Energy Brief: Power outages, coal orders, global risks
U.S. Energy & Policy
• Colorado wind shutdowns
More than 90,000 homes were without power across Colorado’s northern Front Range Thursday morning as Xcel Energy shut off electricity ahead of 90 mph winds and extreme fire danger. Schools closed, work was canceled, and residents expressed frustration over the planned outages during high winds and dry conditions.
• Federal climate research overhaul
The Trump administration is dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, moving to dissolve the lab. A senior White House official described NCAR as “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country.”
• Coal plant retirement delayed
TransAlta Corp. said the U.S. Department of Energy ordered the company to keep its Centralia Unit 2 coal-fired power plant in Washington State operating beyond its planned retirement date, delaying the transition to natural gas.
• Venezuela oil re-entry rebuffed
The Trump administration has asked U.S. oil companies whether they would consider returning to Venezuela once President Nicolás Maduro is no longer in power. According to POLITICO, the response from industry leaders has been a firm “no.”
• Nuclear-heavy Illinois
As much as 80% of Illinois’ electricity comes from nuclear power plants, making the state the largest nuclear power producer in the United States.
World Energy Developments
• Ukrainian drone strikes
Ukrainian drones struck a Russian oil refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban and other energy infrastructure overnight, knocking out power across the city and injuring at least two people in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai region.
• Ukraine grid at breaking point
Ukraine’s power grid is in its most fragile condition since the first year of the invasion, according to the CEO of the country’s state-owned grid operator. Nationwide blackouts remain a real possibility as Russian bombardment continues, he told Semafor.
• Clean cooking in Africa
Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, is pushing to elevate Africa’s access to clean cooking fuels on the global agenda. An IEA report estimates that cooking with polluting fuels contributes to more than 800,000 premature deaths annually across Africa.
• Israel–Egypt gas deal approved
Israel approved a major natural gas export agreement with Egypt. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed government approval of a $35 billion deal to supply Egyptian markets with gas from the Leviathan field, the largest export agreement in Israel’s history.
• Nuclear waste boosts hydrogen output
A study published in Nuclear Engineering and Design found atomic reactor waste could increase hydrogen production by up to 10 times current levels. Researchers at the University of Sharjah say the findings could accelerate hydrogen’s role as a next-generation clean fuel.