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Coal
Bipartisan Group Backs Extension of Carbon Tax Credit
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has announced plans to reintroduce legislation called the FUTURE Act, which would extend and expand the federal 45Q tax credit for carbon dioxide capture and sequestration. The bill has the support of both fossil fuel companies and environmental groups. At present, the 45Q provision awards $10 per metric ton […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Indiana Coal Plant Delays Pollution Control Amid EPA Uncertainty
Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) said it will hold off on installing wastewater pollution controls at its largest coal plant in Indiana as industry groups continue to challenge the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) ruling that led to the installation plan. NIPSCO asked Indiana regulators in November 2016 to approve a $400 million plan for […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Court Rejects FERC Decision on PJM Pricing Rule
A federal appeals court has ruled the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) should not have denied a 2012 proposal by PJM in which the regional power operator sought to revise its minimum offer price rule (MOPR). The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on July 7 said FERC went beyond its “passive and reactive role” under […]
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Nuclear
Russian Hackers Targeting U.S. Nuclear Plants: Reports
U.S. officials said Russian government hackers have broken into systems at U.S. nuclear power plants and also have made cyber intrusions into the business systems of other energy companies, according to several reports over the past week. Cybersecurity experts say the threats against U.S. facilities are real and likely to continue, as power plant operators […]
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Renewables
Xcel Moves Forward With Wind Power Expansion
Xcel Energy plans to add about 1,550 MW of wind power to its portfolio in the Upper Midwest with the addition of seven wind farms expected to be operational by year-end 2020. The additions are among 11 new wind farms announced over the past year by Xcel in seven states that would add a total […]
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Renewables
New Jersey Backs Studies for Microgrid Projects
New Jersey officials this week said the state’s Board of Public Utilities is funding feasibility studies for a series of microgrids across the state that could provide needed power to municipalities at times of critical need, such as after a natural disaster. The board said the idea is designed to further the State Energy Master […]
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Renewables
Abandoned TVA Nuclear Site Has New Life as Solar Farm
A long-shuttered Tennessee nuclear power plant project has been reborn as a solar farm, with the energy produced there made available for use by local residents and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The Phipps Bend Nuclear Power Plant project in Surgoinsville was canceled by TVA in 1981, a victim of the negative sentiment toward nuclear […]
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Legal & Regulatory
FP&L Seeks State Exemption to Build New Florida Plant
Florida regulators next week will consider whether to support an exemption to a state rule, a move that could speed the approval process for a new 1,163-MW natural gas-fired power plant on the state’s Atlantic coast. Florida Power & Light (FPL), the nation’s third-largest electric utility, has proposed the $888 million power plant for Broward […]
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Commentary
The Future Looks Bright for Natural Gas-Fired Power Generation but Price Volatility Is a Wild Card
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) earlier this year reported that the power sector was poised to add 11.2 GW of new natural gas–fired capacity in 2017. If that forecast proves accurate, it
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Coal
Navajo Nation Backs Lease Extension to Keep Coal Plant Online
A coal-fired power plant in northeastern Arizona can continue operating until at least the end of 2019 after the Navajo Nation Council approved a lease extension for the facility. The three Arizona utilities and one Nevada utility that own the plant along with the federal Bureau of Reclamation had said in February 2017 they would […]
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