The U.S. nuclear energy sector is now on the verge of a revival after years of premature plant closures and dim forecasts. Investments and tax incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), enacted in August, add new momentum to the nuclear power industry.
The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement on Sept. 14 proposed new and revised safety rules and standards for oil and gas operations at the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. This proposal is in the extension of the 2019 Well Control Rule and mainly focuses on well integrity and…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Sept. 15 announced the removal of subsidies for new natural gas connections, a first-in-the-nation move to accelerate the decarbonization of the state’s buildings. This decision, which eliminates the subsidies effective on July 1, 2023, is expected to lower utility bills, saving consumers about $164 million per year by accelerating…...
The New York Public Service Commission on Sept. 15 approved compliance filings for three major wind and solar projects in upstate New York. The approval allows 602 megawatts worth of clean energy projects to move forward that will benefit the state by reducing the usage of fossil fuels, increasing renewable energy investment, and creating job…...
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Sep. 14 announced it has accepted 307 valid high bids from lease sale 257 in the Gulf of Mexico totalling about $190 million. The sale, held in November 2021, offered about 80 million acres, but only 1.7 million were leased. A January 2022 decision by the District Court…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Sep. 13 released a study evaluating the benefits and challenges associated with a coal-to-nuclear, or C2N, transition in the U.S. The transition could increase nuclear capacity to over 350 gigawatts, according to the report. By comparison, the existing nuclear power fleet has a capacity of 95 gigawatts and provides half…...
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has sent a letter to the U.S. Energy Department, in support of Holtec International’s application for a federal grant under the Civil Nuclear Credit, or CNC program, to save the Palisades Nuclear Facility in Southwest Michigan. Governor Whitmer noted that keeping Palisades operational is critical for the state’s competitiveness and future…...
The Bureau of Land Management on Sept. 9 announced the approval of two segments of the Gateway West Transmission line in Wyoming. The project is a part of PacifiCorp’s Energy Gateway Transmission Expansion, a multi-year plan to add about 2,000 miles of new transmission across the West. The lines would help integrate up to 765…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Sept. 9 issued its final environmental report for the Commonwealth LNG project, which includes a proposal to construct a natural gas liquefaction and export terminal in Louisiana. The study found that the project, with recommended mitigation measures in the report, would result in some adverse effects on the environment,…...
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a request for information, seeking public input on approaches to implement the cyber incident reporting requirements, in accordance with the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022, or CIRCA. CIRCA has been a pioneering legislative measure for the whole cybersecurity public and everyone interested in protecting…...
Utility resource plans continue to manifest the changing power generation mix as more states pursue zero-carbon goals. The shift drives the need for innovative policy initiatives that optimize renewable energy sources and enhance grid reliability.