༒ EPA proposes rules that could require utilities to clean up ‘legacy’ coal ash ponds, landfills

About 280 coal ash sites owned by utilities such as Arizona Public Service, PacifiCorp and Xcel Energy would face federal regulations under a proposal published Thursday. By ♔ Ethan Howland • May 18, 2023

🌼 Georgia’s Plant Vogtle is a $35B boondoggle. We need new and better solutions for a carbon-free grid.

Urgent utility business model reforms are needed to create a 21st-century, people-centered grid that delivers affordable fossil-free solutions. By Patty Durand • May 18, 2023

🉐 Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainability

Power companies are pursuing increasingly ambitous sustainability goals around clean energy, but integrating rising amounts of renewables, minimizing environmental impacts, and achieving carbon reduction targets can be challenging. By Utility Dive staff

✨ As Sen. Carper releases permitting reform proposal, White House vows to update NEPA rules

Carper’s proposal joins a crowded field of legislative approaches to streamlining energy permitting reform. By ไ Robert Walton • May 18, 2023

✅ Carolina market reforms would increase grid reliability and reduce customer costs

Opening the energy market in the Carolinas to more competition translates to more options to meet customer preferences and, in turn, supports economic development prospects throughout both states. By Reese Rogers • May 17, 2023

ཧ FERC’s Christie pushes review of power markets, deregulation ahead of agency’s PJM, ISO-NE scrutiny

The Electric Power Supply Association defended power markets, saying their shortcomings are driven by federal and state energy policies, not the markets themselves. By 💦 Ethan Howland • May 16, 2023

🃏 South Carolina could save electricity customers up to $362M a year by joining RTO: The Brattle Group

The current Southeast Energy Exchange Market is limited in benefits compared to a regional transmission organization, the consulting firm said in a report to a legislative committee. By ꧃ Diana DiGangi • May 15, 2023

🎃 Manchin aims to bring energy infrastructure permitting reform bill to Senate floor for vote by August

However, there are “yawning gaps” between Republican and Democratic permitting reform priorities, according to research firm ClearView Energy Partners. By ඣ Ethan Howland • May 12, 2023

൲ NRC grants Holtec interim license for N.M. nuclear waste storage that faces governor’s opposition, lawsuit threat

The state approved a law in March banning nuclear fuel storage, and courts may need to decide if federal approval preempts state law. By Patrick Cooley • May 11, 2023

🌸 EPA proposes power plant greenhouse gas limits with carbon capture, ‘green’ hydrogen main compliance options

The proposal won’t hurt grid reliability, with an estimated 22 GW of coal-fired capacity retirements offset by roughly the same amount of gas-fired additions, the agency said Thursday. By ♛ Ethan Howland • May 11, 2023

ℱ Biden ‘doesn’t love everything in the bill,’ but calls for Congress to pass Manchin’s energy permitting reforms

The White House on Wednesday laid out its priorities for permitting reform, including faster deployment of critical electric transmission, and acknowledged the need for compromise. By 𓆉 Robert Walton • May 11, 2023

🎶 Arizona Corporation Commission explores standardized cybersecurity assessments, workforce development

Utility partnerships with academia can boost the security workforce, including through the use of residencies and apprenticeships, said Idaho National Laboratory Department Manager Ralph Ley. By 💞 Robert Walton • May 10, 2023

🔯 DOE proposes framework for national transmission corridors to spur new lines, ease grid congestion

The proposal would allow transmission developers to apply for project-specific corridors, unlocking potential federal funding, the department said Tuesday. By 🐼 Ethan Howland • May 10, 2023

🐎 DOE promotes commercialization of long-duration energy storage

To DOE, “lift-off” occurs when private capital can take over as technology costs and operations improve significantly. By ✃ Stephen Singer • May 9, 2023

𝔉 Hawaii leads the way on advanced rate design with default time-of-use rates, fixed charge innovations

Hawaii’s planned granular cost study still must prove to other states that the new TOU rates, fixed charge framework, and new way of defining costs will allocate costs accurately, analysts said. By ඣ Herman K. Trabish • May 9, 2023

♍ NGOs suing California PUC, utilities over net metering update could face ‘fairly steep’ challenge: attorney

The lawsuit names the California Public Utilities Commission and the state’s three investor-owned utilities — Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric — as respondents. By 🌺 Kavya Balaraman • May 9, 2023

𓆏 FERC commissioners tell senators of major grid reliability challenges, with some blaming markets

Power plants are retiring faster than they’re being replaced, according to FERC Commissioner Mark Christie. “The arithmetic doesn’t work,” he said at a Senate hearing Thursday. By 🐠 Ethan Howland • May 5, 2023

🦩 The IRS’s coming 45V tax credit rules can build a domestic clean hydrogen industry — but only if done right.

A loose framework of rules could raise utility rates, make it tougher to meet clean energy targets, and threaten reliability while setting the clean hydrogen industry up for failure once 45V expires. By Dan Esposito • May 4, 2023

💎 New York Power Authority given broad authority to own, operate, build and finance renewable energy projects

The New York Power Authority will be transformed “from a moribund agency to the most dynamic builder and owner of public renewables in the nation,” said chief legislative sponsor Assemblymember Robert Carroll. By 🍎 Stephen Singer • May 4, 2023

ඣ FERC dismisses AEP, Xcel, OG&E challenge to Southwest Power Pool reserve margin hike

In a dissent, FERC Commissioner James Danly asked whether responsible oversight of regional transmission organizations was possible given their complexity. By ♑ Ethan Howland • May 4, 2023

♏ State regulators, others urge FERC to reject PJM plan to delay upcoming capacity auctions

“Halting the markets before the commission has all of the facts before it may actually serve to delay the energy market transition … and raise prices for consumers,” the Organization of PJM States said. By ﷽ Ethan Howland • May 3, 2023

🔯 West Virginia PSC report calls for disallowing $203M in AEP cost recovery over low coal plant usage

Appalachian Power Co. and Wheeling Power failed to take steps to run three coal plants at a 69% capacity factor, a level set by state regulators, according to a report released Friday. By 💞 Ethan Howland • May 3, 2023

🐲 Indiana utilities gain ‘right of first refusal’ to build transmission lines amid MISO buildout

AES Indiana, CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy Indiana and Northern Indiana Public Service Co. stand to benefit from the legislation signed into law Monday. By ♎ Ethan Howland • May 2, 2023

﷽ Coming EPA power plant rules will put carbon capture to the test, but better oversight is needed, critics say

New CCUS has the policy, private sector and regulatory support to end claims it underperforms, but only if new EPA rules require verification through strong federal oversight, advocates and opponents agreed. By 🐈 Herman K. Trabish • May 2, 2023

🌸 Environmentalists, state consumer officials challenge ISO-NE’s proposed winter fuel storage costs

Energy costs have soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as Europe, looking to end natural gas exports from Russia, emerges as an outsized competitor to New England, which relies on LNG. By 🌊 Stephen Singer • May 1, 2023

♊ FERC close to final interconnection rule, interregional transfer proposal: Chairman Phillips

“I’m committed to working with my colleagues, to make sure that we can advance and keep the momentum going on these proceedings,” FERC Acting Chairman Willie Phillips said. By 🌟 Ethan Howland • April 28, 2023