Welcome to Grid Brief! Today we’re looking at power generation in America’s monopoly utility areas over the last week.

Monopoly Area Monday

Before we get into power generation in America’s monopoly utility areas, let’s take a nation-wide look.

A typical week in America: natural gas followed by nuclear and coal. Wind had a relatively consistent week, too.

And here’s a map of America’s electricity system to orient yourself as we go through. Today we’ll be looking at the subsections of the southeast, the Southwest, and the Northwest.

Carolinas

Nuclear was far and away the biggest generator in the Carolinas region. Gas took second place and coal third, save for the few moments where solar showed up in force.

Tennessee Valley Authority

The usual for TVA: nuclear, gas, and coal. Hydro slipped negative thrice to charge some pump storage stations.

The TVA spent $8 million this summer to prepare its coal, gas, and hydro for winter after it blacked out last Christmas.

Southeast

Gas is the head honcho of the “Southeast” subsection of the…Southeast. Anyway, nuclear and coal came in second and third, respectively.

Florida

Gas remained Florida’s top dog. It is far and away the largest resource by capacity in the state.

Hurricane Idalia left 200,000 Duke customers without power in the state. Last week, Duke filed with the state’s Public Utility Commission to recover $92 million for repairs costs from customers.

Southwest

Gas and nuclear kept the southwestern region humming, while coal, solar, and wind vied for third place.

Northwest

Hydro, coal, and gas swapped places several times over the course of the week in the Northwestern region.

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Conversation Starters

• Solar stocks are sinking. “Shares of Israel-based solar inverter manufacturer, SolarEdge Technologies Inc. have cratered more than 30% in Friday’s intraday session a day after the company issued weak guidance for its upcoming third-quarter earnings report,” reports Oilprice.com. “SolarEdge revealed Q3 installation rates were much slower at the end of the summer and in September, a period that usually enjoys a rise in installation rates. SolarEdge’s worrying report has pulled down the entire sector.”

• Russia to supply Hungary and China with more gas. “Russia's Gazprom will supply extra gas to Hungary through the coming winter and will also provide China with an additional 600 million cubic metres this year on top of contractual obligations, TASS news agency quoted its boss Alexei Miller as saying. Russian President Vladimir Putin met the leaders of both countries during a trip to China last week and Miller was among the business chiefs who accompanied him on the trip,” reports Reuters. “Gazprom is looking to compensate for the loss of most of its markets in Europe since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, largely due to explosions that severely damaged its Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea last year. Investigations have yet to establish who was responsible.”

• Drax faces punishment for pollution. “Power giant Drax if facing a penalty after one of its biomass plants in Canada failed to submit an annual report on pollutant emissions to the country's environment regulator,” reports Bloomberg. “The pellet mill in High Level, Alberta, produces wood pellets for the company, which runs Britain's biggest power station in Yorkshire. However, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said the plant did not submit a 2022 report by June 1 this year as it was legally required to do under the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). The reporting relates to permitted levels of hazardous compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter, which can harm human health.”

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