DOE supports continued construction of Vogtle project
To further support the construction of two advanced nuclear reactors at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry has conditionally committed up to $3.7 billion in loan guarantees to Vogtle owners: $1.67 billion to Georgia Power Co. (GPC), $1.6 billion to Oglethorpe Power Corp. (OPC) and $415 million to subsidiaries of Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG). The department had already guaranteed $8.3 billion in loans to GPC, OPC and MEAG subsidiaries to support construction of Vogtle Units 3 and 4.
Once on line, the two new nuclear reactors are expected to provide more than 17 million megawatt-hours of clean electricity annually. This is enough reliable electricity to power more than 1.6 million U.S. homes while avoiding nearly 10 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.
For more information, visit www.energy.gov or call (202) 586-5000.
Businesses concerned about resiliency, lack course of action
A new study released by Harvard Business Review Analytics Services (HBRAS) surveyed leaders from U.S. organizations including businesses, hospitals and higher education institutions on their efforts to address business resiliency and energy innovation.
The study found while businesses have strong energy-related concerns, including power interruptions from weather-related events and cyberattacks on power grids, the majority of organizations have yet to embark on any significant course of action. In fact, only 27 percent of companies said they have initiatives in place to address climate change, and even fewer have a business resiliency plan.
"To meet the demands of a changing energy landscape, organizational leaders are well advised to add energy innovation to their skill sets," said HBRAS Managing Director Alex Clemente.
For more information, visit www.hbr.org or www.siemens.com.
New FERC rules to enhance bulk electric system reliability
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved two final rules addressing mandatory standards intended to support the resilience and reliability of the nation's bulk electric system.
One final rule approves revised reliability standards on Balancing Authority Control and Facility Interconnection Requirements that clarify and consolidate existing requirements related to frequency control. The revised standards will support more accurate and comprehensive calculation of Reporting Area Control Error.
The second final rule approves a revised reliability standard on Remedial Action Schemes to ensure remedial action schemes do not introduce unintentional or unacceptable reliability risks to the grid, establishing a centralized process to review new or modified remedial action schemes before implementation.
For more information, visit www.ferc.gov or call (202) 502-6088.
IAEA projects global nuclear power capacity through 2050
The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) annual publication on energy and electricity projections shows nuclear power's global potential through 2050 remains high, although its expansion is expected to slow in coming years.
The newly released 37th edition of "Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2050" documents these trends in detail, projecting estimates reflecting different factors impacting nuclear power deployment.
In the near term, the low price of natural gas, the impact of renewables on electricity prices and national nuclear policies following the accident at Fukushima in 2011 are expected to affect nuclear growth prospects. Yet, commitments made at the 21st session of the UN Climate Change Conference could have a positive impact on nuclear development.
For more information, visit www.iaea.org or call (+43-1) 2600-0.
EIA: World energy use to increase 28 percent by 2040
The Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) latest International Energy Outlook 2017 (IEO2017) projects world energy consumption will grow by 28 percent from 2015-2040. The IEO2017 projects increased world consumption of all fuel sources except for coal, which is projected to remain flat.
Although IEO2017 expects the non-fossil fuels (renewables and nuclear) to grow faster than fossil fuels, fossil fuels still account for over three-quarters of world energy consumption through 2040. Natural gas is the fastest-growing fossil fuel in the outlook, with global natural gas consumption increasing by 1.4 percent per year. The relatively high rate of natural gas consumption growth is attributed to abundant natural gas resources and rising production, including supplies of tight gas, shale gas and coalbed methane.
For more information, visit www.eia.gov or call (202) 586-8800.