power generation

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…

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…

California leaned more heavily on natural gas-fired electricity during the extreme heat wave that blanketed the state earlier this month, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Grid operator CAISO (aka California Independent System Operator) had to urge customers to cut back on electricity use during an extended stretch of sweltering temperatures in early September…

Click here to listen to the latest episode of NGI’s Hub & Flow, which delves into California’s energy shortages, brought about by extreme weather and drought, and how those issues are playing out in the transition to a net-zero carbon future. In the podcast, NGI’s Shaylon Stolk, senior energy analyst, discusses the underlying issues that…

Click here to listen to the latest episode of NGI’s Hub & Flow, which delves into California’s energy shortages, brought about by extreme weather and drought, and how those issues are playing out in the transition to a net-zero carbon future. In the podcast, NGI’s Shaylon Stolk, senior energy analyst, discusses the underlying issues that…

California’s final legislative session finished late Wednesday, passing to Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill to give the state’s last nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP), a new lease on life by extending the retirement date by several years.  Newsom said late Wednesday the DCPP’s continued operations were “critical” in “making sure we have energy…

The cost of electricity has surged to record highs across Europe, following a meteoric rise in natural gas prices that could pave the way for painfully high consumer rates across the continent through the winter and well beyond. Electricity futures across much of the continent jumped above 600 euros/MWh last week, an exponential gain from…

Foes of a new Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) power plant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions regulation won a court victory earlier this month suspending implementation. Regulators, however, are seeking to have the injunction overturned. DEP and the state’s Environmental Quality Board (EQB) filed an appeal with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court this week after the…

As the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) offers more offshore wind lease sales on both coasts, power plant developers and operators have said they have plans for more than 6 GW of capacity installments through 2029, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). While the East Coast has remained relatively unaffected by the integration…