Solar energy and batteries are making it easier for utilities to meet surging electricity demand during extreme heat , but prolonged high temperatures are exposing other vulnerabilities in the grid. Why it matters: Electricity demand rises as air conditioners work harder in extreme heat, while high temperatures can make parts of the system less efficient and put additional stress on equipment. The big picture: Climate change is extending periods of extreme heat just as electrification and data centers add new loads, leaving parts of the grid working harder for longer. Between the lines: Michael Webber, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin, tells Axios that grid operators face a "triple whammy" under…
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie is pushing a sweeping legislative package that would streamline approvals for pipelines, power plants, and transmission lines, a move Republicans say is overdue as electricity demand surges and red tape stalls new projects. Guthrie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced the Permitting Our Way to an Energy Resurgence Act, […] The post House Republicans unveil 96-page energy permitting overhaul to cut costs and speed construction appeared first on American Almanac .
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie is pushing a sweeping legislative package that would streamline approvals for pipelines, power plants, and transmission lines, a move Republicans say is overdue as electricity demand surges and red tape stalls new projects. Guthrie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced the Permitting Our Way to an Energy Resurgence Act, dubbed the POWER Act, as a discussion draft on Wednesday. The 96-page bill bundles nearly 20 GOP proposals into a single package aimed at overhauling the federal permitting process, strengthening grid reliability, and shielding ratepayers from rising electricity costs driven by data center construction. The bill lands with fewer than two dozen legislative days left…Open
Much of the concerns around data centers have been fears they will contribute to rising energy costs for the local community, but, as Trump noted, many increasingly opt for producing their own electricity due to the inability of local grids to support their operations.
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a rate hike for Consumers Energy that will allow the utility to collect an additional $276.6 million in revenue from its electricity customers.
In a letter to ISO-New England, which operates the regional electric grid, Ayotte called for reforms to the so-called Day-Ahead Ancillary Services Market.
Last June, APS filed paperwork with the Arizona Corporation Commission to increase its rates by 14%. However, state Attorney General Kris Mayes filed expert testimony opposing the hike last week, saying it should be limited to 3%.
The department said the package is expected to lower American energy costs, create thousands of jobs, and increase grid reliability in Georgia and Alabama.
A majority of Trump-coalition voters back solar power, especially if the panels are made in the U.S. and without Chinese materials, polling shared exclusively with Axios shows. Why it matters: Trump officials are moving against renewables on several fronts, including Interior Department permitting restrictions and the GOP budget law hastening the end of project subsidies. - But the poll commissioned by U.S. manufacturer First Solar suggests that a big swath of his coalition is partial to the tech. Driving the news: Fabrizio, Lee & Associates polled what it calls a "GOP+" sample — a mix of Republicans, GOP-leaning independents and Trump voters. - It found 51% favor utility-scale solar (large plants that generate electricity fed…
The North American Reliability Corporation's latest long-term assessment warns that half the U.S. will face increased risks of blackouts during winter storms as demand for electricity increases while coal- and natural gas-fired power plants are retired.