In the news today…
Grid:
- Washington Post and Associated Press report that a security video of what appears to be a tree falling on a power line in Maui suggests the incident was the source of at least one of the island’s devastating wildfires, as the death toll surpasses 100.
- Axios reports that Hawaiian Electric is facing at least three lawsuits that allege the utility bears some responsibility for the devastating wildfires on Maui, which have led to at least 99 deaths so far. The lawsuits generally claim the utility, which said it does not comment on pending litigation, failed to shut off power to power lines despite high-wind warnings and wildfire risks, though the cause of the fires remains unknown.
- Utility Dive reports that the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed greenhouse gas emissions standards for power plants could hurt grid reliability, with the potential for “significant power shortages,” according to major U.S. grid operators.
- Michigan Radio reports that widespread blackouts spanning Michigan to the East Coast 20 years ago led to the adoption of many more safety and oversight measures to prevent such an incident again.
Coal:
- Bloomberg reports that India plans to build more coal-fired power capacity to feed its booming energy demand even as it expands renewable generation.