EnergyOnline
Services

RSS FEED

EnergyOnline.com rss

News

FERC Proposes NEPA Revisions to Streamline Air Quality Analyses and Accelerate Natural Gas Projects

LCG, October 16, 2026--The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced on Thursday its new proposal to revise and accelerate its review of air quality effects for proposed natural gas projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The draft policy statement highlights revisions designed to (i) avoid unnecessary delays and duplicative analysis and (ii) deliver greater regulatory certainty and a streamlined path forward for project applicants.

Read more

AEP Announces 702-MW Bloom Fuel Cell Project to Serve Google in Wyoming

LCG, October 14, 2026--American Electric Power (AEP) today announced plans for a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Google, under which AEP will invest approximately $4 billion to advance a new 702-MW fuel cell generation project located near Cheyenne, Wyoming. Google will acquire power from Cheyenne Fuel Cell, LLC, which is approximately 92 percent owned and controlled by AEP and 8 percent owned by funds advised by Basalt Infrastructure Partners, LLP. AEP and its partners plan to start construction this year and to be fully operational by the end of 2028.

Read more

Industry News

Nebraska Nuke's Future Uncertain

LCG, May 10, 2002--The largest generating unit in Nebraska, Nebraska Public Power District's Cooper nuclear plant, may be shut down at the end of power purchase agreements through 2004, more than a decade before its operating license is due to expire.

The NPPD is considering several options for the plant, which sells most of its output to MidAmerican Energy Co. and Lincoln Electric System. Perhaps the most serious issue is the need to cover decommissioning costs, which are estimated at $500 million, and out of which $297 million has been paid through installments into a fund. In 2000, a court allowed the two large customers to stop covering the costs, pending review.

NPPD might have to recover decommissioning costs through higher power prices, a result that the power purchasers have indicated would cause them to buy elsewhere. In addition, the 778-megawatt plant is one of only two plants in the country considered to meet only the absolute minimum operating conditions set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Inspections-related costs stemming from the poor rating impact NPPD with up to $5 million in extra expenses.

Although NPPD will seek new purchasers for Cooper's output, the cost of lengthy outages may cause Cooper to lose out if it attempts to sell take-or-pay contracts, in which repair costs are explicitly covered by the buyer regardless of whether it is receiving power. The power district is currently unable to sell the plant under the law.
Copyright © 2026 LCG Consulting. All rights reserved. Terms and Copyright
UPLAN-NPM
The Locational Marginal Price Model (LMP) Network Power Model
Uniform Storage Model
A Battery Simulation Model
UPLAN-ACE
Day Ahead and Real Time Market Simulation
UPLAN-G
The Gas Procurement and Competitive Analysis System
PLATO
Database of Plants, Loads, Assets, Transmission...
CAISO CRR Auctions
Monthly Price and Congestion Forecasting Service