Alstom Pulls Out of Joint Ventures with GE

Alstom SA has decided to pull out of three joint energy ventures with General Electric, which will leave GE on the hook for $3.1 billion.

GE had originally merged Alstom with its GE Power & Water business in 2015 for $10.6 billion, forming GE Power. However, the French company retained options to exit the renewable energy, nuclear and infrastructure businesses created as part of the deal.

The move comes as GE was already bracing for a tough year in its power division after enduring poor performance in 2017 due to tight market conditions, business execution mistakes and other charges, GE executives said.

Report: Nuclear Closings Could Harm Resiliency

Though PJM Interconnection just indicated it foresees no problems to the resiliency of its system should four nuclear units operated by FirstEnergy close, a new report by HIS Markit disagrees and indicates significant consequences.

Should nuclear plants in the area shut down as expected, including the three operated by FirstEnergy as well as Three Mile Island and Oyster Creek, IHM Markit predicted PJM’s capacity would become less resilient, especially during extreme weather events.

The report also predicted a nine to 18 percent cost increase for customers, A total decline in consumer annual net benefit from PJM grid-based electricity of $5-12 billion per year and increased carbon emissions.

Shell Purchases Majority Interest in GI Energy

GI Endurant, LLC dba GI Energy announced that an affiliate of Shell New Energies, U.S. LLC has made a strategic investment in GIE, purchasing a majority and controlling interest.

The existing GIE management team remains in place and has expanded to include Dan McDevitt and Libby Edgar, as COO and CFO, respectively. Operations continue to be carried out from GIE’s headquarters in Chicago, and offices in New York and California.

GIE’s customers include real estate developers, campuses, municipalities, hospitals and utilities. These all require a provider that has the ability to operate at scale.

Backers Pursue Storage Project Along Columbia River

Two major developers are pursuing efforts to build an energy storage project along the Columbia River in Washington state.

The Herald-Republic reports that the project aims to use excess power generated by wind turbines to pump water from a lower reservoir along the Columbia River to an upper reservoir. Water is later released through turbines when power is needed.

The project would be located in Goldendale near the John Day Dam.

In March the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a new preliminary permit to Rye Development and National Grid to study the feasibility of the project. They’re working with the Klickitat PUD, which previously received preliminary permits to study and develop a similar project.

NTE Energy Announces Super-Efficient Gas Plant

NTE Energy announced they’re developing what the company’s calling South Carolina’s most efficient power plant in Anderson County.

When operational in 2024, the gas-fired Anderson County Energy Center will have a capacity of 1,000 MW. NTE anticipates it will spend more than $1 billion to finish it and promises to include “some of the most efficient and environmentally-friendly technologies currently available.”

NTE is already constructing other gas plants in nearby North Carolina, including the 475-MW Kings Mountain Energy Center and the 475-MW Reidsville Energy Center, which will become fully operational by 2021.

Enbridge to Sell 49 Percent of Its Renewable Assets

Enbridge announced it will sell a 49 percent interest in various North American renewable power assets and the Hohe See wind project off the shore of Germany to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

The North American assets include all of Enbridge’s Canadian renewable power assets and two assets in the United States; namely the Cedar Point Wind Farm in Colorado and the Silver State North Solar Project in Nevada. All other U.S. renewable power assets will remain held by Enbridge, though the company said they could be monetized or sold later.

As part of the agreement Enbridge will continue to manage and operate the sites, with Enbridge and CPPIB jointly funding the expansion of Hohe See. CPPIB’s commitment is estimated at $500 million.

Additionally, the two companies will jointly pursue future European offshore wind projects.

DOE Seeking to Create Small Modular Coal Plants

While various organizations race to complete small-scale modular nuclear reactors, the U.S. Department of Energy is hoping to do the same thing with coal.

The DOE issued a request for information for input on the development of small-scale, modular coal power plants. In its request, the DOE noted it wants to create coal plants that provide stable power generation with operational flexibility, high efficiency and low emissions.

Potential stakeholders are asked to provide input on technical and market considerations to help inform the design, construction and operation of a pilot-scale plant. Such plants need to be low-cost, small scale, greater than 40 percent efficiency and able to load follow to meet the demands of an evolving grid.

Solar Surpasses Biomass in US

Though solar technology has dominated power generation headlines for years, it wasn’t until 2017 that solar generation became the third-biggest renewable energy source in the United States.

That estimation comes from the Energy Information Administration, which estimates solar resources reached 77 million MWh last year, passing biomass, which generated 64 million MWh. While solar has continually grown in recent years, biomass resources have held steady since at least 2014.

Hydro remained the king of renewable energy at 300 million MWh, with wind in second place at 254 million MWh.

EIA noted a full 21 percent of total utility-scale solar generation capacity additions happened in December of last year, with 29 percent happening in December 2016.

California Seeks to Loosen Navy’s Restrictions on Offshore Wind

The U.S. Navy has decreed large sections of the California coast off-limits to offshore wind development, including all of San Diego and Los Angeles counties.

But California officials are hoping to convince the Navy to develop a more flexible plan, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Navy officials have said part of the restrictions are due to the Point Mugu Sea Range and the Southern California Range Complex, which reserves 120,000 square miles of the ocean for training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready forces in what was called the largest concentration of naval forces in the world. Steve Chung, the Navy’s encroachment program director for the southwest region, said the area already accommodates marine traffic and civilian air traffic.

Arkansas Approves 2 GW Wind Catcher Project

The huge Wind Catcher project took another step closer to reality with approval from the Arkansas Public Service Commission.

Wind Catcher, under development by American Electric Power in the Oklahoma panhandle, is set to install 2,000 MW of wind turbines at a cost of $4.5 billion, as well as a 350-mile power line that will carry the energy to Tulsa. The project will include 800 2.5 MW wind turbines from GE Renewable Energy.

Power generated will be delivered to Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

Regulators Reject Dominion’s Renewable Energy Proposal

State regulators are rejecting Dominion Energy’s plan to offer ١٠٠ percent renewable energy plans to its big customers, saying the electric monopoly›s proposal isn›t fair or reasonable.

The State Corporation Commission issued a ruling Monday saying Dominion’s proposed renewable plan would give the company “extraordinary discretion” in setting prices.

The ruling is a win for third-party energy providers who are hoping to grow their share of business in Virginia.

2018 Capacity Additions Predicted at 10-Year High

The latest prediction from the Energy Information Administrationanticipates nearly 32 GW to come online in 2018, the most in any year over the past decade.

Of that total, 21 GW is expected to be natural gas, making 2018 the first year since 2013 renewables were not a majority of added capacity.

About half of the natural gas additions will be added to the PJM Regional Transmission Organization.

Last year, renewable generation accounted for 55 percent of the 21 GW of new capacity. As of February, renewable sources accounted for 22 percent of added capacity.

Wind Developers Land Contracts for 3,500 MW of New Development

Demand for wind energy continues to grow, with utilities and non-utilities alike signing contracts for 3,500 MW of new wind developments in the United States in the first quarter, the American Wind Energy Association reported.

Additionally, 33,449 MW of wind power capacity is under construction or in advanced development including 36 new projects representing 5,523 MW announced in the first quarter.

Of that total, 1,366 MW is now under construction.

The full 3,449 MW of wind under development is 40 percent ahead of the first quarter of 2017.

Vermont Reduces Incentives for Renewables

Vermont regulators are reducing the financial incentives for electric customers who install renewable energy systems such as solar panels and get a credit on their bills for providing power to the grid.

The Vermont Public Utility Commission says the “net-metering” program is the most expensive of Vermont’s renewable energy programs because the utility is essentially buying the energy at higher-than-market rates. It says the rates to customers need to be reduced to balance the development pace of these projects and the program’s impact on electric rates.