Ken Paulman, Author at Energy News Network

Pennsylvania driller declares itself safe; advocates have questions

Ken Paulman — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:00:24 +0000

OIL & GAS: As a natural gas company declares its drilling operations “pose no public health risk” in a self-monitoring partnership with a Pennsylvania agency, advocates say the company’s report is full of omissions and that the state’s process “boggles the mind.” (Inside Climate News)

CLIMATE: Scientists delay a geoengineering project that would measure the impact of dumping sodium hydroxide into the ocean, two days after a federal agency warns of impacts on marine species. (Boston Herald)

GRID:

A cryptocurrency firm sues New York regulators over its order to close its Finger Lakes peaker plant, which the company is using primarily to operate data centers. (Water Front)
Vermont utilities celebrate the completion of a 3 MW battery storage facility on the northern edge of the state. (VT Digger)
Plans for a solar project on a New York landfill are scrapped after a state agency determines upgrades to a nearby substation would be cost-prohibitive. (Ithaca Voice)
New York regulators order utilities to “develop a framework for proactively planning” for grid upgrades needed to support electrification. (news release)

UTILITIES:

A Maine paper products factory says a new fixed charge on its monthly bill related to a state solar program will force it to close. (Bangor Daily News)
Connecticut’s Office of Consumer Counsel seeks to reopen rate cases for Eversource and United Illuminating amid customer outrage over charges related to nuclear power and electric vehicle chargers. (Hartford Courant, subscription)
A New York congressman calls for an investigation after a report finds disparities in the delivery charges that customers pay for natural gas. (WABC)

EQUITY: A pilot program in New York will cap electricity costs at no more than 6% of household income for 1,000 participants. (Staten Island Advance, subscription)

WIND: During a visit to Cape Cod, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey meets with protesters opposing transmission connections for offshore wind farms; opponents of a similar project in New Jersey are hosting a public meeting tonight. (WCAI, Shore News Network)

SMART METERS: A small group of opponents pushes for legislation allowing Pennsylvanians to opt out of smart meter installations, citing health concerns that experts say have no basis in science. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

BUILDINGS: Developers last week broke ground on New Hampshire’s first net-zero housing project aimed at middle-class buyers. (NHPR)

COMMENTARY: An editorial board says a Maryland beach town’s opposition to offshore wind is motivated by politics, not facts. (Baltimore Sun, subscription)

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Pennsylvania driller declares itself safe; advocates have questions is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

Minnesota project offers affordable housing without natural gas

Ken Paulman — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 13:03:52 +0000

BUILDINGS: A 147-unit Habitat for Humanity project in St. Paul, Minnesota, expected to be one of the largest net-zero developments in the Midwest, is being built without natural gas hookups. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: General Motors is recognized by the Department of Energy for cutting natural gas use 30% at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, assembly plant. (news release)

UTILITIES:

Democratic lawmakers in Ohio criticize the state’s recent $20 million settlement with FirstEnergy over the HB6 corruption scandal as a “paltry sum,” noting the company has so far faced minimal accountability. (State House News Service)
Consumer advocates criticize DTE Energy’s policy of requiring 12 months of cash payments from customers if a check is returned for insufficient funds, saying it creates an unreasonable barrier for people struggling to keep up with bills. (MLive, subscription)

GRID: Ohio lawmakers discuss how to meet the state’s energy needs in the wake of the HB6 scandal, with Republicans Bill Seitz and Dick Stein defending coal plant subsidies while Democrat Casey Weinstein says “difficult and bureaucratic” siting rules are the main problem. (NBC4)

CLEAN ENERGY:

A Republican Ohio mayor pushes back on his party’s efforts to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, noting his city’s recent 18 MW solar project wasn’t economically feasible without the law’s incentives. (Semafor)
General Motors announces a 15-year purchase agreement for solar power to offset energy use at plants in Michigan and Missouri. (Detroit News)

OIL & GAS: The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa urge Wisconsin officials to reject a plan to reroute an oil pipeline around their reservation, saying they would still be at risk from spills. (Associated Press)

CARBON CAPTURE:

Iowa advocates say they will likely sue to overturn a pipeline permit for Summit Carbon Solutions after the deadline passes for regulators to act on their appeal. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
U.S. Rep. Marinannette Miller, a Republican who represents southeastern Iowa, says she supports carbon capture pipelines as a way to help the ethanol industry stay competitive. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

TRANSPORTATION: Chicago’s transit agencies warn of a “fiscal cliff” that could force them to slash operations if the state doesn’t increase funding as federal pandemic grants expire in 2026. (Chicago Sun-Times)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

St. Paul, Minnesota, unveils its first electric fire truck, which is equipped with an emergency diesel generator capable of recharging the truck’s batteries in the event of an unusually long deployment. (Pioneer Press)
A new Michigan law increases the weight limit for electric trucks, matching an existing allowance for trucks fueled with compressed natural gas. (Land Line)

COMMENTARY: An advocate says one way to accelerate the buildout of transmission lines is to improve incentives for rural communities, such as adding broadband internet in the process. (Utility Dive)

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Minnesota project offers affordable housing without natural gas is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

Minnesota copper mine developers offer environmental safeguards

Ken Paulman — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 13:06:50 +0000

MINING: Developers of a planned Minnesota copper-nickel mine announce a series of studies they say will explore ways to minimize the environmental and energy impact of the project. (Associated Press)

ALSO: The project is an example of a delicate political balance for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as labor and environmental interests take opposing positions. (E&E News)

CLEAN ENERGY:

Wisconsin is one of only two states that has started offering Inflation Reduction Act home rebates to residents, offering $74.8 million for heat pumps, electrification and energy efficiency projects. (Canary Media)
Energy Secretary and former Gov. Jennifer Granholm visits a union event in Michigan, highlighting job growth from Inflation Reduction Act investments; meanwhile a new report shows the state has the largest number of announced projects funded by the law. (CBS Detroit, Renewable Energy World)
Wisconsin voters this week rejected a ballot measure that would have restricted the governor’s ability to disburse federal funds, which could have impacted IRA-related spending in the state. (Associated Press, Inside Climate News)
The University of Milwaukee will lead an effort to develop clean energy training centers at nine Midwest community colleges, with support from a $5.7 million Department of Energy grant. (Wisconsin Public Radio)

SOLAR:

City officials in Rockford, Illinois, file a legal objection to a proposed 32-acre solar project on nearby farmland, saying the city plans to eventually annex the land for residential development. (Rockford Register Star)
Sedgwick County, Kansas, which includes the city of Wichita, approves new rules that include prohibiting solar farms in “urban growth areas,” effectively killing a 103 MW project proposed in 2019. (Wichita Eagle)

GRID: Wisconsin utility Alliant Energy plans to apply for regulatory approval later this year for its Energy Dome storage project, essentially a large balloon filled with compressed carbon dioxide. (E&E News, subscription; Energy News Network archive)

WIND: Omaha’s public utility makes its case for wind energy in a nearby rural county, warning that a lack of in-state generation leaves customers vulnerable to volatile prices on the open market. (KETV)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

Iowa’s attorney general leads a group of eight states supporting an Ohio lawsuit to block California’s clean car standards. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
State and federal data show electric vehicle ownership in Michigan is concentrated primarily in wealthy urban and suburban counties, with public charging infrastructure rare in rural parts of the state. (Bridge Michigan)

COAL: Federal funding will help support cleanup of a former Illinois coal mine that will be the site of a $30 million sports complex. (WSIL)

OIL & GAS: North Dakota regulators appoint Nathan Anderson, a 25-year oil industry veteran, to lead the state’s Department of Mineral Resources. (Jamestown Sun)

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Minnesota copper mine developers offer environmental safeguards is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

FirstEnergy avoids state criminal charges in $20 million settlement

Ken Paulman — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:58:47 +0000

UTILITIES: In an agreement with Ohio’s attorney general, FirstEnergy will avoid state criminal charges in the corruption scandal surrounding a 2019 bailout law by paying a $20 million settlement — a tiny fraction of the windfall the company continues to receive from ratepayers. (Ohio Capital Journal)

ALSO: Emails show a Missouri regulator urged Gov. Mike Parson to reject a rule that would have required utilities to provide zip code-level data on power shutoffs. (Energy and Policy Institute)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Minnesota lawmaker says efforts to tax electric vehicles to meet gasoline tax shortfalls are premature: “We’re not at a point where electric cars are in any way, shape or form quote-unquote ‘stealing’ from the gas tax.” (Politico)

EFFICIENCY: Developers of a data center planned in New Albany, Ohio, pledge it will use less energy and water than similar facilities, and will be powered by 100% renewable energy. (Columbus Dispatch, subscription)

SOLAR:

A pair of rural Michigan townships approve a 120 MW solar project after years of pushback and a court challenge from developers. (MLive, subscription)
New regulations being considered in Sedgwick County, Kansas, could scuttle a proposed $200 million solar farm. (Wichita Business Journal, subscription)
Officials in Douglas County in northeast Kansas consider a Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement for a proposed 159 MW solar project. (Lawrence Journal-World, subscription)
Opponents of a proposed 40 MW solar project pack a city council meeting in an Ohio town, as officials consider a new solar ordinance and whether to annex a portion of the proposed project. (Peak of Ohio)

NUCLEAR: Economic development officials in a Nebraska city are enthusiastic about being selected as a possible site for a small modular reactor. (Kearney Hub)

CLIMATE: Volunteers use heat monitors to help provide more detailed data on which parts of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area are heating up the fastest. (MPR News)

COMMENTARY:

An editorial board highlights Minnesota’s rapid transition to clean energy as an example of how Canadian provinces can do more to attract investment. (Globe and Mail)
An Iowa community college president highlights the schools’ role in training workers for the clean energy industry. (Des Moines Register)

More from the Energy News Network: Midwest | Southeast | Northeast | West

FirstEnergy avoids state criminal charges in $20 million settlement is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

What if data center demand projections are overhyped?

Ken Paulman — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:23:36 +0000

GRID: Experts warn that estimates of soaring power demand from data centers could be overblown, with the risk of leaving ratepayers on the hook for new electricity infrastructure that may not be needed. (E&E News)

CLEAN ENERGY:

Federal data shows Inflation Reduction Act tax credits for renewable energy systems were most popular in Florida and the Southwest, while people in cold-climate states were more likely to utilize energy efficiency credits. (New York Times)
Wisconsin advocates urge voters to reject two proposed state constitution amendments that would allow the Republican-controlled legislature to interfere with the distribution of federal funds in the state as it is poised to receive millions in clean energy funding. (Inside Climate News)

WIND: The failure of a Vineyard Wind turbine and the resulting pollution aren’t helping with the backlash against the energy resource, even though the break doesn’t seem to be a harbinger of further issues. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)

SOLAR:

Pivot Energy and Microsoft announce a plan to develop 150 community solar projects totalling 500 MW around the country over the next five years. (Renewable Energy World)
A Hawaii cooperative establishes a community-owned solar system aimed at bringing down power prices and achieving energy sovereignty. (Grist)

OIL & GAS:

Officials in oil and gas drilling states say complying with federal endangered species and historic preservation rules is slowing the cleanup of abandoned oil and gas wells. (Grist)
The Biden administration appeals a judge’s injunction against its pause on permitting new liquified natural gas export facilities. (Utility Dive)
U.S. oil producers set a new record for crude production last week, undercutting Donald Trump’s criticism of the Biden administration for trying to “get rid of oil.” (Politico)

CLIMATE: A series of reports finds there is little evidence that carbon markets are helping poorer nations as promised, with one such initiative dismissed as “a new form of colonialism.” (Grist)

HYDROPOWER: A study finds climate change-exacerbated drought has diminished hydropower production in Western states, leading to billions of dollars in economic losses and increased natural gas generation. (Energy Mix)

COMMENTARY:

The majority of resources receiving payouts from PJM Interconnection’s recent capacity auction are coal, gas or nuclear facilities, leading to questions of how equipped the grid operator is to navigate the energy transition, a journalist says. (Inside Climate News)
The rapid growth of data centers for artificial intelligence are consuming a disproportionate amount of power and raising power rates for local residents with few discernable benefits, write a policy analyst and North Carolina conservationist. (Energy News Network)

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What if data center demand projections are overhyped? is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.