As of March 5, 2025, the US Department of Energy (DOE) approved a liquefied natural gas export permit extension for Golden Pass LNG. [1] The project is owned by QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil and is under construction in Sabine Pass, Texas. This is the third LNG project authorization by the DOE since President Trump took office, reversing the Biden administration “pause” on export approvals. Golden Pass is set to begin exporting as early as later this year and will become the ninth large-scale export terminal operating in the United States. Once completed, Golden Pass will be able to export almost 2.57 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas as LNG. The DOE’s decision follows two February actions: the export approval for Commonwealth LNG and the order on rehearing that removed barriers to using LNG as “bunkering fuel” used by the ships transporting it.
[USA] Ontario applies 25 per cent surcharge on electricity exports to the US
As of March 10, 2025, the Ontario government has applied a 25 per cent surcharge on all electricity exports to the United States as part of their initial retaliatory measures against US tariffs on Canada. [1] The surcharge will affect 1.5 million homes in Michigan, Minnesota, and New York, costing up to $400,000 every day that it remains in place. Any generator selling electricity to the US is required to add a 25 per cent surcharge valued at $10 per megawatt-hour (MWh) to the cost of power. This surcharge is in addition to the initial round of $30 billion in retaliatory tariffs. Ontario currently exports electricity generated across the province directly to Michigan, New York, and Minnesota. Between 2021 and 2023, Ontario exported 14.6, 14.2, and 12.0 terawatt hours of electricity to the United States. Ontario has 26 transmission connections with neighboring jurisdictions: 11 with Quebec, three with Manitoba, one with Minnesota, four with Michigan, and seven with New York.
[USA] PJM board approves $6.7B transmission expansion plan
As of February 26, 2025, the PJM Interconnection board approved $5.9 billion in new transmission projects to bolster reliability across the grid operator’s footprint. [1] That, along with the changes to the scope and cost of existing projects, mean PJM’s latest Regional Transmission Expansion Plan is set to cost $6.7 billion, according to the grid operator. [2] The plan contains a modified version of a proposal to build a 765-kV, multistate transmission backbone offered by American Electric Power, Dominion Energy Virginia, and FirstEnergy. [3] This $4.6 billion set of projects aims to bolster west-east regional power transfers according to PJM staff analysis of its recommended plan. The plan calls for 260 miles of 765-kV transmission line between Putnam County, West Virginia, and Frederick County, Maryland. It also calls for a 155-mile line between Campbell and Fauquier counties in Virginia, according to AEP. The board also approved a revised cost estimate - $1.5 billion, up from $739 million – for transmission additions, PJM needs to allow Talen Energy to retire its coal-fired Brandon Shores power plant in Maryland. Exelon subsidiaries Baltimore Gas and Electric, PECO Energy, and Potomac Edison will be the projects’ primary builders.
[USA] Kentucky Senate passes Bill 179 to Establish Nuclear Energy Grant Program
As of February 20, 2025, a bill that will create a grant program to advance nuclear energy developments in Kentucky passed out of the Kentucky Senate’s Natural Resources and Energy committee. [1] The bill, entitled Senate Bill 179, aims to build on other efforts to create opportunities for Kentucky to pursue investments in nuclear energy, setting aside $10 million from existing appropriations to the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority (KNEDA) for grant funding. The program that would be created by this bill would be administered by KNEDA, the nonregulatory state agency that was created during the 2024 legislative session. A subcommittee of the agency’s members would be responsible for administering awards for the grant program, which would be capped at $2 million. The agency will also be charged with promoting the program, accepting applications, and overseeing the distribution of funds.
[USA] White House claims authority over FERC, other independent agencies
As of February 18, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order stating that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other independent agencies, such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission, must submit proposed and final significant regulatory actions for review by the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. [1] According to the executive order, independent regulatory agencies currently exercise substantial executive authority without adequate accountability to the president, including issuing regulations without review by the White House. [2] The order states that FERC Chairman Mark Christie and other heads of independent agencies will consult with and coordinate agency policies and priorities with the directors of OMB, the White House Domestic Policy Council, and the White House National Economic Council. The OMB’s director will set performance standards and management objectives for independent agency heads and report to the president on their performance and “efficiency” in meeting them. The order also states that Christie and other independent agency chairmen will submit agency strategy plans to the OMB director for clearance prior to finalization. FERC has 15 planned regulations in the pre-rule and proposed rule stages, including proposals dealing with transmission incentives and dynamic line ratings, according to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
[USA] DOE to focus on expanding baseload generation: Secretary Wright
As of February 5, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright said in an order outlining the department’s priorities, that the DOE will focus on growing baseload and dispatchable generation to meet growing electricity demand. [1] According to Wright, the DOE will focus on adding energy resources rather than taking them away. Wright emphasized that the DOE will exercise all lawful authorities to strengthen the US power grid, including the transmission system, especially considering current and anticipated load growth on electric utilities. He also stated that the department would support emerging nuclear power as well as its rapid deployment. In its R&D programs, the DOE will focus on fossil fuels, advanced nuclear, geothermal, and hydropower, technologies that Wright believes are affordable, reliable, and secure. Wright also suggested that the department would prioritize nuclear fusion, high-performance computing, quantum computing, and AI, in order to maintain global competitiveness.
[USA] Trump announces US-Japan energy deal for Alaska LNG exports
As of February 10, 2025, President Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Ishiba at the White House for their first US-Japan summit. [1] During the joint press conference, President Trump announced a new energy partnership with Japan that involves $44 billion worth of exports from the Alaska LNG project. [2] Trump’s executive order “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,” prioritizes the development of Alaska’s LNG potential, including the permitting of all necessary pipeline and export infrastructure related to the Alaska LNG Project. [3] The project has also already received federal approvals, including from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other departments. It is expected to deliver from the North Slope gas fields on average about 3.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day, much of it reserved for international markets.
[1] https://jp.usembassy.gov/president-trump-hosts-prime-minister-ishiba-in-washington/ [2] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-alaskas-extraordinary-resource-potential/ [3] https://alaska-lng.com/project-overview/
[USA] CenterPoint proposes $5.75B system resiliency plan
As of February 4, 2025, CenterPoint Energy filed a $5.75 billion system resiliency plan with the Public Utility Commission of Texas that calls for installing automation devices on power lines serving large numbers of customers, undergrounding more than 50% of its electric system, strengthening 130,000 power poles, raising substations above flood plains, and expanding vegetation management. [1] CenterPoint stated that the proposal is the largest single grid resiliency investment in the company’s history. CenterPoint said the plan builds on its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative that launched after Hurricane Beryl left almost 2.3 million customers in Houston without power in August 2024. In its application, the company noted that it serves a quarter of the load on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas system, and its critical customers include the Port of Houston, Texas Medical Center, two airports, and several chemical refineries. CenterPoint’s resiliency plan calls for rebuilding or upgrading more than 2,200 transmission structures, utilizing a three-year vegetation management cycle for transmission and distribution lines, and modernizing 34,500 spans of underground cables. The utility will also improve its existing technology systems and move customer-facing websites from on-premise to cloud-based hosting for better communications.
[1] https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/search/filings/?ControlNumber=57579
[USA] Senate confirms Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright as DOE secretary
As of February 4, 2025, the Senate confirmed Liberty Energy Chairman and CEO Chris Wright to be secretary of the US Department of Energy (DOE). [1] This follows the confirmations of Doug Burgum to be the Interior Department secretary and Lee Zeldin to be the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator. [2] During his confirmation hearing, Wright told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that as DOE secretary, he would try to increase US power supplies to help lower electricity prices. During his confirmation hearing, Wright implied that he intends to pursue multiple different avenues to grow the energy supply in order to drive down the price. Wright stated that as head of DOE, his immediate three priorities would be expanding energy production and cutting energy costs, accelerating the work of the DOE’s national laboratories, and building energy infrastructure. Wright has worked in the oil and gas sector since 1992. Liberty Energy, a publicly traded oil and gas services company based in Denver, is an investor in Fervo Energy, an enhanced geothermal company; Natron Energy, which makes sodium-ion batteries; and Oklo, a small modular reactor company.
[1] https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00030.htm
[USA] US Department of Energy announces selectees for $107 million fusion innovation research engine collaboratives
As of January 16, 2025, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $107 million in funding for six projects in the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives and that several privately funded fusion companies have completed early critical-path science and technology (S&T) milestones in the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program (“The Milestone Program”). [1] Both programs are part of DOE’s fusion strategy to accelerate the viability of commercial fusion energy. The FIRE Collaboratives are aimed at creating a fusion energy S&T innovation ecosystem by forming virtually, centrally managed teams called “Collaboratives” that aim to bridge the DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program’s basic science research programs with the needs of the growing fusion industry. The total anticipated funding for FIRE collaboratives is $180 million for projects lasting up to four years.
[USA] US tariffs on Chinese batteries could spike prices despite lithium carbonate decline: CEA
As of January 14, 2025, Clean Energy Associates (CEA) stated that batteries imported from China will face tariff levies of 150% if all trade actions now under consideration by the US Congress and executive branch come to pass. [1] As a result, US prices for 5 MWh lithium-ion battery systems made in China could increase by 8% from 2023 to 2028 despite a substantial expected decline in lithium carbonate prices over the same period. There are four separate trade actions under consideration against Chinese battery system storage manufacturers, but CEA suggests that it is unlikely for all of the tariffs to be levied simultaneously. Nevertheless, CEA stated that the trade actions would increase the prices that US buyers pay for imported lithium-ion batteries despite a 69% fall in the lithium carbonate price from 2023 to 2024.
[1] https://info.cea3.com/hubfs/ESS%20PFR/CEA%20Q4%202024%20ESS%20PFR%20Report%20Sample.pdf
[USA] NREL study highlights potential for over 7,700 GW of renewable energy on U.S. federal lands
As of January 14, 2025, the US Department of Energy (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with the US Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Defense, released a study showing that there is significant potential for further expansion of renewable energy production on federal lands. [1] The study finds that onshore federal lands in the contiguous United States could support over 7,700 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity. Researchers found that 51 to 84 GW of renewable energy could be deployed on federal lands by 2035, requiring only half of one percent of total federal land area in the US. That level of deployment by 2035 is enough to provide up to 10% of the reliable, renewable energy needed to reach net-zero emissions in the electricity sector. To understand future renewable energy deployment on federal lands, researchers created seven scenarios with several possibilities. They used a power sector model for each scenario to determine the most cost-effective way to deploy storage, new generation, and transmission nationwide to meet future energy demand. One of the key findings suggests that there is potential for 5,750 GW of utility-scale photovoltaics, 875 GW of land-based wind, 130 GW of hydrothermal, and 975 GW of enhanced geothermal generation on federal lands.
[USA] President Biden bans offshore oil and gas drilling from Atlantic and Pacific coasts
As of January 7, 2025, President Joe Biden announced an executive action to protect over 625 million acres of US coastline areas from future offshore drilling. [1] This includes the entire East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, and additional portions of the North Bering Sea in Alaska. President Biden invoked the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which gives presidents broad authority to withdraw federal waters from future oil and gas leasing and development. To reverse the ban, this law would have to be changed.
[USA] Voltus agrees to pay $18M to settle allegations it violated MISO demand response rules
As of January 7, 2025, according to a settlement approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Voltus agreed to pay a $10.9 million penalty and return $7.1 million in profits to settle allegations that it registered uncontracted and over-stated demand response resources with the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Voltus aggregates retail customers to provide MISO with “load-modifying resources.” [1] FERC contends that Voltus CEO Gregg Dixon caused Voltus to register demand response resources with MISO without the owner’s knowledge. Furthermore, they clear load-modifying resource capacity that would not have performed if MISO dispatched the resources from Oct 2006 to June 2020. Around the time when Voltus partook in the 2017/18 planning resource auction, MISO did not require companies like Voltus to show that they had a contractual relationship with the entities providing load-modifying resources they were registering, according to FERC. As part of the settlement, Voltus will file annual compliance monitoring reports to FERC’s enforcement office for two years or longer at the office’s discretion.
[1] https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20250106-3066&optimized=false
[USA] MN8 Energy to own, build, and operate solar project supporting city of Cambridge’s historic VPPA
As of December 17, 2024, MN8 Energy announced that it will own and operate the 135MWac Prairie Solar project in Champaign County, Illinois, which includes 50MWac of capacity dedicated to the City of Cambridge’s groundbreaking virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA). [1] The project will support the largest VPPA ever undertaken by a US city. The City of Cambridge’s 50MWac portion will generate 113,000 MWh of clean energy annually, enough to cover the average electricity consumption of over 25,000 households in Cambridge. Boston-based Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. facilitated the City of Cambridge’s transaction through their Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB). The NCZB is a buyer’s community for utility-scale clean energy. The project is located on the MISO grid, where only 32% of energy comes from low-carbon sources. This means it will deliver 2.6 times the emissions reductions compared to equivalent solar generation in Massachusetts. The project is expected to achieve commercial operation by 2026. Cambridge’s 50MWac portion is expected to avoid 70,510 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually by replacing fossil fuel generation.
[USA] US Department of Energy completes LNG study update, announces 60-day comment period
As of December 17, 2024, the US Department of Energy (DOE) released an updated study of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. [1] The study came about because the DOE was given responsibility by Congress via the Natural Gas Act to evaluate the public interest of proposed exports to countries with which the US does not have a Free Trade Agreement. The study will have a 60-day comment period set to begin once published in the Federal Register. The public may submit comments to inform how DOE may apply the study’s findings to its public interest analysis of export applications going forward. In addition to the study release, US Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm released a Secretarial Statement outlining departmental leadership’s perspective on the final version of the study. Given the fact that the US is the largest exporter of LNG in the world and will remain the top exporter by 2030, DOE leadership recognized the need for a comprehensive update to ensure the most updated analysis possible of the market, national security, economic, and environmental considerations of different potential volumes of US LNG exports.
[USA] PSE&G to pay $6.6M for inaccurately reporting need for local PJM transmission project
As of December 6, 2024, Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) agreed to pay $6.6 million to settle allegations that it gave the PJM Interconnection misleading information about a $546 million transmission project. [1] This was during the grid operator’s Regional Transmission Expansion plan process, according to the settlement approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC enforcement staff found that PSE&G violated agency rules requiring market participants to provide “accurate and factual information” about the state of power line towers in communications with agency-approved regional transmission organizations. The settlement agreement centers on a $546 million project PSE&G, a Public Service Enterprise Group subsidiary, recommended to PJM in 2017 to replace a transmission line in New Jersey.
[1] https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20241205-3039&optimized=false
[USA] Five-year US load growth forecast surges 456% to 128 GW
As of December 6, 2024, A report by consulting firm Grid Strategies found that US electricity demand could rise 128 GW over the next five years, driven by data centers and manufacturing growth, mainly in six regions. [1] The estimate represents a five-fold increase in load growth forecasts over the past two years. The estimates are based on annual planning reports submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by electric balancing authorities, with updates from utilities and planning regions. FERC Form 714 in 2022 estimated a five-year peak load growth of about 23 GW. A review of utility planning documents indicated that 61 GW could be added to FERC’s 2024 five-year estimates. According to the report, an additional 61 GW of growth means nationwide electric demand is forecast to increase by 15.8% by 2029. Texas added 37 GW to its 2029 forecast, resulting in an updated forecast of 43 GW through 2029. The report also noted that PJM’s 2029 peak load forecast increased from 153.3 GW to 165.7 GW – an 8.1% increase in two years. However, PJM utilities have increased their projections of large load additions for 2029 from 15 GW to 30 GW.
[1] https://gridstrategiesllc.com/wp-content/uploads/National-Load-Growth-Report-2024.pdf
[USA] Small volumes of renewable diesel are now consumed on the U.S. East Coast
As of December 3, 2024, the US Energy Information Administration noted that the US East Coast became a recurring destination for small volumes of renewable diesel as a few suppliers began offering or consuming it. [1] Since it is not produced on the East Coast, suppliers and local governments are procuring their supply from imports and interregional US shipments. Renewable diesel is used for transportation and heating as a chemical equivalent to petroleum-based distillate, and it is produced using fats, oils, and greases rather than petroleum. It is primarily consumed on the West Coast because California, Oregon, and Washington are the only states with active clean fuel programs. However, small volumes of renewable diesel are now being consumed in other regions like the East Coast. In each of the five recent months with historical data (May – September), consumption of renewable diesel has superseded the previous record high, ranging from 5,000 barrels per day (b/d) to 7,000 b/d. The increase in the consumption of this fuel in the East Coast is attributable to certain suppliers and local governments, including Sprague, Neste, and Global Partners.
[USA] LPO announces conditional commitment to StarPlus Energy to construct lithium-ion battery factories in Indiana
As of December 2, 2024, the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment for a loan of $7.54 billion to StarPlus Energy LLC to finance up to two lithium-ion battery cell and module manufacturing plants in Kokomo, Indiana. [1] The borrower is a joint venture between FCA US LLC (a subsidiary of Stellantis N.V.) and Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. The output from the facilities will be sold to Stellantis for use in electric vehicle models that will be sold in North America, with the goal of ensuring that the US can meet domestic demand and maintain its leadership in the electric vehicle industry. At full capacity, the StarPlus project will produce 67GWh of batteries, enough to supply 670,000 vehicles annually. The DOE estimates that the EVs produced using StarPlus batteries will displace the usage of 260.3 million gallons of petroleum per year.
The project is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to onshore and re-shore domestic manufacturing technologies. If finalized, the loan would be offered through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program, which provides loans to support US manufacturing of advanced technology vehicles, qualifying components, and materials that improve fuel economy.