In the wake of the devastation of Puerto Rico’s electric generating and distribution system two years ago by Hurricane Maria, the U.S. Department of Energy has okayed a feasibility study of whether advanced nuclear reactors could solve the island’s energy calamity. The energy agency approved a proposal from DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory to examine market … More Puerto Rico nuclear inquiry gets DOE funds
The White House on Monday announced its intent to nominate James P. Danly to the vacant Republican seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He is currently FERC’s general counsel. FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee named Danly, 43, general counsel just over two years ago. Before joining the FERC staff, Danly was a member of the … More FERC general counsel to get Republican seat
Last Monday, the White House announced a series of new judicial and law enforcement nominees for Senate confirmation. Ari Peskoe, director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law, tweeted using the hashtag #FERCWatch, “White House sends 8 nominations to the Senate. No FERC nominee(s).” Those of us who follow FERC (it’s an addiction, I … More Don’t look for FERC nominees anytime soon
In a case that has roots going back decades, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit yesterday largely upheld an Obama administration air pollution rule – supported by the Trump EPA – that aims to crack down on pollution from one state’s power plants blowing into another state. The unanimous decision also said … More DC Circuit upholds Obama Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
It’s time for the U.S. nuclear industry and its advocates to acknowledge an unpleasant truth: it’s time to start over from square one on disposing of the high-level radioactive waste (spent fuel) from the nation’s nuclear reactors. Nevada’s Yucca Mountain, which has been the great waste hope for over 30 years, is dead. The latest … More Senate votes more nails in Yucca Mountain’s coffin
Remember when natural gas had a limited future in the U.S. and oil production worldwide was running out? A decade ago, the fracking revolution hit, changing the prospects for gas and consigning “peak oil” to the dustbin of history. All the conventional forecasts were 180 degrees wrong. In the years since horizontal drilling and hydraulic … More Examining the perils of energy forecasting
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today overruled the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s grant of eminent domain for a natural gas pipeline. The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel remanded FERC’s 2017 approval for an interstate pipeline proposed by Nexus Gas Transmission LLC for a 257-mile pipeline moving Appalachian shale gas across … More Appeals court slaps down FERC on Nexus pipeline
If you thought enactment of Ohio’s legislation – HB6 – to rescue uneconomic nuclear and coal plants from shutting down took care of the issue, think again. Opponents of the legislation are mounting a credible campaign to put repeal of the measure on the statewide ballot in November 2020, setting off a nasty squabble. The … More Ohio nuclear bailout fight far from over
Japan’s nuclear utilities are selling off uranium fuel, according to an exclusive Reuters report, which suggests that Japan will not be aggressively restarting many of the nuclear plants shut down in 2011 after the Fukushima disaster. The country has large nuclear fuel holdings and will be selling into a depressed market, so the nuclear utilities … More Do uranium sales signal Japan’s further nuclear retreat?
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) is in regulatory hot water at the California Public Utilities Commission, which is formally considering the future role of natural gas in the state. The Sempra Energy subsidiary was exposed last week to having engaged in an “astroturf,” or fake grass roots, lobbying campaign at the CPUC. A group called … More SoCalGas trips on lobbying astroturf