Energy

A drive 30 minutes north of Omaha, Neb., leads to the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant. It's full of new equipment. There's a white concrete box building that's still under construction. It's licensed until 2033. But the plant is closing Monday. The Fort Calhoun plant cranked out electricity for 43 years, and it was licensed for another 17. Decommissioning will cost up to $1.5 billion, and take up to 60 years to complete. Still, Tim Burke figures eating all of that is cheaper than keeping the plant in production. Burke runs the Omaha Public Power District, which owns Fort Calhoun. [node:read-more:link]

Minnesota - Winona County commissioners on Tuesday ordered the county attorney to finalize language that would make it the first county in Minnesota to ban the highly contentious industry of frac sand mining. After lengthy discussion weighing several options, commissioners voted 3-2 for language that would impose an outright ban on all industrial mineral operations, including frac sand mining, that initially was proposed last spring. A final vote is expected at the board's Nov. [node:read-more:link]

Imagine a state that has enacted all of the policies that the public and clean energy providers have asked for: an aggressive renewable portfolio standard, a robust grid modernization plan, far-reaching shared renewables. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, people are celebrating and getting ready to build new projects -- perfect, right? Unfortunately, there could be dark clouds on the horizon without the one policy most critical to making everything else work: interconnection. [node:read-more:link]

Fewer and fewer oil exploration and production companies are declaring bankruptcy.  But more oilfield service companies are.  So far this month, only one North American E&P firm filed for Chapter 11 protection, according to data released on Tuesday by the Dallas law firm Haynes & Boone. That’s down from two in September, three in August and four in July. But it’s been an especially tough few months for service companies. As crude prices began crashing in 2014, drillers started idling rigs. [node:read-more:link]

American Indian tribes in Washington, including the Spokane Tribe, called on President Barack Obama to overhaul the way the federal government consults with tribes on fossil fuel export and other projects.  The Spokane Tribe, Yakama Nation, Lummi Nation and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community released a five-point plan they say will improve the consultation process, protect sacred sites and provide greater recognition of tribal rights. [node:read-more:link]

Ethanol futures posted limited market movement Tuesday afternoon with prices hovering in a narrow trading range, as nearby contracts fell just 0.6 cent per gallon while deferred contracts fell 0.2 cent per gallon. November contracts fell to $1.60 per gallon as the market has been recently been capped at that level, given the lack of support in the corn and gasoline market over the last week. [node:read-more:link]

Efforts to expand electric vehicle infrastructure in the Kansas City are hitting a roadblock amid pushback from state regulators.  Early in 2015, Kansas City Power & Light announced it would install about 1,100 electric-vehicle charging stations in the greater Kansas City area. At the time, it apparently was the largest such undertaking in the country. The utility indicated that it wanted to give a nudge to the electrification of vehicles – a potential boon for KCP&L and electric utilities in general. But KCP&L is backing away. [node:read-more:link]

Could a nearly obsolete technology of the past — the humble pay phone — hold lessons for how utility regulators answer a key policy question about the future of utilities? The Missouri Public Service Commission's staff thinks so. The PSC is expected to vote today on an Ameren Missouri pilot project to build and operate six electric-vehicle charging stations between St. Louis and Jefferson City, Mo., in an effort to spark the EV market by helping eliminate so-called range anxiety. [node:read-more:link]

OHio House Representative Brian Hill, R-Zanesville,is serving his second term and chairs the Agriculture and Rural Development committee. He is the last active farmer in the House.  One focus of his is House Bill 551, along with the latest water quality laws. House Bill 551 is geared toward those who conduct inspections of retail food establishments and food service operations.It is very unusual because both the restaurant association and those inspectors (normally at odds with each other) both came to us,” Hill said. [node:read-more:link]

Community solar’s dilemma is described in the old saying that a giraffe is a horse designed by a committee.  Community solar was supposed to be the “promised land” where utilities, solar advocates, and environmentalists could forget bickering over net energy metering (NEM) and fight together for economically-viable clean energy. [node:read-more:link]