The nation’s electric grid and natural gas system largely operated without any major incidents during the January 2024 severe weather that swept Arctic air across much of North America, staff with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said.

Electricity generation from units that primarily consume natural gas in the U.S. Lower 48 states has increased for all hours of the day since 2021, the Energy Information Administration said. Off-peak natural gas-fired generation rose about 22% between 2021 and 2023.

The Biden-Harris Administration on April 25 announced a final transmission permitting reform rule and a new commitment for up to $331 million aimed at adding more than 2,000 megawatts of additional grid capacity throughout the Western United States.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 25 finalized four rules affecting the power sector. The four rules cover GHG guidelines for existing coal-fired power plants and new source performance standards for stationary combustion turbines, mercury and air toxic standards residual risk and technology review, steam electric effluent limitation guidelines and coal combustion residual legacy impoundment and CCR management units.

The Board of Directors for California public power utility Imperial Irrigation District approved a new set of board policies during its regular meeting on April 23 that will help guide the operational and strategic direction of the district. The new board policy replaces the Board of Directors Governance Manual adopted in 2007.

CleanPowerSF’s Solar Inverter Replacement Program was recently recognized by the California Community Choice Association as one of nine outstanding member programs.