Welcome to your Friday Rundown for the week ending Jan. 26. Feedback is always welcome at info@clearpathaction.org.
DEFINING THE VALUE OF GRID RESILIENCY
Bruce Walker, the Department of Energy’s top electricity official, told the Senate Energy panel Jan. 23 that a “detailed analysis” of North American power grid resiliency “should be a top priority” of his office. At a hearing on the challenges facing the grid evidenced during the recent winter storms, Walker added that having on-site fuel such as nuclear is important to balance any difficulties from less-firm resources.
RELATED NEWS:FERC last Friday approved the PennEast Pipeline, a 120-mile, $1 billion project that would transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to the Northeast. UTILITY DIVE
Andrew Ott, head of regional transmission organization PJM, told the Senate panel that “certainly, we couldn’t survive without gas … without coal [and] without nuclear. … Each of these was online when we needed them.” On a scale of one to 10, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Kevin McIntyre rated the risk to the power grid of coal and nuclear plant retirements at a five. “I say that on the basis just of what we know today of the resilience challenges,” he said.
Six regional transmission organizations have until March to detail to FERC risks to the grid and steps that could be taken and Walker said that would be taken into account with his office’s analysis.
WHY WHOLESALE MARKET PRICE REFORM IS STILL NEEDED
ClearPath has been pushing for FERC to complete a review of wholesale market price formation given that the current structure is under-compensating all generators, and particularly nuclear that runs 24/7/365.
Our Executive Director Rich Powell made a video back when FERC was lacking a quorum, explaining that a full commission was needed to restart this effort. The tie-in between needed changes in wholesale market pricing and the push to expand next-generation nuclear generation is still quite timely:
WHY FERC MATTERS FOR NUCLEAR’S FUTURE
CLEARPATH CLASSROOM
Check out our quick snapshot of what’s happening in energy innovation as part of our Energy 101 series, which is designed to assist even the busiest layperson in gaining an elementary grasp of the byzantine world of clean energy. The series also includes short introductions to what’s happening with carbon capture, nuclear, hydropower and natural gas.
Bipartisan approach to combat climate change stuck in Congress USA TODAY
Moody’s: Carbon Capture Tech Can Slow Decline of Coal Industry QUARTZ
NuScale Power’s small modular reactor is a big deal FORBES
Off-the-shelf nuclear plants could soon power electric cars BLOOMBERG
Massachusetts taps Northern Pass for Canada-U.S. hydro project AP
Wind set to surpass hydro as biggest U.S. renewable power source EIA
THE PATH AHEAD
TUESDAYHouse Science hearing on “Department of Energy: Management and Priorities.” Witnesses are DOE Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes and Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar. DETAILS
TUESDAYSenate Energy votes on Melissa Burnison to be assistant secretary of Energy for congressional and intergovernmental affairs. DETAILS
