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…...
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam on April 6 signed legislation that requires utilities seeking to recover the cost of a natural gas capacity contract to prove that they need the fuel capacity to maintain reliable service and that it is the lowest-cost available option. The law requires utilities to first demonstrate that they cannot maintain reliable…...
Xcel Energy Inc. will sell the Mankato Energy Center, a 760-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant, to Denver-based Southwest Generation, according to an April 6 filing with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Xcel purchased the facility from Southern Power for $650 million in January through a non-regulated affiliate after Minnesota regulators rejected the company’s earlier proposal…...
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,…...
