renewable energy

Tennessee may become the first state to legally define gas as “renewable energy.”

Congress should reform the Tennessee Valley Authority’s governance and energy planning as the federally-owned electric utility faces growing demands for power, a renewable energy organization says in a report released Thursday.

When you flip the switch, the lights come on. But in Illinois, after years of sweeping reforms to the energy industry and growing demand for electricity, that premise is coming into question.

For the first time ever, TVA will be rewarding its leaders for adding renewables and batteries to the grid, according to a report filed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last week.

The coal-rich state wants to land the first new U.S. smelter in 45 years. But the deal won’t happen unless Kentucky can furnish lots of clean energy.

A utility case that will influence the future of Kentucky's energy portfolio began Tuesday. At its heart is whether Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities can retire several coal generators and replace them with a combination of natural gas and renewables.

The Inflation Reduction Act has been called the most significant climate law in U.S. history, with promises to radically shift electricity from fossil fuels to clean sources. In Tennessee, the legislation could shape a new wave of clean energy manufacturing, but it has been absent in the state’s electricity plans.

A recent state analysis found that, unlike a number of states that have pivoted to other fuel sources, Kentucky utilities still burn coal to generate the large majority of electricity in the state.

Kentucky coal has had a good year. There are more jobs, active mines and tax dollars going back to coal communities. But energy prices are rising too.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision issued Thursday could severely limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to move the nation towards renewable energy.