Regulation & Policy: Page 33


  • ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods sits with hands folded
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    Apu Gomes via Getty Images
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    ExxonMobil urges Trump not to withdraw from Paris Agreement again

    “A second U.S. exit from the Paris Climate Agreement will have profound implications for the United States’ efforts to reduce its own emissions,” an Exxon spokesperson said.

    By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 14, 2024
  • The COP29 stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan illuminated with green red and blue lights.
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    What COP29 entails for the global energy transition, business priorities

    COP29 will be a “critical moment” in the global climate transition, further shaping the ESG landscape and motivating companies to ramp up sustainability initiatives, says Workiva’s chief sustainability officer.

    By Mandi McReynolds • Nov. 14, 2024
  • Electrical transmission towers Explore the Trendline
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Cybersecurity of the Grid

    In addition to presenting opportunities for growth, AI is exacerbating cyber threats with more sophisticated malware that is easier than ever to build and deploy. The rise of distributed energy resources also creates more opportunities for attack. 

    By Utility Dive staff
  • President-elect Donald Trump addresses a crowd from a podium at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    2024 Elections

    ESG, climate rules at stake under a second Trump term

    Several climate and ESG-related regulations at the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Labor are likely headed for the chopping block come January.

    By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 14, 2024
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom talks during a news conference in October 2022.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty via Getty Images
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    California’s climate disclosure laws survive first legal challenge

    A federal judge denied a motion for summary judgment from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that alleged the state’s climate bills — SB 253 and SB 261 — violated the First Amendment.

    By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 13, 2024
  • Smoke stack of coal power plant
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    PJM sees ‘easy button’ to meet power needs, but Appalachians see higher bills and more pollution

    Mandates and market manipulations are keeping expensive coal online, and consumers are paying the price.

    By Marcia Dinkins • Nov. 13, 2024
  • FirstEnergy's 1,100-MW coal-fired Fort Martin power plant in Maidsville, West Virginia, along the Monongahela River.
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    Getty Images
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    2024 Elections

    Trump taps former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead EPA

    The Trump administration will likely roll back EPA regulations affecting fossil-fuel power plants, including a carbon emissions rule, according to Michelle Bloodworth, president and CEO of America’s Power.

    By Nov. 12, 2024
  • The Western Spirit transmission line in New Mexico desert.
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    Permission granted by Pattern Energy
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    PNM plans to join California ISO’s day-ahead market beginning in 2027

    Participating in CAISO’s planned market “is the next step in realizing the value of New Mexico’s renewable energy potential for our customers,” PNM President and CEO Don Tarry said.

    By Nov. 12, 2024
  • Aerial picture of Microsoft Azure data center campus under construction in Leesburg, Virginia on Aug. 16, 2024.
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    Getty Images
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    Rising data center loads pose grid reliability, residential cost risks: APS executive

    New data center interconnection rules are being considered in Arizona and Virginia, officials said Sunday at a NARUC conference.

    By Nov. 11, 2024
  • Nuclear power plant after sunset. Dusk landscape with big chimneys.
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    Getty Images
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    2024 Elections

    Nuclear sector’s views on second Trump administration mixed as Rogan interview raises questions

    President-elect Donald Trump enacted pro-nuclear policies during his first term and supported an “all-of-the-above” energy policy during the campaign, but some advocates fear a “divide between words and actions.”

    By Brian Martucci • Nov. 8, 2024
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    Permission granted by PJM Interconnection
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    FERC approves PJM plan to omit energy efficiency resources from capacity auctions

    PJM Interconnection’s current load forecasting methodology “reasonably accounts for energy efficiency measures on the demand side,” the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Tuesday.

    By Nov. 8, 2024
  • Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump points to supporters with former first lady Melania Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    2024 Elections

    Clean energy, sustainable investors brace for second Trump presidency

    Experts expect private sector work on ESG issues and the clean energy transition to continue, albeit at a slower pace, under a reelected Donald Trump.

    By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 7, 2024
  • An aerial view of part of Climeworks' Mammoth direct air capture and storage plant
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    Courtesy of Climeworks — The Mammoth plant
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    Opinion

    How good data can fuel carbon capture and storage adoption for power plants

    CCS is vital to complying with recent EPA emissions mandates, but slow permitting and inadequate data are delaying deployment.

    By John Tombari • Nov. 7, 2024
  • President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at the J.S. Dorton Arena on November 04, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    2024 Elections

    Trump win is ‘setback’ for climate protection, but clean energy advocates say progress will continue

    Trump’s victory means a Republican will be selected to lead FERC, which will likely work to rein in transmission incentives, said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen's Energy Program.

    By Nov. 6, 2024
  • Steam billows from a massive cement smokestack at a nuclear power plant at the edge of the water.
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    The image by Peretzp is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    AEP, others press for FERC guidance on ‘gargantuan’ issue of data center colocation

    Google is interested in colocation to meet its data center needs, not to avoid grid costs, said Brian George, the company's U.S. federal lead for global energy market development.

    By Nov. 4, 2024
  • Nuclear power plant on a shore of Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania, on a winter sunny day.
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    Getty Images
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    FERC rejects interconnection pact for Talen-Amazon data center deal at nuclear plant

    Chairman Willie Phillips dissented from the decision on the “first of its kind” co-location proposal, saying it could harm national security and grid reliability.

    By Nov. 4, 2024
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    Retrieved from WIRES Group.
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    FERC’s Rosner pushes state flexibility in transmission planning rehearing order

    Rosner said his top priorities are grid reliability balanced with affordability, managing the energy transition and supporting gas and transmission infrastructure development.

    By Nov. 1, 2024
  • State-of-the-art data center server racks.
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    Getty Images
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    States should procure power supplies outside PJM capacity auctions: FirstEnergy CEO

    Capacity concerns come amid a surge in data center development, with FirstEnergy receiving more than 60 service inquiries larger than 500 MW this year.

    By Oct. 31, 2024
  • A high-voltage electric transformer at a utility substation.
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    Getty Images
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    Exelon’s ‘high probability’ data center load has nearly doubled to 11 GW, CEO says

    Meanwhile, the PJM Interconnection’s plan to delay an upcoming capacity auction “sends a clear message that [market] reform is definitely needed,” CEO Calvin Butler said.

    By Oct. 31, 2024
  • Empty grasslands with electrical towers running through it
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    Getty Images
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    2024 Elections

    Future of IRA, shape of permitting reform hinge on upcoming election, experts say

    Bipartisan permitting reform may be abandoned in the event of a federal electoral sweep, while the “looming fiscal cliff” endangers the Inflation Reduction Act, analysts say.

    By Oct. 30, 2024
  • Power line towers crossing a scrubby field.
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    Getty Images
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    US district court rules Texas transmission law favoring incumbent utilities unconstitutional

    The ruling is a win for NextEra Energy and LS Power transmission subsidiaries as well as the East Texas Electric Cooperative.

    By Oct. 29, 2024
  • The facade of a building with large windows and a sign that says "Federal Energy Regulatory Commission."
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    Permission granted by Esme Howland
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    2024 Elections

    How will the presidential and Senate election outcomes affect FERC and its policies?

    The FERC chairman plays a key role in setting the agency’s agenda, but even if Donald Trump wins, the commission could have a Democratic majority for at least 18 months.

    By Oct. 29, 2024
  • A power plant with smoke stacks at the edge of a river.
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    The image by Acroterion is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    5 governors call for PJM capacity market rule changes to reduce ‘unnecessary’ consumer costs

    LS Power has identified 4.4 GW in potential capacity and storage projects in PJM totaling $8 billion but said unstable market rules hinder investment decisions. 

    By Oct. 28, 2024
  • A blue car drives through a flooded street, spraying up water.
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    The image by Chesapeake Bay Program is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Deep Dive

    APS, Duke, other utilities pursue new climate resilience strategies as some await upcoming tools

    APS and Duke, along with Central Hudson Gas & Electric, PacifiCorp and Puget Sound Energy, see different paths to reach resilience planning’s potential while awaiting EPRI metrics to address uncertainties.

    By Oct. 28, 2024
  • The silhouette of a high voltage power line line towers during sunset.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Where the wires meet the road: Fixing missed opportunities for long-distance transmission

    We need to find ways to better integrate the planning of transmission and the siting of transmission from the get-go so that we don’t end up in situations where ideal pathways for transmission are missed.

    By Adam Kurland • Oct. 28, 2024
  • Power-lines by trees
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    Sponsored by Sense

    Grid edge intelligence: Another critical tool for wildfire mitigation

    Grid edge intelligence offers a critical toolset for managing risks steming from increasingly dry conditions coupled with aging grid infrastructure.

    Oct. 28, 2024