EnergyOnline
Services

RSS FEED

EnergyOnline.com rss

News

EIA Estimates Record U.S. Electric Generating Capacity Additions in 2026, with Solar in the Lead

LCG, February 20, 2026--The EIA today issued an "in-brief analysis" that estimates U.S. power plant developers and operators plan to complete a record installation of 86 GW of new, utility-scale electric generating capacity that is connected to the U.S. power grid in 2026. Last year, 53 GW of new capacity was added to the grid, which was the largest capacity installation in a single year since 2002. Thus the estimate of 86 GW of new capacity in 2026 is a whopping 33 GW greater than the year prior. It should be noted that over 20 GW of the 86 GW of new capacity this year is estimated to be completed in December.

Read more

Enhanced Geothermal Systems May Drive Significant Growth in Geothermal Power Generation

LCG, February 19, 2026--The EIA released an "in-brief analysis" today regarding the expected completion of the first, large-scale commercial enhanced geothermal system (EGS) in June 2026, and the significant growth potential for year-round, 24x7, carbon-free, renewable EGS power generation in the United States.

Read more

Industry News

Puget to Keep its Low-cost Generation Assets

LCG, July 31, 2000--Puget Sound Energy will keep its 735 megawatt interest in the four Colstrip power plants in Montana rather than risk buying power in the volatile wholesale spot market, which it might have to do if it sold them as planned to a unit of PPL Inc.

Puget currently pays about $30 per megawatt-hour for Colstrips power, which supplies about a third of the electricity the utility needs to serve its base load. Prices on the two Northwest spot markets ranged from $110 to $330 per megawatt-hour on Friday.

The utility had agreed to sell its 50 percent interest in Colstrip Units 1 and 2 and its 25 percent interest in Units 3 and 4 to PPL Global Inc. for $555.9 million, but had been unable to reach agreement on a price for a long-term contract to continue receiving power from the plants.

Puget spokeswoman Dorothy Bracken said "As the wholesale markets for electricity began to rise, it became more difficult for PPL to offer power that would be economical for our customers."

News had reached the Pacific Northwest from San Diego, where the local utility had sold its power plants without making adequate provision for replacement power. Forced to go into the spot market to serve its customers, San Diego Gas & Electric Co. paid top dollar for power and passed the cost along to householders who saw their bills double as a result.

Copyright © 2026 LCG Consulting. All rights reserved. Terms and Copyright
UPLAN-NPM
The Locational Marginal Price Model (LMP) Network Power Model
Uniform Storage Model
A Battery Simulation Model
UPLAN-ACE
Day Ahead and Real Time Market Simulation
UPLAN-G
The Gas Procurement and Competitive Analysis System
PLATO
Database of Plants, Loads, Assets, Transmission...
CAISO CRR Auctions
Monthly Price and Congestion Forecasting Service