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We invite you to read our blog as we post monthly updates and share valuable research, case studies and other support information to keep you informed about our professional valuation services. Our blog articles are organized in multiple categories to help you navigate to a topic and the articles that cover it.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved PJM Interconnection’s request to delay the 2026-2027 capacity auction by six months, rescheduling it for June 2025, after complaints about soaring wholesale capacity market prices. The next three base capacity auctions, through the 2029-2030 delivery year, will also be delayed six months. Although some critics argue…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) denied a revised Interconnection Service Agreement (ISA) proposed for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center linked to Talen Energy’s Susquehanna Nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. The proposal sought to increase co-located load capacity from 300 MW to 480 MW, but FERC voted 2-1 against it, with concerns about fairness…
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has approved a historic $7.7 billion plan to expand and strengthen transmission capacity across its 14-state region. As the largest initiative in SPP’s history, the 2024 Integrated Transmission Plan addresses rising electricity demand, shifts in energy generation, and the need for greater grid resilience against extreme weather events. With 89…
The PJM Interconnection (PJM) is planning to ask the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to delay its 2026-2027 delivery year capacity auction by six months in response to a complaint that challenged the grid operator’s failure to reflect reliability must-run (RMR) power plants in its capacity auctions. RMR power plants are plants that have operated…
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve new tariff revisions that would implement separate planning reserve margins for the summer and winter seasons, replacing the current single margin for both. This move is designed to help utilities better prepare for seasonal differences; particularly as extreme winter weather…
The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Winter Fuels Outlook predicts steady heating costs for most US households due to colder temperatures and stable gas prices. This rising demand should help balance the impact of lower gas prices on revenues for Natural Gas providers. Heating expenditures in the Midwest are expected to rise by 11% for gas…
According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. government announced a $112.5 million investment from the DOE, marking its largest commitment to marine energy. This five-year initiative aims to accelerate the development and testing of wave energy converters (WECs), which harness power from ocean waves. Wave energy, a renewable resource, offers potential for providing…
According to the EIA, in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, several natural gas-fired power plants across the U.S. are exploring ways to integrate hydrogen into their fuel streams. This is being pursued through testing hydrogen cofiring, upgrading turbines to use hydrogen blends, and constructing new plants capable of utilizing a hydrogen-natural gas mix.…
Constellation Energy has announced a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Microsoft to supply electricity to its mid-Atlantic data centers from the Unit 1 reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, which was retired in 2019. The deal highlights growing interest from data centers in nuclear energy due to its large, reliable,…
According to the Department of Energy, over 60 gigawatts (GW) of new nuclear capacity could potentially be added at existing or recently decommissioned nuclear power plant sites nationwide. The report evaluated 54 operating and 11 retired nuclear power plant sites across 31 states for their potential to host new nuclear capacity, considering factors like cooling…
Through July 2024, the U.S. power grid added 20.2 gigawatts (“GW”) of generating capacity according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Solar generating capacity was the largest portion, representing 59% of additions. Battery storage and wind power additions were also significant, representing 21% and 12% of the total, respectively. An estimated 42.6 GW of additional…
TNMP (Texas-New Mexico Power) has outlined its 2025-2027 system resiliency plan, which includes $600 million of capital investments and $151 million of other related costs to confront events posing risk to the operation of TNMP’s distribution system. Eight resiliency measures are outlined in the plan to improve mitigate any disruptions. These include distribution system resiliency,…
The U.S. Department of the Interior will hold an auction for two areas off the southern coast of Oregon that could support 3.1 GW of offshore wind energy, if fully developed, enough to power one million homes. The auction, to be held on October 15th, will include the Coos Bay lease area of 61,203 acres…
According to the EIA, electric generation from wind turbines has decreased for the first time since the mid-1990s in 2023, despite the addition of 6.2 GW of wind capacity. This has resulted in an eight-year low-capacity factor for the wind turbine fleet of 33.5%. Several factors have contributed to this decline, including the wind…
ISO New England Inc. (“ISO-NE”) announced the results of the 18th Forward Capacity Auction on February 9, 2024. The auction included 31,556 megawatts (“MW”) of commitments, including 1,085 MW of new renewable capacity and 5,540 MW of new and existing renewable capacity. The preliminary closing price for the 2027/2028 commitment period was $3.58 per kilowatt-month.…
Originally scheduled for February 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has agreed to a one-year delay to the 19th ISO New England (ISO-NE) capacity auction. The delay came at the request of ISO-NE and the New England Power Pool (NEPOOL) as they seek additional time to develop and implement changes to their capacity accreditation…
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”) announced the results of the 60th auction for carbon dioxide allowances on June 9, 2023. The auction included the sale of more than 22 million allowances at a clearing price of $12.73 per allowance. The clearing price represented an increase of 1.8% compared to the 59th auction held in…
The PJM Interconnection board of managers is seeking a delay of upcoming capacity auctions, including June’s auction for the 2025/26 delivery year, so that proposed design rule changes may be implemented. “In arriving at this decision, the Board recognized that, despite the implications of auction delay, reforms are necessary to the capacity market design in…
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified the first small scale reactor design in the U.S. on January 20th. Created by NuScale, the design incorporates a module system that utilizes less water and is one-third the size of a traditional large-scale reactor. Each module is capable of producing 50 MW of electricity. The first module is…
LS Power has announced its plan to acquire 42 hydro facilities from Hull Street Energy. The run-of-river hydro facilities are located in 11 states and 334 MW in generating capacity. Hull Street Energy began acquiring and improving the hydroelectric plant portfolio in 2017. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of Q1 2023.…
Natural gas consumption by US electric power generators fell in 2021. The level of natural gas-fired generation declined resulting in consumption falling 3% compared to the 2020 level. The shift marks the first decline in natural gas consumption by the US power sector in over four years. According to the EIA, natural gas prices increased…
Data recently released by the EIA shows utility scale electric generator cost trends have shifted. The new data shows that costs for natural gas and onshore wind generators increased while solar decreased in 2020 compared to 2019. The shift marks the smallest gap between wind, solar, and natural gas generator costs in the US since…
Vistra Corp. has submitted its application to renew the license for the 2,460 MW Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Originally licensed for 30 years, Comanche Peak began operation in 1990, with Unit 2 coming online in 1993. The 20-year license extensions would allow Comanche Peak Units 1 and…
The US Senate voted to approve the Inflation Reduction Act on August 7th. The legislation includes more than $370 billion earmarked for clean energy investment, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The bill is now headed to the US House of Representatives for a vote. Currently, the legislation proposes that federal tax…
The electricity generation mix in the U.S. continued to change in 2021. In addition to the growth in renewable energy, one major surprise was observed. The percentage of coal-fired generation increased for the first time since 2007. The generation mix changes were largely driven by economics. According to the EIA, electric generators realized an average…
By Clayton T. Baumann, PE, CCP, ASA | evcValuation and Christopher T. Rigo | evcValuation Click HERE to download a PDF version of this article Abstract The development of wind farms in the U.S. has exploded over the past 20 years. Federal and state level incentives, state-mandated Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), and property tax abatements…
PJM Interconnection released the initial results of its energy transition study. The study identifies the impact renewable energy has on market design, transmission planning, and grid reliability. The multiyear study is one of multiple being undertaken by PJM. Five focus areas were identified using the PJM strategic pillars of decarbonization efforts, future grid planning, and…
US LNG export facilities have been running at near capacity as the worldwide demand for natural gas continues to grow. Increased natural gas exports leave the US with less supply, leading US natural gas prices to reach their highest levels in years. If the winter season is as cold as expected, natural gas prices could…
Mitigate a the magnitude of a potential insurance rate increase by preparing a thorough submission document early in the renewal process.
In 2020, renewable power generation became the second largest source of electricity in the United States. According to the Energy Information Administration, renewable energy sources represented 21% of the electricity generated in the United States. This is the first time that renewable energy accounted for more generation than both coal (19%) and nuclear (20%). Electricity…
The first PJM capacity auction in three years saw some of the lowest clearing prices in its history. The auction resulted in an RTO clearing price of $50/MW-day, which is down from $140/MW-day in the previous auction, and lower than analyst’s expectations, due, in part, to a lower load forecast and reserve requirement. Another factor…
Natural gas-fired power generation in the United States declined through the first four months of 2021. According to the EIA, an average of 3,394 gigawatthours of electricity were generated daily by natural gas-fired power plants. This represents a 7% decline compared to the same period in 2020 and the first decline since 2017. Despite…
The nation’s energy infrastructure succumbed to enormous stress as extreme winter weather gripped the US in mid-February. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, power disruptions impacted energy customers in Texas, Louisiana, Oregon, and Virginia. Texas was hit particularly hard as millions of people were left without power for days. Electric generation assets were severely…
As expected, ISO New England’s (“ISO-NE”) recent Forward Capacity Auction (“FCA”) 15 resulted in higher capacity clearing prices than FCA 14. The auction, consisting of five rounds of bidding, concluded on February 8th with preliminary clearing prices ranging from $2.48/kW-month to $3.98/kW-month, depending on zone. These prices represent a significant increase from FCA 14, when…
The US set a new record for daily wind electricity generation on December 23, 2020. According to the EIA, a total of 1.76 million MWh were generated from wind in the lower 48 states. The new record represented approximately 17% of the total daily US electricity generation. This new milestone eclipsed the pre-2020 record of…
According to S&P Global Market intelligence (S&P) data, 12,946 MW of power generating capacity in the US was retired in 2020, down from the 19,716 MW retired in 2019. Broken down by fuel type, shuttered coal plants made up the bulk of the retirements at 56.9%, followed by gas at 19.2%, and nuclear at 12.7%.…
Mild winter weather and the global COVID-19 pandemic drove natural gas prices in 2020 to the lowest annual average prices in several decades, averaging $2.05 per MMBtu at the national benchmark Henry Hub in Louisiana, according to EIA data. Natural gas demand for heating was low due to the mild weather, and economic shutdowns triggered…
The average operating heat rate for combined-cycle generators has declined over the last five years. According to the EIA, natural gas combined-cycle power generators installed since 2015 have an average heat rate of 6,654 Btu/kWh. This average is nearly 25% lower than units installed before 2000, which have an average operating heat rate of 8,840…
Installed large-scale battery storage systems in the United States reached an all-time high as of the end of 2018. According to the EIA, a total of 125 installed battery storage systems having a combined capacity of 869 MW were operational in the US as of 2018. These figures are a significant increase compared to 2010…
ERCOT’s 14,000 MW of remaining coal capacity could be forced into retirement, according to a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). That is due in large part to large amount of new utility-scale solar capacity coming online, following years of new wind development. Solar capacity in ERCOT has increased…
Dominion Energy has completed its 12 MW pilot offshore wind project off the coast of Virginia, consisting of two Siemens Gamesa 6 MW turbines. The project is expected to be connected to the grid later in summer, following testing. The permitting, design, installation, and operations experience from the pilot will allow Dominion to move forward…
The United States set a new record with the addition of 2,617 MW of wind capacity during Q1 2020. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, installed wind capacity in the United States now exceeds 107,000 MW. This represents a sizable increase compared to the 61,500 MW of installed wind capacity as of Q1 2014. New…
2019 saw the United States consume more energy from renewable power sources than coal for the first time in over 130 years, according to the EIA. This is a result of continued growth of renewables like wind and solar and continued declines in the use of coal for electricity generation. Coal consumption fell 15% from…
The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service extended the renewable energy tax credit window on Wednesday May 27th. As a result, renewable energy facilities will have more time to qualify for production tax credits (PTCs) and investment tax credits (ITCs). The plan extends the Continuity Safe Harbor for projects that began construction in…
The number of active oil and natural gas drilling rigs in the United States reached an all-time low on May 15th, when there were 258 oil rigs 79 gas rigs, according to Baker Hughes data. Baker Hughes has been tracking rig counts since 1987. Oil rigs saw the steepest decline, due to a sharp decrease…
The economic shutdown related to the Coronavirus pandemic has caused a decline in energy demand throughout the US. As a result of the lower demand, combined with low natural gas prices and mild weather, coal-fired generation is being called on less-frequently, keeping retirement of 9,038 MW-worth of that generation on track for 2020. According to…
Forecasts by the Solar Energy Industries Association (“SEIA”) and Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables show that the US would add an additional 82 GW of solar capacity by 2030, if Congress maintains the solar Investment Tax Credit (“ITC”), on top of the 227 GW already expected. 113,000 additional jobs and $87 billion in additional investment…
According to new research from Wood Mackenzie and the American Wind Energy Association (“AWEA”), renewable energy demand by Fortune 1000 companies could reach 85 GW by 2030. Many top companies like Facebook and Google had already contracted for more than 6 GW of wind and solar power purchase agreements (“PPAs”) in 2018 as the cost…
In its latest International Energy Outlook (“IEO”), the US Energy Information Administration (“EIA”) says renewable energy will displace oil as the world’s top energy source by the late 2040s. However, oil demand will continue to rise until 2050 as EIA Administrator Linda Capuano said renewables are not growing fast enough to meet demand. The EIA…
In a September 19, 2019 news release, Dominion Energy announced plans to seek approval for the largest offshore wind development in the United States. The 2,640 MW offshore wind development is to be located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, in the 112,800 acres Dominion Energy currently is leasing from the Bureau of…
A new report from Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association (“SEIA”) shows that the pipeline of US solar projects has reached an all-time high of 37.9 GW. The report also found that 15 GW of solar capacity was added in the US in 2018, which is a record. The SEIA anticipates that the…
Premature retirements of the US nuclear fleet continued last week as Exelon Generation shut down Three Mile Island’s 829 MW Unit 1 reactor, reigniting the debate as to whether or not Pennsylvania should provide financial assistance to its remaining four nuclear plants. One of the remaining plants, Beaver Valley, is scheduled to be shut down…
As renewable energy generation capacity continues to increase in the U.S. — due in part to state and federal incentives and tax credits—many of these benefits are coming to an end What was once a novel technology seeking to rid the world of fossil fuel energy generation, is now transitioning into a mainstream (and viable)…
Replacement cost new estimates are an essential component in the cost approach for the appraisal of industrial facilities and evcValuation has extensive knowledge in applying various replacement cost new methodologies, which helps deliver a credible and useful appraisal report At evcValuation, one of our core benefits to clients is our breadth of knowledge, experience and…
A leader in complex property appraisal services, evcValuation continues to extend its reach into new markets with a revitalized approach to communicating value to potential customers We are excited to launch our new evcValuation website, after several weeks of work to enhance our online presence and enhance the image we project to many organizations and…
evcValuation’s engineering plays a crucial role in the company’s ability to provide opinions of value in complex industrial assets—including power plants and related facilities Engineering is a wondrous field of expertise where a professional is involved in the design and development of machinery, technology and tools that garner the power of physics, chemistry and the…
evcValuation is known for its multifaceted approach in insurance appraisals, which provides an expanded level of confidence with the quality and supportability of its reports The complexity of industrial and commercial valuation projects is often overwhelming for many appraisal companies. evcValuation has been delivering exceptional results to our clients thanks to our discipline and methodology,…
A report by a professor at The Australian National University (“ANU”) has identified approximately 530,000 locations worldwide that would be suitable for pumped hydro energy storage. These sites have a storage potential of approximately 22 million GWh. Research for the ANU report utilized geographic information system (GIS) analysis to find the sites, which are closed-loop…
Acme Equities LLC is looking to buy San Juan Generating station in New Mexico for $1. The current owners plan to shut the facility down because current environmental regulations require installation of significant and expensive backend pollution control equipment. However, pollution control is not the only issue standing in the way of coal generation.…
How valuable are zero-emissions credits (ZECs) to nuclear power plants in Illinois? Without them, operating costs at five of the state’s six nuclear plants run close to wholesale power prices, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence cost model. In 2017, Clinton Power Station and Quad Cities Generating Station both began receiving ZECs from…
According to S&P Global Market Intelligence (“S&P”), the U.S. power grid is expected to add 49,420 MW of generation capacity in 2019, while 8,597 MW of capacity is expected to be retired. 68% of the capacity to be retired, is coal plants, the largest of which will be the 2,250 MW Navajo Generating Station…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has rejected EDF Renewables’ application for a new offshore wind farm near Atlantic City, questioning its high cost and economic benefits. EDF Renewables submitted the application, which called for MHI Vestas Offshore to supply three V164 8.3 MW turbines for the Nautilus Offshore Wind Project, in September.…
By Clayton T. Baumann, PE, CCP, ASA | evcValuation Click HERE to download a PDF version of this article Introduction Insurance Appraisals: what are they, what purpose do they serve, and why are they important? Risk managers, insurance industry professionals, and property owners alike should be able to answer all three questions at length and…
The Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy is funding research and development into small, modular coal-fired power plants in 2019 in an effort to revive the coal-fired power generation sector and diversify the power generation industry. The potential for higher natural gas prices in the future and an over-reliance on natural-gas fired electricity generation…
By Clayton T. Baumann, PE, CCP, ASA | evcValuation and Jack T. Kolo | evcValuation Click HERE to download a PDF version of this article Introduction Wind farm development in the U.S. has grown significantly over the past two decades, fueled by federal and state incentives as well as mandated state Renewable Portfolio Standards (“RPS”).…
Westmoreland Coal Co., one of the oldest coal mining companies in the U.S. has filed for bankruptcy. The filing represents the fourth major U.S. coal company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in three years due to continual decline in demand for coal throughout the U.S. as well as overseas. Despite efforts by government agencies…
By Clayton T. Baumann, PE, CCP, ASA | evcValuation and Alexander Lopatnikov, ASA, RICS | American Appraisal Click HERE to download a PDF version of this article Abstract Scaling laws are ubiquitous in the study of nature, biology, computer networks, economics and other social sciences,[1] and various engineering applications. They establish a relationship, often in…
By Clayton T. Baumann, PE, CCP, ASA | evcValuation Click HERE to download a PDF version of this article Abstract This paper discusses the cost-to-capacity method and scale factors that are used in its application. The main focus is the application of the cost-to-capacity method and scale factors in completing order-of magnitude cost estimates for…
Per the EIA, in the US in 2016 wind and solar energy generation accounted for nearly 9,000 MW and 8,000 MW, respectively, of capacity additions while natural gas-fired generation added approximately 7,900 MW. The cost of natural gas-fired generation is still considerably cheaper, averaging $895/kW versus wind and solar with an average installed cost (nominal…
By Kevin Reilly, ASA | evcValuation and Clayton T. Baumann, PE, CCP, ASA | evcValuation Click HERE to download a PDF version of this article Introduction This paper discusses issues related to the application of the three approaches to value when valuing a complex property such as a cogeneration plant. A background is given with…
By Kevin Reilly, ASA | evcValuation Click HERE to download a PDF version of this article In valuing the assets in a business transaction, economic obsolescence (“EO”) is an often difficult and sometimes contentious form of depreciation to identify, quantify, and explain. It is not something you can see, touch, hear, smell, or taste. Because…
The EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook released in July has natural gas-fired generation supplying approximately 37% of total electricity in the U.S. this summer, with coal-fired generation falling to approximately 30% of total supply. Low natural gas prices along with over 5 gigawatts of additional natural gas-fired capacity that has come online this year are the…
The significant growth of renewable energy generation has made it a challenge to effectively integrate into markets across the US. The inherent variability of wind and solar generation has led to wide, and fast swings in wholesale electricity prices due to supply and demand imbalances. According to a report by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory…
New legislation along with the expiration and phase-down of the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credits (“PTC”) have lead to uncertainty in the renewable energy sector. PTCs play a significant role in a project’s viability. The value of the PTC was $24/MWh for projects that commenced construction in 2016 or earlier, however, for projects commenced in…
Between declining costs of renewable energy technology and continually increasing stigma associated with fossil fuel electricity generation, the forward outlook for renewable generation is very positive. Additionally, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump at the end of 2017 maintained the tax credits associated with renewable energy generation, furthering the…
The V.C. Summer Nuclear Plant in South Carolina, one of the first new Nuclear Power Plant projects in nearly 2 decades, has been abandoned partway through construction. Santee Cooper and SCE&G, partners on the project, decided to cancel the project due to significant budget overruns, the bankruptcy filing of Westinghouse (reactor manufacturer), and the significant…
Recent developments in the power generation industry have seen gas reciprocating engines being installed in increasing numbers on new projects as opposed to gas turbines. Improvements in technology have resulted in reciprocating engines that can rival the capacity of gas turbines and the ability to be brought to full capacity in as little as five…
In a 4-0 vote, the New York Public Service Commission (“PSC”) approved the Clean Energy Standard to help keep nuclear power online. This decision will provide $965 million in additional revenue for the next 12 years to three nuclear power plants in upstate New York. The three plants eligible for the program are: Exelon Corp’s…
Wind Power Expansion In another step forward for wind energy, on March 25, 2016 the Department of Energy (“DOE”) approved Clean Line Energy’s Plains & Eastern Line transmission project, which connects wind power generation facilities in Western Oklahoma to the customers of the Southeastern United States. Construction is estimated to begin in 2017, and…
On Tuesday February 9, 2016 the Supreme Court, on a 5-4 vote, ordered a stay of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan, if implemented, could transform the US electricity system forcing many coal fired plants to retire and would increase production of “clean power” (primarily wind and solar). All fossil fuel power plants would be…
Introduction The cost-to-capacity method can be a very useful tool when developing elements of the cost approach in many valuations. It is a order-of-magnitude cost estimation tool that uses historical costs and capacity in order to develop current cost estimates for an entire facility or a particular piece of machinery or equipment [1]. The fundamental…
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