A recent report published by ISO-New England, the Operational Fuel Security Analysis, has certainly grabbed the region’s attention. “The ISO has been able to maintain power system reliability during severe winter conditions without using all its emergency procedures,” the report says. “However, the evolving generation mix is increasingly susceptible to variable and uncertain factors.” The study… Keep reading →
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The future depends on what you do today.” At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, we believe the ability to address the most challenging problems in science, energy, the environment and national security—both as a national laboratory and as a nation—depends upon our ability to inspire and prepare the next generation of scientists… Keep reading →
The Washington Post last week reported a leaked White House document that revealed a far-reaching set of proposals to streamline the environmental review process for infrastructure projects.
Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a momentous final decision to close the state’s last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon. This outcome represents the culmination of over a year of effort initiated by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) in 2016. When PG&E first brought this to the commission, they called for the… Keep reading →
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is still up and running despite the shutdown affecting most of the federal government.
With the East Coast shivering from the effects of something the weather folks have dubbed a “bomb cyclone,” a couple things come to mind: Gratitude for abundant natural gas that affordably heats homes and reliably fuels electricity generation. Dismay that for some in the U.S. – the world’s leading producer of natural gas and oil –… Keep reading →
As oil and gas production increases, so does the risk of toxic waste leaking to the environment. The massive amount of briny wastewater generated from oil and gas development can cause serious damage if it comes into contact with the public or our environment. Consider what happened to the Johnsons, a 4th generation ranching family in… Keep reading →
Western Area Power Administration is celebrating 40 years of service to its customers on Thursday, Dec. 21—the anniversary of its official designation as WAPA. WAPA was created, Oct. 1, 1977, as part of the same legislation that created the Department of Energy: the Energy Organization Act of 1977. That day, about 900 employees responsible for… Keep reading →
We are constantly researching and creating innovative ways to make natural gas-fueled energy generation cleaner. Whether it’s responsibly developing natural gas in such abundance that many utilities are converting old power plants to run on cleaner, more affordable fuels or investing billions to improve the environmental performance of refineries and the products they deliver, like lower-sulfur gas for vehicles, the… Keep reading →
A federal agency reports that shale gas production in Appalachia has jumped more than 14 billion cubic feet per day since 2012.
