Author: Graham Foster

Welcome to the latest edition of Energy Source, coming to you from London. Wednesday proved to be a challenging day for the UK’s electricity markets. The National Energy System Operator, responsible for maintaining power supply, issued several alerts. They called upon power generators to boost supply due to falling wind speeds, while import cables were already heavily utilized. Phil Hewitt, director at the energy data firm Montel Analytics, commented that this was the “tightest day so far this year.” Gas-fired power stations were demanding very high prices to come online, with one station asking for £5,750 per megawatt-hour, while the…

The UK’s new state-owned energy company, Great British Energy, is making its first significant investment by allocating £110 million in grants. This funding is aimed at supporting the installation of solar panels and developing clean energy projects at schools, hospitals, and community initiatives, with the understanding that there will be no direct return for the company. The funding from Great British Energy, located in Aberdeen, will be complemented by additional UK government contributions, bringing the total taxpayer investment for these projects to roughly £200 million, predominantly benefiting regions in England. Chair Juergen Maier emphasized that this initiative marks the “first…

Firefighters responded to a significant blaze at the North Hyde power substation in Hayes, west London, late Thursday night around 11:20 PM. The substation is located less than two miles from Heathrow Airport. As a result of the fire, Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world, was forced to halt all flights. Incoming aircraft, including those from distant locations such as New Delhi and Los Angeles, had to turn around as the chaos unfolded. Willie Walsh, the director-general of the International Air Transport Association and former British Airways CEO, raised concerns about the heavy reliance on a single…

Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) is taking significant steps towards renewable energy by planning to purchase power from two new solar-plus-battery-storage projects by AES Hawaiʻi. This move aims to increase the utility’s renewable energy supply to nearly 80% by the year 2028. KIUC has submitted a request to the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for approval of power purchase agreements (PPAs) that will last 25 years and feature fixed prices. The projects in question are the 35-MW Mānā project and the 43-MW Kaahanui project, both of which include a storage capacity of four hours. According to the utility, the Mānā…

A federal judge recently intervened to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from halting grant funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The judge determined that the EPA failed to show enough evidence for claims of waste, fraud, or misuse of funds. In a memo released on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan stated, “The record doesn’t show that the EPA took the necessary legal steps to terminate these grants, making their actions arbitrary and capricious.” This ruling came in response to a case initiated on March 8 by the Climate United Fund, which had been awarded a…

Iberdrola’s chairman has cautioned that electricity prices in Spain could rise by over 25% if the country decides to follow Germany’s example of decommissioning its nuclear power plants. Ignacio Galán expressed his concerns while discussing Spain’s plans to phase out its seven active nuclear reactors by 2035. Galán highlighted that shutting down these reactors would result in higher electricity costs and a less reliable energy system for consumers. He emphasized the need for practicality in energy policy, noting a growing global trend favoring the continuation or even revival of nuclear energy facilities in other countries like the US, Belgium, and…

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has significantly impacted Europe’s energy landscape, particularly Germany’s reliance on Russian gas. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Germany faced an urgent need to reassess its energy strategy. This change was evident when Berlin decided not to certify the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would have doubled the flow of gas from Russia. In September 2022, Russia’s state-controlled gas company, Gazprom, cut off gas supplies to Germany, which was a pivotal moment in the energy crisis. Shortly after, an act of sabotage destroyed several Nord Stream pipelines. In response, Germany initiated…

Welcome to Energy Source, coming to you from Washington, where energy leaders are gearing up for significant changes as Donald Trump steps into the presidency. One of the early changes expected is the reversal of the Biden administration’s freeze on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal approvals, reported by my colleague Alexandra White. Analysts at S&P Global anticipate that the U.S. LNG export capacity could double in the next five years, potentially adding $1.3 trillion to the economy. The Biden administration’s recent sanctions on Russia’s energy sector have also been a hot topic, especially as U.S. companies face pressure to…

Good morning, and welcome back to Energy Source from New York. Greenpeace is facing a huge setback as it has been ordered to pay over $600 million in damages related to its protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. This ruling, according to the environmental group, could potentially cripple its operations in the United States. This judgment wraps up nearly ten years of legal disputes between Greenpeace and Energy Transfer, the company behind the pipeline, which was co-founded by billionaire Kelcy Warren, a notable supporter of Donald Trump. The protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline galvanized public attention…

Good morning, and welcome back to Energy Source from New York. Greenpeace is facing a huge setback as it has been ordered to pay over $600 million in damages related to its protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. This ruling, according to the environmental group, could potentially cripple its operations in the United States. This judgment wraps up nearly ten years of legal disputes between Greenpeace and Energy Transfer, the company behind the pipeline, which was co-founded by billionaire Kelcy Warren, a notable supporter of Donald Trump. The protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline galvanized public attention…