Visual Primer: Capacity Prices Fall by 64 Percent in First PJM Capacity Auction After Market Reforms

Visual Primer: Capacity Prices Fall by 64 Percent in First PJM Capacity Auction After Market Reforms

The long-awaited capacity market auction of PJM Interconnection LLC for the 2022-2023 delivery year cleared at $50 per megawatt-day, which is 64 percent lower than the 2018 auction and the lowest in almost a decade. This is the first auction to be conducted by the nation’s largest grid operator under the expanded minimum offer price rule (MOPR) resulting from a 2019 order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Policy Primer: Grid Modernization

Policy Primer: Grid Modernization

Grid modernization endeavors are progressing at a fast pace as states explore solutions to advance clean energy and climate goals while effectively meeting customer needs. Modernizing the grid is necessary to support the integration of additional levels of renewables, leverage customer-sited resources to participate in grid operations, and empower consumers with more choices for electric service.

Visual Primer: Race for Carbon-Free Grid Puts Hydropower in New Light

Visual Primer: Race for Carbon-Free Grid Puts Hydropower in New Light

Changing power sector trends driven by mandates and goals to achieve carbon-free electricity have renewed interest in the future role of hydropower. As the target years draw near, large-scale hydropower offers an attractive solution to contribute to the evolving generation mix.

Visual Primer: Rapidly Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape Reignites Concerns About Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability

Visual Primer: Rapidly Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape Reignites Concerns About Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability

A recent ransomware attack that shut down the Colonial Pipeline system, which supplies nearly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast, has elevated concerns about the use of cyberattacks to paralyze key infrastructure. The incident is the latest example of intrusions exposing U.S. cyber vulnerabilities, calling for stronger measures to secure the nation’s energy pipelines and critical infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated and malicious attacks.

Visual Primer: Preserving Existing Nuclear Generation Fleet Expected to Help Drive Clean Energy Transition

Visual Primer: Preserving Existing Nuclear Generation Fleet Expected to Help Drive Clean Energy Transition

Options to sustain the existing nuclear generation fleet have resurfaced as states reevaluate their resource portfolios to expedite the transition to carbon-free energy. Policy support for the resource emerged as a means to stave off plant closures in the face of economic challenges, by rewarding its fuel diversity and zero-carbon attributes.

State Policy Playbook: Washington Expedites Measures to Fulfill Clean Energy Policy Agenda

State Policy Playbook: Washington Expedites Measures to Fulfill Clean Energy Policy Agenda

Washington is moving expeditiously to implement rules and strategies as the state seeks to achieve carbon-free electricity by 2045 and reduce emissions to net zero by 2050. The state is advancing multiple measures ranging from resource planning rules to establishing a carbon cap-and-trade program, and strengthening auto-emission standards.

Visual Primer: Texas and California Blackouts - Comparison of Regulatory and Legislative Responses

Visual Primer: Texas and California Blackouts – Comparison of Regulatory and Legislative Responses

Texas state lawmakers are exploring solutions to address the issues faced during and after the mid-February winter storm event that caused widespread outages across the state. California, which faced a similar predicament due to an unprecedented heatwave in August 2020, albeit smaller in scale and severity, has advanced measures to ensure reliability this summer.

New York Launches 2-Gigawatt Offshore Wind Energy Development Solicitation

New Jersey Announces Solicitation for Offshore Wind Transmission Solutions

PJM Interconnection LLC opened a solicitation on behalf of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities for potential offshore wind transmission solutions, according to an April 15 press release. The move stems from the board’s request to integrate New Jersey’s offshore wind policy objectives into the grid operator’s transmission planning through a competitive solicitation process…....

Visual Primer: Natural Gas Planning Being Reshaped by Policies Centered on Climate-Focused Energy Future

Visual Primer: Natural Gas Planning Being Reshaped by Policies Centered on Climate-Focused Energy Future

Ongoing state initiatives to transition to a low-carbon future and new actions from the federal level are impacting natural gas utilities’ long-term planning strategies. The challenge for utilities is to adapt to the changing policy landscape, evolving in ways that contribute to decarbonization.

Policy Primer: U.S. Offshore Wind Industry April 2021 Update

Policy Primer: U.S. Offshore Wind Industry April 2021 Update

The prospects of the U.S. offshore wind industry are brightening as East Coast states and the Biden administration step up efforts to harness the potential of carbon-free electricity. The administration has established a goal to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind in the U.S. by 2030. To facilitate the achievement of the goal publicized on March 29, the administration announced several investment and funding opportunities. These include access to $3 billion in funding for offshore wind projects through the Department of Energy’s Innovative Energy Loan Guarantee Program and $230 million in funding opportunity for port authorities and other applicants for infrastructure-related projects through the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.

Ohio Lawmakers Pass Bill to Revoke $1.1 Billion Nuclear Subsidy

Ohio Lawmakers Pass Bill to Revoke $1.1 Billion Nuclear Subsidy

The Ohio legislature on March 25 passed a bill to repeal the provisions of a 2019 law that provided FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., which is now known as Energy Harbor Corp., with annual subsidies of nearly $150 million over seven years to keep its ailing nuclear plants operating. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, is expected…...

EnerKnol Research PU Visual Primer Small Modular Reactors 2021 03 30 Blog preview

Visual Primer: Decarbonization Timelines Drive Interest in Advanced Nuclear Reactors

Recent progress towards commercializing small modular reactors (SMRs) has sparked interest in the role of advanced nuclear technologies to accomplish decarbonization goals. Twenty states and jurisdictions across the U.S. now have 100 percent clean energy mandates or goals, implying the need for a portfolio of every available carbon-free technology that can be deployed on a timeline compatible with their targets.