Monthly Archives: July 2022

In the news today…

Grid:

• WBEZ reports clean energy advocates say $10 billion in Midwest transmission projects recently approved by grid operator MISO will boost renewable energy development in Illinois.

Congress:

• E&E Greenwire reports the climate deal struck yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin would significantly expand consumer tax credits for electric vehicles by offering a $7,500 tax credit to people buying an EV made with a certain percentage of minerals mined or processed in nations with U.S. free trade agreements, or recycled in North America.
• E&E Energywire reports that the Senate’s sweeping climate and energy bill would reshape how cars are made in the electric age, offering automakers nearly irresistible inducements to build the supply chains in America — or more to the point, not in China.
• Axios reported that the climate and energy provisions in the Senate’s revenue and spending deal cover everything from incentives to buy electric vehicles to spurring the development of next-generation climate technologies, such as direct air capture.

Minerals:

• Politico Pro reports Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan on Thursday vowed to delay two of President Joe Biden’s Pentagon nominees over frustrations regarding the administration’s decision to cancel an Alaskan mineral mining project.
• The Hill carries an op-ed by Michelle Foss arguing that U.S. policymakers and industry must take action now to forestall disruptive and damaging interruptions in commodities markets and put “materials first.”

Coal:

• E&E Greenwire reports conservation groups filed lawsuits against state environmental agencies in Colorado and Montana this week targeting coal mines in the two states.
• The New York Times reports that West Virginia will punish banks that don’t support coal. This move is part of a growing effort by Republican officials to shut out companies that are backing away from fossil fuels.

In the news today…

Congress:

• Politico Pro reports Senate Democrats struck a deal with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin on Thursday for an expansive bill that includes the biggest package in U.S. history to address climate change.

Minerals/Metals:

• Politico Pro reports the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office announced Wednesday it closed a more than $100 million loan for the processing of a critical material used in electric vehicle batteries.
• E&E Greenwire reports the Energy Department today announced that it closed on a $102.1 million loan for a Louisiana graphite processing plant with the potential to help make millions of electric vehicles.
• Politico Pro reports the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had ripple effects across the globe, from arms sales to oil and gas flows to mining critical elements that are at the core of the aerospace and defense industries.

Coal:

• Reuters reports European buyers have had to temporarily set aside green aspirations in a rush for coal as the region’s energy crisis deepens, ramping up shipments from Australia, South America, Colombia and South Africa while tightening the global market.
• Argus reports US coal-fired generation fell from a year earlier in May despite an increase in electric power demand.
• Axios reports global coal consumption is slated to rise slightly this year, matching the prior peak set in 2013, the International Energy Agency said in a new forecast.

World News:

• Wall Street Journal reports some of the world’s largest iron-ore miners said they expect the market to continue dictating prices of the commodity despite China setting up a centralized buying group to try to gain more sway.
• Washington Post reports China has embarked on one of the biggest shake-ups of the global iron-ore market in more than a decade.

In the news today…

Grid:

• News Tribune reports Ameren Illinois is collecting public feedback through the end of the week on a proposed transmission line connecting substations in northern Illinois.
• WLWT reports that residents and business owners speak out against Duke Energy’s request to raise distribution rates by $55 million in southwestern Ohio to pay for grid upgrades.
  

Minerals/Metals:

• Mining.com reports recycling won’t provide enough copper to meet demands.
• Bloomberg reports that despite the slowing global economy, buyers of key components in the powering of electric vehicles are stepping up efforts to lock in supplies, with two of the world’s biggest automakers signing direct deals with producers of so-called battery metals.

Congress:

• Roll Call reports an economic competitiveness package meant to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research is on track to pass the Senate this week after overcoming a filibuster on Tuesday.

In the news today…

Grid:

• E&E News reports that grid operator MISO approves a $10.3 billion grid expansion to help move clean energy throughout the Midwest, including 18 high-voltage transmission lines set to come online beginning in 2028.
• Utility Dive reports that State regulators order Ameren Illinois to study the costs and benefits of becoming a member of grid operator PJM rather than MISO.

Minerals:

• Politico Pro reports David Ferris discussed the issue of critical minerals, China’s dominance in the supply chain and the need for automakers to lock up long-term supply contracts for the production of EVs.
• Associated Press reports opposition from friends, not foes, is creating potential roadblocks to President Joe Biden’s green energy agenda on federal lands in the blue-leaning, Western swing state of Nevada.

Coal:

• The Oaklandside reports five months after City Attorney Barbara Parker announced that a deal was in the works to end the longstanding saga over a proposed coal terminal in West Oakland, the developers are now backing out of settlement negotiations.
• Reuters reports high coal prices, supply bottlenecks and aged plants are posing a challenge to Germany’s plan to increase electricity production from hard coal-fired power plants to compensate for declining gas deliveries, according to operators and industry experts.
• WV Public Broadcasting reports in the spring, coal producers told lawmakers that railroads weren’t providing adequate coal delivery service. In a legislative meeting on Sunday, those complaints continued.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Grid:

• Utility Dive reports that the Biden administration’s order shoring up grid security falls short because it fails to prepare for operations technology attacks.

Energy:

• Mining.com reports from burning natural gas to heat our homes to the petroleum-based materials found in everyday products like pharmaceuticals and plastics, we all consume fossil fuels in one form or another.

Mining:

• E&E Greenwire reports the Bureau of Land Management released a draft environmental impact statement today that could help clear the way for the first open-pit vanadium mine in the United States.

Coal:

• Utility Dive reports the IRP decision comes a week after the Georgia Supreme Court denied a petition from the Sierra Club to review the PSC’s 2019 decision to allow the utility to charge their customers for coal ash pond closure costs.

Carbon Capture:

• E&E Daily reports the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing this week on the latest developments for carbon capture, sequestration and utilization technologies.

Electric Vehicles:

• The Associated Press reports Hyundai Motor Group is set to receive $1.8 million in tax breaks and other incentives from the state of Georgia and local governments in exchange for the company’s investment of $5.5 billion to build its first electric vehicle plant in the United States near Savannah, according to an agreement signed Friday. Construction on the plant, which will also produce vehicle batteries, is expected to begin next year with a goal to produce 300,000 EVs annually starting in 2025.

In the news today…

Grid:

• Star Tribune reports that Xcel Energy plans a $500 million, 140-mile transmission line to help move renewable energy through Minnesota.
• E&E News reports State utility regulators call on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to address the current dearth of interregional transmission projects.
• WNDU reports an Indiana transmission company moves forward with plans for an underground power line to serve the South Bend area after an appeals court ruled the project could not primarily serve a private entity, Notre Dame University.
• Cedar Rapids Gazette reports an Iowa State University professor says more transmission needs to be built to ensure reliability as more renewables come online to replace fossil fuel plants.
• Daily Energy Insider reports that Evergy officials say investments in predictive maintenance, grid modernization and diversification have already reduced the quality and scope of outages this summer.

Coal:

• MLive reports that the planned early closure of a western Michigan coal plant spurs breach of contract lawsuits between the plant owner, Consumers Energy, and an electric cooperative that relies on the plant for power.

In the news today…

Minerals:

• The Brentwood Press and The Fairfield Sun Times report a Chinese-dominated mining company has procured millions of dollars in American subsidies to extract lithium in the United States – but, given a dearth of U.S. processing capacity, the mineral is likely to be sent to China with no guarantee that the end product would return as batteries to power President Biden’s envisioned green economy.
• Bloomberg reports Elon Musk has called for more investment in global lithium refining to ease shortages in battery materials — and promised those who seize the opportunity it’s as lucrative as “basically minting money.”
• Axios reports Ford Motor Co. unveiled a bunch of deals and agreements the auto giant says will ensure it has the batteries and raw materials to support rapid growth of electric vehicle production.

Coal:

• Argus reports US thermal coal imports dipped from a year earlier in the first five months of 2022 as seaborne prices climbed and a power plant that takes imported coal gets ready for retirement.
• Argus reports high gas prices and supply constraints will promote coal-fired thermal power generation in Europe and northeast Asia in the near term, the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) said.

In the news today…

Grid:

• Utility Dive reports that a federal appeals court dismissed a complaint by Entergy and Xcel Energy seeking to overturn a cost allocation methodology for projects in grid operator MISO’s territory that connect to PJM’s territory.

Climate:

• Politico reports President Joe Biden will announce new steps to combat climate change, but will stop short of declaring a national emergency that would unlock new tools for driving down greenhouse gases, the White House said Tuesday.

Coal:

• Mountain State Spotlight reports the Supreme Court ruling is unlikely to revive coal in West Virginia.
• Argus reports Powder River basin (PRB) coal production inched higher in the second quarter when compared with a year earlier, despite declines from Peabody Energy and Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) mines.

Mining:

• Grist reports on opposition to gold mining in Alaska on the Kuskokwim River.

In the news today…

Grid:

• KSAL reports that Evergy officials are saying its electric grid is prepared for increased demand during a forecasted string of hot days.
• Washington Examiner reports more and more eyes have been focused on the the Texas grid, most of which is overseen by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), as a heat wave strikes.

Minerals:

• The Dispatch reports earlier this year, Goldman Sachs released a report claiming that the world will soon see an “oversupply” of the metals needed to manufacture the lithium-ion batteries that will power electric vehicles and facilitate a greener economy. Industry experts and consultants disagreed and soon after unleashed a storm of criticism rebutting the report: There is no imminent surplus of the battery materials—metals like nickel, cobalt, and lithium—but a looming shortage, they said.
• Washington Post reports companies are seeking to open old mines and explore in new sensitive regions, amid resistance from Californians who want the Gold Rush to remain part of history.

Carbon Capture:

• Axios reports a new trade group is advocating for early-stage companies seeking to commercialize nascent tech for pulling CO2 from the atmosphere and making sure it doesn’t return.
• E&E Climatewire reports more than 40 companies today launched the Carbon Business Council, the first trade association for startups focused on carbon dioxide removal, utilization and trading.
• E&E Energywire reports a North Dakota project is the first in the United States to trap and store carbon dioxide emissions under state-led regulatory authority for carbon storage, the development’s investors said yesterday.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Grid:

• Energy News Network reports that Xcel Energy is partnering with community groups to develop “resilience hubs” in three Minneapolis neighborhoods where solar and storage-powered microgrids will provide emergency back-up power and added grid balancing options.
• Inside Climate News reports a team of U.S. researchers is studying how power outages affect public health, part of a growing new field known as climate epidemiology.
• Bloomberg reports as searing Texas heat drives power demand to record highs, the state’s grid operator is ordering plants to run at a historic pace, often forcing them to put off maintenance to keep cranking out electricity.

Carbon Capture:

• Argus reports President Joe Biden’s administration is offering more than $2.6mn to support the development of carbon capture, storage and transport technologies.
• E&E Climatewire reports EPA could face additional difficulties in regulating carbon emissions from the power sector, after Sen. Joe Manchin blew up negotiations last week over a climate spending package that would have broadened tax incentives for carbon capture and storage technology.

In the news today…

Minerals:

• Newsweek reports the House began discussions this week on the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which this year totals a record-setting cost of about $840 billion. Among the various military funding provisions outlined in the bill are orders that seek to curb U.S. interconnectedness with China and Russia.
• Mining.com reports developers of battery metals projects can win support from the US government as it seeks to counter the dominance of China in clean-technology supply chains, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.
• E&E Climatewire reports the push to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 will strain global copper supplies and threatens to push climate goals out of reach unless new supplies of the metal can be brought online quickly, according to a new report from S&P Global Inc.

Coal:

• Argus reports Illinois basin coal producer Hallador Energy is restarting operations at two mines in Indiana.

Energy:

• E&E Energywire reports power companies have traditionally made money by investing in new assets, from generating plants to power lines. Now, the utility business is trying to adapt as the energy landscape changes.

In the news today…

Grid:

• Utility Dive reports that New York utility regulators and environmental advocates are urging federal regulators to pass a proposal that would have ratepayers cover the cost of transmission upgrades needed for clean energy development.
• E&E News reports that western utility officials say the proposed $8 billion Energy Gateway transmission network stretching from Wyoming to California is critical to decarbonizing the grid.
  
• Yahoo News reports from Reuters Texas’s power grid operator on Wednesday took emergency measures to avoid rolling blackouts as soaring electricity demand threatened to outpace available supplies amid a stifling heatwave.

Mining:

• E&E Daily reports the House Natural Resources Committee endorsed a proposal yesterday to shore up protections for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness by banning the mining of nickel, copper and other minerals on nearby public lands.
• Politico Pro reports a global shortfall of copper — the “metal of electrification” — will severely jeopardize the ability of the world to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, according to a report Thursday by S&P Global.
• Axios reports the race to deeply slash global carbon emissions will be hobbled without a surge in copper supply, but the ramp-up necessary faces big hurdles, a new report finds.

Carbon Capture:

• E&E Energywire reports the Energy Department yesterday rolled out a nearly $2.6 billion program to support carbon capture demonstration projects as the Biden administration strives to make progress on its target of a carbon-free power sector by 2035.

EPA:

• E&E Greenwire reports in the wake of the Supreme Court curbing its power to combat climate change, EPA will turn to a mix of career staff and political appointees — many with decades of experience in environmental law and policy — to draft coming regulations for fossil fuel-burning power plants.

In the news today…

Grid:

• Ohio Capital Journal reports that Ohio regulators today will review American Electric Power’s decision to cut off power to 230,000 customers during a June heat wave to avoid a larger-scale blackout.

Minerals:

• Mining.com reports US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the government is concerned that supplies of critical minerals, used widely in clean energy technology, could be subject to weaponization as oil and gas have been amid the Ukraine conflict.

Carbon Capture:

• E&E Daily reports Republicans leaders on three House committees yesterday promoted the carbon-saving potential of land uses like farming and forestry, proposing legislation to boost research in that area.

Coal:

• Axios reports European plans to ditch Russian natural gas won’t boost the bloc’s coal-fired power enough to trip up EU climate efforts, new analyses argue.

In the news today…

Grid:

• E&E Climatewire reports searing temperatures pushed Texas’ power grid to the brink yesterday, offering a vivid illustration of the challenges that face an evolving electricity sector as the world warms.
• Bloomberg reports that almost all of the large bitcoin miners in Texas, including Riot Blockchain Inc., Argo Blockchain PLC and Core Scientific Inc., shut off their facilities on Monday as a heat wave pushed the state’s power grid to the brink. The shutdown freed up over 1,000 megawatts worth of power, or over 1% of total grid capacity, said Lee Bratcher, president of Texas Blockchain Council.

Renewables:

• E&E Daily reports the House Oversight and Reform Committee will vote on legislation this week to push the transition to renewable energy sources.

Carbon Capture:

• E&E Daily reports West Virginia Republican Rep. David McKinley introduced legislation last week to accelerate permitting for carbon dioxide injection wells, which are a key to enabling carbon capture technology.

Coal:

• Argus reports US thermal coal exports fell from a year earlier in May after reaching a 13-month high in April, as India’s appetite for US steam coal continued to wane.
• Argus carries an interview which predicts U.S. coal exports will struggle to meet 2021 levels.

In the news today and from the weekend…

Grid:

• Energy News Network reports that as distributed resources change the way electricity flows on the power grid, energy researchers are borrowing a concept from hydrology to study how the increasingly complex system works.

Coal:

• Washington Examiner reports domestic coal prices have shot to record territory as the global energy crisis and the European Union’s impending Russian coal ban drive European power customers to seek out imports from the United States.
• New York Times reports following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling limiting the government’s ability to restrict the pollution that is causing global warming, the Biden administration is planning to use other regulatory tools in hopes of achieving similar goals.

EPA:

• Utility Dive reports the Supreme Court’s finding last week that the Environmental Protection Agency cannot use “generation shifting” as envisioned in the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan will have little effect on utility plans to shift away from coal-fired power plants to renewables, according to analysts.

In the news today…

Climate:

• E&E News reports that a Democratic aide expresses optimism as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin continue to negotiate a clean energy and climate bill, though Manchin aides say they are still far from a deal.

Wind:

• Star Tribune reports wind tax revenue declined in southern Minnesota last year as more turbines were turned off to prevent transmission congestion.

In the news today…

Grid:

• U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that Fossil fuel sources accounted for 79% of U.S. consumption of primary energy in 2021.
• S&P Global reports that in a new report, ISO New England says it’s readying itself for a significant transition to renewable energy and electrification, noting that roughly two-thirds of its interconnection queue consists of wind projects.

Coal:

• Argus reports coal-fired generation in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) fell from year-earlier levels for a seventh month in a row in June amid greater competition from renewables and natural gas.
• E&E Energywire reports Colorado’s power sector aims to surpass the state’s emissions reduction goals and end the burning of coal earlier than expected.
• E&E Energywire reports the chaos caused by Russia’s invasion and bombardment of Ukraine has led to fears of future supply disruptions of natural gas that will likely reduce consumption this year and restrain its growth for the next three years, the International Energy Agency said yesterday.
• E&E Climatewire reports last Thursday began brightly for the coal industry when the Supreme Court handed down a 6-3 decision forbidding EPA from writing sweeping regulations governing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. But by nightfall, the grim reality facing coal had set in.

Minerals:

• E&E Energywire reports to fully decarbonize the U.S. grid, the Department of Energy needs to invest in developing energy storage technologies that do not rely on lithium, according to a recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

I’m back from a week-long vacation, refreshed and ready to return to the daily grind!

In the news today and from the weekend…

Grid:

• Ohio Capital Journal reports that AEP plans to better prepare its infrastructure and customer notification procedures ahead of potential forced outages.
• E&E News reports a federal judge declines to postpone a spring 2024 deadline for Ameren Missouri to reduce a major coal plant’s emissions, despite the utility’s claims that it needs to keep the plant open until 2025 to ensure reliability.

EPA:

• Bismarck Tribune North Dakota’s coal industry and top Republican officials welcomed last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limits how the EPA can regulate greenhouse gas emissions from coal plants.
• E&E Climatewire reports as the smoke clears from the Supreme Court’s major climate ruling last week, legal experts and clean energy groups say the country still has many options for achieving a dramatic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
• E&E Climatewire reports the Supreme Court’s recent climate ruling means carbon capture will likely form the backbone of any new EPA regulations targeting carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, energy experts and legal analysts said.

Coal:

• Wall Street Journal reports an energy-starved world is turning to coal as natural-gas and oil shortages exacerbated by Russia’s war against Ukraine lead countries back to the dirtiest fossil fuel.
• Washington Examiner reports the Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. EPA clipped what environmental lawyers saw as one of their best chances under existing law to transform the power sector away from coal.