EnergyOnline
Services

RSS FEED

EnergyOnline.com rss

News

DOE Announces Site Selection for Energy Infrastructure and AI Data Centers on Federal Lands

LCG, July 24, 2025--The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the next steps in the Trump administration’s plan to accelerate the development of AI infrastructure by using Federal lands to lower energy costs and help power the global AI race, as previously outlined in President Trump’s Executive Orders on Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security, and Unleashing American Energy.

Read more

Enbridge Announces 600-MW Solar Project in Texas to Power Meta Data Center Operations

LCG, July 22, 2025--Enbridge Inc. (Enbridge) today announced that it has reached a final investment decision on the Clear Fork solar project located near San Antonio, Texas. Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta), has signed a long-term contract for all of the renewable power generated from the 600-MW project.

Read more

Industry News

Virginia First in 'Old South' to Move on Dereg

LCG, Nov. 14, 2001--The Old Dominion state of Virginia, bordered on the north by Mid-Atlantic states that have deregulated their electric industries and surrounded otherwise by states of the old south that have made the move, is getting ready to begin retail power competition on January 1.

"Virginia is really at the crossroads between the upper Mid-Atlantic or Northeast states -- many of which have moved to competitive markets -- and states to our south who are doing nothing," Ken Shrad, spokesman for the Virginia State Corporation Commission, told Reuters news agency.

Other southern states have held back, feeling they have nothing to gain because their electricity prices are already among the lowest in the nation. Moreover, they have been deterred by the debacle in California, which was planned to lower power prices but actually resulted in rolling blackouts and a huge electricity rate increase.

Higher power prices in New York, which occurred after that state restructured its electric industry, have also made the deep South wary of change.

Tom Kazas, a spokesman for Virginia Electric & Power Co., a subsidiary of Dominion Resources Inc., said "We have some things in place that are going to help avoid the kinds of problems that they had in California," and Shrad noted that California "was the first state to try all of this, and every state that follows is trying to avoid whatever led to California's particular situation."

Under Virginia's plan, retail electric prices will be capped through 2007, though the controls could be phased out earlier if competition develops. "If a competitor can beat that capped-rate price, the price to compare, then (the customers) are going to save money," Shrad said.

The Corporation Commission has not yet determined what the price cap will be for next year, and observers are concerned that it may be too low to allow alternative electricity suppliers to compete.

"Virginia is one of the states that is at or below the national average (power price), so whether or not competitive suppliers can come in with a better rate is still to be seen," Shrad said. "During the transition period rates are capped and consumers might stay with their incumbent utility."

The key will be whether wholesale power prices will be allowed to move freely. If competitive power suppliers fail to enter the market, customers will stay with their local utilities. If those utilities are forced to pay high wholesale prices for electricity, and then sell it for less at the capped retail prices, it could be California all over again.

Copyright © 2025 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