Energy

Reuters reports: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Wednesday he will pump $500 million into the next phase of his energy transition campaign, aiming to shut down “every last” coal plant in the United States and slash gas-fired capacity in half by 2030. The $500 million infusion into his decade-long Beyond Carbon initiative aims to “finish the …

ABC News reports: Three power substation facilities were vandalized in Pierce County, Washington, on Christmas morning, knocking out power to more than 14,000 customers, authorities said. Two of the break-ins were at Tacoma Public Utilities substations and the third was at a Puget Sound Energy station, according to the sheriff’s office in Pierce County, which encompasses Tacoma. No suspects are …

The Texas Tribune reports: The U.S. Department of Energy has cleared the way for Texas power plants to pollute more than is usually allowed, such as by burning dirtier fuel oil instead of natural gas, to keep the electricity on through Christmas morning. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas asked for permission to exceed normal federal air quality restrictions after …

Yahoo News reports: The U.S. Department of Energy announced a breakthrough in nuclear fusion on Tuesday that puts the world one step closer to harnessing an abundant energy source free from carbon emissions and long-lived radioactive waste. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm confirmed that scientists achieved a reaction that created more energy than was used — known as a net …

CBS News reports: The U.S. Department of Energy said Sunday it would announce a “major scientific breakthrough” this week, after media reported a federal laboratory had recently achieved a major milestone in nuclear fusion research. The Financial Times reported Sunday that scientists in the California-based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) had achieved a “net energy gain” from an experimental fusion …

The Associated Press reports: U.K. residents will see an 80% increase in their annual household energy bills, the country’s energy regulator announced Friday, following a record 54% spike in April. That will bring costs for the average customer from 1,971 pounds ($2,332) a year to 3,549 pounds. The latest price cap — the maximum amount that gas suppliers can charge …

The Texas Tribune reports: After six power plants went down unexpectedly Friday — and with hot weather expected across Texas this weekend — the Electric Reliability Council of Texas on Friday evening is asking consumers to conserve electricity through Sunday. Texans are asked to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or above between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. this weekend …

The Hill reports: Wind power was the number-two source for power generation in the U.S. for the first time ever on March 29, surpassing coal and nuclear power, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Thursday. Wind turbines in the continental U.S. produced 2,017 gigawatthours of electricity on the 29th, according to data from the EIA. While there have been …

The Texas Tribune reports: Russian hackers have been probing Texas’ energy infrastructure for weak points in digital systems that would allow them to steal sensitive information or disrupt operations, according to interviews with energy companies, state officials and cybersecurity experts. State regulators and energy companies — from utilities to oil and gas transportation hubs to their associated vendors — said …

Courthouse News reports: With a 40-7 vote by the city council, New York City became the largest U.S. city to bar the use of natural gas for building heat, setting a significant precedent for other cities and states to follow as part of a nationwide effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The legislation, which will ban natural gas hookups …

The Texas Tribune reports: Oil and gas industry groups had a heavy hand in choosing representatives to serve on a council intended to ensure energy and electricity operations continue during extreme weather conditions, emails provided to The Texas Tribune and confirmed by the Texas Railroad Commission show. The February power outages caused the deaths of as many as 700 people, …

The Hill reports: Solar energy could supply nearly half of the nation’s electricity nationwide by 2050 in a scenario where the U.S. reaches net-zero carbon emissions, according to a study released Wednesday by the Department of Energy. The Department’s Solar Futures study analyzes three possible scenarios, including two in which the U.S. grid is 95 percent decarbonized by 2035 and …

The New York Daily News reports: Mayor de Blasio pleaded for New Yorkers to reduce their power use on Wednesday afternoon as the city baked in temperatures approaching triple digits. “We need people to take immediate action,” the mayor said in a news conference after the mercury spiked to 98 degrees at LaGuardia Airport, setting an all-time record for the …

The Texas Tribune reports: Texans no longer need to cut back on their electricity use to avoid stressing the electrical grid, according to the current grid conditions on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas website. Consumers may return to normal usage of electricity after a week that stressed the grid — and Texans’ anxieties. For five days, ERCOT warned that …

The Daily Dot reports: Power companies in Texas are remotely raising temperatures inside of some customers’ homes amid the state’s ongoing energy shortage. Residents with Google’s Nest thermostats received messages noting that their temperatures had been adjusted during an “Energy Rush Hour.” The issue comes shortly after the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the state’s power grid manager, called …

The Dallas Morning News reports: The electric vehicle maker Canoo announced Thursday that it would take a mega-factory and thousands of high-paying jobs to the Tulsa region, citing Oklahoma’s “energy-forward initiatives.” North Texas was “definitely in the race” in the multistate competition for the new assembly plant, but Texas energy infrastructure issues and other factors led the company to choose …

Fox News reports: Texans scared of summer power outages are rushing to purchase generators. According to a report from Fox 7, local hardware shops and manufacturers alike are seeing an exponential increase in demand for the machines. The Houston Chronicle reported earlier this week that electricians say there is a backlog of customers waiting to have them installed. This comes …

Houston’s ABC News affiliate reports: Texans are being asked to conserve power yet again, as the state works to prevent rolling blackouts. The request comes due to a significant number of forced generation outages combined with the potential for record electric use this month. ERCOT is asking everyone to set their thermostat to 78 degrees when at home, and higher …

The Texas Tribune reports: Texas’ main power grid struggled to keep up with the demand for electricity Monday, prompting the operator to ask Texans to conserve power until Friday. The conservation request comes at a time of heightened anxiety around electricity following the state’s catastrophic February power outages that left millions without power for days. Those outages that were prompted …

NPR reports: The Transportation Security Administration, in the wake of the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline that caused widespread gasoline disruptions earlier this month, has announced new reporting requirements for pipeline operators. In a security directive, the TSA, which oversees pipeline cybersecurity, said it will now require that pipeline operators report any cyberattacks on their systems to the federal …