Canada-based TC Energy has withdrawn from Project Tundra, according to Politico’s E&E News. TC Energy was a primary sponsor, along with Minnkota Power Cooperative.

TC Energy played a pivotal role as a partner in the development of Project Tundra, and their contributions provided tremendous value,” a Minnkota Power Cooperative spokesperson said in a statement provided to Power Engineering. “While we remain optimistic about advancing the project, securing capital resources will be essential to reaching a final investment decision.”

Project Tundra aims to capture carbon from the Milton R. Young Station, a coal-fired plant near Center, North Dakota. The project would use Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ KS-21 solvent to capture CO2, which would be permanently stored in saline geologic formations beneath and surrounding the power plant. The storage site is approved for a Class VI well permit.

Minnkota had said it plans to retrofit the coal-fired plant’s 430 MW Unit 2 to capture up to 90% of its CO2 emissions. Unit 2 is a cyclone-fired wet bottom boiler from Babcock & Wilcox. The project could capture an annual average of 4 million metric tons of CO2, according to project leaders said.

Project Tundra received federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) last year through two separate totaling nearly $400 million. This was in addition to another $43 million received from the federal government in 2020.

Carbon capture is seen by proponents as an emerging technology that could keep fossil-fired plants viable while reducing emissions. Under the Biden Administration’s EPA Power Plant Rule, coal- and new natural gas-fired plants would have to capture their carbon or close by various compliance dates in the 2030s.

Opponents of the rule, which may not survive the first few weeks of the new Trump Administration, have expressed that CO2 capture systems are costly and energy-intensive.

Officials with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) noted in court filings earlier this year that Project Tundra sits atop ideal geology for storage, has been in planning for nearly a decade, and has used government funding for two-thirds of the costs so far, yet still would not meet the 90% capture rate.

They also said other variable factors that could further delay the project include labor and supply chain constraints.

The Minnkota Power spokesperson said the co-op continues to assess federal funding opportunities, potential EPA compliance obligations and ongoing supply chain and inflationary pressures. The spokesperson said the co-op looks forward to a final investment decision “when the necessary conditions align.”

We have reached out to TC Energy for comment and will continue providing updates to this story.

Georgia Power projects that over the next decade the state will be leading the nation’s second industrial revolution, led by artificial intelligence boosting data centers, which could triple the state’s energy consumption.

According to Georgia Power’s projections, the company’s projected 12,000 megawatts load growth will triple by the mid-2030, which is consistent with the state’s consistently upward trending economic prospects the company cites as it requests a significant expansion of its energy capacity.

“The latest data continue to support Georgia Power’s expectation for continued and robust economic growth in Georgia and the timing of new large loads,” the company’s Nov. 18 economic development outlook reads. “The pipeline of committed and potential economic development projects continues to grow.”

The Georgia Public Service Commission is scheduled to vote by next 2025 on the company’s long-term plans. The five-member board regulates the state’s utilities and will determine whether new natural gas plants will be built, if more solar power capacity is added, and how much more electricity customers will be charged when the company passes along rising costs.

Georgia Power is estimating that about 90 large-sized industrial projects could be built in Georgia before the end of the decade. Georgia Power has received commitments to purchase its electricity from about 70 prospective data center facilities should they be built inside the Peach State.

However, clean energy advocates are among the knowledgeable critics expressing skepticism about Georgia Power’s projected list of commitments from large data centers, questioning the accuracy of energy demand forecasts over the next several years and what the company says are actual energy usage levels by new data centers.

Georgia Power is set to outline its proposals to meet projected energy demand in its 2025 integrated resource plan, a three-year operations forecast due to be filed in late January with the Georgia PSC. The filing will kick start a process of hearings before state regulators and interested parties where expert testimony from Georgia Power and advocates for consumers and environmental protection are typically presented to chart the utility company’s energy future.

As of Sep. 30, Georgia Power says the total pipeline of economic development projects expected through the mid-2030s has increased by 12,200 megawatts to 36,500 megawatts, with large-scale facilities accounting for 34,600 megawatts. All 25 of the committed large scale projects are expected to be in service by the end of 2028 or sooner, the utility company’s quarterly report states.

“Thirteen of these projects have broken ground, and twelve are pending construction,” the report said. “This evidence clearly indicates that these large load customers are materializing and making progress without material delays.”

According to the U.S. Department of Energy data, centers consume 10 to 50 times as much electricity as the average commercial building.

A 2024 report from the Barclays Equity Research team estimates that data centers account for 3.5% of U.S. electricity consumption today, and the electricity use of those facilities could be above 5.5% in 2027 and more than 9% by 2035.

Maggie Shober, the research director at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said she has concerns about the level of commitment Georgia Power is securing from the planned new data centers. Companies are committing to use Georgia Power as their electricity provider, but it does not guarantee they will build a data center in the state.

“Although these are scary numbers, I think there’s a lot of speculation going on, especially in the data center industry, where people and companies that are interested in sort of flipping sites for data centers are absolutely scrambling to get into this queue. I think that a lot of these will ultimately never show up. I think it’s going to be a challenge to figure out which ones and how do we determine that?”

After decades of almost non-existent demand growth for electricity in the U.S., the artificial intelligence revolution is expected to more than double data center electricity needs by 2030 based on current grid capacity, according to the Barclays report.

“Unlike other industries or energy-consuming activities which place fluctuating requirements on the grid depending on the time of day or year that can be managed to maintain overall reliability and capacity, AI operations are an ‘always on’ demand,” Barclays senior research analysts Will Thompson and Betty Jiang wrote in the August report. “Data centres must operate continuously, 24/7/365, to function for users. In effect, AI energy demand can be considered a constant peak that leads to higher overall peak power demand across the grid.

“With the current focus on building data centre capacity that prioritises secure access to power over specific fuel type, meeting rising electricity demand while lowering emissions will likely be a monumental challenge for grid operators,” the Barclays report said.

In April, the Georgia Public Service Commission approved Georgia Power’s plans to expand its generation capacity by increasing its reliance on fossil fuels and adding more renewable energy by 2025. The company’s integrated resource plan will be the next significant development since then.

Georgia Power is projecting the updated plans will save the typical residential customer about $2.89 on their monthly bills from 2026 to 2028.

“At Georgia Power, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and we are unwavering in our commitment to provide them with clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy,” Georgia Power CFO Aaron Abramovitz said in April.

State regulators already approved the company’s request for natural gas or oil-burning generators and solar batteries to meet increasing demand from data centers and other large industrial users over the next decade. Regulators were warned by several clean energy groups against allowing Georgia Power to build three fossil fuel burning units at the legacy fossil-fuel facility Plant Yates in Coweta County.

Concerns linger for clean energy advocates like the Southern Environmental Law Center, anxious about what the upcoming request from Georgia Power will mean for the state’s energy future. The company has also been given the green light by state regulators to delay the retirement of its coal-burning plants Bowen in Bartow County and Scherer in Monroe County.

If Georgia Power’s projected electricity demands fall short, the company would still reap the financial benefits of adding new energy sources, said Jennifer Whitfield, SELC senior attorney.

“If you’re over projecting, and you don’t actually need to meet those demands, it’s not the Georgia Power shareholders who are going to pay for that,” Whitfield said. “ It’s going to be Georgia Power customers.

“That is a particular concern for overbuilding gas plants, because the cost of gas plants is for the fuel, and those costs get passed on directly to customers,” Whitfield said. “George Power customers, in particular, have seen a bunch of increases. They’ve had a rate increase. They’ve had Plant Vogtle increases. The largest increase they’ve seen in the last few years is actually from fuel costs.”

The Barclays research report found that sustainability appears to be a lower priority for the majority of data center companies.

“Data centre developers are prioritising land with access to untapped power sources, water, workforces and favourable regulation,” the report says. “With the current focus on building data centre capacity that prioritises secure access to power over specific fuel type, meeting rising electricity demand while lowering emissions will likely be a monumental challenge for grid operators,” the report says.

Whitfield said the commission has some ability to be creative with how it requires Georgia’s Power to diversify its sustainable energy portfolio. The company’s plans include some positives, she said, such as expanding solar and programs that benefit seniors living on fixed incomes.

“Is this going to be this moment where we decide, as Georgians, who we want to be? What kind of energy future do we want to have?” Whitfield said.

Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. Follow Georgia Recorder on Facebook and X.

Virginia’s air regulators are awaiting data from Dominion Energy to further process the utility’s air permit request for the natural gas plant they’re proposing to build to meet rising energy needs, as pushback over the location and potential environmental impact of the facility continues.

“We are expecting to receive air quality monitoring data … in the next couple of weeks or so,” said Mike Dowd, director of air and renewable energy at the Department of Environmental Quality, in an update to the State Air Pollution Control Board Thursday. “As soon as we get the air quality modeling data, we will be processing the permit.”

Dominion spokesperson Jeremy Slayton confirmed to The Mercury that the utility is “currently planning to submit our modeling report to DEQ in early 2025.”

Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest utility, is proposing the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center to meet increased energy demands expected to hit the state as a result of data center development. After local opposition, Dominion moved the proposed location from an industrial site on Battery Brooke Parkway to its former coal-fired Chesterfield Power Station on Coxendale Road. 

Construction is expected to start in 2026. It’s expected to be operational in 2029.

Environmental and community groups have staunchly fought against the project, saying it runs counter to the state’s 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act that mandates the retirement of fossil fuels by 2045, unless there’s a concern over being able to reliably send electricity to the grid. 

Critics also are concerned about the air pollution impacting the surrounding community.

The update on the timeline means next year “is going to be pretty busy in terms of the public engagement,” said Mason Manley, a field manger with Clean Virginia, an advocacy group formed by millionaire Michael Bills to oppose Dominion’s influence in the legislature. The public will likely have the chance to weigh in on both the air permit for the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center, as well as a separate Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the State Corporation Commission, which regulates Virginia’s utilities, Manley said.

The air permit is expected to be issued by July 28, according to DEQ’s permitting website, with public engagement opportunities occurring before then. The CPCN is going to be requested “in the first quarter of 2025,” said Slayton, with Dominion.

Andy Farmer, a spokesperson for the SCC, said “It is too early to discuss an SCC public engagement process when an application hasn’t been filed.”

“After Dominion files the application, the SCC will issue an Order for Notice and Hearing that will include a hearing schedule and public comment opportunities,” Farmer said. 

Manley said the public engagement opportunity is when community members can make their case for a denial or express their concerns necessitating controls for emissions be put in place. Last month, community members held a “People’s Hearing” to collect public testimony that will be submitted to DEQ during the public engagement period.

“(The air permit) is extremely important, (Dominion) can’t actually begin construction until that is issued,” Manley said.

The timeline update comes as opposition continues over local approval of the land use for the project, which is considered one of the first requirements before the DEQ and SCC processes can finish.

On Monday, the Friends of the Chesterfield, a group formed to oppose the plant, filed another appeal with the Chesterfield County Board of Zoning Appeals over a decision to use a 2010 conditional use permit for the Coxendale Road site for the proposed plant.

Previously, the friends group challenged a zoning determination from Chesterfield County Deputy Administrator Jesse Smith, but the zoning board said that determination was made as part of the air permitting process under the air board’s authority, not its own. 

After the rejection, the friends group followed up with Chesterfield County Chesterfield County Planning Director Andrew Gillies with their own request for a zoning determination on using the conditional use permit for the new site. Gillies responded on Oct. 18 saying that the previous letter stating the existing conditional use permit applies to the proposed plant, “fully answers your letter.” 

Evan Johns, an attorney with Appalachian Mountain Advocates, which filed both appeals on behalf of the Friends group, said the second appeal is a response to a determination by Gillies, a zoning official, which the groups says is reviewable by the zoning board.

“It seems like a determination that can be reviewed,” said Johns.

Chesterfield County spokesperson Teresa Bonifas said, “We do not comment on pending or potential litigation.” The next zoning board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 4.

Another requirement for the air permit process is a determination of “site suitability.” As Chesterfield County has declined to make that determination, Dowd said “there hasn’t been a full resolution.”

“I assume this is all part and parcel with (the appeal),” Dowd said.

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and X.

The proposed New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) are based on the application of combustion controls and selective catalytic reduction (SCR).

EPA said the proposed standards would ensure that new turbines built at natural gas-fired plants or industrial facilities — especially large ones that could operate for decades — would be among the lowest-emitting turbines ever built.

To strengthen the NOx performance standards for new stationary combustion turbines, EPA is specifically proposing:

• To determine that combustion controls with the addition of post-combustion SCR is the best system of emission reduction (BSER) for most combustion turbines. Post-combustion SCR is already widely used in the power sector.
• To lower the NOx standards of performance for affected sources based on the application of the BSER.
• To establish more protective NOx standards for affected new sources that plan to fire or co-fire hydrogen, ensuring that these units have the same level of control for NOx emissions as sources firing natural gas or non-natural gas fuels. 

The proposed standards would establish size-based categories based on base load heat input. The proposed size-based categories include:

• Large combustion turbines — facilities with a base load heat input rating of > 850 MMBtu/h (> ~ 85 MW).
• Medium combustion turbines — facilities with a base load heat input rating of > 250 and ≤ 850 MMBtu/h (> ~ 25 MW and ≤ ~ 85 MW). 
• Small combustion turbines — facilities with a base load heat input rating of ≤ 250 MMBtu/h (≤ ~ 25 MW).

EPA is proposing to further subcategorize sources based on whether they operate at high, intermediate or low loads, as well as whether they burn natural gas or non-natural gas fuels. When classifying low, intermediate or base load units, EPA will consider the 12-calendar-month capacity factor of these combustion turbines.

• High load — capacity factor greater than 40% (i.e., base load).
• Intermediate load — capacity factor greater than 20% and less than or equal to 40%.
• Low load — capacity factor of less than or equal to 20%.

For non-EGU stationary combustion turbines, the capacity factor would be determined based on the prior 12 calendar months of data on a rolling basis updated each month.

EPA acknowledged that SCR technology becomes less cost-effective and efficient at smaller scales or variable operating levels. Therefore, the agency is proposing standards for certain combustion turbines relying on combustion controls instead of SCR. This applies to small turbines at low or intermediate loads, and medium and large turbines at low loads.

The agency estimated the proposal would reduce NOx emissions by 198 tons in 2027 and 2,659 tons in 2032. The present value of net benefits to society is estimated at up to $340 million, with an equivalent value of up to $46.4 million per year. 

NOx contributes to harmful health effects, such as asthma and respiratory infections. Children, the elderly, and people with chronic heart, lung or other cardiopulmonary diseases are most at risk. 

EPA is also proposing to maintain the current limits for sulfur dioxide, which is well-controlled in the sector based on the long-term required use of low-sulfur natural gas and distillate fuels.

The agency last established New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for stationary combustion turbines in 2006. The future of the proposal, as with other EPA power plant rules finalized in the last year, is unclear under the incoming Trump presidency.

EPA will accept comments for 90 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register.

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Chris Wright, a campaign donor and fossil fuel executive, to serve as energy secretary in his upcoming, second administration. Additionally, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, his choice to head the Interior Department, will also lead a newly created National Energy Council that will seek to establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world.

CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Wright is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking, a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.

Wright has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change, and could give fossil fuels a boost, including quick action to end a year-long pause on natural gas export approvals by the Biden administration.

Frequently criticizing what he calls a “top-down” approach to climate by liberal and left-wing groups, Wright has argued that the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” He has never served in government, but has written that more fossil fuel production is needed around the globe to lift people out of poverty.

Consideration of Wright to head the administration’s energy department won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm.

Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Hamm helped organize an event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in April where Trump reportedly asked industry leaders and lobbyists to donate $1 billion to Trump’s campaign, with the expectation that Trump would curtail environmental regulations if reelected.

Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas industry’s top lobbying group, said Wright’s experience in the energy sector “gives him an important perspective that will inform his leadership” of the Energy Department.

“We look forward to working with him once confirmed to bolster American geopolitical strength by lifting DOE’s pause on LNG export permits and ensuring the open access of American energy for our allies around the world,” Sommers said.

Jackie Wong, senior vice president for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, called Wright “a champion of dirty fossil fuels” and said his nomination to lead the Energy Department was “a disastrous mistake.”

“The Energy Department should be doing all it can to develop and expand the energy sources of the 21st century, not trying to promote the dirty fuels of the last century,” Wong said. “Given the devastating impacts of climate-fueled disasters, DOE’s core mission of researching and promoting cleaner energy solutions is more important now than ever.”

Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, who is expected to become chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Trump promised bold choices for his Cabinet, and Wright’s nomination delivers.

“He’s an energy innovator who laid the foundation for America’s fracking boom. After four years of America last energy policy, our country is desperate for a secretary who understands how important American energy is to our economy and our national security,″ Barrasso said.

If confirmed, Wright will join North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s choice to be interior secretary, as a key player on energy policy in a second Trump term. Wright will be a member of a new National Energy Council that Burgum will chair. The new panel will seek to establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world, Trump said.

Thomas Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, a conservative group that supports fossil fuels, said Wright would be “an excellent choice” for energy secretary. Pyle led Trump’s Energy Department’s transition team in 2016.

Liberty is a major energy industry service provider, with a focus on technology. Wright, who grew up in Colorado, earned undergraduate degree at MIT and did graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California-Berkeley and MIT. In 1992, he founded Pinnacle Technologies, which helped launch commercial shale gas production through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

He later served as chairman of Stroud Energy, an early shale gas producer, before founding Liberty Resources in 2010.

National Energy Council

Burgum, in his new role, will oversee a panel that crosses all executive branch agencies involved in energy permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation, Trump said in a statement. As chairman of the National Energy Council, Burgum will have a seat on the National Security Council, Trump said.

“This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation,” Trump wrote.

The Republican president-elect accused the “radical left” of engaging in a war on American energy, in the name of fighting climate change. His policy of energy dominance, which he also espoused during his first term, will allow the U.S. to sell oil, gas and other forms of energy to European allies, making the world safer, Trump said.

Trump’s policies, if adopted, would represent a near-complete reversal from actions pursued by Democratic President Joe Biden, who has made fighting climate change a top priority and has pushed for more electric vehicles and stricter regulation of carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants. Trump has pledged to rescind unspent funds in Biden’s landmark climate and health care bill and stop offshore wind development when he returns to the White House in January.

Trump, who has called oil “liquid gold,” said oil and natural gas, along with minerals such as lithium and copper, should be exploited to the maximum extent possible. “We will “DRILL BABY DRILL,” expand ALL forms of Energy production to grow our Economy, and create good-paying jobs,” Trump wrote.

Speaking to reporters at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort before his selection as interior secretary was announced Thursday night, Burgum said he and Trump are concerned about “the nexus between energy and inflation and the nexus between energy and national security.”

“Energy is a component of everything — it’s the clothes you wear, the food you eat,” Burgum said, adding that the U.S. needs to boost electricity production to meet increased demand from data centers and artificial intelligence.

“The AI battle affects everything from defense to healthcare to education to productivity as a country,″ Burgum said, referring to artificial intelligence. “And the AI that’s coming in the next 18 months is going to be revolutionary. So there’s just a sense of urgency and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration″ to address it.

Burgum, 68, was elected North Dakota governor in 2016, his first campaign for elected office. A former software executive, he led Great Plains Software, which Microsoft acquired for $1.1 billion in 2001. Burgum has also led other companies in real estate development and venture capital.

Burgum, a Republican, has taken a pro-business style as governor of a state where agriculture and oil are the main industries. He’s pushed income tax cuts, reduced regulations, and changes to animal agriculture laws and higher education governance. Burgum also emphasized a “data-driven” approach to governing, advocated for a Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in the state and prioritized engagement with tribal nations.

He ran for president in 2023, but dropped out after his bid failed to resonate. He later endorsed Trump.

Industry groups welcomed Burgum to the new administration and said Trump’s creation of an energy council signaled renewed emphasis on spurring domestic production and streamlining regulations.

Burgum’s “deep understanding of American energy resources and public lands positions him to tackle critical issues such as enhancing energy affordability … and strengthening the U.S. in the global energy marketplace,” said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which promotes offshore drilling. Milito is a former vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s top lobbying group.

David Seabrook, president of The Wilderness Society, called Burgum “a longtime friend to fossil fuel interests” who played a role in an April event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort where Trump reportedly asked industry leaders and lobbyists to donate $1 billion to his campaign, with the expectation that he would curtail environmental regulations if re-elected.

“The first Trump administration treated (public lands) like they’re meant to be dug up, drilled or sold off for profit,” Seabrook said. “Gov. Burgum’s long track record of pushing for unchecked fossil fuel development sends a loud signal about which path they will take this time around.”

Ameren Missouri would spend more than $61 million to offset its past clean air violations under a joint proposal filed Wednesday in federal court.

The St. Louis-based electric utility, which serves 1.2 million customers, has been in litigation for more than a decade over its Rush Island Energy Center, which operated for years in violation of the Clean Air Act.

Ameren shut down Rush Island last month rather than install pollution controls to bring it into compliance with clean air standards. 

In the joint proposal with the U.S. Department of Justice and the environmental nonprofit Sierra Club, Ameren agreed to spend $25 million to provide vouchers for at least 125,000 Missouri households to purchase High Efficiency Particulate Air, or HEPA, filters, prioritizing low-income communities.

Ameren would spend the remaining $36 million to help St. Louis-area school districts switch to electric buses. 

Federal officials will accept comments on the proposal, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, before submitting it to the court for approval.

In a statement, Jenn DeRose, a senior field organizer for Sierra Club, said Ameren must pay for having broken the law but “cannot bring back the innocent lives that utility executives cut short or repair the environmental harms of the illegal and toxic air pollution spewed by the coal plant.” 

“I cannot stress enough that civic leaders need to understand that Ameren’s unethical business decisions harm our communities,” DeRose said, “whether it’s polluting our air and water, slow-walking the transition from coal and gas to clean energy, or disconnecting people from electricity that they desperately need to survive.”

A spokesperson for Ameren said in an emailed statement that the Department of Justice resolves the case and “will fund the implementation of two mitigation relief programs, in addition to retiring the energy center.”

Rush Island operated without pollution controls for years, releasing more than 250,000 tons of excess sulfur dioxide. Shutting down the plant will prevent future emissions, but the agreement with federal officials and the Sierra Club is meant to offset the ones Ameren can’t take back.

Ameren opened Rush Island in the mid-1970s, narrowly avoiding a 1977 update to the Clean Air Act requiring pollution controls at newly-constructed coal plants. As long as Ameren didn’t make any upgrades beyond routine maintenance, it wouldn’t have to install the controls.

But the company updated Rush Island’s two units in 2007 and 2010 without installing pollution controls, violating the 1977 Clean Air Act update and sparking a lawsuit by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In 2019, U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri Rodney Sippel ordered Ameren to obtain a permit, install scrubbers and lower its sulfur dioxide emissions. Sippel also ordered Ameren to install scrubbers to temporarily lower sulfur dioxide emissions at its larger Labadie Energy Center in Franklin County to make up for the excess emissions at Rush Island.

The 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 2021 upheld Sippel’s order requiring Ameren to install scrubbers, but struck down the requirement at Labadie.

Later in 2021, Ameren announced it would retire Rush Island. It argued the retirement should mark the resolution of the lawsuit. But Sippel ordered Ameren and prosecutors to negotiate potential mitigation measures to make up for the sulfur dioxide emissions, which he said “harm public health and the environment, contribute to premature deaths, asthma attacks, acid rain and other adverse effects in downwind communities, including the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.”

Sippel’s order, issued in June, said over the 14 years since Rush Island’s second unit was updated without scrubbers installed, it has released 275,000 tons of sulfur dioxide. Ameren argues the figure is closer to 256,000 tons.

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and X.

The associations representing the nation’s electric utilities and rural cooperatives issued congratulatory statements Wednesday, saying they looked forward to working with the incoming administration.

Edison Electric Institute (EEI) interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn today issued the following statement on the 2024 presidential election results.

“EEI and our member companies—America’s investor-owned electric companies—congratulate Donald Trump and JD Vance on their election as President and Vice President of the United States,” said Edison Electric Institute (EEI) interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn.

He continued: “This is an exciting time for electric companies and our industry, as customer demand for electricity is growing at the fastest pace in decades, and we look forward to working with the Trump administration, Congress, and state policymakers and regulators to meet this demand safely, reliably, and affordably.

It’s likely the new Trump administration will target Biden EPA rules, like the one that requires coal and new natural gas-fired plants to capture their carbon or retire by varying compliance deadlines in the 2030s.

Opponents of the EPA rule, which include the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), have argued that its implementation would jeopardize grid reliability and that the emission reduction technologies proposed by the agency aren’t ready for prime time.

“America is at an energy crossroads and the reliability of the electric grid hangs in the balance. Critical generation resources are being retired faster than they can be reliably replaced,” said NRECA CEO Jim Matheson in a post-election statement Wednesday.

“At the same time, electricity demand is skyrocketing as power-hungry data centers and new manufacturing facilities come online. Smart energy policies that keep the lights on are more important than ever,” he added.

Neither EEI or NRECA responded to inquiries specifically about the post-election fate of the power plant rule.

NRECA, which represents nearly 900 U.S. local electric cooperatives, did say in its post-election statement that one of its policy priorities remains “protecting the electric grid from increasing threats to reliability, such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Power Plant Rule.”

The rule has faced challenges from Republican-led states and industry groups. The Supreme Court in October allowed the rule to remain in place as legal challenges play out.

The outcome of the presidential race between Former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris has key implications for the power sector and for broader decarbonization goals. Control of the U.S. Congress is also at stake and could also impact policy in this space.

If Donald Trump wins the presidency, some sort of reversal of U.S. climate provisions is expected. If Kamala Harris wins, she’ll at least stay the course set by President Joe Biden’s administration, which saw the passage of significant legislation to accelerate the clean energy transition.

If Trump wins

Ben King from Rhodium Group suggested that if Trump were to win the presidency, the U.S. might step back from its Paris Agreement commitments and reconsider its involvement in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change framework, which would mark a significant policy shift.

Regarding more specific actions, King said a good predictor might be to look at what Trump did when he became president after being elected in 2016.

Early in his presidency, Trump signed an executive order mandating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review the Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era policy that never went into effect but aimed to reduce emissions from power plants, specifically coal-fired plants. The plan would later be repealed by Trump-appointed EPA leadership.

King anticipated that a new Trump administration could similarly target Biden EPA rules, like the one that requires coal and new natural gas-fired plants to capture their carbon or retire by varying compliance deadlines in the 2030s.

Opponents of the EPA rule, which include trade groups like the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), have argued that its implementation would jeopardize grid reliability and that the emission reduction technologies proposed by the agency aren’t ready for prime time.

Of course, the million dollar, or rather the multi-hundred-billion dollar question is, what would happen with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the most substantial U.S. investment in climate action to date. The IRA provides tax credits and incentives for renewable energy, storage, nuclear, carbon capture, electric vehicles and more.

In one sense, the impact of the IRA is just starting to be felt. But King said through a joint project, Rhodium Group tracked a record $76 billion clean energy investment in the second quarter of 2024, a 25% increase over the same period in 2023. Not to mention the jobs created.

“We’ve seen a flourishing of investment in clean energy manufacturing across the U.S., particularly concentrated in red states and in red congressional districts,” said King, who is Associate Director with Rhodium Group’s Energy & Climate practice.

Because of the IRA’s diffuse and widespread benefits, even a Republican congressional majority might not have the appetite to repeal the entire legislation, but rather do it piecemeal.

“Even Speaker Johnson has walked away from the notion of a full-out repeal,” said King. “With a [Republican] congressional majority, you could go through and surgically remove whatever pieces you wanted. Or you might see changes to requirements.”

If Harris wins

King suggested that a Harris administration would prioritize fully implementing the IRA, including ensuring ongoing support for programs like the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan program to accelerate next-generation clean technologies.

While the U.S. is currently not on track to meet Paris Climate Accord targets, King said the U.S. is projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 32% to 43% by 2030, from 2005 levels.

“Our latest estimates for where the U.S. economy is headed with regard to its emissions are promising,” he said.

King said a Harris administration might continue to build on the EPA rules for fossil-fired plants that have been ushered in during the Biden administration.

For example, he said the EPA might revisit emissions regulations for existing combustion turbines, which the agency said it would leave alone until after the election.

With more time than the Biden administration, King said a Harris administration might also tackle conventional pollutants through improved regulations on air quality standards like the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS).

While voters primarily cite issues like the economy, immigration and reproductive rights as primary reasons to support a candidate, King said some of these higher salience issues for voters might have direct ties to climate action.

For example, he noted the onshoring of manufacturing for electrolyzers and EV batteries could influence voters from an economic standpoint.

“That has a real impact on good jobs, high quality jobs in some of these places that might matter a lot more to somebody than what the CO2 parts per million concentration is,” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a Biden administration regulation aimed at limiting planet-warming pollution from coal-fired power plants to remain in place as legal challenges play out.

The court denied a push from Republican-led states and industry groups to block the Environmental Protection Agency rule. One justice, Clarence Thomas, publicly dissented.

Two other conservative justices, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, said they thought challengers would likely win on at least some of their claims eventually, but the court didn’t need to block the rule now because compliance work wouldn’t have to begin until at least June 2025. The case could end up back before the high court relatively quickly.

Justice Samuel Alito did not take part.

The rule requires many coal-fired power plants to capture 90% of their carbon emissions or shut down within eight years, though deadlines do not take effect for several years.

The power industry is the nation’s second-largest contributor to climate change, and the rule is a key part of President Joe Biden’s pledge to eliminate carbon pollution from the electricity sector by 2035 and economy-wide by 2050.

The high court earlier this month also left two other regulations in place for now, but other environmental regulations have not fared well before it in recent years. In 2022, the justices limited the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants with a landmark decision. In June, the court halted the agency’s air-pollution-fighting “good neighbor” rule.

Another ruling in June, overturning a decades-old decision known colloquially as Chevron, is also expected to make environmental regulations more difficult to set and keep, along with other federal agency actions. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce cited that ruling in court papers supporting the challenge in the coal plant case.

An appeals court had allowed the EPA’s new power plant rule to go into effect.

A panel of three judges — two nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama and one by Republican President Donald Trump — found that the states were not at risk of immediate harm because compliance deadlines do not take effect until 2030 or 2032.

Environmental groups have said the standards are reasonable, cost-effective and achievable, and well within the EPA’s legal responsibility to control harmful pollution, including from greenhouse gas emissions.

The National Mining Association argued that the rules threaten the reliability of the nation’s power grid by forcing the premature closure of power plants as demand for electricity surges.

The EPA projects the rule would yield up to $370 billion in climate and health net benefits and avoid nearly 1.4 billion metric tons of carbon pollution through 2047, equivalent to preventing annual emissions of 328 million gasoline-powered cars.

The company began implementing AI more than five years ago and is now leveraging the technology to support operational and environmental goals.

Key examples of the initiative include:

Energy Optimizer

• The Energy Optimizer tool leverages AI to provide real-time operational insights, which is meant to help control center operators make decisions about how to move the energy Enbridge transports in more efficient ways. By managing the amount of power required, Enbridge claims it can achieve cost savings and GHG reductions while ensuring the safe and reliable operations of its liquid pipelines.

Right of way monitoring

• Enbridge utilizes aerial surveillance to patrol its pipelines, detecting potentially damaging activities, conditions, or loss of containment. With AI, the company says it can now monitor the right of way more efficiently, reviewing data and detecting issues quicker and more accurately, reducing the risk of third-party damage.

Integrity Engine

• Enbridge employs intelligent automation for pipeline integrity, using AI to identify potential maintenance needs. Through workflow automation, data controls, advanced analysis, and machine learning models, the company said it now gains new insights for asset maintenance, enhancing safety and efficiency while reducing process complexity and maintaining the health of our assets.

“Our long-term collaboration with Microsoft has enabled us to apply cutting-edge technology, which is helping to solve critical business problems and deliver powerful outcomes,” said Bhushan Ivaturi, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Enbridge. “The investments we’re making today will play a critical role in enabling technological solutions to the biggest challenges in the evolution of our energy systems as we transition to a lower-carbon future.”

Enbridge began a “digital transformation” in 2020 to drive productivity and efficiency. At the core of this strategy was a technology foundation enabled by Microsoft.

This led to a cloud migration and modernization program, with over 80% of workloads moved to Microsoft Azure cloud platform within two years, Enbridge said. The company said this initiative enhanced computing, network, and storage capabilities, but also bolstered cybersecurity measures and reduced data center emissions through server decommissioning and a smaller physical facility footprint. Earlier this year, Enbridge rolled out Microsoft 365 Copilot to nearly one-third of all employees, while the entire workforce has access to Bing Enterprise and ChatENB, an internal chatbot using Azure OpenAI Service.

“The Enbridge leadership team drove a cloud-first strategy, a big bet that opened the door to a broader opportunity that positions Enbridge today to take full advantage of AI,” said Tom Kubik, Enterprise Commercial Multi-Industry Lead at Microsoft Canada. “We are proud of the work we’ve done together and are working towards our common goals of supporting a more connected and collaborative workforce and increasing data and analytics capabilities.” 

“Looking forward, we see ongoing opportunities and benefits of AI, in terms of data analytics, asset and process optimization, security, and cost and emissions savings,” said Ivaturi. “At Enbridge, we are enabling the accessibility, sustainability, and security of energy through applied technology and innovation, and our collaboration with Microsoft will continue to play a pivotal role in that.”