the transaction on the back of a blanket authorization it first granted the asset management firm in 2010.

    By Lamar Johnson • Sept. 11, 2024
  • Nuclear power plant after sunset. Dusk landscape with big chimneys.
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    vlastas via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Why many environmentalists are warming to nuclear power

    They are revisiting their early concerns about nuclear power — primarily waste, safety and costs — in light of new information, and they are concluding that the benefits outweigh the risks.

    By Judi Greenwald • Sept. 11, 2024
  • Active construction at the Lumina II battery energy storage system project in Scurry County, Texas.
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    Permission granted by Intersect Power
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    National Grid, Constellation propose options to prioritize grid interconnection requests

    However, “rationing” grid interconnection threatens open access to the power system, GridStor’s Jason Burwen said at a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission workshop.

    By Sept. 11, 2024
  • Aerial View over Solar Farm in Port Murray in Mansfield Township, New Jersey
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    halbergman via Getty Images
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    Flexible interconnection service for Duke solar could slash costs, speed grid connections: study

    Providing energy-only interconnection service to a 1.9-GW Duke Energy solar cluster could reduce grid upgrade costs by 72%, according to a study being discussed at a FERC workshop Tuesday.

    By Sept. 10, 2024
  • array of electricity meters
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    ehabaref via Getty Images
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    PJM seeks OK from FERC to end energy efficiency capacity payments

    There is no evidence that capacity payments spur energy efficiency investments, according to the PJM Interconnection, which wants the plan to take effect before a December auction.

    By Sept. 9, 2024
  • An aerial view of five smoke stacks and industrial equipment with a road and highway in the background.
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    Joey Ingelhart via Getty Images
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    The fallout from PJM’s record-setting capacity auction

    Utilities, power plant owners, state lawmakers and regulators are responding to PJM's latest capacity auction, with an eye on the ones ahead.

    By Sept. 6, 2024
  • An industrial complex with three smokestacks in a rural setting.
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    Courtesy of GE Vernova
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    Uprates, batteries and DR may offer near-term responses to record PJM capacity prices

    With tight supply-demand conditions, upcoming capacity auctions could be volatile, according to ESAI Power’s Scott Niemann. “It just adds a lot more uncertainty to the auction outcomes," he said.

    By Sept. 6, 2024
  • Three men in blue shirts stand at desks with a bank of computer screens.
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    Permission granted by PJM Interconnection
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    PJM considers fast-track review for shovel-ready generating projects

    The grid operator expects generators will step in with new supplies in response to high prices in its recent capacity auction.

    By Sept. 5, 2024
  • Farmer discing his field as giant wind turbines overlook.
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    Mark Alexander via Getty Images
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    White House announces $7.3B clean energy financing for Dairyland Power, 15 other co-ops

    The federal funding will support 10 GW in clean energy projects lowering electricity costs for cooperative utilities in 23 states, the White House said.

    By Sept. 5, 2024
  • Industrial background group silhouette of transmission towers (or power tower, electricity pylon, steel lattice tower) at suburb area in Texas, USA.
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    Trong Nguyen via Getty Images
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    Texas denies Aegle Power loan application for 1.3-GW gas plant after NextEra’s unauthorized inclusion

    Lawmakers said they want to know how the Public Utility Commission of Texas and Deloitte “advanced a problematic and unqualified application by an energy executive who was publicly convicted of fraud.”

    By Sept. 5, 2024
  • Aerial view of rooftops in a suburban neighborhood. A street curves through the houses.
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    Haizhan Zheng via Getty Images
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    30 neighborhood decarbonization pilots allowed under bill passed in California

    If the governor signs it, the legislation will let natural gas utilities planning to replace old gas pipelines decarbonize pilot areas instead, potentially via electrification or installing thermal energy networks.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Updated Sept. 27, 2024
  • Rendering of the $11 billion Port Arthur LNG project in Port Arthur, Texas.
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    Courtesy of Port Arthur LNG
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    Opinion

    LNG exports make both economic and environmental sense

    Exports are not reducing domestic supply and squeezing American ratepayers or power plant operators; exports come from added production and have only a small impact on price.

    By Kyle Isakower • Sept. 4, 2024
  • Energy Harbor's Beaver Valley nuclear power plant, which would be sold to Vistra under a pending deal.
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    "Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant". Retrieved from Wikipedia.
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    Reregulation? How utilities and states are responding to PJM’s record capacity prices

    “Houston, we have a problem,” American Municipal Power’s Steve Lieberman said. “If we don’t see new capacity in the [2027/28] auction, we’re really running out of time.”

    By Sept. 4, 2024
  • The Phoenix metropolitan area has seen growing hotel occupancy, ADR and RevPAR in recent years driven by strong travel fundamentals.
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    dszc via Getty Images
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    Sierra Club sues Arizona regulators over UNS Electric 200-MW gas expansion

    A June decision “overturned the existing environmental review process ... setting a dangerous precedent,” said Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter Director Sandy Bahr.

    By Sept. 4, 2024