Report | EnergyNorthwest.com

Report: Killing Clean Power Plan Could Cost Nation 560,000 Potential Jobs

June 23, 2017

If the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back the Clean Power Plan (CPP) are successful, the nation could miss out on 560,000 potential jobs and a boost of $ 52 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP), according to a report released by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

“From states with relatively small populations like Maine and Montana to highly populated states like Florida, the CPP could have substantial employment and economic benefits — benefits that would disappear with the Trump Administration’s repeal of the policy,” the June 21 report says.

The CPP has been a thorn in the side of coal proponents since it was proposed in 2014. The rule requires states to develop action plans to meet state-specific, federally-set carbon emissions reduction goals for existing coal-fired power plants.

According to the E2 report, implementation of the CPP would result in the creation of up to 560,000 jobs and add up to $ 52 billion to the nation’s GDP. Those benefits will be lost if the rule is weakened or rescinded, the report says.…

Report: Cheap Natural Gas Poised to Roil PJM Power Market

May 13, 2017

| No Comments

| Industry News

The flood of cheap Marcellus Shale gas driving massive construction of new natural gas power generation capacity could wreak havoc in the PJM power market, Moody’s Investors Service suggests in a new report.

Two of the nation’s largest power markets, Texas and California, already pose a “distressed environment” for unregulated power companies owing to declining market prices, the credit ratings agency said. Now, a glut of new gas generation in PJM—where new plants are expected to add up to 100 TWh, boosting gas power capacity 25%, by 2021—is poised to increase supply “amid little prospect of growth in demand,” it said.

The agency noted that PJM’s latest forecast report indicates load growth has declined over the last decade, with system load falling to 790 TWh in 2015 from 822 TWh in 2005. Peak demand has also fallen to 143 GW in 2015 from 154 GW in 2005. “Over the past few years PJM has also repeatedly cut its forecasts, and the grid operator currently projects weather-adjusted peak demand growth of only 0.2% per year over the next 10 years,” the report says.…

Report: Global Renewable Investment Down, Capacity Grows

April 11, 2017

| No Comments

| Industry News

Global new renewable power capacity grew in 2016 even as global new investment in renewables dropped, according to a report commissioned by the United Nations Environment Program out April 6.

The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2017 report found that global investment in renewables—excluding large hydro—fell in 2016 by 23% to $ 241.6 billion. That total represented the lowest global investment since 2013.

Global renewable power capacity grew 8% in 2016. “Wind, solar, biomass and waste-to-energy, geothermal, small hydro and marine sources between them added 138.5GW, up from 127.5GW in the previous year,” according to the report.

The reason for the drop in investment is twofold, the report says. “One was lower costs, with average dollar capital expenditure per MW down by more than 10% for solar photovoltaics, onshore wind and offshore wind, improving the competitiveness of those technologies,” according to the report. “The other was not so positive – there was a marked slowdown in financings in China, Japan and some emerging markets during the course of the year.…