Articles tagged with "electricity-prices"
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Utilities Intervene Against Craig 202(c) Order - CleanTechnica
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, along with Colorado utilities Tri-State Generation and Transmission and Platte River Power Authority (PRPA), have filed requests for reconsideration against the Trump administration’s 202(c) order aimed at keeping the Craig 1 coal unit operational. They argue that the federal government’s intervention violates multiple laws and lacks justification, particularly noting the absence of any energy emergency since Colorado’s power grid remains stable and reliable. This legal pushback follows the Trump EPA’s recent denial of Colorado’s Regional Haze plan, which was seen as an attempt to artificially extend the life of coal plants. Environmental groups like the Sierra Club have praised Attorney General Weiser and the utilities for opposing the order, highlighting concerns that it threatens air quality, raises electricity prices, and offers no public benefit. The Sierra Club emphasizes the broad coalition of utilities, environmentalists, and officials united against the Trump administration’s efforts to support coal plants through executive actions. This resistance reflects ongoing efforts to promote clean energy and protect environmental and
energycoal-powerutilitiesenergy-gridenvironmental-policyelectricity-pricesclean-energy-advocacySevere Winter Weather Across Large Portions of the Country, Natural Gas Prices Increasing - CleanTechnica
The article from CleanTechnica reports a significant rise in natural gas prices amid severe winter weather affecting much of the United States. On January 22, 2026, natural gas spot prices at the Henry Hub benchmark surged to nearly $8.15 per million British thermal units due to increased demand for space heating driven by an Arctic front bringing frigid temperatures to the eastern two-thirds of the country. This cold snap is expected to elevate both natural gas and electricity demand, which typically leads to higher wholesale electricity prices. The article also highlights various resources that track energy market data, including electricity grid operations, natural gas inventories, and regional fuel prices. Notably, natural gas inventories in mid-January were about 6% above the previous five-year average, providing some buffer ahead of the cold weather. Upcoming reports will detail how much natural gas was withdrawn from storage in response to the cold snap. Overall, the article underscores the close relationship between severe winter weather and energy market dynamics, emphasizing the importance of
energynatural-gaswinter-weatherelectricity-pricesheating-demandenergy-marketenergy-storageEnvironmental, Consumer Groups Challenge Trump’s Unlawful Coal Plant Extensions - CleanTechnica
Seven environmental and consumer advocacy groups, including the Sierra Club, Environmental Law and Policy Center, and Earthjustice, are challenging the Trump Department of Energy’s recent decision to unlawfully extend the operation of two aging coal power plants in Indiana. The plants—the R.M. Schahfer power plant and a unit at the F.B. Culley generating station—were scheduled for retirement in December 2025 but were forced to remain online under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. This move is seen as an attempt to prop up the struggling coal industry at the expense of consumers, as operating these outdated plants is expected to be extremely costly, with Schahfer requiring over $1 billion in expenditures and Culley Unit 2 needing an additional $70 million. The groups argue that these extensions will drive up electricity costs for customers across Indiana and ten other states, exacerbating an already difficult affordability crisis marked by rising utility bills and grocery costs. They contend that the federal government has manufactured a false
energycoal-power-plantsDepartment-of-Energyelectricity-pricesenvironmental-advocacyutility-billsenergy-policyData Center Demand For Electricity Provokes US Government Response - CleanTechnica
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) has triggered an intense surge in electricity demand, with some analysts predicting that by 2050, AI-related data centers could consume up to a quarter of the world's electricity. Data center developers, who build and operate these facilities for tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta, currently require gigawatts of power but are hesitant to commit to long-term usage levels. This uncertainty clashes with utility companies' long-term planning horizons, which span decades, leading to potential overinvestment in power generation infrastructure. The financial risk of underutilized capacity ultimately falls on other utility customers, contributing to rising electricity prices across the US. Electricity costs have surged notably, with the average US retail price hitting a record 18.07 cents per kilowatt-hour in September 2025, a 7.4% increase, and residential rates rising even more sharply. These increases are partly driven by the high costs of securing power capacity in regional grids like PJM
energydata-centerselectricity-demandrenewable-energyutility-companieselectricity-pricespower-capacity400km Hydrogen Pipeline With No Users Will Raise Germany’s Electricity Prices - CleanTechnica
Germany has completed and pressurized the first approximately 400km segment of its national hydrogen backbone pipeline, making the infrastructure technically ready for operation. However, the project faces a critical issue: there are currently no significant hydrogen suppliers connected nor substantial customers contracted to use the hydrogen. This lack of demand is not a temporary issue but a structural failure, which has broader implications beyond hydrogen policy. The costs of building and maintaining this infrastructure will persist for decades and will ultimately be passed on to consumers through higher electricity prices. The original plan for Germany’s hydrogen backbone envisioned a 9,000km national transmission network designed to support hydrogen demand in the range of 100 to 130 TWh by 2030, serving sectors such as steel, chemicals, transport fuels, power generation, and heavy industry. The strategy was to build the infrastructure first and let supply and demand develop afterward. However, a fundamental analytical error in European hydrogen policy is the use of terawatt-hours (TWh) to measure hydrogen demand
energyhydrogenpipelineGermanyelectricity-pricesinfrastructureclean-energyTwo Charts, One Grid: Clean Electricity Is Getting Cheaper But Feels More Expensive - CleanTechnica
The article from CleanTechnica examines an apparent contradiction in electricity pricing trends amid grid decarbonization, illustrated by two charts comparing nominal and inflation-adjusted residential electricity prices against carbon intensity for the ten largest electricity-producing countries between 2015 and 2024. The first chart shows nominal prices rising as carbon intensity falls, suggesting decarbonization leads to higher consumer bills. The second chart, adjusting for inflation, reveals that real electricity prices have remained flat or even declined despite reductions in carbon emissions. Both perspectives are accurate but answer different questions: nominal prices reflect consumers' immediate bill experience, while inflation-adjusted prices indicate the evolving economic burden of electricity over time. This duality helps explain public and political confusion about the costs of electrification. The article further discusses how electricity systems progress through phases—early transition (fossil fuel dominance and capacity expansion), mid-transition (building renewables, transmission, storage), and mature low-carbon systems (operating mostly paid-off clean infrastructure). Price behaviors
energyclean-electricitydecarbonizationelectricity-pricescarbon-intensityinflation-adjustmentrenewable-energyWhy US Power Bills Are Surging
The article explains the recent surge in U.S. electricity bills, which have risen by more than 30 percent on average since 2020, causing widespread financial strain for consumers and economic disruption across multiple sectors. Several factors contribute to this increase, including rising electricity demand, volatile fuel prices, inflation, tariffs, delays in building new transmission lines, and slow additions of new power generators. These combined pressures suggest that high electricity prices may persist for the foreseeable future. The impact is particularly severe on lower- and moderate-income households, many of whom are already struggling to pay bills and face increasing risks of power shutoffs. Despite the current spike in electricity costs, the article provides broader context by highlighting that overall household energy spending—covering electricity, natural gas, and gasoline—has remained relatively stable since 2000 when adjusted for inflation. This stability is partly due to a growing trend of electrification in homes, such as switching from gas furnaces to heat pumps and from gasoline vehicles to electric motors,
energyelectricity-pricespower-billsenergy-policyenergy-crisisutility-rateselectricity-demandAI & Electricity: Two Perspectives - CleanTechnica
The article "AI & Electricity: Two Perspectives" from CleanTechnica discusses the growing concern over the substantial electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. Analyses suggest that within a few years, AI data centers could consume up to 12% of the United States' total electrical demand. This surge in power consumption comes at a time when about 90% of new electricity generation is from renewable sources like wind and solar. However, current U.S. government policies are criticized for favoring expensive and polluting energy sources such as coal and methane, which could exacerbate electricity costs for consumers and manufacturers alike. Economist Paul Krugman highlights the economic implications of rising electricity costs linked to AI infrastructure. He points out that utilities typically pass the cost of expanding capacity to support data centers onto ordinary customers, contributing to a recent spike in retail electricity prices that outpaces overall inflation. The largest U.S. grid operator has recommended that large data centers generate their own power to alleviate grid strain
energyAI-energy-consumptiondata-centersrenewable-energyelectricity-pricesenergy-policypower-gridRepublican Budget Bill to Raise People's Energy Prices - CleanTechnica
The article from CleanTechnica discusses the potential negative impacts of a Republican budget bill that aims to repeal clean energy tax credits established under the Inflation Reduction Act. According to a report by NERA Economic Consulting, commissioned by the Clean Buyers Energy Association, removing these technology-neutral tax incentives—such as the §45Y production tax credit and §48E investment tax credit—would lead to higher energy prices across 19 states. The analysis highlights that without these credits, energy systems would rely more heavily on traditional, costlier energy sources, resulting in significant electricity price increases, with seven states facing double-digit percentage hikes between 2026 and 2032. The broader economic consequences of repealing clean energy tax credits are severe. The report warns that inflated energy costs would suppress commercial and industrial activity, reduce labor and capital demand, and cause wage losses and declining household incomes. This combination would constrain consumer spending and economic resilience, leading to shrinking economies, increased financial strain on households, and potential job losses in key
energyclean-energytax-creditselectricity-priceseconomic-impactrenewable-energyenergy-policy