Tag Archives: batteries

Energy News for week ending April 17, 2021

Coming Apart at the Seams | Battery Week | Cows Join Carbon Market | Facing Opposition

Good Saturday afternoon.

Apologies for the delayed delivery of this week’s energy news. I’d blame the USPS, but you know…electronic mail.   

Here are a few interesting stories from this week.

Somerset coming apart at the seams, CommonWealth Magazine

Why lithium-ion batteries are so important, Volts

Cows Join Carbon Market in Quest to Curb Planet-Warming Burps, Bloomberg Green

Peabody gas plant faces opposition, Salem News

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and stay safe!

Climate Change

RI Gov. Dan McKee signs ‘landmark’ Act on Climate, Providence Journal

Vermont Electric Cooperative plans to go carbon-free by 2023, VT Digger

White House considers doubling Obama-era carbon reduction targets: BNEF, Utility Dive

Climate change law codifies environmental justice, CommonWealth Magazine

How high-tech robotic surfboards could change our understanding of the Gulf Stream, Washington Post

Satellite Constellation Set to Unmask World’s Super Polluters, Bloomberg Green

Massachusetts just passed a landmark climate bill. Here’s why Ben Downing thinks it doesn’t go far enough., Boston.com

Senate Democrats float climate diplomacy plan ahead of White House summit, Axios

Biden Says His Climate Plan Means Jobs. Some Union Members Are Skeptical, NPR

Renewables/RGGI/TCI

New rules require more efficient biomass energy plants, WWLP

A Green Grid by 2035? New Report Says We’re Halfway There, Bloomberg Green

Granholm: Reconciliation possible for clean energy standard, but no decisions made, Politico

Wind

New Bedford mayor calls offshore wind ‘generational opportunity,’ CommonWealth Magazine

Interior bolsters offshore wind by revoking Trump-era legal opinion, The Hill

How an offshore wind boom in the US could boost ocean research, The Verge

Samsung Heavy Industry Unveils New Wind Turbine Installation Vessel Design, GCaptain

‘Rapid innovation’: Oil giant Chevron backs new floating wind design for US Atlantic debut, Recharge News

US crew secures Vineyard onshore wire job, ReNews

A Favorable Fetch for US Offshore Wind, Marine Link

Angry Somerset residents elect ally to select board, CommonWealth Magazine

Somerset selectman Holly McNamara resigns ‘effective immediately’ over Brayton Point fight, Herald News

Solar

How a 2019 Maine law spurred $100 million in solar investment, Press Herald

State fines Eversource, builder up to $310,000 for solar project runoff in Southampton, Daily Hampshire Gazette

Efficiency/Storage

Pandemic raises the profile of decarbonization — and clean air — tech for buildings, Canary Media

Energy Efficiency Contractors Say PUC Delays On State Plan Could Harm Their Businesses, NHPR

Eversource honored with award from U.S. Department of Energy, WTNH

How do lithium-ion batteries actually work? David Roberts explains, Canary Media

South Korean battery makers reach last-minute settlement, Washington Post

QuantumScape says its technology is ready to move from the lab to VW’s dealerships. But this secretive startup is very familiar with failure. Bloomberg Green

UMass Dartmouth receives second grant for LED light fixture upgrades, UMass News

EVs

Eversource Energy : Partners with Major Utilities to Increase Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Across the Country, Market Screener

DOE commits $100M in grants to put electric trucks on the road, Canary Media

How to get the US to 100% electric vehicles by 2035, Canary Media

Biden’s infrastructure plan goes big on EVs, but his first budget starts small, analysts say, Utility Dive

Nuclear

Indian Point Is Shutting Down. That Means More Fossil Fuel., New York Times

Former NRC chair questions economic feasibility of new nuclear in US, Utility Dive

Atomic Superyacht to Offer $3 Million Eco-Tours With Scientists, Bloomberg Green

Attorney General reaches tentative agreement for dismantling and cleaning up Indian Point, Mid-Hudson News

Natural Gas/Pipelines/Oil/Drilling

Glick spells out views on FERC’s reach amid tempest over Weymouth gas compressor, S&P Global

Replace Your Gas Stove With Induction to Save Energy and Impress Guests, Bloomberg Green

Quincy city councilors call for halt to compressor operations, vow to keep fighting, Patriot Ledger

Shell to Let Shareholders Vote on Shift to Cleaner Energy, Wall St. Journal

U.S. Startup Plans to Build First Zero-Emission Gas Power Plants, Bloomberg Green

Market/Grid/Policy/Prices

Comparing the actual US grid to the one predicted 15 years ago, Ars Technica

Why is Connecticut No. 1 in the cost of electricity among the 48 lower states? Here are 7 reasons., Hartford Courant

Transmission strategy takes shape as Congress, FERC press ahead with reforms, S&P Global

Glick, Chatterjee clash on RTO expansion incentive as FERC announces transmission initiatives, Utility Dive

US House Bill Would Give Microgrids 30% Tax Credit, Microgrid Knowledge

Eversource raps Connecticut regulators’ report on Tropical Storm Isaias response as error-prone and failing to comply with state law, Hartford Courant

New York approves Con Edison’s proposed $800 mln power line projects, Reuters

How lessons from a microgrid project can lead the way to decarbonizing the electric grid, Tech Republic

NERC finding 25% of utilities exposed to SolarWinds hack indicates growing ICS vulnerabilities, analysts say, Utility Dive

Biden Rushes to Protect Power Grid as Hacking Threats Grow, Bloomberg

Opinion

Op-ed: Offshore wind procurement should use ‘Massport model,’ Boston Business Journal

MBTA needs to get on decarbonization train, CommonWealth Magazine

Why Closing a Nuclear Plant Could Hurt N.Y.’s Environment, New York Times

A Climate Back Door to Watch, Wall St. Journal

Letter: Put gas in the past, Salem News

We Are Living in a Climate Emergency, and We’re Going to Say So, Scientific American

Cleaner by the mile: Electric trucks can have outsized environmental and health benefits, Utility Dive

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Filed under Climate Change, Electric Grid, New England Energy News, Northeast Energy News, offshore wind

Energy News for week ending September 29, 2017

Cost Recovery for baseload | Brain Research for Storage |Power from Evaporation

Happy Friday afternoon everyone.

The big news this week actually broke today with the announcement, carried by Utility Dive, that the “DOE filed a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking under the Federal Power Act to enhance grid resilience, directing FERC to ‘accurately price generation resources necessary to maintain reliability and resiliency.’ The rule would provide for ‘recovery of costs of fuel-secure generation units frequently relied upon to make our grid reliable and resilient.’” If passed, it could be good news for coal and nuclear plants that keep fuel on site. As an aside, I got it from a very good source today that FERC is interested in receiving comments – so send them in.

Sticking with national news, we have an interesting story from Microgrid Knowledge about how some “Duke University brain science researchers are hoping to use electronics they developed for non-invasive brain stimulation to revolutionize energy storage technology, making batteries safer, more efficient and less expensive.”

Last tidbit for this week comes from Science Daily which reports that “In the first evaluation of evaporation as a renewable energy source, researchers at Columbia University find that U.S. lakes and reservoirs could generate 325 gigawatts of power, nearly 70 percent of what the United States currently produces.” They add, “Though still limited to experiments in the lab, evaporation-harvested power could in principle be made on demand, day or night, overcoming the intermittency problems plaguing solar and wind energy.” Cool stuff.

Be sure to check out the events page at New England Energy News. Have a great weekend.

Natural Gas/Pipeline

As Perry slams state pipeline decisions, lawyers say DOE has little authority to intervene, Utility Dive

EIA Says US Electric Rates Up This Year on Higher NatGas Prices, Natural Gas Intelligence

US lawmakers ask Facebook, Twitter for information on anti-fracking ads, Reuters

118 Groups Urge Trump to Ban Fracking on Public Lands, Center for Biological Diversity

Otis State Forest pipeline protesters make a plea for the planet during court hearings, Berkshire Eagle

Rick Perry links pipelines, natural security, CommonWealth Magazine

Renewable Energy

This Bipartisan Senate Bill Could Enable US Offshore Wind to Take Off, Greentech Media

Wind power is now cheaper than nuclear – the energy revolution is happening, The Guardian

Wind Energy Could Power 30% Of Europe’s Needs By 2030, Reports WindEurope, CleanTechnica

New Milford residents oppose solar project for Candlewood Mountain, Danbury News Times

US Climate Change Policy: Made in California, New York Times

New Jersey to examine solar incentives, cost differentials, Utility Dive

The most effective clean energy policy gets the least love, Vox.com

Savoy voters reject bylaw allowing taller wind turbines, Berkshire Eagle

Solar to power Middle East oil, natural gas exports, Platts

Stronger RGGI Cuts Projected to Be Achieved at Low Cost, Natural Resources Defense Council

RGGI issues first ever offsets as states narrow opportunities, Carbon Pulse

State environmental groups rip GOP cuts as short-sighted, New Haven Register

NextEra: Four former Ranger solar projects will be operating by end of 2019, Mainebiz

Let the Sun Shine In: Solar Prices Decreasing, ecoRI news

Ruling Finds Solar Panels From China Hurt US Makers, Maine Public

Scituate Wind turbine noise still a problem for some, Wicked Local Scituate

Renewable developers respond in droves to New York solicitation, Utility Dive

Large solar array in works for old gravel pit in Williamsburg, Going Green

Wind and water: Powering our past, and future, Seacoast Online

Energy Efficiency

Massachusetts stays atop NGO’s state energy efficiency rankings, Utility Dive

State money to help Central Mass. communities switch to energy-saving LED streetlights, Worcester Telegram

Meriden councilors favor program with Eversource to upgrade lights in city buildings, Meriden Record-Journal

How your air conditioner plays catch-up to regulations, Axios.com

Weymouth to convert 3,800 street lights to LED, Patriot Ledger

Nuclear

Entire US Nuclear Power Fleet Could Disappear in 38 Years: S&P, Bloomberg

Energy Company Finances At Center Of Battle Over Millstone, Hartford Courant

Plans to clean up Vt. Yankee met with criticism from environmental groups, The Recorder

Port council votes to send letter to NRC, The Daily News of Newburyport

NorthStar leader, engineering consultant talk future of Vt. Yankee, Going Green

Energy Storage

New York City Aims To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions By Using Energy Storage, Forbes.com

Years In, NY REV Lacks Major Storage Action. That May Have to Change Soon, Greentech Media

Brain Research Tools Could Help Revolutionize Energy Storage Technology, Microgrid Knowledge

Climate Change

Hidden Costs of Climate Change Running Hundreds of Billions a Year, National Geographic

States Can Lead the Way on Climate Change, Scientific American

Markets/Grid/Policy/Prices/Etc.

DOE proposes cost recovery for baseload generators in new FERC rule, Utility Dive

Connecticut energy plan raises tough questions on comparative resource valuation, Utility Dive

SEC Member: Northern Pass Could Cost Taxpayers More For Public Construction Projects, indepthnh.org

Central Maine Power seeks permit to transmit cheap hydro from Canada, Utility Dive

Tisbury looks to join Brewster in Eversource spraying battle, Martha’s Vineyard Times

Texas firm sells Milford power plant in $119M sale, Worcester Business Journal

Sudbury property values (partially) fair play in Eversource case, MetroWest Daily News

Cushing bill looks to block utility monopolies, Foster’s Daily Democrat

Eversource says fewer people have lost power this year, cites system improvements, Concord Monitor

National Grid in settlement talks with NY over rates, Albany Times Union

Great Barrington pursues ‘low cost and green’ collective power purchase plan, Berkshire Eagle

Central Maine Power seeks permit to transmit cheap hydro from Canada, Utility Dive

Energy harvested from evaporation could power much of US, Science Daily

NiSource Again Named to Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Business West

Can Distributed Energy Resources Get Paid to Serve as ‘Virtual Transmission Lines’?, Greentech Media

Sudbury sues MBTA over Eversource lease, MetroWest Daily News

Editorial/Opinion

Letter: Not clean, not green, Concord Monitor

Approve bill to help Millstone secure its future, theday.com

Nuclear Power Is ‘On Its Back,’ Former CIA Director Says, Forbes

Lisa Ostrove: Why Candlewood Solar is a bad deal for our town, Danbury News Times

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Filed under Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, Renewables, Vermont Yankee Closing