utilities

The Biden administration and FERC made moves in recent weeks to revamp the nation’s electricity transmission system, taking steps toward achieving a carbon-free energy grid by 2035 while addressing the impending infrastructure issues. During the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s third joint federal-state electric transmission task force, the five commissioners underscored that there is a great…

U.S. utilities withdrew 51 Bcf natural gas from storage for the week ended March 18, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported Thursday. The result fell short of market expectations for a pull in the high 50s Bcf, but futures forged ahead regardless. Ahead of the EIA print, the April futures contract was down 7.3 cents…

California utilities will be required to supply an increasing percentage of renewable natural gas (RNG), aka biomethane, to their customers following a decision last Thursday by state regulators. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) set biomethane targets for utilities in an effort to reach the state’s goal of a 40% reduction in methane and other…

As of 2020, Black Hills Corp. cut the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of its natural gas utility operations by one-third, the natural gas and electric utility reported earlier in February. “From a 2005 baseline, we’ve already achieved a 30% reduction…at our electric utilities and a 33% reduction at our natural gas utilities,” CEO Linn Evans…

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), riding on the momentum of a positive fourth quarter of 2021 and shrinking annual losses, has shifted focus to ambitious projects it hopes will reduce risks of wildfire events that have plagued the company. In what CEO Patti Poppe called a “new era” for PG&E during a Thursday 4Q2021…

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is getting the jump on its methane leak detection requirements and employing new tools to detect the greenhouse gas as it aims to inspect 1.2 million pieces of equipment this year throughout its California distribution system. The San Francisco-based utility has started the next leg of its three-year methane…

San Diego Gas and Electric Co. (SDG&E) recently completed a four-year zero-emissions microgrid pilot project testing a vanadium redox flow battery (RFB) from Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. (SEI).  The microgrid project, completed late last year, tested the RFB’s ability to seamlessly transition from the larger grid to the microgrid without any power interruption. The RFB…

New York City-focused Consolidated Edison (ConEd) said it is helping its customers find alternatives to natural gas for their energy needs as it prepares to ramp up investments in energy efficiency, renewables, electric vehicles (EV) and alternative heat resources.  The utility, which distributes natural gas through 8,000 miles of pipes to 1.1 million customers throughout…

CenterPoint Energy said mutual assistance crews and support personnel from Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas were helping Xcel Energy to restore natural gas service in Boulder, CO, which sustained extensive damage from recent wildfires. “Our natural gas technicians are skilled to perform in any type of conditions, just like they do for our customers at home,”…