Repairs to the Crystal River nuclear plant will take longer than Progress Energy previously expected.
Instead of coming back online by midyear, the plant is expected to return to service in the third quarter, Progress Energy president and chief executive officer Bill Johnson said.
Progress Energy revised its estimate as it has gotten deeper into a job to repair a cracked wall in the plant's reactor building.
"We're really proceeding deliberately here according to a detailed plan," Johnson said during a conference call on the utility's first-quarter earnings.
Through the end of March, repairs had cost $25 million, with more work to come.
Executives said they expect insurance to cover much of the costs of repairs and replacement power needed while the nuclear plant is offline. The utility has other plants, some fired by natural gas, that it can bring online at times of peak demand.
Without going into detail, the company suggested it could seek a rate increase to recoup repair costs not covered by insurance.
So far, however, Progress Energy does not know what the total repair project will cost, it doesn't have a running tab on what replacement power has cost and can't say exactly how much insurance will pay, spokeswoman Wendy Horne said.
The company powered down the nuclear plant in September for a major maintenance project that was expected to be done by the end of December.
But shortly after the job began, workers discovered that part of the containment wall had separated into two layers.
The void was discovered as workers cut a 25- by 27-foot hole in the containment wall so two huge steam generators could be removed and replaced. The utility cut the hole because the reactor building's regular equipment hatch is too small for the generators, which weigh 550 tons each.
The gap is known as a delamination, which means part of the wall has separated into two layers. The gap between those two layers is up to 2 inches wide, and it lies about 9 inches below the outer surface of the wall, which is 42 inches thick.
The company's analysis of what caused the crack is still under way, but it has said it plans to replace the layer of concrete that separated from the building. Workers are in the latter stages of removing the outer layer.
Duke Energy Florida battery storage will add 22 MW across Trenton, Cape San Blas and Jennings, improving grid reliability, outage resilience, enabling peak shaving and deferring distribution upgrades to increase efficiency and customer value.
Key Points
Three lithium battery projects totaling 22 MW to improve Florida grid reliability, outage resilience and efficiency.
✅ 22 MW across Trenton, Cape San Blas and Jennings sites
✅ Enhances outage resilience and grid reliability
✅ Defers costly distribution upgrades and improves efficiency
Duke Energy Florida (DEF) has announced three battery energy storage projects, totaling 22 megawatts, that will improve overall reliability and support critical services during power outages.
Duke Energy, the nation's largest electric utility, unveils its new logo. (PRNewsFoto/Duke Energy) (PRNewsfoto/Duke Energy)
Collectively, the storage facilities will enhance grid operations, increase efficiencies and improve overall reliability for surrounding communities, with virtual power plant programs offering a model for coordinating distributed resources.
They will also provide important backup generation during power outages, a service that is becoming increasingly important with the number and intensity of storms that have recently impacted the state.
As the grid manager and operator, DEF can maximize the versatility of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to include multiple customer and electric system benefits such as balancing energy demand, managing intermittent resources, increasing energy security and deferring traditional power grid upgrades.
These benefits help reduce costs for customers and increase operational efficiencies.
The 11-megawatt (MW) Trenton lithium-based battery facility will be located 30 miles west of Gainesville in Gilchrist County. The energy storage project will continue to improve power reliability using newer technologies.
The 5.5-MW Cape San Blas lithium-based battery facility will be located approximately 40 miles southeast of Panama City in Gulf County. The project will provide additional power capacity to meet our customers' rising energy demand in the area. This project is an economical alternative to replacing distribution equipment necessary to accommodate local load growth.
The 5.5-MW Jennings lithium-based battery facility will be located 1.5 miles south of the Florida-Georgia border in Hamilton County. The project will continue to improve power reliability through energy storage as an alternative solution to installing new and more costly distribution equipment.
Currently the company plans to complete all three projects by the end of 2020.
"These battery projects provide electric system benefits that will help improve local reliability for our customers and provide significant energy services to the power grid," said Catherine Stempien, Duke Energy Florida state president. "Duke Energy Florida will continue to identify opportunities in battery storage technology which will deliver efficiency improvements to our customers."
Additional renewables projects
As part of DEF's commitment to renewables, the company is investing an estimated $1 billion to construct or acquire a total of 700 MW of cost-effective solar power facilities and 50 MW of battery storage through 2022.
Duke Energy is leading the industry deployment of battery technology, with SDG&E's Emerald Storage project underscoring broader adoption across the sector today. Last fall, the company and University of South Florida St. Petersburg unveiled a Tesla battery storage system that is connected to a 100-kilowatt (kW) solar array – the first of its kind in Florida.
This solar-battery microgrid system manages the energy captured by the solar array, situated on top of the university's parking garage, and similar low-income housing microgrid financing efforts are expanding access. The solar array was constructed three years ago through a $1 million grant from Duke Energy. The microgrid provides a backup power source during a power outage for the parking garage elevator, lights and electric vehicle charging stations. Click here to learn more.
In addition to expanding its battery storage technology and solar investments, DEF is investing in transportation electrification to support the growing U.S. adoption of electric vehicles (EV), including EV charging infrastructure, 530 EV charging stations and a modernized power grid to deliver the diverse and reliable energy solutions customers want and need.
Hinkley Point C delays highlight EDF cost overruns, energy security risks, and wholesale power prices, complicating UK net zero plans, Sizewell C financing, and small modular reactor adoption across the grid.
Key Points
Delays at EDF's 3.2GW Hinkley Point C push operations to 2031, lift costs to £46bn, and risk pricier UK electricity.
✅ First unit may slip to 2031; second unit date unclear.
✅ LSEG sees 6% wholesale price impact in 2029-2032.
✅ Sizewell C replicates design; SMR contracts expected soon.
Vincent de Rivaz, former CEO of EDF, confidently announced in 2016 the commencement of the UK's first nuclear power station since the 1990s, Hinkley Point C. However, despite milestones such as the reactor roof installation, recent developments have belied this optimism. The French state-owned utility EDF recently disclosed further delays and cost overruns for the 3.2 gigawatt plant in Somerset.
These complications at Hinkley Point C, which is expected to power 6 million homes, have sparked new concerns about the UK's energy strategy and its ambition to decarbonize the grid by 2050.
The UK government's plan to achieve net zero by 2050 includes a significant role for nuclear energy, reflecting analyses that net-zero may not be possible without nuclear and aiming to increase capacity from the current 5.88GW to 24GW by mid-century.
Simon Virley, head of energy at KPMG in the UK, stressed the importance of nuclear energy in transitioning to a net zero power system, echoing industry calls for multiple new stations to meet climate goals. He pointed out that failing to build the necessary capacity could lead to increased reliance on gas.
Hinkley Point C is envisioned as the pioneer in a new wave of nuclear plants intended to augment and replace Britain's existing nuclear fleet, jointly managed by EDF and Centrica. Nuclear power contributed about 14 percent of the UK's electricity in 2022, even as Europe is losing nuclear power across the continent. However, with the planned closure of four out of five plants by March 2028 and rising electricity demand, there is concern about potential power price increases.
Rob Gross, director of the UK Energy Research Centre, emphasized the link between energy security and affordability, highlighting the risk of high electricity prices if reliance on expensive gas increases.
The first 1.6GW reactor at Hinkley Point C, initially set for operation in 2027, may now face delays until 2031, even after first reactor installation milestones were reported. The in-service date for the second unit remains uncertain, with project costs possibly reaching £46bn.
LSEG analysts predict that these delays could increase wholesale power prices by up to 6 percent between 2029 and 2032, assuming the second unit becomes operational in 2033.
Martin Young, an analyst at Investec, warned of the price implications of removing a large power station from the supply side.
In response to these delays, EDF is exploring the extension of its four oldest plants. Jerry Haller, EDF’s former decommissioning director, had previously expressed skepticism about extending the life of the advanced gas-cooled reactor fleet, but EDF has since indicated more positive inspection results. The company had already decided to keep the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool plants operational until at least 2026.
Nevertheless, the issues at Hinkley Point C raise doubts about the UK's ability to meet its 2050 nuclear build target of 24GW.
Previous delays at Hinkley were attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, but EDF now cites engineering problems, similar to those experienced at other European power stations using the same technology.
The next major UK nuclear project, Sizewell C in Suffolk, will replicate Hinkley Point C's design, aligning with the UK's green industrial revolution agenda. EDF and the UK government are currently seeking external investment for the £20bn project.
Compared with Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C's financing model involves exposing billpayers to some risk of cost overruns. This, coupled with EDF's track record, could affect investor confidence.
Additionally, the UK government is supporting the development of small modular reactors, while China's nuclear program continues on a steady track, with contracts expected to be awarded later this year.
Idaho Renewable Energy 2018 saw over 80% in-state utility-scale power from hydropower, wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal, per EIA, with imports declining as Snake River Plain resources and Hells Canyon hydro lead.
Key Points
Idaho produced over 80% in-state power from renewables in 2018, led by hydropower, wind, solar, and biomass.
✅ Hydropower supplies about half of capacity; Hells Canyon leads.
✅ Wind provides nearly 20% of capacity along the Snake River Plain.
✅ Utility-scale solar surged since 2016; biomass and geothermal add output.
More than 80% of Idaho’s in-state utility-scale electricity generation came from renewable resources in 2018, behind only Vermont, according to recently released data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly and broader trends showing that solar and wind reached about 10% of U.S. generation in the first half of 2018.
Idaho generated 17.4 million MWh of electricity in 2018, of which 14.2 million MWh came from renewable sources, while nationally January power generation jumped 9.3% year over year according to EIA. Idaho uses a variety of renewable resources to generate electricity:
Hydroelectricity. Idaho ranked seventh in the U.S. in electricity generation from hydropower in 2018. About half of Idaho’s electricity generating capacity is at hydroelectric power plants, and utility actions such as the Idaho Power settlement could influence future resource choices, and seven of the state’s 10 largest power plants (in terms of electricity generation) are hydroelectric facilities. The largest privately owned hydroelectric generating facility in the U.S. is a three-dam complex on the Snake River in Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America.
Wind. Nearly one-fifth of Idaho’s electricity generating capacity and one-sixth of its generation comes from wind turbines. Idaho has substantial wind energy potential, and nationally the EIA expects solar and wind to be larger sources this summer, although only a small percentage of the state's land area is well-suited for wind development. All of the state’s wind farms are located in the southern half of the state along the Snake River Plain.
Solar. Almost 5% of Idaho’s electricity generating capacity and 3% of its generation come from utility-scale solar facilities, and nationally over half of new capacity in 2023 will be solar according to projections. The state had no utility-scale solar generation as recently as 2015. Between 2016 and 2017, Idaho’s utility-scale capacity doubled and generation increased from 30,000 MWh to more than 450,000 MWh. Idaho’s small-scale solar capacity also doubled since 2017, generating 33,000 MWh in 2018.
Biomass. Biomass-fueled power plants account for about 2% of the state’s utility-scale electricity generating capacity and 3% of its generation, contributing to a broader U.S. shift where 40% of electricity came from non-fossil sources in 2021. Wood waste from the state’s forests is the primary fuel for these plants.
Geothermal. Idaho is one of seven states with utility-scale geothermal electricity generation. Idaho has one 18-MW geothermal facility, located near the state’s southern border with Utah.
EIA says Idaho requires significant electricity imports, totaling about one-third of demand, to meet its electricity needs. However, Idaho’s electricity imports have decreased over time, and Georgia's recent import levels illustrate how regional dynamics can vary. Almost all of these imports are from neighboring states, as electricity imports from Canada accounted for less than 0.1% of Idaho’s total electricity supply in 2017.
Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage triggers Baltic Sea gas leaks as Norway and Denmark tighten energy infrastructure security, offshore surveillance, and exclusion zones, after drone sightings near platforms and explosions reported by experts.
Key Points
An alleged attack causing Baltic gas leaks and heightened energy security measures in Norway and Denmark.
✅ Norway boosts offshore and onshore site security
✅ Denmark enforces 5 nm exclusion zone near leaks
✅ Drones spotted; police probe sabotage and safety breaches
Norway and Denmark will increase security and surveillance around their energy infrastructure sites after the alleged sabotage of Russia's Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, as the EU pursues a plan to dump Russian energy to safeguard supplies.
Major leaks struck two underwater natural gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany, which has moved to a 200 billion-euro energy shield amid surging prices, with experts reporting that explosions rattled the Baltic Sea beforehand.
Norway -- an oil-rich nation and Europe's biggest supplier of gas -- will strengthen security at its land and offshore installations, even as it weighs curbing electricity exports to avoid shortages, the country's energy minister said.
The Scandinavian country's Petroleum Safety Authority also urged vigilance on Monday after unidentified drones were seen flying near Norway's offshore oil and gas platforms.
"The PSA has received a number of warnings/notifications from operator companies on the Norwegian Continental Shelf concerning the observation of unidentified drones/aircraft close to offshore facilities" the agency said in a statement.
"Cases where drones have infringed the safety zone around facilities are now being investigated by the Norwegian police."
Meanwhile Denmark will increase security across its energy sector after the Nord Stream incident, as wider market strains, including Germany's struggling local utilities, ripple across Europe, a spokesperson for gas transmission operator Energinet told Upstream.
The Danish Maritime Agency has also imposed an exclusion zone for five nautical miles around the leaks, warning ships of a danger they could lose buoyancy, and stating there is a risk of the escaping gas igniting "above the water and in the air," even as Europe weighs emergency electricity measures to limit prices.
Denmark's defence minister said there was no cause for security concerns in the Baltic Sea region.
"Russia has a significant military presence in the Baltic Sea region and we expect them to continue their sabre-rattling," Morten Bodskov said in a statement.
Video taken by a Danish military plane on Tuesday afternoon showed the extent of one of gas pipeline leaks, with the surface of the Baltic bubbling up as gas escapes, highlighting Europe's energy crisis for global audiences:
Meanwhile police in Sweden have opened a criminal investigation into "gross sabotage" of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, and Sweden's crisis management unit was activated to monitor the situation. The unit brings together representatives from different government agencies.
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde had a call with her Danish counterpart Jeppe Kofod on Tuesday evening, and the pair also spoke with Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt on Wednesday, as the bloc debates gas price cap strategies to address the crisis, with Kofod saying there should be a "clear and unambiguous EU statement about the explosions in the Baltic Sea."
"Focus now on uncovering exactly what has happened - and why. Any sabotage against European energy infrastructure will be met with a robust and coordinated response," said Kofod.
Longest Lightning Flash Record confirmed by WMO: a 477.2-mile megaflash spanning Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, detected by satellite sensors, highlighting Great Plains supercell storms, lightning safety, and extreme weather monitoring advancements.
Key Points
It is the WMO-verified 477.2-mile megaflash across MS, LA, and TX, detected via satellites.
✅ Spanned 477.2 miles across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas
✅ Verified by WMO using space-based lightning detection
✅ Occurs in megaflash-prone regions like the U.S. Great Plains
An almost 500-mile long bolt of lightning that lit up the sky across three US states has set a new world record for longest flash, scientists have confirmed.
The lightning bolt, extended a total of 477.2 miles (768 km) and spread across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
The previous record was 440.6 miles (709 km) and recorded in Brazil in 2018.
Lightning rarely extends over 10 miles and usually lasts under a second, yet utilities plan for severe weather when building long-distance lines such as the TransWest Express transmission project to enhance reliability.
Another lightning flash recorded in 2020 - in Uruguay and Argentina - has also set a new record for duration at 17.1 seconds. The previous record was 16.7 seconds.
"These are extraordinary records from lightning flash events," Professor Randall Cerveny, the WMO's rapporteur of weather and climate extremes, said.
According to the WMO, both records took place in areas prone to intense storms that produce 'megaflashes', namely the Great Plains region of the United States and the La Plata basin of South America's southern cone, where utilities adapting to climate change is an increasing priority.
Professor Cerveny added that greater extremes are likely to exist and are likely to be recorded in the future thanks to advances in space-based lightning detection technology.
The WMO warned that lightning was a hazard and urged people in both regions and around the world to take caution during storms, which can lead to extensive disruptions like the Tennessee power outages reported after severe weather.
"These extremely large and long-duration lightning events were not isolated but happened during active thunderstorms," lightning specialist Ron Holle said in a WMO statement.
"Any time there is thunder heard, it is time to reach a lightning-safe place".
Previously accepted WMO 'lightning extremes' include a 1975 incident in which 21 people were killed by a single flash of a lightning as they huddled inside a tent in Zimbabwe, and modern events show how dangerous weather can also cut electricity for days, as with the Hong Kong typhoon outages that affected families.
In another incident, 469 people were killed when lightning struck the Egyptian town of Dronka in 1994, causing burning oil to flood the town, and major incidents can also disrupt infrastructure, as seen during the LA power outage following a substation fire.
The WMO notes that the only lightning-safe locations are "substantial" buildings with wiring and plumbing, and dedicated lightning protection training helps reinforce these guidelines, rather than structures such as bus stops or those found at beaches.
Fully enclosed metal-topped vehicles are also considered reliably safe, and regional storm safety tips offer additional guidance.
Nighttime Thermoelectric Generator converts radiative cooling into renewable energy, leveraging outer space cold; a Stanford-UCLA prototype complements solar, serving off-grid loads with low-power output during peak evening demand, using simple materials on a rooftop.
Key Points
A device converting nighttime radiative cooling into electricity, complementing solar for low-power evening needs.
✅ Uses thermocouples to convert temperature gradients to voltage.
✅ Exploits radiative cooling to outer space for night power.
✅ Complements solar; low-cost parts suit off-grid applications.
Two years ago, one freezing December night on a California rooftop, a tiny light shone weakly with a little help from the freezing night air. It wasn't a very bright glow. But it was enough to demonstrate the possibility of generating renewable power after the Sun goes down.
Working with Stanford University engineers Wei Li and Shanhui Fan, University of California Los Angeles materials scientist Aaswath Raman put together a device that produces a voltage by channelling the day's residual warmth into cooling air, effectively generating electricity from thin air with passive heat exchange.
"Our work highlights the many remaining opportunities for energy by taking advantage of the cold of outer space as a renewable energy resource," says Raman.
"We think this forms the basis of a complementary technology to solar. While the power output will always be substantially lower, it can operate at hours when solar cells cannot."
For all the merits of solar energy, it's just not a 24-7 source of power, although research into nighttime solar cells suggests new possibilities for after-dark generation. Sure, we can store it in a giant battery or use it to pump water up into a reservoir for later, but until we have more economical solutions, nighttime is going to be a quiet time for renewable solar power.
Most of us return home from work as the Sun is setting, and that's when energy demands spike to meet our needs for heating, cooking, entertaining, and lighting.
Unfortunately, we often turn to fossil fuels to make up the shortfall. For those living off the grid, it could require limiting options and going without a few luxuries.
Shanhui Fan understands the need for a night time renewable power source well. He's worked on a number of similar devices, including carbon nanotube generators that scavenge ambient energy, and a recent piece of technology that flipped photovoltaics on its head by squeezing electricity from the glow of heat radiating out of the planet's Sun-warmed surface.
While that clever item relied on the optical qualities of a warm object, this alternative device makes use of the good old thermoelectric effect, similar to thin-film waste-heat harvesting approaches now explored.
Using a material called a thermocouple, engineers can convert a change in temperature into a difference in voltage, effectively turning thermal energy into electricity with a measurable voltage. This demands something relatively toasty on one side and a place for that heat energy to escape to on the other.
The theory is the easy part – the real challenge is in arranging the right thermoelectric materials in such a way that they'll generate a voltage from our cooling surrounds that makes it worthwhile.
To keep costs down, the team used simple, off-the-shelf items that pretty much any of us could easily get our hands on.
They put together a cheap thermoelectric generator and linked it with a black aluminium disk to shed heat in the night air as it faced the sky. The generator was placed inside a polystyrene enclosure sealed with a window transparent to infrared light, and linked to a single tiny LED.
For six hours one evening, the box was left to cool on a roof-top in Stanford as the temperature fell just below freezing. As the heat flowed from the ground into the sky, the small generator produced just enough current to make the light flicker to life.
At its best, the device generated around 0.8 milliwatts of power, corresponding to 25 milliwatts of power per square metre.
That might just be enough to keep a hearing aid working. String several together and you might just be able to keep your cat amused with a simple laser pointer. So we're not talking massive amounts of power.
But as far as prototypes go, it's a fantastic starting point. The team suggests that with the right tweaks and the right conditions, 500 milliwatts per square metre isn't out of the question.
"Beyond lighting, we believe this could be a broadly enabling approach to power generation suitable for remote locations, and anywhere where power generation at night is needed," says Raman.
While we search for big, bright ideas to drive the revolution for renewables, it's important to make sure we don't let the smaller, simpler solutions like these slip away quietly into the night.
