FERC halts approval of $10B LNG export terminal

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today surprisingly rejected a Pacific coast LNG export terminal. Both Democratic Commissioner Richard Glick and Republican Commissioner Bernard McNamee turned down the request of the Jordon Cove Energy Project for a terminal to be sited in Coos Bay, Ore. McNamee’s vote was a surprise as he and fellow Republican Chairman… More FERC halts approval of $10B LNG export terminal

PG&E offers free carbon-free electricity

Here’s a bizarre energy tale out of always bizarre California. Bankrupt PG&E is offering free, carbon free electric power to the state’s burgeoning “community choice aggregator” (CCA) electric distributors – which have already won a major portion of the San Francisco-based power behemoth’s load – for sales to their customers. Among those CCAs to whom… More PG&E offers free carbon-free electricity

“Fake news” and skepticism

President Trump, a consummate liar, charges “fake news” anytime a news account challenges his views on any topic. No matter how well-researched and sourced, if Trump doesn’t like it, it’s fake news. My friend David Hahn-Baker suggests a nickname for Trump: Pinocchio. Particularly scary, many of Trump’s cult followers automatically accept his assessment of the… More “Fake news” and skepticism

Trump pulls financial plug on Yucca Mountain

Long moribund, President Donald Trump has put the final nail in the coffin known as the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. In a tweet Thursday, Trump wrote, “Nevada, I hear you on Yucca Mountain and my Administration will RESPECT you! Congress and previous Administrations have long failed to find lasting solutions – my Administration is… More Trump pulls financial plug on Yucca Mountain

Paradise lost: TVA shuts iconic coal-fired power plant

After 50 years of service, the Tennessee Valley Authority has closed the final unit of what was once the largest coal-fired electric generating station in the U.S. The giant, federally-owned public power system shut down the 1150-MW Paradise unit 3 on Feb. 1, after shuttering the 740-MW units 1 and 2, commissioned in 1963, shut… More Paradise lost: TVA shuts iconic coal-fired power plant

Commentary: Are boards of directors useful?

What’s the role of corporate boards of directors? A recent Washington Post op-ed by professor Franklin A. Gevurtz, a specialist in corporate law, caught my attention. Titled “Why do corporations have boards of directors anyway?” In the context of Hunter Biden’s role on the Ukrainian gas company Burisma board – with no apparent qualifications in… More Commentary: Are boards of directors useful?

Commentary: Debunking climate scaremongering

There is no climate emergency. Preaching doom and gloom is a crime against the young generation. These are the key points of a new manifesto from the Climate Intelligence Group or CLINTEL. CLINTEL is a rapidly growing international group, led by prominent scientists, which opposes ill-founded attempts to scare people into hasty climate policy actions.… More Commentary: Debunking climate scaremongering

Rehearing request blizzard follows FERC’s MOPR order

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s December order designed to accommodate state-subsidized generation into the PJM capacity market has provoked opposition from non-utility generators in the region, industrial customers seeking competitive prices for power, renewable energy advocates who feel disadvantaged by a rule favoring nuclear and coal plants, and PJM itself. A flurry of rehearing requests… More Rehearing request blizzard follows FERC’s MOPR order