Welcome to Grid Brief! Today we’re taking a look at the weekly generation mix of America’s power markets.

What’s Keeping the Lights On?

Let’s take a look at the weekly generation mix for America’s power markets. Shoutout to Dylan Moon who helped us create clearer, better visuals with the Energy Information Administration’s data.

First, here’s a nation-wide look:

This was a standard week with natural gas way out ahead of the pack, nuclear in second place (mostly) and coal in third (mostly). Wind faded nation-wide over the course of the week.

Here’s a map to orient you as we move through the major market areas:

ISO New England

Natural gas maintained the top spot with the exception of a dip below nuclear on the 8th. Hydro and wind jockeyed for third place.

New York ISO

New York saw generation generally decrease over the course of the week as cooler weather set in. Natural gas kept the top spot, with nuclear and hydro trading off for second place. Wind swung up and down over the course of the week.

PJM

PJM saw natural gas drop below nuclear for a few brief moments. Otherwise, they held the first and second spots, respectively. Coal generation slumped over the week, though it reliably held third place.

MISO

Natural gas and coal traded paint for first place in MISO over the week, except for when wind edged them out for number one on the 4th. Wind was productive, but volatile. As it ebbed towards the end of the week, natural gas, coal, and nuclear maintained reliability. Solar’s output improved as the week went on.

ERCOT

It was a lively week in Texas. Natural gas had its dominance interrupted twice—once by solar, then again by wind. As wind fell, natural gas roared up. Otherwise, coal, wind, and solar all skirmished for second place.

Southwest Power Pool

SPP had a typical week: wind held the top spot for as long as it could before natural gas and coal ramped up to keep the lights on. For most of the week, coal sat on top of natural gas until wind plummeted.

CAISO

Natural gas and solar traded off as the dominant generators in the Golden State. Hydro came in third place. Notice the “other” category going negative. That’s California’s battery fleet charging during the day. You’ll see it discharged at night to ease solar’s decline as the sun set.

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Conversation Starters

• A Finnish gas pipeline was attacked. “Finland is on alert as it suspects a gas pipeline leak in the Baltic Sea was caused by a deliberate act of destruction, fueling concerns about the safety of Europe’s energy infrastructure,” reports Bloomberg. “The gas pipeline connecting NATO members Finland and Estonia started leaking at the weekend, and people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday the investigation is proceeding on the basis that it was sabotage. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said it was caused by an ‘external source’ as he declined to speculate who may be responsible.”

• A huge wind project in the UK has started to produce power. “The world’s largest offshore wind farm, the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in UK waters, has achieved first power and started sending electricity to the UK national grid, the developers of the project said on Tuesday, hailing the major milestone at the offshore wind farm whose construction continues,” reports Oilprice.com. “Dogger Bank Wind Farm, with a total capacity of 3.6 gigawatts (GW), is being constructed in UK waters 130 kilometers (81 miles) off the coast of Yorkshire and in three 1.2 GW phases known as Dogger Bank A, B, and C.”

• Investors have started to flee renewable energy funds. “Investors ditched renewable energy funds at the fastest rate on record in the three months to end-September as cleaner energy shares took a beating from higher interest rates and soaring material costs, which are squeezing profit margins. Renewable energy funds globally suffered a net outflow of $1.4 billion in the July-September quarter, the biggest ever quarterly outflow, according to LSEG Lipper data,” reports Reuters. “However, the outflows only partially reversed the trend for the first half of 2023 when investors added a net $3.36 billion, the data showed. The sector's total assets under management now stand at $65.4 billion, a 23% decline from end-June, according to the data.”

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