The Arkansas chapter of the Sierra Club released the “2016 Arkansas Clean Air Solution,” which calls on Entergy to shut down Arkansas’ two largest power plants, Independence and White Bluff, by 2027.
Sierra Club said the plan would help the state meet federal clean air safeguards under the Regional Haze Rule. EPA is set to finalize a regional haze plan for Arkansas in August. Under the agency’s proposal, the two plants will be required to significantly reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide.
Entergy has said it plans to stop burning coal at White Bluff by 2028.
More: Arkansas Business
Mississippi Co-op Eyes Large-Scale Solar
South Mississippi Electric Cooperative and Delta Electric Power Association say they are ready to begin generating electricity using a 100-kW solar system recently installed on the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta. Atlanta-based Hannah Solar installed the 360 panels, which are situated behind Delta Electric’s offices in Greenwood, Miss.
David O’Bryan, Delta Electric’s general manager, said an official commissioning ceremony is scheduled in late March. He said customers in surveys called for more solar plants.
South Mississippi Electric is currently constructing four other similar solar plants in Mississippi, with the goal of partnering with Origis Energy USA to build a large-scale solar facility in southern Mississippi, capable of powering 10,000 homes.
More: Mississippi Business Journal
PSEG Solar Source Buys 36-MW Plant in Colorado
PSEG Solar Source, PSEG’s merchant solar generation arm, bought a 36.3-MW solar project in Colorado from juwi Inc. The $54 million acquisition brings the company’s total solar portfolio to 16 utility-scale projects.
The PSEG Larimer Solar Energy Center is about 25 miles north of Fort Collins, Colo., and has a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Platte River Power Authority. The project was originally called the Rawhide Flats Solar facility. It was built on a 290-acre site own by PRPA. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
“We are delighted to be a part of an initiative that contributes to growing Colorado’s clean energy supply,” said Diana Drysdale, president of PSEG Solar Source.
More: PSEG
LG&E, KU Install 10,000 Smart Meters
Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities have offered a limited number of free smart meters for residential and small business customers. The new meters are linked to a website that allows customers to monitor their electricity usage in 15-minute increments. The PPL-owned utilities say the meters will allow customers to better understand their electric consumption.
The program is limited to the first 5,000 LG&E and 5,000 KU customers who enroll. The utilities said they will track participation and interest levels this year to determine if the program should be continued.
The smart meter installation program is separate from KU’s demand conservation program, which uses a device attached to central air conditioning and heat pumps to temporarily interrupt service on peak days to reduce system load.
More: Lexington Herald-Leader
Dairyland, Xcel Announce Plans to Double Wisconsin’s Solar
Dairyland Power Cooperative and Xcel Energy have announced plans that will add almost 22 MW of solar capacity in Wisconsin, doubling the amount of utility-scale solar generation in the state.
Dairyland is buying the output from 12 solar arrays with a combined capacity of almost 19 MW. Xcel has entered into contracts to purchase the output of solar gardens in the western part of the state for about 3 MW.
Xcel is adding solar throughout the Midwest and said it plans to have more than 250 MW of solar in Minnesota by the end of this year.
More: LaCrosse Tribune
Chesapeake Energy not Drilling in Ohio Anymore
Once the biggest natural gas driller in Ohio, Chesapeake Energy no longer has any rigs operating in the state. The nation’s second-largest gas producer, which has been shedding assets and cutting costs in the face of low energy prices, announced fourth-quarter losses of $2.2 billion, compared to $639 million in profits the year before.
While many oil and gas drilling companies are scaling back, few have shown such a drastic reduction in Ohio’s Utica shale fields as Chesapeake. Two years ago, the Oklahoma City company had 64 rigs operating across the country. It now plans to operate four to seven nationwide.
More: Columbus Business First
Exelon Wind Turbine Collapses During Snowstorm in Michigan
A wind turbine at an Exelon wind farm in Huron County, Mich., collapsed during a snowstorm last week but caused no injuries or damage, county and company officials said.
The turbine toppled about 5 a.m. on Thursday during a period of high winds and heavy snow. The closest residence is about 2,200 feet from the fallen turbine and mast. Company officials said an investigation is underway to determine the cause.
More: Mlive
PSEG Names New President of PSEG Nuclear
Peter Sena, who has held a number of executive and operational positions at FirstEnergy and NextEra Energy, has been named president of PSEG Nuclear. He will report to PSEG Power President William Levis.
Sena comes to PSEG from NextEra, where he was senior vice president of operations and chief operations officer. Before that, he spent 15 years with FirstEnergy’s nuclear generation organization.
He is a U.S. Navy veteran and holds a degree in fuel science from Pennylvania State University. He has served as a member of Penn State’s Nuclear Engineering Advisory Board and currently serves on Auburn University’s advisory board.
More: PSEG