In the news today…
Grid:
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Ameren plans to build a 1,200 MW natural gas plant by 2031 to ensure grid reliability, though environmental groups say the plan runs counter to the utility’s carbon-neutral target by 2045.
Coal:
- Washington Examiner reports coal interests see Europe’s crisis-driven reversion to coal as a “wakeup call” to the U.S., arguing that it should better value the fuel in order to avoid the high energy prices afflicting allies in the region.
- Argus reports Colorado regulators unanimously approved utility Xcel Energy’s plan to move up the retirement date for unit 3 of the Comanche coal-fired power plant to 2031, accelerating the state’s exit from coal power by four years.
- Wisconsin State Journal reports three of Wisconsin’s largest coal-fired power plants will continue operating for at least another two years.
- E&E Energywire reports two Wisconsin utilities announced yesterday that they will push back the retirement of three coal-fired power plants, citing tight energy supply in the Midwest power market and supply chain disruptions that could delay renewable projects.
Energy:
- Wall Street Journal reports Western nations are betting big on nuclear power, decades after safety concerns pushed it out of favor—only they have lost their expertise in building the reactors.
Mining:
- E&E Greenwire reports the Forest Service has released a long-awaited environmental assessment laying out its case for a 20-year ban on sulfide ore mining near the Boundary Waters wilderness area in northern Minnesota.
- Washington Post reports the U.S. Forest Service issued a draft environmental assessment Thursday to lay the foundation for a proposed 20-year moratorium on copper-nickel mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.