POWERnews

Dominion Virginia Power on Friday began the restart of North Anna Power Station after garnering the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) permission and more than two months of inspections, testing and engineering, and seismic analysis to investigate effects of the Aug. 23 5.8-magnitude quake whose epicenter was only about 11 miles away from the company’s twin-reactor station in Mineral, Va.

A survey of 50 energy experts released on Tuesday by economists at The Brattle Group reveals that energy efficiency is likely to cause a drop of 5% to 15% in U.S. electricity consumption by the year 2020, relative to forecast trends. Electric peak demand is likely to drop by 7.5% to 15% and natural gas consumption is expected to drop by 5% to 10% compared to forecast trends.

A plan to build a controversial $4.7 billion coal-fired power plant in Scotland’s Ayrshire County that would have been fitted with experimental carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology was last week thrown out by the North Ayrshire Council, and citizens lodged more than 20,000 objections with the legislative body.

Black Hills Corp. will build and begin operating a natural gas–fired power plant in Wyoming and shutter three aging coal plants in the state by 2014 as part of a “future compliance” plan to meet growing power demand as federal environmental rules go into effect.

Several environmental groups have asked a federal appeals court to review the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to grant a Clean Air Act Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit to the 600-MW gas-fired Avenal Energy Project proposed for construction in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The groups contend that the agency exempted the project from several key air pollution standards.

Without a bold change of policy direction, the world will lock itself into an insecure, inefficient, and high-carbon energy system, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned as it launched the 2011 edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO) today in London.

If the Senate votes on a measure this week to overturn the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) using the Congressional Review Act, as has been spearheaded by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), President Obama would veto the resolution.

The Obama administration on Tuesday posted a notice on the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) website that indicates the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has filed a copy of proposed rules to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new, modified, and existing power plants.

A new bill to extend compliance deadlines for the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) and Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rule was introduced in the U.S. Senate today by Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Dan Coats (R-Ind.).

Minnesota’s Next Generation Energy Act (NGEA) of 2007—a law that restricts carbon dioxide emissions produced by power generators who export electricity to the state—violates the Commerce Clause in the U.S. Constitution and interferes with North Dakota’s energy production, North Dakota argued in a lawsuit filed against Minnesota last week.