Electrical Generation

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | New York | New York County | Statewide NY

NY Grid Operator Again Warns NYC Heading for Blackouts re Peakers
August 22, 2023August 22, 2023

It will be lights-out in Times Square if New York insists on forcing peaker plants to close in 2025. That’s according to Rich Dewey, president and CEO of the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the nonprofit that oversees the state’s electricity system. Dewey has warned the state for YEARS of coming blackouts if peaker plants in New York City are forced to close in 2025. NY Dems, who irrationally hate fossil energy, are forcing the closure of NYC’s peakers, believing unreliable renewables and a big, fat power line from Canada will be enough to keep the lights on. Good luck with that.
Read More “NY Grid Operator Again Warns NYC Heading for Blackouts re Peakers”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues

CPV Brings 1,200 MW M-U-Fired Power Plant Online in Northern IL
August 21, 2023August 21, 2023

In August 2020, MDN brought you the news that Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) wanted to build a state-of-the-art 1,250-megawatt natural-gas-fueled, combined-cycle electric generation facility in Grundy County, Illinois (see CPV Gets Funding, Begins Building Big M-U-Fired Power Plant in IL). Three Rivers Energy Center, which would cost $1.2 billion to build, would sell its power into the PJM market–enough to meet the demand of up to 1.25 million homes and businesses serving Northern Illinois, including Chicago. We lost track of progress on the plant until we spotted this terrific news: Three Rivers is now built and has just entered commercial operation!
Read More “CPV Brings 1,200 MW M-U-Fired Power Plant Online in Northern IL”
Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Montour County | Pennsylvania | Talen Energy

Talen Energy’s Montour, PA Coal to Gas Power Conversion Nearly Done
August 15, 2023August 15, 2023

In November of 2020, MDN told you about a deal Talen Energy cut with the odious Sierra Club, signing a pledge to convert several coal-fired power plants to use natural gas in both Maryland and Pennsylvania (see Talen Energy Dumping Coal, Converting Elec Plants to Gas in PA, MD). The Clubbers promised to stop suing Talen in return for converting the plants from coal to gas. In February 2022, we told you that Talen had made a little bit of progress with converting its Washingtonville (Montour County), PA plant by clearing a path for a new gas pipeline (see Talen Energy Works on Converting Montour, PA Power from Coal to Gas). We had not heard anything further–until now. Yesterday Talen issued its quarterly update and mentioned that the 1.5 GW Montour coal-to-gas conversion is nearly complete!
Read More “Talen Energy’s Montour, PA Coal to Gas Power Conversion Nearly Done”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues

Dan Rice’s NET Power Issues 1st Quarterly Update as Public Co.
August 15, 2023August 15, 2023

Last December, Rice Acquisition Corp II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) started by the Rice brothers (Danny, Toby, and Derek), announced a deal to acquire NET Power–an electric power developer with revolutionary new technology to capture every last molecule of carbon dioxide from natural gas-fired power plants (see Dan Rice Buys Co. that Builds Zero-Carbon Gas-Fired Electric Plants). The Rice deal to buy NET Power closed in early June, with Danny Rice (former CEO of Rice Energy) becoming the new CEO of NET Power (see NET Power Completes $1.5B Merger with Rice Acquisition Corp.). Yesterday NET Power issued its first quarterly update (for the second quarter of 2023) since becoming a publicly traded company.
Read More “Dan Rice’s NET Power Issues 1st Quarterly Update as Public Co.”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Kentucky | Regulation

Louisville Gas & Elec & KY Utilities Propose 2 New Gas-Fired Plants
August 14, 2023August 14, 2023

Last December, PPL Corporation subsidiaries Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU) announced a plan to replace 1,500 megawatts of aging coal-fired generation (nearly one-third of Kentucky’s coal fleet!) with two 621-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle units along with several unreliable, intermittent solar projects (see PPL Replacing Coal-Fired Power Plants with NatGas in Louisville, KY). The state Public Service Commission will hold a virtual public hearing tomorrow to consider comments about the two proposed gas-fired power plants.
Read More “Louisville Gas & Elec & KY Utilities Propose 2 New Gas-Fired Plants”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

4 Large Grid Operators (PJM) Tell EPA to Dump Gas-Fired Power Regs
August 11, 2023September 18, 2023

Everyone is telling the Bidenistas at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the same thing: Dump the faulty regulations you composed at the last minute that will result in closing most (if not all) of America’s natural gas-fired power plants. The latest group to tell (off) the EPA is the electric grid operators that cover a majority of the residents in the country, including PJM Interconnection, the largest electric grid operator in the U.S., serving 65 million people in 13 states plus the District of Columbia (including PA, OH, and WV). Earlier this week, PJM, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Southwest Power Pool (SPP), and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) submitted joint comments against the EPA’s proposed new regulations.
Read More “4 Large Grid Operators (PJM) Tell EPA to Dump Gas-Fired Power Regs”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Dominion Energy | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Virginia

Big Green Grifter McKibben Joins Fight Against Va. Gas-Fired Plant
August 10, 2023August 10, 2023

Bill McKibben, 350.org

Dominion Energy, a huge utility company and power generator headquartered in Virginia, recently dusted off its plan to build the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center in the James River Industrial Center (see Dominion Plans to Build 1,000-MW Gas Peaker Plant Near Richmond, VA). The project includes building four 250-megawatt gas-fired power plants (1,000 MW total) that can jump into action during the coldest and hottest days of the year to help supply enough electricity for 250,000 homes on days when the sun doesn’t shine, and the wind doesn’t blow. A small group of antis (mostly from Big Green groups) recently gathered outside an elementary school to oppose the plan (see Small Group of Antis Oppose Dominion Chesterfield Peaker Plant). Their efforts to focus attention on the project failed, so they’ve called in “the big guns”–namely Bill McKibben, head of the radicalized 350.org.
Read More “Big Green Grifter McKibben Joins Fight Against Va. Gas-Fired Plant”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

EEI, 21 States Unload on Biden EPA re New Gas-Fired Plant Regs
August 10, 2023August 10, 2023

In May, the Bidenistas at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a hellscape of new regulations (681 pages) aimed at forcing coal- and natural gas-fired power plants to close (see New Biden EPA Regs a “Death Sentence” for Fossil-Fuel Power Plants). The editors of the Wall Street Journal called the new EPA regulations “An EPA Death Sentence for Fossil-Fuel Power Plants,” with the subtitle “The Biden agency’s new rule means the end of natural gas-fueled electricity.” Although usually in bed with the government, utility companies, most of them represented by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) trade organization, filed official comments on Tuesday, objecting to the proposed regulations. Also filing comments against the regs was a coalition of 21 states headed by West Virginia. It seems nobody wants these regulations.
Read More “EEI, 21 States Unload on Biden EPA re New Gas-Fired Plant Regs”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues

PA “Evangelical” Group Supports EPA Plan to Block Gas-Fired Power
August 9, 2023August 9, 2023

The left always twists language in its attempt to push its ideology and agenda–even in Christianity. The Pennsylvania-based Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), during its 15-year history, has supported every far-left environmental regulation proposed by the Democrat Party, and has criticized every conservative, Republican energy plan that allows for fossil energy to flourish in the Keystone State. That’s been our observation. They call themselves “Evangelical,” which is supposed to mean sticking to the teachings of the Gospel of Christ. Somehow they twist the word Evangelical into worshiping the mythology of man-made catastrophic global warming. They claim it is “creation care” to aggressively address global warming using anti-capitalist Marxist political ideology, like supporting the EPA’s plan to phase out all natural gas-fired power plants with new onerous regulations.
Read More “PA “Evangelical” Group Supports EPA Plan to Block Gas-Fired Power”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina

NC Gets 40% of its Electricity from NatGas, Just 8% from Solar
August 8, 2023August 8, 2023

We read an article that breathlessly proclaimed North Carolina is on pace to generate more of its power from solar than from coal this year. It is, said the author, “another sign of the state’s energy transformation toward a greener future.” Release the party poppers! ? But as we read the article, we discovered solar only provides “roughly 8%” of NC’s electricity. Coal currently provides between 7% and 8%. The current champion is (and will be for decades) natural gas, which provides 40% of NC’s electricity. So much for NC’s “transition toward a greener [solar] future.”
Read More “NC Gets 40% of its Electricity from NatGas, Just 8% from Solar”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

FERC to Assess Reliability Impacts from the EPA’s Power Plant Regs
August 7, 2023August 7, 2023

In May, the Bidenistas at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a hellscape of new regulations (681 pages) aimed at forcing coal- and natural gas-fired power plants to close (see New Biden EPA Regs a “Death Sentence” for Fossil-Fuel Power Plants). Although usually in bed with the government, utility companies, represented by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) trade organization, are against the new regs (see EEI Oposes Biden EPA Plan to Force Upgrades of Gas-Fired Plants). Last week, 39 U.S. Senators sent a letter to the EPA asking the agency to withdraw the proposed new regs (see 39 Republican U.S. Senators Ask EPA to Withdraw Power Plant Reg). Now, word comes that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will weigh in on what it thinks about the EPA hellscape and what it will do to (decimate) the power industry.
Read More “FERC to Assess Reliability Impacts from the EPA’s Power Plant Regs”
Crude Oil | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Research

EIA: U.S. Energy Spending in 2021 Balooned, Up 25% Over 2020
August 4, 2023August 4, 2023

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) published a post noting the increase in the use of energy in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021. Energy usage increased by 25%, adjusted for inflation, in 2021. Why? In 2020 we were deep in the throes of lockdowns due to COVID. Nobody was going anywhere, pretty much, which significantly decreased the use of gasoline and diesel. Once the country emerged from the COVID pandemic, and people began to move around again, energy usage (petroleum products) soared.
Read More “EIA: U.S. Energy Spending in 2021 Balooned, Up 25% Over 2020”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | CNX Resources | Electrical Generation | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Shell | Statewide PA | Taxation

New Details Revealed re Gov. Shapiro’s Secret Global Warming Group
August 3, 2023August 3, 2023

Newly-elected Gov. Josh Shapiro, who appears to be completely ineffective since taking office (which is not necessarily a bad thing), appointed a working group in April to help guide him on what he should do concerning the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax and the broader issue of global warming (see PA Gov Appoints Secretive Group to Work on Global Warming Plan). The panel is super-secret. Only two people who belong to the working group were named, the two co-chairs: one from the radicalized National Resources Defense Council and one from a PA state labor union. We now have more names of group members, including two from the Marcellus industry.
Read More “New Details Revealed re Gov. Shapiro’s Secret Global Warming Group”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

39 Republican U.S. Senators Ask EPA to Withdraw Power Plant Reg
August 3, 2023August 7, 2023

In May, the Bidenistas at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a hellscape of new regulations (681 pages) aimed at forcing coal- and natural gas-fired power plants to close (see New Biden EPA Regs a “Death Sentence” for Fossil-Fuel Power Plants). The editors of the Wall Street Journal called the new EPA regulations “An EPA Death Sentence for Fossil-Fuel Power Plants,” with the subtitle “The Biden agency’s new rule means the end of natural gas-fueled electricity.” Although usually in bed with the government, utility companies, represented by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) trade organization, are also against the new regs (see EEI Oposes Biden EPA Plan to Force Upgrades of Gas-Fired Plants). Opponents continue to line up. Earlier this week, 39 U.S. Senators sent a letter to the EPA asking the agency to withdraw the proposed new regs.
Read More “39 Republican U.S. Senators Ask EPA to Withdraw Power Plant Reg”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation | Statewide VA | Virginia

Radicalized Antis Sue Va. Gov. Youngkin to Block Exit from RGGI
August 2, 2023August 2, 2023

In 2021 as he was running for the office of Governor in Virginia, Glenn Youngkin pledged if he won, he would remove the state from the onerous carbon tax on coal- and gas-fired power plants called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Following his recent review of a new regulation to remove the state from RGGI, Youngkin is on the cusp of keeping his promise this year (see Virginia on Track to Leave RGGI Carbon Tax Scheme by Dec. 31). However, right on cue, Big Green bullies are back, suing Youngkin to block the state’s exit from this onerous tax. So we’re not out of the woods just yet.
Read More “Radicalized Antis Sue Va. Gov. Youngkin to Block Exit from RGGI”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | LDCs | Regulation

EEI Oposes Biden EPA Plan to Force Upgrades of Gas-Fired Plants
August 1, 2023August 1, 2023

In May, the Bidenistas at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a hellscape of new regulations (681 pages) aimed at forcing coal- and natural gas-fired power plants to close (see New Biden EPA Regs a “Death Sentence” for Fossil-Fuel Power Plants). The editors of the Wall Street Journal called the new EPA regulations “An EPA Death Sentence for Fossil-Fuel Power Plants,” with the subtitle “The Biden agency’s new rule means the end of natural gas-fueled electricity.” Although usually in bed with the government, utility companies, most of them represented by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) trade organization, are finally ready to speak out–against the EPA’s proposed rules.
Read More “EEI Oposes Biden EPA Plan to Force Upgrades of Gas-Fired Plants”