U.S. coal-fired generation dropped by 16 percent last year, reaching 966,000 gigawatt-hours, the lowest since 1976, according to a May 11 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The decrease was largely driven by increased output from natural gas-fired plants and wind generation facilities. Lower power demand in 2019 also contributed to the fall in…...
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission on April 29 put off a decision on the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s plan for two solar-plus-battery projects to partially replace the generation from the San Juan Generating Station scheduled for retirement by 2022. In a March 27 recommended decision, hearing examiners suggested that the commission approve…...
The New England grid operator has proposed a long-term, market-based solution to the region’s energy security problem as the power generation fleet moves towards a mix of energy-limited resources. With the retirement of resources with stored fuel, the system is increasingly reliant on facilities that run on just-in-time natural gas deliveries and weather-dependent wind and solar energy. To address the ensuing challenge, the grid operator proposes to improve the current market structure by creating incentives for the region’s fleet to invest in the energy supply arrangements and technologies on which the region depends.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 16 issued a final rule concluding that it is not appropriate and necessary to regulate hazardous air pollutant emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants, rescinding a 2016 supplemental cost finding that formed the basis for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, or MATS. The agency said that…...
The U.S. electric power sector will add 19.4 gigawatts of wind capacity and 12.6 gigawatts of utility-scale solar capacity in 2020, according to the Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook issued on April 7. These annual wind and solar capacity additions are 5 percent and 10 percent lower, respectively, compared to the previous report. Renewable…...
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. 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 New Mexico Public Regulation Commission on April 1 approved the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s request to abandon the San Juan Generating Station and use securitization bonds through the Energy Transition Act, or ETA, to finance its remaining investment in the plant. The move follows the state Supreme Court’s ruling that the commission must apply the ETA to the closure and replacement…...
U.S. coal exports dropped to 93 million short tons last year, a 20 percent decline from 2018, according to a March 18 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Exports of steam coal fell by 30 percent while metallurgical coal saw a moderate decline of 12 percent. In 2019, the biggest importers were India, Japan,…...
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.
Virginia lawmakers approved legislation on March 5 that requires the State Corporation Commission to determine the amortization period for the recovery of any costs associated with the early retirement of coal and natural gas generation. The commission is tasked with performing an independent analysis of economic factors pertaining to the operation of each electric utility’s…...
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…...