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Be Careful What You Wish For: Natural Gas/Propane Water Heater Bans Would Increase Both Carbon Emissions AND Energy Costs in 36 States

March 16, 2023

Laws passed in California, New York, and several other states to ban natural gas and propane water heating are often presented as models for the rest of the nation. However, an independent study finds that this policy would increase carbon emissions in 36 states by an average of 6 % and increase household energy cost by $ 176 per year. Study results are based on ZIP-level..
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N.J. will increase targets for offshore wind production to help battle climate change, Murphy says

September 22, 2022

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday he wants New Jersey to rely more on offshore electric wind generation to help the state cut its greenhouse gas emissions and run on renewable energy to fight climate change. Murphy, appearing alongside New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in New York City, said the new goal is for the state to increase offshore electric..
Energy Central…

French President Calls for Major Increase in Nuclear Power, Offshore Wind

February 12, 2022

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France, already a world leader in nuclear power generation, plans to build at least six new reactors, with President Emmanuel Macron on Feb. 10 saying the country will consider building an additional eight on top of that as it also moves forward with developing small modular reactors (SMR).

Macron, who is up for re-election in April, made the comments during an appearance Thursday at GE Steam Power’s manufacturing site at Belfort in eastern France. He said nuclear power is critical to the country’s efforts to increase its output of carbon-free electricity as it moves away from coal and natural gas. Macron also said his country would add more renewable energy, including as many as 50 offshore wind installations that would enable France to have 40 GW of offshore wind generation capacity in service by 2050.

French officials recently said the country would allow its last two operational coal-fired power plants to operate far more than usually permitted through at least the end of February due to about a dozen of France’s 56 existing reactors being offline for maintenance.…

Major India Utility Plans Massive Increase in Renewable Energy

October 19, 2021

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The chief executive of major India electricity producer Tata Power said his company is prepared to make major investments in renewable energy, primarily solar and also wind power, as the group looks to increase its clean energy portfolio from its present 4 GW to 25 GW by 2030.

Praveer Sinha, Tata Power’s CEO and managing director, told Nikkei Asia that “for a country like India, renewable is very good source” for power production. He said India’s sunny climate provides the country with “huge potential” for solar power, “so for us, this is a very important opportunity to leverage and see how we can increase our generation through renewable sources.”

Sinha told the news service that Tata could provide “excellent 24/7 renewable solutions” via solar, wind, and other clean energy sources. Tata Power, part of Tata Group, India’s largest conglomerate, has said it would like to add 2 GW of new renewable generation annually over the next decade. Renewable energy today makes up about 30% of the company’s generation.…

NRC Cites Problems at Vogtle, May Increase Project Oversight

August 30, 2021

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The post NRC Cites Problems at Vogtle, May Increase Project Oversight appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Continuing issues with the two-unit expansion of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia have led federal regulators to say they are considering increasing oversight of the project. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Aug. 26, in a letter to Southern Nuclear, which is leading the project along with its sister company Georgia Power, released its findings from an inspection conducted earlier this summer, with the agency reporting problems that could threaten the plant’s operation.

The Plant Vogtle project has been beset by numerous delays over the past several years, and is billions of dollars over budget. The NRC said its inspection came after Georgia Power earlier this year disclosed quality control issues with the expansion.

The NRC said it uncovered problems with electrical cables and systems that it said were apparently not installed correctly, including in some cases installed too close together.…

California Will Add Gas-Fired Units to Increase Power Supply

August 22, 2021

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The post California Will Add Gas-Fired Units to Increase Power Supply appeared first on POWER Magazine.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved licenses for gas-fired power units to help the state cope with continued electricity shortages. The move comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier declared a state of emergency for California’s power grid.

The state’s Dept. of Water Resources is procuring what it called five temporary gas-fueled generators, each with generation capacity of 30 MW, to install at existing power plants. The CEC on Aug. 17 approved licenses, good for up to five years, for the generators.

Newsom’s order, issued in July, is designed to free up additional energy capacity in the state. It came during a major heat wave and was partly in response to the Bootleg Fire in Oregon, which threatened the regional power transmission system and California’s power supply. The governor’s order suspends certain permitting requirements, and allows the use of backup power generation, with a goal of alleviating heat-related supply demands on the power grid.…