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Columbia River electric generation in 2018 remains normal despite above-normal water flow

(Fri, 28 Sep 2018) During the 2018 water year that ended September 30, 2018, The Dalles Dam in the Pacific Northwest experienced above-normal inflow—water volume flowing into the dam—but electricity generation from the dam remained relatively normal. The difference between the two is attributed to spilled flow, or water diverted past the dam without generating power. Monthly inflow at The Dalles Dam peaked in May, reaching 63% above normal, but more than half of that volume was spilled, some of which was likely required by a recent court order.

September 27, 2018 By 0 Comments Read more...

Like natural gas, coal in the Southwest Power Pool is cycled to accommodate wind power

(Wed, 26 Sep 2018) Electricity generation in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional transmission organization (RTO) covering all or part of fourteen Midwestern states, is mostly provided by three fuels: coal, natural gas, and wind. Several states in SPP have the highest shares of wind generation in the country. In SPP, unlike in other regions, some coal-fired generators are operated similar to natural gas units and are used to balance fluctuations in wind output throughout the day.

September 25, 2018 By 0 Comments Read more...

Summer average wholesale electricity prices in western U.S. were highest since 2008

(Tue, 25 Sep 2018) As a result of record-high temperatures and fuel supply constraints this summer, wholesale electricity prices in the western United States reached their highest levels since 2008. In the area served by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), peak-period electricity prices in July averaged $101 per megawatthour (MWh), the highest monthly average since the current day-ahead market began trading in April 2009.

September 24, 2018 By 0 Comments Read more...

East Coast refiners receiving more domestic crude oil from Gulf Coast by tanker and barge

(Thu, 20 Sep 2018) Since mid-2017, the East Coast has been receiving as much crude oil by tanker and barge from the Gulf Coast as it has by rail from the Midwest. In April, the volume of crude oil transported by tanker and barge from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast reached the highest level since mid-2014. At the same time, crude oil shipped to the East Coast by rail from the Midwest has fallen 77% from its peak in late 2014.

September 19, 2018 By 0 Comments Read more...

One in three U.S. households faces a challenge in meeting energy needs

(Wed, 19 Sep 2018) Nearly one-third of U.S. households (31%) reported facing a challenge in paying energy bills or sustaining adequate heating and cooling in their homes in 2015. According to the most recent results from EIA’s <em>Residential Energy Consumption Survey</em> (RECS), about one in five households reported reducing or forgoing necessities such as food and medicine to pay an energy bill, and 14% reported receiving a disconnection notice for energy service.

September 18, 2018 By 0 Comments Read more...

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