POWERnews
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Nuclear
PJM Market Monitor Backs Lawsuit Against Illinois Nuclear Subsidies
PJM Interconnection’s independent market monitor is joining the pushback—spearheaded by a trade group and several generators that operate in competitive wholesale markets—against an Illinois law that props up financially distressed nuclear plants with subsidies. Monitoring Analytics on March 16 filed a motion with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to intervene […]
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Infographics
SLIDESHOW: Nuclear “Bailout” Trend Gains Traction in More States
Several U.S. states have passed, or are mulling, programs that expand state aid to financially distressed nuclear reactors in a bid to keep them open for economic and environmental reasons. Generators that operate in competitive wholesale markets are perturbed by these measures, which they say amount to nuclear “bailouts.” —Sonal Patel, associate editor (@POWERmagazine, @sonalcpatel) […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Holcomb Station Coal Plant Expansion Clears Legal Hurdle
A long-planned expansion of Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s Holcomb Station is a little closer to fruition as of March 17 with a favorable ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court. The state’s high court ruled to uphold a 2010 construction permit, which was amended in 2013, for the plant. The Sierra Club argued that the permit […]
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Legal & Regulatory
AES Closing Two More Ohio Coal Plants
AES subsidiary Dayton Power & Light (DP&L) confirmed on March 20 that it will close two of its coal-fired plants by 2018 because they have become uneconomic. The Ohio utility announced its intent to close the two plants in January as part of a settlement over its future reliability planning. The plan had been contested […]
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Coal
Beijing’s Last Coal Power Plant Ceases Operation, Air Pollution Still a Concern
Beijing, China—a city known for its dreadful air pollution—no longer has any large coal-fired power plants adding to the problem. The Huaneng Beijing Thermal Power Plant’s final unit suspended operations on March 18, marking the end of coal-fueled generation in the city. Beijing’s power is now being supplied by what Xinhua (the Chinese government’s official […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Japanese Court Awards Damages to Fukushima Residents
In a ruling that stunned the nation, a district court in Japan awarded damages to 62 plaintiffs who lived near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant before the 2011 disaster, finding that plant owner Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) and the Japanese government were aware of risks to the plant and could have taken measures […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Deep EPA Budget Cuts Not What Americans Want, Former EPA Heads Say
President Donald Trump’s proposed budget, which cuts funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 31%, will not be received favorably by the American people, former EPA Administrators Gina McCarthy and Carol Browner said March 17 during a call with the press. “This is clear what’s happening. The White House has made a decision that […]
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Coal
Tube Leaks Cause Latest Delay to Kemper Project
The Kemper County Energy Facility will not reach full operation by its latest mid-March deadline, project owner Southern Company subsidiary, Mississippi Power announced March 16 in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “On March 9, 2017, Mississippi Power experienced certain tube leaks in one of the syngas coolers for gasifier ‘A’ […]
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Renewables
Draft Trump Budget Proposes Major Cuts in EPA, DOE Programs
The Trump administration released a blueprint of its proposed 2018 budget on March 16, likely setting off a major battle with Congress. The budget proposal, “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again” makes major cuts in non-defense discretionary spending over 2017. While funding for the Department of Defense is boosted $52.3 billion, […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Texas Sues Federal Agencies to Force Action on Yucca Mountain
Texas has filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the Department of Energy (DOE) from spending tax dollars on consent-based siting activity, and to force the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and other relevant federal agencies to complete licensing proceedings for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste permanent repository. The lawsuit filed with the U.S. Court […]
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