On Jan. 11, Luminant Generation shut down the 1,100-MW Sandow coal-fired power plant near Austin, Texas. On Jan. 12, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission turned down a request from Ohio’s FirstEnergy to transfer the 1,300-MW Pleasants Power Station from the company’s merchant generating arm to its regulated utilities Monm Power and Potomac Edison. Both actions … More Trump’s year in coal, not so good
South Carolina faces a chaotic financial and political environment as a result of the entirely predictable collapse of the V.C. Summer nuclear project. The latest turn in the tangled tale is that a new vulture has appeared circling the carcass of the two failed 1000-MW Westinghouse AP 1000 units, and the operating 966-MW Westinghouse PWR, … More Utility vultures circle the V.C. Summer nuclear carcass
The recent two-week cold wave that gripped much of the U.S. (now mercifully over) had nothing to do with current claims about climate change, according to an international group called the World Weather Attribution. The group of weather analysts said, “We do not find any evidence for an intensification of these types of cold waves … More Cold wave not a result of climate change
The news media has been saturated with stories about Bitcoin, mostly by folks who simply don’t get it. Bitcoin is confounding conventional ideas of currency and value. In the meantime, Bitcoin continues to make financial speculators, large and small, massive profits, while generating enormous media hype and false analogies to the tulip bubble of 1637. … More Forget Bitcoin, the real story is blockchain
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Jan. 8 gave a thumbs down to the proposal by the Trump administration and Energy Secretary Rick Perry for special treatment of nuclear and coal generation in federally-regulated wholesale electric markets. FERC terminated the rulemaking initiated by Perry (RM18-1-000) Sept. 29 on grid resilience and reliability. In its 31-page order … More FERC says ‘nope’ to Perry NOPR
Anxiously awaiting the Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle for which you plunked down $1000 19 months ago to get in the queue for delivery of the more “affordable” of the company’s trendy vehicles? Don’t hold your breath. Nor should the 600,000 others who bought the Tesla promises for what appears to be a phantom vehicle. … More More tears for Tesla
As a polar vortex (shades of 2014) grips much of the U.S., challenging the U.S. electricity system, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is scheduled Jan. 10 to reveal its views on the notice of proposed rulemaking it published last year at the behest of Energy Secretary Rick Perry. The proposal would essentially kill existing wholesale … More The polar vortex and the Perry NOPR
The coming year should be mixed for the global oil and gas industry, according to S&P Global Platts “2018 Energy Outlook.” Inventories declined during 2017, says the analysis, almost eliminating the global surplus. 2018 should see U.S. shale production lead global supply to grow faster than demand, but stocks will continue to decline. That could … More Backwardation into 2018
With a full complement of five commissioners for the first time in months, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Dec. 21 got off to fast start, including agreeing to review its controversial process for granting approval of natural gas pipelines. The commission also issued a proposed rule to heighten reporting of cybersecurity issues through the North … More Revitalized FERC off to a fast start
The Republican tax plan about to pass Congress and get President Trump’s signature is proof positive that the United States does not have a national “energy policy.” And that’s a good thing. During the Obama administration, national energy policy was “all of the above.” That’s my idea of a good national energy policy: a meaningless … More Who needs a national energy policy? Not the U.S.