Avista Utilities and Tacoma Power on March 2 began their participation in the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) operated by the California Independent System Operator Corp. The two utilities serve a combined 600,00 electric customers in the Pacific Northwest. The enrollment expands the utilities’ ability to incorporate additional renewable energy while continuing to meet the…...
Oil and natural gas will remain the dominant sources of energy in the U.S. through 2050, according to the Energy Information Administration’s 2022 annual energy outlook released on March 3. U.S. petroleum consumption is expected to grow by 0.5 percent per year to 22.3 million barrels per day by 2050 and domestic gas consumption by…...
Upgrading and expanding the U.S. electric transmission system is key to enhancing grid reliability and resilience while enabling greater integration of carbon-free resources to meet clean energy goals.
The U.S Energy Department on Feb. 24 published a comprehensive plan that details more than 60 actions to boost U.S. supply chain resiliency, stimulate domestic manufacturing capacity, and support job creation. The all-encompassing report labelled, “America’s Strategy to Secure the Supply Chain for a Robust Clean Energy Transition,” examines a number of paramount strategies to…...
In 2020, 34.5 percent of California’s retail electricity sales were served by renewable energy resources, such as solar and wind that qualify for the state’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), according to a Feb. 22 report from the California Energy Commission. This is above the state’s 2020 RPS goal of 33 percent, a mark which California…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 10 approved an integrated resource plan to ensure the reliability of the electric grid and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The agency adopted an emissions reduction goal for the state’s electric sector of 35 million metric tons in 2032, nearly 25 percent lower than the previous target of 46…...
Environmental and clean energy organizations, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to review the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of the Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM). The SEEM proposal was originally submitted by large southeast utilities such as…...
Long-term planning strategies of electric utilities across the U.S. reflect the growing trend towards phasing out coal-fired power generation while embracing renewables. Coal power plants account for 85 percent of electric generating capacity scheduled to retire in the U.S. during 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 8 approved Xcel Energy Inc.’s 2019 integrated resource plan, which outlines investments between 2020 and 2034. In the approved plan, the utility seeks to acquire or build up to 4,650 megawatts of renewable energy resources by 2032, including solar, wind, and storage. Xcel’s plan is expected to lower…...