Grid

The Texas grid operator is looking to add 3,000 MW of generation capacity for this winter to ensure the state is prepared for energy emergency conditions. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which serves about 90% of the state, issued a request for proposal (RFP) to increase operating reserves from Dec. 1 through Feb.…

As dust settles on the nationwide natural gas-versus-electric stove story, regulators for California’s San Francisco Bay Area have determined that natural gas stoves are safe for now, but gas furnaces and water heaters must be phased out in four years.  In a near-unanimous vote, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) on Wednesday amended…

U.S. electricity consumption is forecast to decline this year and only marginally increase in 2024, but natural gas consumption gains may be seen amid rising industrial demand. Regulatory action also could be stymied, according to industry advocates. The American Gas Association (AGA) pointed out the positives on Thursday. Incoming Chair Suzanne Sitherwood, who is CEO…

FERC on Thursday issued a proposed rule that aims to speed up the process for linking new electric generation to the power grid. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s unanimous vote advances a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) that could ease interconnection queue backlogs. Commission staff said the rule would add certainty to the process and…

North America’s largest power grid and its stakeholders need to ensure “adequate” electricity supply from thermal power plants, which include natural gas- and coal-fired units, until a substitute is deployed at scale, according to initial results of a study by grid operator PJM Interconnection. “As the generation mix continues to rapidly evolve in PJM, we…

The Department of Energy (DOE) has approved a request by California’s electric grid operator to dispatch more than 200 MW of natural gas-fired generation capacity beyond currently permitted levels to compensate for projected shortfalls in power supply. In a letter Wednesday (Sept. 7) to DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) Mark…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) last week directed its attention to electric vehicles (EV), batteries and reliable charging stations on a transitioning grid with a $200 million funding announcement followed by a request for information (RFI) for charging EVs on the grid.  At a roundtable discussion on advancing the domestic lithium battery industry, DOE…

Federal regulators on Thursday suggested tightening up an electric transmission incentives policy designed to stimulate infrastructure development for the nation’s evolving grid. In its regular meeting, FERC approved by a vote of 3-2 a revision to the plan issued in March 2020 (No. RM20-10). In the supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR), the Commission suggested…

Exceptionally harsh winter weather that surprised Texas authorities was the leading cause of widespread generator outages that left millions of residents without power for days in February, a new report says. The initial findings from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which oversees electric power in the state, amplified the already widely reported thinking…