Thanks to the Hanford Sentinel (Calif.), Detroit News (Mich.), Nashua Telegraph (N.H.), Huntington Herald Dispatch (W.Va.), Santa Maria Times (Calif.) and Charleston Gazette Mail (W.Va.) for carrying my new op-ed on how Spain’s recent blackout is a warning of reliability risks for the U.S.
Category Archives: Electric Grid
May 27 News Round Up
I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday weekend!
In the news today…
Grid:
- Canary Media reports that the Trump administration orders a large Michigan coal plant set to close on May 31 to stay open for at least three months, citing reliability concerns that critics call a manufactured energy emergency.
- Chicago Tribune reports that the operator of a large southern Illinois coal plant will get a two-year exemption from the Trump administration on tougher air pollution regulations as plant owners across the country delay closure plans.
Media Alert
Thanks to the DC Journal for carrying my new op-ed entitled, “Could Spain’s Blackout Happen in the United States?”
April 28 News Round Up
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.
Media Alert
Thanks to the River Reporter (N.Y.) for carrying my new op-ed on how the underused coal fleet is a strategic asset we need to tap.
April 3 News Round Up
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.
February 27 News Round Up
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
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
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
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 11 News Round Up
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
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
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
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
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.
January 29 News Round Up
In the news today…
Media Alert:
- Thanks to the Frankfort State Journal (Ky.) and Press and News (Minn.) for publishing my new op-ed on why policymaking must preserve the dispatchable power generation that coal plants provide during a deep freeze.
Grid:
- Argus reports US grid operator PJM Interconnection has revised its electricity demand forecast this coming decade substantially upward on projected load growth from planned data centers to run electricity-intensive artificial intelligence (AI) software.
Nuclear:
- Inside Indiana Business reports that an Indiana utility will seek a $50 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to begin exploring the potential for a small modular reactor at a retiring coal plant.
January 27 News Round Up
Good Monday morning!
In the news today and from the weekend…
Mining:
- E&E Greenwire reports President Donald Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill are poised to reverse a host of Biden-era protections and expand domestic mining, from Alaska to Minnesota. And green groups are girding for a fight.
Energy:
- Associated Press reports President Donald Trump’s promise to go all in on fossil fuels includes praise for coal, a reliable but polluting energy source that’s long been in decline.
- E&E Energywire reports the president failed to boost coal in his first administration. Now he’s betting that surging energy demand will revive an industry in decline.
- Argus reports President Donald Trump said he plans to give developers “very rapid approvals” to build data centers running artificial intelligence (AI) software, as well as off-grid electric generating facilities to power them.
Coal:
- Washington Examiner reports coal-fired power production has soared due to several winter storms and cold snaps.
January 22 News Round Up
In the news today…
Media Alert:
- Thanks to the Bryan Times (Ohio) for publishing my new op-ed on why policymaking must preserve the dispatchable power generation that coal plants provide during a deep freeze.
Minerals:
- E&E Greenwire reports President Donald Trump with several strokes of his Sharpie on Monday elevated to the top levels of the government a focus on accelerating mining and processing of minerals — from rare earths to coal and uranium — drawing applause from Republicans and the mining sector.
Mining:
- E&E Greenwire reports a detailed mandate to lift restrictions on Alaska’s oil and gas, mining and timber industries operating on federal lands made the cut for the swath of executive orders issued Monday by President Donald Trump.
Energy:
- E&E Energywire reports David Wright, the new chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, inherits a pivotal moment for the nuclear industry, which is navigating an era of advanced reactor development and grappling with long-standing challenges like waste management.
Media Alert
Thanks to the Mesabi Tribune (Minn.) for publishing my new op-ed on why policymaking must preserve the dispatchable power generation that coal plants provide during a deep freeze.
Media Alert
Thanks to The Missoulian (Mont.) for publishing my new op-ed on how policymaking must preserve the dispatchable power generation that coal plants provide during a deep freeze.