Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and Magnum Development on May 30 announced plans to build the world’s largest storage project in central Utah. The project will incorporate 100 percent clean energy storage, deploying utility-scale technologies, which include renewable hydrogen, compressed air energy storage, large-scale flow batteries, and solid oxide fuel cells. Mitsubishi said it has developed…
Duke Energy plans to decommission its already retired Crystal River Nuclear Plant in Florida by 2027, 50 years before originally scheduled, according to a May 30 press release. The plan for early decommissioning is still subject to the approval of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Florida Public Service Commission. Duke had previously announced its decision to…
The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will examine opportunities to boost the deployment of grid-scale energy storage, according to the committee’s calendar. The discussion will include remarks from Andrew Ott, the outgoing CEO and President of PJM Interconnection LLC., Ben Fowke, Chairman of the Board, President & Chief Executive Officer of Xcel Energy Inc., Mitch Davidson, CEO…
The Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery published a draft report on May 29 with recommendations on equitable distribution of costs among affected parties of the catastrophic California wildfires. According to the report, the trend of growing fire activity related to increasing global temperatures coupled with population incursions into high fire risk areas means that…
Democratic Governor Jared Polis on May 30 signed a slate of bills that will transform the state’s energy and environmental landscape, and unveiled a roadmap for the state to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. Among the measures, House Bill 19-1261, the centerpiece of the state’s climate policy, sets a goal of achieving emission…
The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission approved a 20-year agreement under which National Grid plc will purchase 400 megawatts of electricity from the Revolution Wind Farm that is being developed by Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind and Eversource Energy, according to a May 28 press release. National Grid will pay $98.425 per megawatt-hour as part of…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized regulatory changes allowing the sales of E15 gasoline, a fuel blend of gasoline and 15 percent ethanol, during summer months, according to a May 31 news release. The move expands the waivers for “Reid vapor pressure,” a measure of gasoline volatility, which currently applies to E10 blends to E15…
The California Public Utilities Commission on May 30 approved wildfire mitigation plans for the state’s electric utilities in response to legislation enacted last year that directed electric corporations to file annual plans describing measures to prevent, combat, and respond to wildfires in their service areas. The commission also made enhancements to communication and notification guidelines…
The Ohio House on May 29 passed legislation that would require electric customers to pay monthly charges from 2020 through 2026 to ultimately raise about $198 million per year, most of which would be passed on in the form of “clean air credits” to rescue FirstEnergy Solutions Corp.’s ailing nuclear plants. Simultaneously, the bill seeks…
As more U.S. states look to expand clean energy and climate policies, carbon trading is evolving to play a key role in the shift to a greener economy.
Maryland enacted legislation on May 25 that authorizes the governor to include the state in a regional initiative that limits or reduces emissions from the transportation sector. The state is part of the Transportation and Climate Initiative, under which, a regional collaboration of nine Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and Washington DC that are exploring ways…
The total wholesale cost of electricity in the ISO New England Inc.’s markets was $12.1 billion in 2018, about 32 percent higher than the previous year, according to the grid operator’s annual market report released on May 23. The report said that the overall performance of the region’s capacity, energy, and ancillary service markets was…