Services

News
Press Releases
Data
Archives

RSS FEED
EnergyOnline.com

News

Xcel Energy Submits IRP to Provide Path to Achieve 100 Percent Carbon-free Energy by 2050

LCG, July 9, 2019--Northern States Power Company, doing business as Xcel Energy, submitted its 2020-2034 Upper Midwest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on July 1. Xcel Energy (Xcel) states that the IRP "charts the path toward achieving some of the most ambitious carbon reduction goals of any utility in the U.S. Specifically - we aim to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2030, and provide 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2050."

Interest in Eastern Offshore Wind Projects Rising

LCG, July 5, 2019--Two bills were introduced in the U.S. Senate last week to extend the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for offshore wind energy. Federal subsidies, together with offshore wind technology advances and states' plans to increase renewables, may spur rapid investments in offshore wind.

NRC Hearing Necessary Prior to Restarting SONGS

LCG, May 15, 2013--The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) on Monday issued a decision to provide the environmental interest group, Friends of the Earth, its request for a hearing to restart Unit 2 at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), located in Southern California. With the decision and required hearing, the probability that SONGS will be restarted this summer is diminished.

SONGS is a critical generating asset in California and is jointly owned by Southern California Edison (SCE) (78.21 percent), San Diego Gas & Electric (20 percent) and the City of Riverside (1.79 percent). Unit 2, with a capacity of approximately 1,180 MW, has been unavailable since January 2012 following the identification of cracks in steam generator tubes. Unit 3 was removed from service shortly thereafter, following the discovery of a leak in a steam generator tube. Further inspections show Unit 3 had over 300 tubes with unexpected tube-to-tube wear; Unit 2 only had two tubes exhibiting minor tube-to-tube wear.

In February, SCE anticipated that, after it submitted technical responses to the NRC, a decision from the NRC could be issued in May and that Unit 2 could then be restarted and operate during the peak summer season at 70 percent output to prevent the conditions that caused excessive tube wear in the steam generators. However, with the new ASLB decision, SCE (the operator) cannot restart Unit 2 until the NRC holds a formal license amendment proceeding with full public participation.

Print Top