Leading Light Energy

an energy blog by Terry M. Jarrett

April 28 News Round Up

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Good Monday morning!

In the news today and from the weekend…

Energy:

  • Politico Pro reports the Trump administration is closing a bureau of the State Department in charge of expanding U.S. energy exports, a key policy goal of President Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda.
  • E&E Daily reports after a series of hearings on electric reliability and power demand, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is prioritizing a list of bills leaders say will address some of the problems they’ve found.

Coal:

  • Associated Press reports that anticipated demand growth to support data centers is generating new interest in keeping online coal plants that have easy access to grid infrastructure.

Grid:

  • Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that a sweeping energy bill backed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds that includes giving utilities first rights to build transmission projects has stalled in recent weeks as some Republicans raise concerns.
  • Detroit News reports that DTE Energy proposes a $574 million rate increase to pay for grid reliability improvements as well as converting a coal plant to gas and building a large energy storage project.

April 15 News Round Up

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Happy Tax Day!

In the news today…

Natural Gas:

  • Indianapolis Star reports that a new Indiana law defines natural gas and propane as clean energy in an effort to help projects secure federal funding typically set aside for renewable energy.
  • Power Engineering reports that Indiana Michigan Power seeks permission from Indiana regulators to buy an 870 MW natural gas plant as part of its long-term energy plan.

Coal:

  • E&E News reports that nearly 70 U.S. coal plants get a two-year exemption from updated limits on toxic pollutants following an order from President Trump.
  • In These Times reports the Trump administration’s feckless business-first, workers-last approach is leaving the nation’s coal miners to die—and now their unions are taking him to court.
  • Indiana Public Media reports President Trump this week sent out a series of executive orders propping up the coal industry and sidestepping the need for climate action. Now Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has signed similar orders.
  • Argus reports US thermal coal imports increased for the first time in more than a year in January and February as a couple of power plants had greater demand at the start of this year.
  • E&E Energywire reports dozens of coal plants — including some run by the nation’s leading power producers — will be allowed to sidestep updated limits on toxic pollutants after President Donald Trump’s unprecedented decision to grant a compliance extension.

April 14 News Round Up

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Good Monday Morning!

In the news today and from the weekend…

Coal:

  • Fox Business reports Interior Secretary Doug Burgum discussed the coal industry and President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to help raise its production in an interview with FOX Business’ Kelly Saberi Friday.
  • E&E Greenwire reports President Donald Trump called on his administration this week to save a coal-fired power plant in Arizona. But there’s a problem: The plant was shut down last month because it was too expensive to run.
  • New York Times reports coal has been displaced by cheap and plentiful natural gas and the rapid growth of wind and solar energy — forces that President Trump will struggle to do away with.

Mining:

  • The Hill carries an op-ed which argues President Trump’s executive order to increase domestic critical mineral production has been interpreted as a pro-industry move or a nod to traditional energy sectors. It is both — but more importantly, it is a long overdue national security play.

World News:

  • Argus reports President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week to revitalize the US’ maritime industries and workforce through public and private investments, incentivising shipbuilding and combating China’s dominance in the sector.
  • Argus reports China will raise import tariffs on all US goods to 125pc, the country’s State Council said today.

April 4 News Round Up

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Happy Friday!

In the news today…

Media Alert:

  • Thanks to the Kearney Hub (Neb.) and Janesville Gazette (Wis.) for carrying my new op-ed on how the underused coal fleet is a strategic asset we need to tap.

Coal:

  • E&E Energywire reports a slate of pro-climate candidates in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois, swept city council races Tuesday in a political victory hailed by some as a referendum on the city’s ties to coal-fired electricity.
  • Argus reports US coal producer NACCO Natural Resources is seeking to expand its Freedom lignite mine in North Dakota under an emergency lease application with the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

April 3 News Round Up

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Media Alert:

  • Thanks to the Grand Forks Herald (N.D.) for carrying my new op-ed on how the underused coal fleet is a strategic asset we need to tap.

Grid:

  • Ohio Capital Journal reports that Ohio lawmakers are negotiating differences in the House and Senate versions of a major energy bill that would reform the ratemaking process and incentivize new power plants.
  • South Dakota News Watch reports that a shift in federal energy priorities to focus more on fossil fuels renews friction between GOP-led South Dakota, which says fossil fuels are crucial for maintaining grid reliability, and Minnesota, where the state’s largest utility is closing its coal plants by 2030.

Coal:

  • E&E Greenwire reports President Donald Trump’s aggressive barrage of policies — from cutting federal staffing to shuttering offices and imposing fees on Chinese ships — has sent shock waves through an industry he’s repeatedly signaled he wants to revive: coal.
  • Reuters reports the Trump administration on Tuesday took a key step toward leasing new areas to a North Dakota coal mine that is proposing to operate through 2045.
  • Argus reports the co-owners of the Colstrip coal-fired power plant in Montana have requested a two-year presidential exemption from complying with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rules.
  • Mining.com reports the dirtiest coal-fired power plant in the US is asking Donald Trump for a waiver from pollution mandates, taking up the administration on an offer to email for a chance to get a presidential exemption.

Minerals:

  • Mining.com reports carved into a mountain range in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, where temperatures often reach 118F (48C), a vast mining complex more than a century old is on the front lines of a race to unlock millions of tons of copper.

April 2 News Round Up

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In the news today…

Media Alert

Minerals:

  • Politico Pro reports a top Trump administration official said Tuesday the U.S. was working to break China’s dominance of critical mineral supply chains by striking deals with allies around the globe — including Ukraine and Greenland.

Coal:

  • E&E Energywire reports western power giant PacifiCorp is no longer committing to the retirement of several of its large coal plants before the 2040s, a reflection of the policy uncertainty under the Trump administration.

Permitting:

  • E&E Energywire reports advocates for artificial intelligence called on House lawmakers Tuesday to deregulate energy use for massive data centers.

April 1 News Round Up

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In the news today…

Minerals:

  • Politico Pro reports top figures in the energy and transportation world gather in Washington today for the annual SAFE Summit, where they’ll hash out energy security issues — and especially how to build the domestic critical minerals industry.
  • Forbes reports on Ramaco Resources’ progress on extracting rare earth minerals from coal resources.

Coal:

  • Argus reports coal producers across much of the US shipped slightly less coal during January than they had a year prior, despite higher electricity demand and competition from elevated natural gas prices.

World News:

  • E&E Greenwire reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is trying to “back out” of a minerals agreement with the United States, President Donald Trump said Sunday.
  • Mining.com reports Washington and Moscow have reportedly begun discussions on joint rare earths projects in Russia, the head of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, said on Monday.

February 27 News Round Up

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Happy Friday!!

In the news today…

Minerals:

  • Hoodline reports Senators across the aisle are teaming up to shore up America’s access to critical minerals.
  • Newsweek reports the United States is home to a wealth of natural resources, with certain states leading the way in producing some of the most valuable minerals essential for industry, technology and economic growth.
  • Politico Pro reports a major Nevada critical minerals project that closed a $1 billion loan in the waning days of the Biden administration has lost one of its joint venture partners.
  • E&E Greenwire reports President Donald Trump is days away from clinching a minerals-for-aid deal with Ukraine, but experts warn there’s limited proof the country’s store of raw critical minerals or rare earth elements can be dug up for the right price to generate the billions the president is hoping to secure.

Grid:

  • Canary Media reports that tech firms, utilities and power plant owners in the Midwest and beyond join an effort to ensure data centers provide assets to the power grid — including through cooling equipment, on-site generation and batteries — to reduce or shift power use during peak times.
  • Utility Dive reports that a national grid equipment manufacturers group predicts U.S. electricity demand will grow 2% annually over the next 25 years from data centers and other sectors, while the Inflation Reduction Act has helped decrease reliance on Chinese imports.

February 18 News Round Up

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In the news today…

Grid:

  • Canary Media reports that Indiana consumer and clean energy advocates call for a moratorium on data centers until further study is completed on the potential of rising power costs and the need for new gas plants and small nuclear reactors to meet data centers’ energy demand.
  • Canary Media reports that clean energy companies and advocates say a PJM plan to speed up the review of “dispatchable” generation projects, most likely gas plants, is unlikely to quickly add much needed supply and will distort market competition. However, PJM Inside Lines reports that the PJM Board Supports Action in Support of Urgent Grid Reliability Needs.
  • St. Louis Public Radio reports thatAmeren Missouri announces a five-year, $16 billion plan to invest in transmission as well as gas plants, solar, wind and battery storage to meet projected demand increases.

February 14 News Round Up

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

In the news today…

Minerals:

  • Politico Pro reports another bipartisan minerals bill from last Congress is back on the table as Sens. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) reintroduced their Mining Regulatory Clarity Act.
  • Mining.com reports the strategic minerals partnership with the USA can be considered the most promising, it is a logical and necessary action to ensure the rapid development of new competencies of Ukraine in high-tech and innovative sectors of the economy.

Coal:

  • Washington Examiner reports the buildout of coal-fired power plants in China is at the highest level since 2015, with a substantial number coming online in the next couple of years, a new report by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air said.

Grid:

  • Utility Dive reports that Chicago-based utility Exelon’s pipeline of data center capacity and other large loads more than doubles to 17 gigawatts compared to a year ago as executives call for more involvement from states to ensure adequate supplies.

Have a great weekend!

February 13 News Round Up

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In the news today…

Energy:

  • Washington Examiner reports with inflation rising for the fourth month in a row in January, energy prices have also continued to increase.

Minerals:

  • Politico Pro reports two bipartisan critical minerals bills from last Congress are being reintroduced today in the Senate, including a proposal that would create a pilot Energy Department program to provide price support to domestic critical mineral processing projects struggling to compete against China.

Grid:

  • Utility Dive reports that Federal regulators approve PJM’s plan to fast-track interconnection reviews of shovel-ready generation projects to help address a forecasted supply shortage, over objections from renewable energy developers.
  • Utility Dive reports that a new report finds 38 states took policy action last year involving virtual power plants and distributed energy aggregations, while additional state and utility programs are expected this year, according to a new report.

February 12 News Round Up

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In the news today…

Energy:

  • Bloomberg reports the US should stop the closure of coal-fired power plants, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, adding the fuel source would be essential to the nation’s power system for decades to come.
  • Axios reports on comments from Energy Secretary Chris Wright on energy.

Minerals:

  • Politico Pro reports Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) is downplaying any immediate prospects on legislation to bolster U.S. development of critical minerals — arguing Trump’s ongoing climate spending freeze is undermining areas of potential bipartisan progress.

February 11 News Round Up

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In the news today…

Minerals:

  • Law 360 reports the federal government’s approval of an 18,000-acre open-pit lithium mine in northern Nevada is a violation of Indigenous’ rights, according to a recent report, which says at least six tribes have ties to the site where they’ve experienced violations against their religion, culture and ancestral lands.

Energy:

  • Argus reports coal-fired generation in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) rose from year-earlier levels for a second month in a row in January as generators cut natural gas generation.

Grid:

  • Canary Media reports that state regulators have approved Duke Energy’s gas plant buildout despite N.C. climate law. The utility is supposed to cut greenhouse gas emissions 70% by 2030, but North Carolina’s utility commission has approved its plan to build new fossil-gas power plants.

February 10 News Round Up

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Good Monday Morning!

In the news today and from the weekend…

Grid:

  • Columbia Missourian reports that the Grain Belt Express transmission line developer has filed more than 40 eminent domain petitions against Missouri property owners to finalize a route for the $7 billion project.
  • Utility Dive reports that an Ohio Congress member introduces legislation to give dispatchable generation resources priority in regional grid operators’ interconnection queue, a measure that has support from oil and gas groups.
  • Utility Dive reports that Xcel Energy officials say the utility will rely mostly on wind and solar for new generation projects amid growing demand, despite the Trump administration’s early efforts to pull federal clean energy funding.

February 7 News Round Up

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Happy Friday!!

In the news today…

Grid:

  • Ohio Capital Journal reports Ohio’s top energy regulator says the state should pursue new baseload generation, particularly gas plants, as coal plants come offline, demand rises, and Republican lawmakers aim to pass supporting legislation.
  • Utility Dive reports that a new U.S. Department of Energy order lays out similar priorities attacking net-zero policies and adding new baseload generation while providing support for transmission upgrades.

 

February 6 News Round Up

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In the news today…

Energy:

  • Axios reports that in his first memo to his department, new Energy Secretary Chris Wright tells the department he’s planning a comprehensive review of appliance efficiency standards and outlines other priorities.

Grid:

  • New York Times reports that utilities have extended the retirement dates of nearly one third of coal plants across the country, even as a study shows that it’s more expensive to run nearly every U.S. coal plant than to build renewable replacements.
    • Note: Of course, renewable energy resources do not have the same attributes as thermal energy resources–renewable energy resources are not dispatchable and operate intermittently, unlike thermal resources. Thus, renewable resources cannot “replace” thermal resources.

Climate:

  • Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that Iowa lawmakers advance a bill, backed by a GOP lawmaker and frequent critic of carbon pipelines, to prohibit state regulators from considering climate change when issuing a permit for carbon, oil and gas pipelines.

Minerals:

  • Mining.com reports China unveiled a series of retaliatory measures against the United States on Tuesday, including restrictions on the export of five critical metals used in defence, clean energy, and other industries.

February 5 News Round Up

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In the news today…

Grid:

  • Power Magazine reports that Georgia Power will keep its coal and gas power plants running longer than planned in response to rising electricity demand.
  • T&D World reports that South Dakota regulators approve permits for two utilities’ 100-mile transmission line meant to improve reliability and resilience and reduce congestion.

EPA:

  • Politico reports that the U.S. EPA tells agency officials to continue distributing Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law funds to some programs after a two-week-long pause.
  • E&E News reports that energy industry leaders and former U.S. EPA officials say EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will have a much easier time revoking Biden-era emission rules if he doesn’t try to replace them.