Coal

Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) has brought online six modular natural gas-fired units totaling 162 MW to replace the shuttered 207 MW Martin Drake coal-fired power plant. In a video posted online Tuesday (May 30), CSU highlighted the gas-fired units’ “small footprint and high reliability,” along with their “low emissions and low maintenance needs…” Following a…

Weak industrial demand and mild weather pushed European natural gas prices even lower on Monday after seven straight weeks of losses. The prompt Title Transfer Facility (TTF) contract fell below $10/MMBtu last week for the first time since June 2021 and stayed there Monday after falling another 1.5%. If prices continue to fall to near…

Global natural gas consumption is expected to rebound this year as easing price volatility and rising economic activity boosts LNG imports from China and South Asia and North America’s power market continues to cut coal-fired capacity, according to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). Researchers with the organization headquartered in Qatar in the annual report…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to strengthen and update rules around emissions from coal-fired  power plants, which could affect natural gas. “By leveraging proven, emissions-reduction measures available at reasonable costs and encouraging new, advanced control technologies, we can reduce hazardous pollution from coal-fired power plants, protecting our planet and improving public health…

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party has signed into law clean energy goals that target a carbon-free electricity grid by 2040.  State House File 7 (HF7) amended Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Standard statute. It added a target for electric utilities, generation and transmission cooperatives, and municipal power agencies to generate or procure by 2035 at…

Renewable sources of energy are collectively on track to eclipse coal as the world’s leading source of electricity, with capacity growth forecast to nearly double in the next five years, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a new report. IEA’s Renewables 2022 report forecasts that abundant energy drivers such as wind and solar will…

Consumption of natural gas by U.S. power generators fell by 3% year/year in 2021 after four straight years of growth, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Monday. “High natural gas prices in 2021 made natural gas a less competitive fuel, particularly compared with coal; coal prices for electricity generators remained relatively stable in 2021,” said…

Stronger cash prices, short-covering and caffeine following late-night celebrations as the Houston Astros swept the New York Yankees to advance to their fourth World Series in six years. Those were among the myriad reasons market observers gave for Monday’s recovery along the Nymex natural gas futures curve. At A Glance: HDDs added to long-range forecasts…

A buffer against higher natural gas prices that has traditionally been available to U.S. electric utilities, gas-to-coal switching, has become less tangible as more coal-fired power plants are retired and supply chain challenges linger, according to analysts. “I do not think utilities have any options, other than to burn dry gas in their” combined cycle…