The U.S. Energy Department on Aug. 3 issued a notice of its decision to build a Versatile Test Reactor, VTR, at the Idaho National Laboratory. The initiative would facilitate the modernization of U.S. nuclear energy research and development infrastructure and accelerate technology development for current and next-generation reactors. The sodium-cooled reactor would be the first…...
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission approved new Intermountain Gas Company rate schedules by an interim Purchased Gas Cost Adjustment, or PGA, according to an Aug. 3 press release. Residential natural gas service rates increased by about 24.1 percent and commercial rates increased by about 27 percent. The rate change will increase Intermountain’s revenues by $67…...
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator board approved a $2.23 billion investment for new transmission lines which are completely or partially in Minnesota, according to an Aug. 2 press release from the Minnesota Commerce Department. The investments are expected to advance and expand the electric grid to ensure reliability during the state’s transition to clean energy…....
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) and the State Department of Commerce (DOC) on Aug. 1 adopted new rules for electric utilities, marking an important step forward in the state’s transition to a clean energy future. The rule addresses various key aspects of the 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act, or CETA, including the requirement…...
The growth in power generation from small-scale, customer-sited solar installations is altering the hourly pattern of metered electricity demand in New England during spring – March to May, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Since 2016, New England has added 3.8 gigawatts to its grid, with small-scale solar accounting for 60 percent of that…...
Performance-based regulation (PBR) is gaining momentum across U.S. states driven by policy and technology changes to meet decarbonization goals and changing customer expectations.
The U.S. Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office has closed a $102.1 million loan to Syrah Technologies LLC for the development of its Syrah Vidalia Facility. This marks the first loan from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing, or ATVM, Loan program in over a decade, and the first such loan entirely for a supply chain manufacturing…...
U.S. utility-scale battery capacity grew by 229 percent between 2020 and 2021, reaching 4.6 gigawatts, according to a July 27 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Battery power capacity more than tripled during 2021, with more than 93 percent of the installations co-located with solar power plants. U.S. Utility Battery System Application: To better…...
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on July 27 issued its third offshore wind solicitation seeking at least 2,000 megawatts of the new generation capable of powering about 1.5 million homes and associated offshore renewable energy certificates. The solicitation includes the first phase of a $500 million investment in offshore wind ports,…...
U.S. Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office has announced a provisional pledge to Ultium Cells LLC for a $2.5 billion loan to aid the financing of new-found lithium-ion battery cell production plants in Ohio, Tennessee, and Michigan. The three plants are expected to bring economic prosperity into their respective states and are likely to create 6,000…...
