Coal should be a warming concern: scientists

Berlin Electric Utility APPA Safety Award recognizes Gold Designation performance in public power, highlighting OSHA-aligned incident rates, robust safety culture, worker safety training, and operational reliability that keeps the community's electric service resilient.

Key Points

A national honor for Berlin's Gold Designation recognizing safety performance, worker protection, and reliable service.

✅ Gold Designation in 15,000-29,999 worker hours APPA category

✅ OSHA-based incident rate and robust safety culture

✅ Training, PPE, and reliability focus in public power operations

The Town of Berlin Electric Utility Department has been recognized for its outstanding safety practices with the prestigious Safety Award of Excellence from the American Public Power Association (APPA), a distinction also reflected in Medicine Hat Electric Utility for health and safety excellence, highlighting industry-wide commitment to worker protection.

Recognition for Excellence

In an era when workplace safety is a critical concern, with organizations highlighting leadership in worker safety across the sector, the Town of Berlin Electric Utility Department’s achievement stands out. The department earned the Gold Designation award in the category for utilities with 15,000 to 29,999 worker hours of annual worker exposure. This category is part of the APPA’s annual Safety Awards, which are designed to recognize the safety performance of public power utilities across the United States.

Out of more than 200 utilities that participated in the 2024 Safety Awards, Berlin's Electric Utility Department distinguished itself with an exemplary safety record. The utility’s ranking was based on its low incidence of work-related injuries and illnesses, alongside its robust safety programs and strong safety culture.

What the Award Represents

The Safety Award of Excellence is given to utilities that demonstrate effective safety protocols and practices over the course of the year. The APPA evaluates utilities based on their incident rate, which is calculated using the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses relative to worker hours. This measurement adheres to guidelines established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), ensuring a standardized approach to assessing safety.

For the Town of Berlin Electric Utility Department, achieving the Gold Designation award signifies a year of outstanding safety performance. The award reflects the department’s dedication to preventing accidents and creating a work environment where safety is prioritized at every level.

Why Safety Matters

For utilities like the one in Berlin, safety is not just about preventing injuries—it's about fostering a culture of care and responsibility. Electric utility workers face unique and significant risks, ranging from the dangers of working with high-voltage systems, including hazards near downed power lines that require extreme caution, to the physical demands of the job. A utility’s ability to minimize these risks and keep its workforce safe is a direct reflection of its safety practices, training, and overall management.

The commitment to safety extends beyond just the immediate work environment. Utilities that place a high value on safety typically invest in ongoing training, safety gear, and processes, and even contingency measures like staff living on site during outbreaks, that ensure all employees are well-prepared to handle the challenges of their roles. The Town of Berlin Electric Utility Department has taken these steps seriously, providing its workers with the resources they need to stay safe while maintaining the power supply for the local community.

The Importance of Worker Safety in Public Power

The American Public Power Association’s Safety Award program highlights the best practices in public utilities, which, as the U.S. grid overseer's pandemic warning reminded the sector, play a crucial role in providing essential services to communities across the country. Public power utilities, like Berlin’s, are governed by local or municipal entities rather than for-profit corporations, which often allows them to have a closer relationship with their communities. As a result, these utilities often go above and beyond when it comes to worker safety, understanding that the well-being of employees directly impacts the quality of service provided to residents.

For the Town of Berlin, this award not only highlights the utility's commitment to its employees but also reinforces the importance of the work that public utilities do in keeping communities safe and powered. Berlin's recognition underscores the significance of maintaining a safe work environment, especially when the safety of first responders and utility workers, as seen when nuclear plant workers raised concerns over virus precautions, directly impacts the public’s access to reliable services.

What’s Next for Berlin’s Electric Utility Department

Receiving the Safety Award of Excellence is a remarkable achievement, but for the Town of Berlin Electric Utility Department, it’s not the end of their safety journey—it’s just one more step in their ongoing commitment to improvement. The department’s leadership, including the safety team, has emphasized the importance of continually evaluating and enhancing safety protocols to stay ahead of potential risks. This includes adopting new safety technologies, refining training programs, and ensuring that all employees are involved in the process of safety.

As the Town of Berlin looks forward to the future, its focus on worker safety will remain a top priority. Maintaining this level of safety is not only crucial for the health and well-being of employees but also for ensuring the continued success of the community’s utility services.

Community Impact

This recognition also serves as an example for other utilities in the region and across the country. By prioritizing safety, the Town of Berlin Electric Utility Department sets a standard that other utilities can aspire to. In a time when worker safety is more important than ever, Berlin’s commitment to best practices provides a model for others to follow.

Ultimately, the safety of utility workers is a reflection of a community’s dedication to its workforce and its commitment to providing reliable, uninterrupted services. For the residents of Berlin, the recognition of their local electric utility department’s safety practices means that they can continue to rely on a safe, secure, and resilient power infrastructure, while staying mindful of home risks such as overheated power strips that can spark fires.

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OEB Hydro One Rate Decision 2023-2027 sets approved transmission and distribution rates in Ontario, with a settlement reducing revenue requirement, modest bill impacts, higher productivity factors, inflation certainty, DVA credits, and First Nations participation measures.

Key Points

OEB-approved Hydro One 2023-2027 transmission and distribution rates settlement, lowering costs and limiting bill impacts.

✅ $482.7M revenue reductions vs. original proposal

✅ Avg bill impact: +$0.69 trans., +$2.43 distr. per month

✅ Faster DVA refunds; productivity and efficiency incentives

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) issued its Decision and Order on an application filed by Hydro One Networks Inc. (Hydro One) on August 5, 2021 seeking approval for changes to the rates it charges for electricity transmission and distribution, beginning January 1, 2023 and for each subsequent year through to December 31, 2027. 

The proceeding resulted in the filing of a settlement proposal that the OEB has now approved after concluding that it is in the public interest. 

The negotiated reductions in Hydro One's transmission and distribution revenue requirements over the 2023 to 2027 period total $482.7 million compared to the requests made by Hydro One in its application.

The OEB found that the reductions in Hydro One's proposed capital expenditure and operating, maintenance and administration costs were reasonable, and should not compromise the safety and reliability of Hydro One's transmission and distribution systems. It also concluded that the estimated bill impacts for both transmission and distribution customers are reasonable, and that the January 1, 2023 implementation and effective date of the new rates is appropriate.

In the broader Canadian context, pressures on utility finances at other companies, such as Manitoba Hydro's debt provide additional background for stakeholders.

Bill Impacts

This proceeding related to both transmission and distribution operations.

Transmission

The new transmission revenue requirement will affect Ontario electricity consumers across the province because it will be incorporated into updated transmission rates, which are paid by electricity distributors and other large consumers connected directly to the transmission system, and distributors then pass this cost on to their customers.

As a result of the settlement approved on the transmission portion of the application, it is estimated that for a typical Hydro One residential customer with a monthly consumption of 750 kWh, the total bill impact averaged over the 2023-2027 period will be an increase of $0.69 per month or 0.5%, which follows the 2021 electricity rate reductions that affected many businesses.

Distribution

The new OEB-approved distribution rates will affect Hydro One's distribution customers, including areas served through acquisitions such as the Peterborough Distribution sale which expanded its customer base.

As a result of the settlement reached on the distribution portion of the application, it is estimated that for a typical residential distribution customer of Hydro One with a monthly consumption of 750 kWh, the total bill impact averaged over the 2023-2027 period will be an increase of $2.43 per month or 1.5%.
This proceeding included 24 approved intervenors representing a wide variety of customer classes and other interests. Representatives of 18 of those intervenors participated in the settlement conference. Having this diversity of perspective enriches the already thorough examination of evidence and argument that the OEB routinely undertakes when considering an application.

Other features of the settlement proposal include:

• A commitment by Hydro One to include, in future operational and capital investment plans, a discussion of how the proposed spending will directly support the achievement of Hydro One's climate change policy.
• Eliminating further updates to reflect changes to inflation in 2022 and 2023 as originally proposed, to provide Hydro One's customers with greater certainty as to the potential impacts of inflation on their bills.
• Increases in the productivity factors and supplemental stretch factors for both the distribution and transmission business segments which will provide Hydro One with additional incentives to achieve greater efficiencies during the 2023 to 2027 period.
• Undertaking certain measures to seek economic participation or equity investment opportunities from First Nations.
• Disposition of net credit balances in deferral and variance accounts (DVAs) owed to customers will be returned over a shorter period of time:
• Transmission DVA – $22.5M over a one-year period in 2023 (versus five years)
• Distribution DVA – $85.9M over a three-year period – 2023-2025 (versus five years)
• Undertaking certain measures to continue examining cost-effective transmission and distribution line losses
• In the decision, the OEB acknowledged the efforts involved by parties to participate in this entire proceeding, including the settlement conference, considering the number of participants, the complexity of the issues, and the challenging logistics of a "virtual" proceeding. The OEB commended the parties and OEB staff for achieving a comprehensive settlement on all issues.

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EDF Nuclear Power Price Deal sets a 70 euros/MWh reference price, adds consumer protection if wholesale electricity prices exceed 110 euros/MWh, and outlines taxation mechanisms to shield bills while funding nuclear investment.

Key Points

A government-EDF deal setting 70 euros/MWh with safeguards above 110 euros/MWh to protect consumers.

✅ Reference price fixed at 70 euros/MWh, near EDF costs.

✅ Consumer shield above 110 euros/MWh; up to 90% extra-revenue tax.

✅ Review clauses maintain 70 euros/MWh through market swings.

State-controlled power group EDF and the French government have reached a tentative deal on future nuclear power prices, echoing a new electricity pricing scheme France has floated, a source close to the government said on Monday, ending months of tense negotiations.

The two sides agreed on 70 euros per megawatt hour (MWH) as a reference level for power prices, aligning with EU plans for more fixed-price contracts for consumers, the source said, cautioning that details of the deal are still being finalised.

The negotiations aimed to find a compromise between EDF, which is eager to maximise revenues to fund investments, and the government, keen to keep electricity bills for French households and businesses as low as possible, amid ongoing EU electricity reform debates across the bloc.

EDF declined to comment.

The preliminary deal sets out mechanisms that would protect consumers if power market prices rise above 110 euros/MWH, similar to potential emergency electricity measures being weighed in Europe, the source said, adding that the deal also includes clauses that would provide a price guarantee for EDF.

The 70 euros/MWH agreed reference price level is close to EDF's nuclear production costs, as Europe moves to revamp its electricity market more broadly. The nuclear power produced by the company provides 70% of France's electricity.

The agreement would allow the government to tax EDF's extra revenues at 90% if prices surpass 110 euros/MWH, in order to offset the impact on consumers. It would also enable a review of conditions in case of market fluctuations to safeguard the 70 euro level for EDF, reflecting how rolling back electricity prices is tougher than it appears, the source said.

French wholesale electricity prices are still above 100 euros/MWH, after climbing to 1,200 euros during last year's energy crisis, even as diesel prices have returned to pre-conflict levels.

A final agreement should be officially announced on Tuesday after a meeting between Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, Energy Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher and EDF chief Luc Remont.

That meeting will work out the final details on price thresholds and tax rates between the reference level and the upper limit, the source said.

Negotiations between the two sides were so fraught that at one stage they raised questions about the future of EDF chief Luc Remont, who was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron a year ago to turn around EDF.

The group ended 2022 with a 18 billion-euro loss and almost 65 billion euros of net debt, hurt by a record number of reactor outages that coincided with soaring energy prices in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

With its output at a 30-year low, EDF was forced to buy electricity on the market to supply customers. The government, meanwhile, imposed a cap on electricity prices, leaving EDF selling power at a discount.

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Alberta Electricity Market Overhaul will add renewables like wind and solar, curb price volatility tied to natural gas, boost competition, and reward energy efficiency, while safeguarding grid reliability and investor confidence through a transition roadmap.

Key Points

Alberta's 2027 market redesign adds renewables, boosts competition, and cuts volatility to protect reliability.

✅ Integrates wind and solar to meet climate and affordability goals.

✅ Increases competition and efficiency; reduces price volatility.

✅ Plans transition measures to maintain reliability and investment.

Alberta's electricity market is on the precipice of a significant transformation. The province, long reliant on fossil fuels for power generation, has committed to a market overhaul by 2027. This ambitious plan promises to shake up the current system, but industry players are wary of a lengthy period of uncertainty that could stifle much-needed investment in the sector.

The impetus for change stems from a confluence of factors. Soaring energy bills for consumers, reflecting rising electricity prices across the province, coupled with concerns about Alberta's environmental footprint, have pressured the government to seek a more sustainable and cost-effective electricity system. The current market, heavily influenced by natural gas prices, has been criticized for volatility and a lack of incentive for renewable energy development.

The details of the new electricity market design are still being formulated. However, the government has outlined some key objectives. One priority is to incorporate more renewable energy sources like wind and solar power into the grid. This aligns with Alberta's climate change goals and could lead to cleaner electricity generation, supporting the province's path to clean electricity in the coming years.

Another objective is to introduce more competition within the market. The current system is dominated by a few large players, and the government hopes increased competition will drive down prices for consumers, as the market needs more competition to function efficiently.

While the potential benefits of the overhaul are undeniable, industry leaders are apprehensive about the transition period, with a Calgary retailer urging the government to scrap the overhaul amid uncertainty. The lack of clarity surrounding the new market design creates uncertainty for power companies. This could discourage investment in new generation facilities, both renewable and traditional, potentially leading to supply shortages in the future.

John Kousinioris, CEO of TransAlta, a major Alberta power generator, expressed these concerns. "We need a clear roadmap for the future," he stated. "Uncertainty makes it difficult to justify significant investments in new power plants, which are essential to ensure a reliable electricity supply for Albertans."

The government acknowledges the need to minimize disruption during the transition. They have promised to engage in consultations with industry stakeholders throughout the redesign process, as the province changes how it produces and pays for electricity to support long-term stability. Additionally, measures may be implemented to ensure a smooth transition and provide some level of certainty for investors.

The success of Alberta's electricity market overhaul will depend on several factors. Striking a balance between environmental sustainability, affordability, and energy security will be crucial. The government must design a system that incentivizes investment in new, cleaner power generation while maintaining reliable electricity supply at a reasonable cost for consumers.

The role of natural gas, a dominant player in Alberta's current electricity mix, is another point of contention. While the government aims to incorporate more renewables, natural gas is likely to remain a part of the equation for some time. Determining the appropriate role for natural gas in the future market will be a critical decision.

The upcoming years will be a period of significant change for Alberta's electricity market. The province's commitment to a cleaner and more competitive system holds promise, but navigating the transition effectively will be a complex challenge. Open communication, collaboration between stakeholders, and a well-defined roadmap for the future will be essential for ensuring a successful electricity market overhaul and a brighter energy future for Alberta.

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P.E.I. Community Energy Independence empowers local microgrids through renewable generation, battery storage, and legislative reform, enabling community-owned power, stable electricity rates, and grid-friendly distributed generation across Island communities with wind, biomass, and net metering models.

Key Points

A program enabling communities to generate and store renewable power under supportive laws and grid-friendly models.

✅ Legislative review of Electric Power and Renewable Energy Acts

✅ Community microgrids with wind, biomass, and battery storage

✅ Grid integration without raising rates via Maritime Electric

The P.E.I. government is taking steps to review energy legislation and explore new options when it comes to generating power across Island communities.

Energy Minister Steven Myers said one of those options will be identifying ways for Island communities to generate their own energy, aligning with a federal electrification study now examining how electricity can reduce or eliminate fossil fuels. 

He said the move would provide energy independence, create jobs and economic development, and save the communities on their energy bills, as seen with an electricity bill credit in Newfoundland that eased costs for consumers.

But the move will require sweeping legislative changes, that may include the merging of the Electric Power Act and the Renewable Energy Act, similar to an electricity market overhaul in Connecticut seen in other jurisdictions.  

Myers said creating energy independence should ensure a steady supply of electricity while also ensuring costs remain reasonable for P.E.I. residents, even as a Nova Scotia electricity rate hike highlights regional cost pressures.   

"We have communities that are looking to generate their own electricity for their own needs," said Myers, adding the province will not dictate what energy sources communities can invest in. 

He also said the province wants to find new community-based models that will complement existing services.

"How do we do that in a way that we don't impact the grid, that we don't impact the service that Maritime Electric is delivering, mindful of a seasonal rate backlash in New Brunswick that illustrates consumer concerns, that we don't drive up the rates for all other Islanders."

Last fall, a group of P.E.I. MLAs traveled to Samsø, a small Danish island, where they learned about renewable and sustainable energy systems being used there.

The province is looking at storage options so it can store power generated during the day to be used in the evening when electricity use is at its highest. (CBC)
Samsø produces 100 per cent of its electricity from wind and biomass, and utilities like HECO meeting renewable goals early show how quickly transitions can occur. The P.E.I. government said the Island produces 25 per cent of its electricity from wind. 

Following the trip, Myers said he was impressed by the control the island had over its energy production and would like to see if a similar model could work on P.E.I. 

Myers said the legislative review will also look at different ways to store energy on the Island. 

He said that will allow communities to sell that excess energy into the provincial electricity grid, and those revenues could be redirected into that community's priorities. 

'For the survival and the future of their community'
"This is kind of a model that we had suggested that would be in place that would allow people in their own community to produce a revenue stream for themselves that they could then turn into projects like rinks, or parks, or tennis courts or whatever it is that community thinks is the most important thing for the survival and the future of their community," said Myers. 

Energy Minister Steven Myers says creating energy independence could create a steady supply of electricity while also ensuring costs remain reasonable for P.E.I. residents. (Randy McAndrew/CBC)
The province said Maritime Electric, Summerside Electric and the P.E.I. Energy Corporation will be involved in the review, recognizing that a Nova Scotia ruling on rate-setting powers underscores regulatory limits 

Government also wants to hear from Islanders and will be accepting written submissions beginning Monday. Myers said the province is also planning to host public consultations, but because of COVID-19, those will be held virtually in mid-June.

Myers calls this a major move, one that will take time. He said he doesn't expect the legislation to be made public until the spring of 2021.

"I want to make sure we take our time and do the proper consultation."

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UK Energy Price Guarantee Cost forecasts from Cornwall Insight suggest an £89bn bill, tied to wholesale gas prices, OBR projections, and fiscal policy, to shield households amid the cost of living crisis.

Key Points

It is the projected government spend to cap household bills, driven by wholesale gas prices and OBR market forecasts.

✅ Base case: £89bn over two years, per Cornwall Insight

✅ Range: £72bn to £140bn, volatile wholesale gas costs

✅ Excludes 6-month business support estimated at £22bn-£48bn

Liz Truss’s intervention to freeze energy prices for households for two years is expected to cost the government £89bn, according to the first major costing of the policy by the sector’s leading consultancy.

The analysis from Cornwall Insight, seen exclusively by the Guardian, shows the prime minister’s plan to tackle the cost of living crisis could cost as much as £140bn in a worst-case scenario.

Truss announced in early September that the average annual bill for a typical household would be capped at £2,500 to protect consumers from the intensifying cost of living crisis amid high winter energy costs and a scheduled 80% rise in the cap to £3,549.

The ultimate cost of the policy is uncertain as it is highly dependent on the wholesale cost of gas, including UK natural gas prices which have soared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine put a squeeze on already-volatile international markets. Ballpark projections had put the cost anywhere from £100bn to £150bn.

The Office for Budget Responsibility is expected to give its forecast for the bill when it provides its independent assessment of Kwasi Kwarteng’s medium-term fiscal plan, which the chancellor said on Tuesday would still happen on 23 November despite previous reports that it would be brought forward.

Cornwall Insight analysed projections of wholesale market moves to cost the intervention. In its base case scenario, analysts expect the policy to cost £89bn. That assumes the cost of supporting each household would be just over £1,000 in the first year, and about £2,000 in the second year.

The study’s authors said the wholesale price of gas would be influenced by energy demand, the severity of weather, “geo-political uncertainty” and prices for liquified natural gas as Europe seeks to refill storage facilities, which countries have rushed to fill up this winter but which could be relatively empty by next spring.

In the best-case outcome, the policy would cost £72bn, with some projections pointing to a 16% decrease in energy bills in April for households, while the “extreme high” outlook would see the government shell out £140bn to protect 29m UK households.

Gas prices are expected to push even higher if the Kremlin decides to completely cut off Russian gas exports into Europe.

Cornwall Insight’s projection does not include a separate six-month initiative to cap costs for companies, charities and public sector organisations, which is forecast to cost £22bn to £48bn.

The consultancy’s chief executive, Gareth Miller, said the £70bn range in its forecasts reflected “a febrile wholesale market continuing to be beset by geopolitical instability, sensitivity to demand, weather and infrastructure resilience”.

He said: “Fortune befriends the bold, but it also favours the prepared. The large uncertainties around commodity markets over the next two years means that the government could get lucky with costs coming out at the low end of the range, but the opposite could also be true.

“In each case, the government may find itself passengers to circumstances outside its control, having made policy that is a hostage to surprises, events and volatile factors. That’s a difficult position to be in.”

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The government has faced criticism, as some British MPs urge tighter limits on prices, that the policy is effectively a “blank cheque” and is not targeted at the most vulnerable in society.

Concerns over how Truss and Kwarteng intend to fund a series of measures, including the price guarantee, have spooked financial markets.

The EU, which has outlined possible gas price cap strategies in recent proposals, said last week it planned to cap the revenues of low-carbon electricity generators at €180 a megawatt hour, which is less than half current market prices. Truss has so far resisted calls to extend a levy on North Sea oil and gas operators to electricity generators, who have benefited from a link between gas and electricity prices in Britain.

Truss hopes to strike voluntary long-term deals with generators including Centrica and EDF, alongside the government’s Energy Security Bill measures, to bring down wholesale prices.

The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that the government has threatened companies with legislation to cap their revenues if voluntary deals cannot be agreed.

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