S&P Global Market Intelligence presents the most read stories for the week ended Aug. 23.
1. States, generators urge ISO-NE to rethink market design amid push for renewables
Concerned about the competitiveness of the ISO New England's wholesale electricity markets as states procure ever-larger amounts of renewable energy, New England state regulators and merchant generators have asked the regional power grid operator to rethink how its market frameworks can accommodate states' clean energy and climate policies.
2. US utilities eyeing virtual power plants as emerging assets
Disrupted in recent years by an uncoordinated rollout of distributed energy resources across their service territories, U.S. electric utilities are increasingly exploring how to benefit from rooftop solar arrays, batteries and other small-scale resources by combining them into virtual power plants.
3. More oil, gas bankruptcies likely as prices stay low, access to capital dries up
The combination of bad gambles on oil prices and bad balance sheets led an increasing number of oil and gas producers into bankruptcy in the second quarter of 2019, and things could get worse before they get better.
4. Stalled gas pipeline projects unlikely to get relief under EPA rule, experts say
Even as industry welcomes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest proposal aimed at preventing states from blocking infrastructure projects, experts say that the policy is unlikely to give gas pipelines the boost they want.
5. Navajo Nation company poised to become 3rd-largest US coal producer
With the purchase of Cloud Peak Energy Inc.'s Powder River Basin coal mines through a bankruptcy auction sale, the Navajo Transitional Energy Co. LLC will become the third-largest coal producer in the U.S. by production volume.
