Xcel Energy Inc. will sell the Mankato Energy Center, a 760-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant, to Denver-based Southwest Generation, according to an April 6 filing with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Xcel purchased the facility from Southern Power for $650 million in January through a non-regulated affiliate after Minnesota regulators rejected the company’s earlier proposal…...
The U.S. Energy Department plans to announce a funding opportunity for energy storage technologies that can improve the performance, reliability, and flexibility of fossil-fueled power generating facilities, according to an April 7 news release. The department expects co-location of energy storage with fossil energy assets to enable multiple benefits, including more reliable and affordable energy supply,…...
The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management announced a proposal to offer 45 parcels of land, totaling about 67,244 acres located on Jackson, Las Animas, Rio Blanco, and Weld Counties, at the September quarterly oil and gas lease sale, according to a Mar. 31 news release. The agency is seeking public input on issues…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 26 announced a temporary policy relaxing its enforcement of environmental legal obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy gives more flexibility to power plants and other regulated entities on pollution control measures in a time of crisis. The measure allows the noncompliance as long as the entity provides…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 19 conditionally approved the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export project and the associated Pacific Connector pipeline in Oregon. The approval is conditioned on the project qualifying for state permits, but Oregon regulators have declined several key regulatory approvals. The LNG terminal would be located in Coos County,…...
Even modest carbon fees can facilitate emissions reductions in the short term, especially in the power sector where natural gas and renewables supplant coal, according to a March 17 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. However, once the emissions level linked to coal consumption is reached, the remaining gas- and petroleum-related emissions are harder…...
Virginia has become the first state in the South to begin a clean energy transition with the passage of a sweeping energy bill that sets the state on the path to carbon-free power by 2050. The law replaces the voluntary renewable energy portfolio program with a mandatory standard, and paves the way for an enormous expansion of wind and solar power, energy storage, and energy efficiency.
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems on March 10 announced a contract with Utah’s Intermountain Power Agency for the first advanced class gas turbines designed to facilitate the transition of a power plant in central Utah from coal, to natural gas and ultimately to renewable hydrogen fuel. The transition will begin in 2025, with a fuel mix…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 6 issued its final environmental review for the Alaska LNG project, a $40-$45 billion, 800-mile pipeline and liquefied natural gas export facility expected to be the largest in the U.S. The project is being developed by Alaska Gasline Development Corp. in partnership with BP and ExxonMobil. The commission…...
A growing number of cities across the U.S. are moving toward electrifying their building sectors and banning natural gas use. The Northern California city of Berkeley passed the first such ban, initiating a wave of similar ordinances as a means to reduce carbon emissions. The movement prompted Arizona to enact the first state law preventing local bans on natural gas, and several other states to introduce bills with similar language.
U.S. natural gas consumption rose by 3 percent last year, reaching a record of 85 billion cubic feet per day, according to a March 3 report from the Energy Information Administration. The agency attributed the increase to new gas-fired electric capacity and lower natural gas prices. In 2019, the electric power sector accounted for 36…...
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, signed legislation on Feb. 21 that bars a municipality or county from imposing requirements that restrict a utility provider’s authority to operate and serve customers. Under the law, municipalities may not deny building permits based on the utility provider that will serve the project. The measure comes at a…...
