The 3rd Annual Grid Modernization Index, a ranking of the progress of states and D.C. toward developing a modernized electric grid, once again scores California on top, followed by Illinois, Texas, Maryland and Delaware.
The rankings by the GridWise Alliance advocacy group are based on survey data from June through October 2015 that tracks grid modernization policies, investment levels and activities.
“Electricity lies at the heart of our economy, and it must evolve to serve the needs of an increasingly low-carbon, always-on, digital economy,” said Steve Hauser, CEO of the GridWise Alliance. “We are pleased to see continued progress across the country this year, but the survey shows that we are just getting started.”
More: GridWise Alliance
Scientists Declare 2015 as Hottest on Record
Scientists said that 2015 was the world’s hottest year on record, breaking 2014’s record, and it was the second-warmest on record for the lower 48 states.
“The globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for 2015 was the highest among all years since record keeping began in 1880,” said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information. “During the final month, the December combined global land and ocean average surface temperature was the highest on record for any month in the 136-year record.”
The globally averaged land surface temperature was 2.39 F above the 20th century average, the NOAA report said.
More: The New York Times
EIA Predicts Short-Term Increase in Renewables
The Energy Information Administration said it expects renewable energy sources to increase by about 9.5% in the U.S. in 2016 but said it doesn’t expect much of a boost in subsequent years because of the recently extended energy tax credits.
EIA said that “most plants that will enter service in 2016 are already being developed. Impacts in 2017 depend on how many wind and solar projects are already in the development queue but not yet under construction.”
The report also anticipates a 4.6% increase in hydro generation this year because of increased rainfall, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
More: Energy Information Administration
Obama Administration Moves to Stop Methane Leaks
The Department of the Interior on Friday unveiled regulations that will mandate that energy companies reduce methane leaks at wells drilled on federal or Native American land. It is yet another attempt by the Obama administration to take steps to combat climate change.
The leaking or venting of methane from federal or Native American land released about 375 billion cubic feet of methane into the atmosphere between 2009 and 2014, according to the government. The new regulations would impact more than 100,000 oil wells that currently produce about 10% of the country’s natural gas.
The oil and gas industry oppose the regulations, which would put new limits on venting and flaring excess natural gas, a practice used to reduce pressure on oil wellheads. The regulations will also call for more frequent inspections to check for leaks. The regulations represent the first major update of such controls in 30 years.
More: The Washington Post
Duke CEO Good Says CPP Will Shift Focus to Nuclear
Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good said the federal Clean Power Plan, with its stringent emissions regulations, is going to force many of the nation’s coal-fired plants to close. Good said she thinks the CPP and carbon limits will eventually shift the spotlight to nuclear energy.
Speaking at the CEO Series of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, in North Carolina, Good noted that there is a resurgence in nuclear power in China, where 25 reactors are under construction. Five are under construction in the U.S. Most new American power plants use cheap natural gas, which reduces carbon emissions compared to coal, but doesn’t completely eliminate greenhouse gases as nuclear power does.
“I hope nuclear becomes a part of the conversation, at the right time when we recognize the importance of that resource,” she said. “I hope we can work that out as a country and figure out how we are going to put nuclear in the mix.”
More: Charlotte Business Journal
Trans-Peco Pipeline Earns OK in FERC Environmental Study
A FERC environmental assessment has determined that Energy Transfer Partners’ Trans-Peco pipeline, which would deliver natural gas from Texas to Mexico, would have no detrimental effect on the environment.
The natural gas exported to northern Mexico would replace coal as a power plant fuel, but opponents vow they will continue to fight the project. Other state and federal permits are still needed before it can go forward.
“At a personal level, I am outraged over the FERC’s decision,” said Coyne Gibson, a leader in the opposition movement. “At best, this represents a complete and total failure of a federal regulatory agency’s oversight responsibility under the law.”
More: Big Bend Now
FERC Approves 4 Hydro Projects Along Yazoo Basin
FERC has approved licenses for four projects to be built at flood control facilities along the Yazoo River Basin in Mississippi, according to the projects’ developer, FFP New Hydro.
The company, which is a subsidiary of US Renewables Group, said it expects to begin construction in 2017 and have all four units go into operation in 2018. The four facilities would have a capacity of 33.3 MW. They would all be located at dams owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“The development of the Yazoo River Basin hydropower projects will represent an investment of more than $80 million in the state of Mississippi, creating hundreds of jobs during construction, operations and maintenance,” said FFP New Hydro CEO Ramya Swaminathan.
More: Hydroworld
Six Missouri River Dams Yield Tepid Energy Production in 2015
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reporting that electricity generation from the Missouri River’s six dams in the Dakotas, Montana and Nebraska fell below average in 2015. The cause is attributed to a reduced water flow because water is being retained in upstream reservoirs.
According to the corps, the six dams produced 8.5 billion kWh last year, compared to 9.6 billion kWh in 2014. Since 1967, the dams have generated an average 9.3 billion kWh annually. Mike Swenson, a corps engineer in Omaha, said 9.6 billion kWh of electricity production is expected from the dams in 2016 based upon rainwater runoff estimates.
More: The Republic