The largest US nuclear plant owner Exelon said it may shut nuclear facilities to shore up its balance sheet if profits do not improve this year. Historically low natural gas prices and renewable energy sources have decreased the price the utility receives for the power it sells. “Exelon owns 10 nuclear power plants, six of… Keep reading →
Quick Take: Berg Insight is out with its latest “Smart Metering in Europe” research report. I’ve listed 12 highlights below. I found item #12 the most intriguing. Until recently, Europe has been a wireless holdout. But once its system is fully deployed, the UK will become the world’s largest wireless smart meter deployment to date.… Keep reading →
Here’s a Chinese riddle: how does GDP growth slow, growth in oil consumption stutter to its lowest levels in a decade, pollution skyrocket and growth in electricity consumption pick up? Below, we break down two essential themes on the relationship between China’s electricity consumption, pollution and GDP growth. Electricity is Often Used as a Gauge… Keep reading →
For many utilities there is a razor-thin difference in the price of electricity generated by natural gas and by coal. Slight changes in fuel price can produce dramatic swings in production costs, creating market opportunities for utilities with both gas- and coal-fired assets. Utilities considering new gas-fired assets have several options. Key among them is… Keep reading →
As the Sochi Winter Olympics comes to a close, we look at a different type of medal count. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does paint a pretty clear picture about the biggest players in the market. Going for gold? Unlike curling or the bobsled, we aren’t saying it’s always good to… Keep reading →
A group of Stanford University researchers published the results of a methane leakage study on February 14 in Science that found volumes of the potent greenhouse gas released from US oil & natural gas development and infrastructure exceeds EPA estimates. “According to the new research, all told, the U.S. leaks about 14 million metric tons… Keep reading →
A huge coal ash spill was discovered on February 2 at the Duke Energy power plant in North Carolina that has caused significant damage to the Dan River. The spill was caused when a storm drain pipe that runs underneath the 27-acre containment pond sprung a leak and allowed 82,000 tons of ash mixed 27… Keep reading →
Egypt was recently forced to divert natural gas from LNG export projects to domestic power generation and industrial sectors, and there is no relief in sight. One of the major challenges facing leadership are the substantial energy subsidies that keep gasoline prices below market levels, which is a common issue throughout the region. Keeping the… Keep reading →
In an interview with Oilprice.com, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven, discussed what the IEA called back in 2011 “a golden age of gas”. This new era was ushered in by the scale of unconventional natural gas resources found in U.S. shale formations accompanied by the absolutely essential advances in technology… Keep reading →
The 377 MW Ivanpah solar plant started up in California today amid controversy over wildlife apparently killed by the intense heat emitted from the solar receivers located on top of the facility’s “power towers.” 3,500 acres of specially-designed mirrors focus the sun’s radiation on the towers, which convert water to steam used to spins power-generating… Keep reading →
