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A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia last week upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), dispensing to the agency its third major legal victory on air pollution in a month. The EPA in December 2012 issued […]

In late January, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz requested a study of existing U.S. coal-fired power plants to assess options for enhancing capacity, efficiency, and emissions profiles of the present generation fleet. On May 14, the National Coal Council (NCC), an advisory group that provides recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on policy matters relating […]

Three U.S. senators on Tuesday introduced a trio of bills to improve the safety and security of decommissioning reactors and the storage of spent nuclear fuel ahead of Wednesday’s full Senate committee hearing on nuclear reactor decommissioning.  The three bills were introduced by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and […]

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2014 (AEO), released on May 7, projects slow growth in electricity demand through 2040, with natural gas and renewables taking an increasing share of the generation mix while coal and nuclear continue to decline. The 2014 AEO sees the current weak growth in electricity demand continuing through […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should allow states to use energy efficiency programs as a way to comply with its forthcoming rule that will regulate carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants, state energy officials, regulatory utility commissioners, and clean air agencies from more than 45 U.S. states urged the agency on Thursday.  In a […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday selected three projects to proceed to the second phase of its offshore wind advanced technology demonstration initiative: Fishermen’s Atlantic City Windfarm, Principle Power’s Oregon project, and Dominion Virginia Power’s Virginia Beach project.  Assistant Secretary of the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) David Danielson revealed […]

[Update May 13] A serious fire at the Martin Drake Power Plant in downtown Colorado Springs will leave the facility offline for an indefinite period of time. The fire began at approximately 9:40 a.m. on May 5. The first firefighters arrived on the scene within five minutes and faced a difficult decision on how to […]

A report released on May 5 by staffing firm Manpower suggests that utilities are under a “double squeeze”—a shortage of skilled workers at both the entry and senior level—caused by an aging workforce, advances in technology, and a breakdown in the educational system. In its report, “Strategies to Fuel the Energy Workforce,” Manpower noted that […]

On May 1, President Obama announced his intention to nominate Cheryl A. LaFleur for a second term as commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). LaFleur was first nominated to serve as a member of FERC in 2010. She became the acting chairman in November 2013 following Jon Wellinghoff’s resignation. Her term is slated […]

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