Blog

Hurricanes are the leading cause of power outages in the U.S. Power outages can make storms exponentially more dangerous for local populations, especially if they affect critical facilities like hospitals, fire stations, and police departments, which are vital in times of crisis. But what can utilities and municipalities do to prepare for natural disasters? How […]

Hydrogen prices across key European countries rose over the course of 2021, primarily driven by gas and power price spikes amid tight supply, while record carbon prices lifted grey hydrogen close to parity with low-carbon hydrogen, analysis from market data and intelligence group ICIS shows. Near-Curve The hydrogen near curve posted the largest gains, as […]

President Biden’s signature infrastructure law aims to, among other objectives, propel America forward in transitioning to a clean energy economy. If its proposals are executed properly, I’m confident that it will succeed in that goal. The new law will help the U.S. catch up to countries like China, who have been beating America in the race […]

A modern-day gold rush has emerged off the Irish coast that is unlike other resource grabs in Earth’s history—for petroleum, minerals, coal, metals, etc.—because this particular resource is limitless. Harvesting wind energy is in its early days on this breeze-abundant island that boasts 900 miles of coastline and a sea area seven times larger than […]

The clock is ticking to protect the electric grid from cyberattacks. Adversarial nations, terrorists, and criminal groups have been refining their techniques since before Dan Coats, director of National Intelligence, warned of America’s vulnerability to major electric grid attacks in January 2019. This followed an earlier report from Lloyd’s that a successful, coordinated intrusion could cost $1 trillion. […]

Just as Jerry Brown did before him, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had plans to travel overseas to talk about fighting global warming. And like Brown’s venture before him, the trip would have been a waste. COMMENTARY Four years ago, Brown, in his next-to-last year as governor, made a trip to Hamburg, Germany. There he addressed […]

There’s a lot going on in the energy world right now. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is happening in Glasgow, Scotland. Congress recently passed major new energy legislation in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. And as consumers soon will find out if they don’t already know: much higher energy costs and heating bills are […]

One of the biggest challenges facing utility companies is the need to reduce costs and operational risks while maximizing revenue. Utility projects in the power generation space are undergoing rapid digital acceleration, which means groups are looking for technologies that can help reduce construction costs. This is an issue virtually every utility leader is concerned […]

The energy market is constantly changing, and with that, new challenges and complexities arise every day that renewable energy companies must face. The pressure for energy transition is higher than ever, especially with the renewed urgency expressed with the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate report. Simplification, the consumer’s desire for more digital […]

There is an adage in the cooperative electric business that “if you have seen one cooperative, you have seen one cooperative.” And we think that holds true. But in today’s rapidly transitioning energy supply space—due to the continued proliferation of low-cost and clean energy generation—there is commonality across cooperatives and regions of the country on […]

I think it’s fairly common for people to reflect on the meaning of life from time to time. Often, those thoughts arise following the death of a loved one or the passing of some particularly influential person. Recently, POWER received an obituary for Ronald Stanley Redfield. Mr. Redfield was said to have been a lifelong […]

In the Arab World, the energy industry has been a key enabler of economic growth, and a major employer for generations. Today, as more countries diversify their energy portfolios as part of the transition to cleaner energy sources, and in parallel, conserve natural resources for higher-value products, a period of major disruption lies ahead. But […]

Damages caused by Hurricane Ida will once again force the construction, manufacturing, energy, agribusiness, retail, and travel industries to focus on best practices for responding to major events. According to Eric Ruzicka, a partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney and an expert who has advised companies during the rebuilding following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, now is the time […]

America’s energy system has entered a new era where companies are competing against one another to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Customers—large and small—are concerned about climate change, forcing business models to adapt beyond keeping the lights on. Today, 75% of households in the U.S. are served by a utility with a carbon or emissions reduction goal—to […]

With record high temperatures and wildfires gripping the West, utilities have asked residents to cut down on power usage to reduce the strain on overburdened systems. As we’ve seen following countless crises, the U.S. energy grid is being pushed to its limits. Fortunately, a $1 trillion infrastructure bill is on the horizon, and with it, a significant opportunity […]

As a professional power analyst and former hydrologist who literally got my feet wet scheduling hydropower -generation on the Columbia River, the emergence of rolling blackouts in the Pacific Northwest, especially as an expense of a changing climate, is the last thing I want to see happen. COMMENTARY This year’s record-breaking heat wave is a […]

The benefits of smart grid technologies and data-driven management are well understood. Using open protocols to control energy resources, extract information, and optimize responses can enable enormous productivity and stimulate new services. Similarly, the accumulation of data can inform better planning for a more resilient grid. But, as explained in “The Dark Side of the […]

Now is the time for oil and gas companies to get involved in renewable energy. Fossil fuels provide the bulk of energy consumed in the U.S., but oil and gas (O&G) companies saw declining energy consumption in recent years and face a negative, long-term economic outlook. According to Wood Mackenzie, wind and solar will make […]

Some stories in the world of energy are perennial. Pretty much every year, we read new advances in energy production or use that are going to revolutionize the world. And every year, that prediction doesn’t pan out. COMMENTARY Other stories are decadal. Every 10 years or so, we hear about radical breakthroughs in electric cars, […]

It’s the decade of the Distribution System Operator (DSO) and time is of the essence. The utility sector is one of the last industries to digitalise its operations. Distribution grids face a seemingly impossible journey to decarbonise, decentralise, and digitalise. And the climate-change clock is ticking. It takes time to mature operations based on relevant, […]

Many consider the “hydrogen economy” (the idea that all our energy needs could be provided by hydrogen) a pipe dream, since current solutions to the green energy crisis are critically lacking in either economic viability or environmental sustainability. Producing hydrogen from natural gas (grey hydrogen) is the least expensive method but produces carbon pollution and consumes large […]

The way we generate and distribute electricity has become a Rubik’s cube for power companies, regulators, and consumers. The need to reduce carbon emissions linked to climate change by investing in renewables is acknowledged by most experts. At the same time, recent unusual weather events have demonstrated that there is also an urgent need to […]

The extreme freeze in Texas and ensuing power outages in February were the latest reminders that energy is the backbone of our society. From wildfires in the west to hurricanes on the Atlantic seaboard, climate related events are increasing in severity and frequency, illuminating the vulnerability of our power grid across the nation. COMMENTARY Nationwide, […]

With historic wildfires in California and severe winter storms in Texas, electric utilities had little choice but to initiate rolling blackouts to reduce strain on the electric grid, leaving millions of residents stranded without power. These catastrophic events revealed vulnerabilities in our energy infrastructure that must be addressed to meet peak electricity demand as our […]

How do you protect yourselves from cybercriminals that plan to hold your organization for ransom? These criminals are intelligent, extremely computer literate, and know that production facilities, the utility sector, and mainly the power sector are ripe for ransom threats. The criminal hack organization known as DarkSide created a malicious computer code that resulted in […]

Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is a combined electric/water/wastewater/gas municipal utility serving 600,000 customers in the Pikes Peak area in Colorado. The company was founded in 1922 and takes sustainability seriously. Water is especially important, and CSU operates a state-certified lab that analyzes more than 12,000 samples per year from CSU plants and another 4,800 from […]

The past year and a half has been, to put it mildly, a weird time. Americans have grappled with the COVID-19 crisis, as well as with the associated economic fallout that revealed cracks in a number of our nation’s workforce and social systems. But recent years have also exposed the significant flaws in parts of […]

Commentary by Jay Zoellner, CEO Kiwi Power.   The ransomware attack that forced one of the nation’s largest fuel arteries to halt operations earlier this month exposed critical vulnerabilities in the American energy system, and as the largest such attack in history, it raised serious concerns for the security of our energy infrastructure. Supplying nearly half […]

Purchasing renewable energy is a means to an end: decarbonization. Yet, renewable energy projects are not all equal when it comes to cutting carbon. At REsurety, we’re developing a new carbon impact measurement tool called Locational Marginal Emissions (LMEs) that measure carbon emission reductions at the granular level: the electrical node where the carbon-free energy […]

In March, America’s energy infrastructure received a C- rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Infrastructure Report Card, showcasing the country’s desperate need for improvement, and more importantly, investment. And in April, President Biden committed to cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030, putting a heavy emphasis on the […]