2020 will be a record year for U.S. renewables construction as 6 gigawatts of coal capacity goes offline, according to new government figures. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has confirmed what it and industry watchers predicted a year ago — that wind and solar power will expand on their already-large share of new U.S. generation […]
One More Time, With Feeling: GE’s Latest Approach to Energy Storage
After a long evolution, GE now sees integrating batteries with renewables or gas turbines as its best place to add value. Century-old electric technology company GE kicked off 2019 with yet another reorg. The workhorse Power division was split up, to start. Though still a top supplier of the world’s natural-gas turbines, the division had […]
California Demands 3.3GW of New Resources as Grid Shortfall Looms
Procurement is a boon for solar-storage, demand response and other clean resources, and could forestall last-ditch option of keeping coastal gas plants open. California regulators have approved a 3.3-gigawatt “all-source” procurement that will pit new renewables, energy storage, demand response and other clean resources against natural gas-fired power plants in a race to meet what […]
A Renewable Energy Giant Makes a $1 Billion Bet on Natural Gas
One of America’s biggest renewable-energy companies is making a bet on natural gas. NextEra Energy Partners LP agreed to buy Meade Pipeline Co., an owner of a pipeline that provides gas from Pennsylvania, in a deal valued at about $1.37 billion, according to a statement Monday. While NextEra Energy Partners already owns pipelines in Texas, […]
Trump EPA rolls back Obama rule on coal-fired power plants
The Trump administration on Wednesday completed one of its biggest rollbacks of environmental rules, replacing a landmark Obama-era effort that sought to wean the nation’s electrical grid off coal-fired power plants and their climate-damaging pollution. Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist, signed a replacement rule that gives states leeway in […]
Japan plans carbon emission cuts, more nuclear energy
Japan is calling for further efforts to cut carbon emissions by promoting renewables but also nuclear energy despite the 2011 Fukushima reactors meltdowns. The energy white paper, adopted by the Cabinet Friday, said Japan faces an “urgent task” of reducing carbon emissions coming from utilities that have relied heavily on fossil fuels to make up […]
Bloomberg Commits $500M to Close All US Coal Plants by 2030, Halt New Natural Gas Plants
The billionaire philanthropist’s “Beyond Carbon” campaign lays out the radical goal of taking fossil fuels out of the energy mix, as part of a broader decarbonization effort. Michael Bloomberg unveiled a $500 million “Beyond Carbon” campaign on Friday, aimed at closing every U.S. coal-fired power plant by 2030 and halting the construction of any new […]
Xcel Energy Fast-Forwards Minnesota Coal Plant Closures but Extends Nuclear Window
The utility struck a deal with environmental and labor groups in the Upper Midwest that will allow it to reduce its carbon emissions while easing job losses related to coal plant retirements. Xcel Energy plans to close its last two coal-fired power plants in Minnesota by 2030, a decade earlier than scheduled, while keeping its […]
As Coal Retires in PJM, Why Aren’t Renewables Filling the Vacuum?
Solar and wind have struggled to compete against a flood of cheap natural gas in the largest U.S. wholesale power market, operated by PJM. Interconnection queue requests across all the major North American markets show that over 90 percent of new requests now consist of solar, wind and storage. This is the result of state-level […]
APS Stands Behind Storage Expansion Plans in Wake of Battery Facility Fire
The investigation to determine the cause of an Arizona fire is still underway, but utility APS is not backing down from its ambitious plans for energy storage. Utility Arizona Public Service reaffirmed its commitment to grid batteries after a fire at one such facility injured four first responders. The April 19 explosion at the McMicken […]