According to a report published on May 8 by the U.S. Energy Information Administration there were fewer interruptions to mount new utility scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in 2023 compared to 2022. Solar developers postponed the scheduled start date for an average of 19 percent of planned solar capacity compared with an average of 23…...
The U.S. Energy Department on May 9 released an initial list of ten potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs) aimed at accelerating transmission project expansions in areas with urgent needs for expanded capacity. These corridors, spanning nine regions identified in the department’s National Transmission Needs Study, hold significant promise for advancing transmission to meet…...
U.S. West Coast refineries are utilizing more hydrogen from merchant suppliers than from their own production, according to a May 7 report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Merchant suppliers accounted for over 62 percent of the hydrogen utilized by West Coast refiners during 2022. The inclination towards higher utilization of purchased hydrogen is…...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on May 6 issued a final rule updating reporting requirements for petroleum and natural gas systems under the agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The revisions will improve the accuracy of reported emissions from oil and natural gas facilities, providing greater transparency and accountability for methane emissions from their operations. Methane…...
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized its guidance clarifying the statutory definition of foreign entity of concern, or FEOC, in a section of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, that applies to programs related to the battery supply chain. This interpretive guidance is expected to assist automakers and other stakeholders…...
The U.S. Interior Department on April 30 announced proposals for offshore wind energy auctions in the Gulf of Maine and offshore Oregon that have the potential to generate more than 18 gigawatts of wind energy and power over six million homes. The Gulf of Maine auction would include eight lease areas off the coasts of…...
Georgia Power announced that Plant Vogtle Unit 4 achieved commercial operation on April 29, bringing the total generating capacity of the plant to over 4.6 gigawatts. With all four units now operational, Plant Vogtle is the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S. and is expected to generate over 30 million megawatt hours of electricity…...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized carbon emission standards for existing coal-fired and new gas-fired power plants. Under the new rule, coal plants that intend to remain operational in the long term and new baseload gas-fired plants would have to control 90 percent of their emissions. The new rules are projected to reduce 1.38…...
U.S. metallurgical coal, used mostly as a raw material in the steelmaking procedure has been sold on export markets for more than double the price of U.S. coal, used mostly as an input fuel during power production in six out of the last seven years, according to an April 24 report published by the U.S…....
U.S. natural gas consumption reached a record high of 89.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) during 2023, according to an April 23 report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. U.S. natural gas consumption has been on an upward trend since 2018 and has increased on average by around four percent annually. Monthly natural…...
U.S. hydropower production is expected to increase by six percent during 2024 compared to last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information. Hydropower generation declined to a 22 year low during 2023, due to less water supply. This year, hydroelectricity is projected to account for 250 billion kilowatthours of electricity production in the power sector,…...
An increase in U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports are projected to lead to higher volumes of U.S. natural gas exports during 2024 and 2025, according to an April 17 report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. U.S. LNG exports are expected to increase due to three LNG export projects presently under construction commencing…...