Articles by Will Wade

Nuclear Plants Allowed to Extend Workers’ Hours, Delay Inspections

Nuclear power plants can now implement longer shifts for workers and delay some inspections, raising concerns that as the coronavirus pandemic upends basic operations the industry may be bending the rules too far. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is already allowing …

Why Utilities Are Turning to Bond Market to Pay for Natural Disaster Losses

Fires and floods are sending some of the nation’s largest utilities to the bond market to cover huge, unexpected bills. California’s PG&E Corp., which was forced into bankruptcy a year ago after its equipment sparked the deadliest wildfire in state …

Duke Energy to Save $1.5 Billion in North Carolina Coal-Ash Settlement

Duke Energy Corp. reached a settlement with state regulators that will cut $1.5 billion from its cost to clean up coal ash ponds in North Carolina. The deal announced Thursday ends a legal dispute with the state, which in April …

Update: Hurricane Dorian Expected to Be Category 4 Storm When It Hits Florida

Hurricane Dorian is now expected to become a Category 4 storm with winds reaching 130 miles per hour before it makes landfall on Florida’s east coast, in what would be the first major hurricane to hit the area in 15 …

Update: Hurricane Dorian Goes Easy on Puerto Rico, Gathers Force Heading for Florida

Dorian is gathering force as it aims to become the first major hurricane to slam into the Florida’s east coast in 15 years, with winds of at least 115 miles per hour and drenching rains. The hurricane’s center was located …

Tropical Storm Dorian to Drench Puerto Rico; Then Could Hit Florida as Hurricane

Tropical Storm Dorian is about to lash Puerto Rico with torrential rains, and then is expected to gain strength and become the first major hurricane to hit Florida’s east coast in 15 years. Chances are increasing that the storm will …

Update: Tropical Storm Dorian to Sideswipe Puerto Rico, but Heads to Florida

Tropical Storm Dorian is about to sideswipe Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. And if you live on Florida’s east coast, it may be time to start gathering supplies. Chances are increasing that the storm will approach Florida bringing …

ConEd Faces Heat After Times Square Goes Dark

It lasted all of five hours – and hit just the spot on New York’s power system to take out the lights in Times Square, force the evacuation of Madison Square Garden in the middle of a Jennifer Lopez concert …

PG&E Contains California Gas Leak That Caused Major Explosion

PG&E Corp. has contained a natural gas leak from a pipe that exploded on Wednesday along a major thoroughfare in San Francisco, engulfing in flames a stretch known for its bars and restaurants. The blaze, which had spread to at …

PG&E’s $1.4B in Wildfire Insurance May Not Be Enough, But Was ‘Regular Amount’

PG&E Corp.’s $1.4 billion in wildfire insurance may not be enough to cover all its potential liabilities from the deadliest blaze in California history. But the company wasn’t necessarily skimping on coverage. That level of coverage is a “regular amount” …