FirstEnergy closing 6 coal-fired power plants

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 26, 2012
Tags: coal, emissions, FirstEnergy, maryland, pennsylvania, power plants, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Utility Workers Union of America

AKRON, Ohio — FirstEnergy Corp. said Thursday that new environmental regulations led to a decision to shut down six older, coal-fired power plants in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland, affecting more than 500 employees.
The plants, which are in Cleveland, Ashtabula, Oregon and Eastlake in Ohio, Adrian, Pa. and Williamsport, Md., will be retired by Sept. 1. [...]

Cardin seeks level alternate energy playing field

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 23, 2012
Tags: alternative energy sources, corn-based ethanol, delaware poultry summit, Eastern Shore, maryland, methane, natural gas, pollution, preferential treatment, sen. ben cardin

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ben Cardin is calling for an end to the preferential treatment of corn-based ethanol and responsible development of alternative energy sources.
The Maryland Democrat made the comments Monday after participating by phone in a Delaware poultry summit held to discuss issues facing the industry that employs thousands on the Eastern Shore. Cardin called [...]

Delmarva Power to receive 38MW of Pennsylvania wind power

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 23, 2012
Tags: altoona, chestnut flats, delmarva, delmarva power, electricite de france, enxco, gamesa, logan township, megawatts, pepco, Pepco Holdings Inc., south central pennsylvania, washington, wind energy, wind power

WASHINGTON — Pepco Holdings Inc. says its Delmarva Power subsidiary will receive 38 megawatts of wind energy from the recently finished Chestnut Flats wind farm in south central Pennsylvania.
Pepco says it has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the owner of the wind farm to help meet Delaware’s clean energy goals, which require Delmarva [...]

Electric plants shift from coal to natural gas

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 16, 2012
Tags: coal, electric plants, electricity, fracking, gas, hydraulic fracturing, hydroelectric, kilowatts, marcellus shale, natural gas, nuclear, power, U.S. Energy Information Agency

PITTSBURGH — The huge, belching smokestacks of electric power plants have long symbolized air pollution woes. But a shift is under way: More and more electric plants around the nation are being fueled by natural gas, which is far cleaner than coal, the traditional fuel.

The most optimistic projections describe an [...]

New England wind project faces delays

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 12, 2012
Tags: boston, cape cod, Cape Wind, delays, new england, offshore wind, wind project

BOSTON — The long-planned Cape Wind offshore wind project is unlikely to be producing electricity by mid-2015, New England’s power grid manager says in a new report that raises the prospect of more delays in a project beset by them.
But Cape Wind officials say they disagree with ISO New England’s evaluation and expect to be [...]

Advocates: N.J. law a model for Maryland offshore wind

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 6, 2012
Tags: atlantic wind connection, Baltimore, bluewater wind project, chesapeake climate action network, delmarva power, environment new jersey, gov. martin o'malley, maryland, megawatts, new jersey, NRG energy, offshore wind

A New Jersey offshore wind law could serve as a model for developing the industry in Maryland, according to environmentalists and offshore wind industry officials.
The New Jersey law signed two years ago mandates 1,100 megawatts of offshore wind be sold in the state, but doesn’t require utilities to enter into long-term contracts. That would have [...]

O’Malley to try once again for offshore wind power 

BY: Nicholas Sohr
POSTED: January 5, 2012
Tags: Energy, fracking, General Assembly, lawmakers, legislative session, Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Advisory Commission, maryland, O'Malley, offshore, Offshore Wind Development Coalition, power, renewable energy, wind, wind power

Gov. Martin O’Malley will take another stab at sparking development of a wind energy farm off Maryland’s coast this year with a new spin on last year’s proposal.
O’Malley made offshore wind the centerpiece of his energy agenda in 2011 and touted its potential to create jobs in the struggling economy.
The General Assembly balked, but the [...]

Va. Gov. McDonnell outlines 2012 energy agenda

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 5, 2012
Tags: Department of Interior, electricity, Energy, energy initiative, Gov. Bob McDonnell, power, resources, richmond, Technology, virginia

RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Bob McDonnell rolled out his 2012 energy initiatives on Thursday, proposing $500,000 to promote the development of wind power off Virginia’s coast and knocking the federal government anew for blocking oil and gas development in the same waters.
McDonnell said the package will advance his goal of making Virginia the “Energy Capital [...]

W.Va. foes file new challenge of PATH charges

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 5, 2012
Tags: american electric power, Energy, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FirstEnergy, multistate, path, Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline, power line, west virginia

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — Two West Virginia residents are again challenging charges that two utilities imposed on customers to recover the costs of promoting a proposed multistate power line.
Keryn Newman of Shepherdstown and Alison Haverty of Chloe claim FirstEnergy and American Electric Power improperly charged customers in 13 states and the District of Columbia millions of [...]

Maryland approves wetlands license for nuclear reactor

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 4, 2012
Tags: board of public works, calvert cliffs, license, maryland, nuclear, O'Malley, power plant, reactor, wetlands

ANNAPOLIS — A Maryland board approved a wetlands license on Wednesday for work that would be needed to prepare for a potential third nuclear reactor at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in Lusby by the Chesapeake Bay.
The Board of Public Works, which includes Gov. Martin O’Malley, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot, voted [...]