Trump Signs Executive Order to Protect Nation's Infrastructure from Electromagnetic Pulses

Trump Signs Executive Order to Protect Nation’s Infrastructure from Electromagnetic Pulses

Cyber Security, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, Grid Modernization

President Trump issued an executive order on March 26 directing federal agencies to assess and plan against the risks of an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, implementing the core recommendations of the decommissioned Congressional EMP Commission on an accelerated basis. An electromagnetic pulse is a high-intensity surge of energy that can disrupt or destroy sensitive electronics and electrical infrastructure…

U.S. Shale Oil Production Set to Almost Double by 2030

U.S. Shale Oil Production Set to Almost Double by 2030: EIA

EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Pulse, Oil

U.S. shale oil production, which became the more common form of oil extraction in 2015, will continue to grow through 2030, ultimately reaching more than 10 million barrels per day compared to 2018’s 6.5 million. Shale oil, also known as tight oil, accounted for 61 percent of total U.S. production in 2018, according to the Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook…

U.S. Coal Exports Boom Amid Weakening Domestic Market

U.S. Coal Exports Boom Amid Weakening Domestic Market: EIA

coal, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Pulse

Strong international demand, particularly in Asia, has provided relief for U.S. coal producers reeling from the effects of the shale revolution, which has led to national coal consumption declining every year since 2008, according to the Energy Information Administration. The agency reports that U.S. coal exports reached 116 million short tons (MMst) in 2018, the highest level…

U.S. Energy Department Finalizes $3.7 Billion Loan Guarantee for Troubled Vogtle Reactors

U.S. Energy Department Finalizes $3.7 Billion Loan Guarantee for Troubled Vogtle Reactors

EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Pulse, Nuclear

The U.S. Energy Department on March 22 announced the closing of up to $3.7 billion in additional loan guarantees to fund the construction of two units at the delayed Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia. The decision brings the department’s guarantee of loans to $12 billion, including up to $8.3 billion provided in 2014 and…

Natural Gas Dethrones Coal in Nation's Largest Wholesale Electricity Market

Natural Gas Dethrones Coal in Nation’s Largest Wholesale Electricity Market

coal, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, Natural Gas, Nuclear, Power & Utilities, Wholesale Markets, Wholesale Power

Natural gas accounted for nearly 31 percent of power generation in PJM Interconnection LLC’s footprint in 2018, surpassing coal’s share of about 29 percent, according to a March 18 report from the grid operator’s market monitor. Nuclear power dominated the region’s generating sector representing about 34 percent of the generation mix last year. Renewables had…...

FERC Proposes Broad Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation Reforms

FERC Seeks Input to Enhance Transmission Incentive, Return on Equity Policies

Electric Transmission, EnerKnol Pulse, Natural Gas, Oil, Wholesale Power

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 21 issued notices of inquiry to gather information on possible improvements to rules governing electric transmission incentives and the agency’s approach to determining the return on equity, or ROE, for setting jurisdictional rates charged by public utilities. Transmission incentives are crucial to spur investment, which can provide benefits,…

Clean Line Energy Wins Missouri Approval for $2.3 Billion Wind Power Line

Clean Line Energy Wins Missouri Approval for $2.3 Billion Wind Power Line

Electric Transmission, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Renewables, Wind, Wind Power

The Missouri Public Service Commission on March 20 unanimously approved Clean Line Energy Partners LLC’s 780-mile Grain Belt Express transmission system designed to deliver 4,000 megawatts of wind power from Western Kansas to Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and the neighboring states. The move follows a July 2018 ruling from the Missouri Supreme Court, which found that…...

Dominion Strikes Deal With Connecticut Utilities to Keep Millstone Nuclear Plant Open

Dominion Strikes Deal With Connecticut Utilities to Keep Millstone Nuclear Plant Open

EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Pulse, Nuclear, Nuclear Power, Renewables

Democratic Governor Ned Lamont announced that Dominion Energy Inc. reached a deal with Connecticut’s two electric utility companies, units of Eversource Energy and Avangrid Inc., to retain the 2,100-megawatt Millstone nuclear facility. The 10-year agreement lowers the incremental ratepayer cost by nearly half compared to the original bid that was accepted last year as part…...

carbon capture

Virginia Governor Vetoes Bill Preventing Participation in Regional Carbon-Trading Program

Carbon Market, Climate Change and Emissions, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed

Democratic Governor Ralph Northam vetoed legislation on March 14 that would prohibit the state from joining a regional carbon program to reduce power plant emissions, without a two-thirds majority vote from both the legislative chambers. Northam also vetoed a similar bill related to limiting emissions from vehicles, saying that the measures violate the state constitution…

Illinois Lawmakers Float Bill Boosting Renewable Target to 40 Percent by 2030

Illinois Lawmakers Float Bill Boosting Renewable Target to 40 Percent by 2030

Electric Transmission, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Solar, Wind

Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill known as the Path to 100, which would boost the state’s renewable portfolio standard to 40 percent by 2030, up from the current 25 percent by 2025, as well as improve opportunities for utility-scale renewable projects to get approval and begin construction, putting the state on a path to 100 percent clean…

U.S. Energy-Related Emissions to Remain Flat Through 2050

U.S. Energy-Related Emissions to Remain Flat Through 2050: EIA

Climate Change and Emissions, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Pulse

U.S. energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) will remain largely unchanged through mid-century, according to projections in the Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook 2019. Assuming no changes to current laws and regulations, the agency projects that carbon dioxide emissions will be 5,019 million metric tons in 2050, or 4% below their 2018 value, as emissions associated with coal…

U.S. Added Over 31 Gigawatts of Electric Generating Capacity in 2018, Largest in 15 Years

U.S. Added Over 31 Gigawatts of Electric Generating Capacity in 2018, Largest in 15 Years: EIA

coal, Coal Power, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, Fossil Fuels, Natural Gas, Natural Gas, Nuclear, Nuclear Power, REC Feed, Renewables, Solar, Solar Power, Wind, Wind Power

The U.S. added 31.3 gigawatts of generating capacity in 2018, the largest since the 2003 capacity addition of 48.8 gigawatts, according to a March 11 report from the Energy Information Administration. Natural gas accounted for 62 percent of utility-scale additions, while wind and solar photovoltaic represented 21 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Coal accounted for…...