Power Engineering's Top News Stories 12/30

Top Stories
	EPA releases coal ash rule EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy announced the agency will now consider coal ash on the same level as household waste as opposed to hazardous waste. Household garbage and coal ash are both listed in the solid waste category, a stretch from the hazardous waste classification. Read More Share:
	EPC Firms: Are they Meeting the Needs of Power Generators? In partnership with Power Engineering magazine, Flaspöhler Research Group of Kansas City performed an eye-opening survey of 64 key power generation executives to measure the utilization, performance and perceptions of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms serving the power generation industry. Thirty two EPC firms were evaluated. Read More Share:
	Hinkley Point C nuclear plant to break ground in 2015 The head of EDF Energy said work on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant is expected to begin in 2015. Read More Share:
	NRC: DOE’s Yucca Mountain R&D meet NRC requirements The staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published Volume 4 of its safety evaluation report on a proposed underground used nuclear fuel repository in Nevada. Read More Share:

Industry News
	PG&E discloses more emails with state regulators California's largest power utility released a dozen more emails Monday that it said showed improper back-channel discussions between the utility and top state regulators. Read More Share:
	Group wants state regulators recused from PNM case State regulators in less than two weeks are to begin deliberating a proposal that calls for shutting down part of an aging coal-fired power plant in northwestern New Mexico that serves more than 2 million customers in the Southwest. Read More Share:
	PSEG Solar to acquire Maryland solar project from juwi PSEG Solar Source will acquire a 12.9-MW solar energy facility near Waldorf, Maryland from juwi solar (JSI). The PSEG Waldorf Solar Energy Center will increase the capacity of PSEG Solar Source's portfolio to 123-MW. Read More Share:
	Brown picks aide to lead troubled California utility board Gov. Jerry Brown named a former adviser on Tuesday to be the next head of California's troubled utilities commission, replacing a regulatory chief accused of back-channel dealings with utilities. Michael Picker, a former adviser to Brown on renewable energy and a former board member of a California utility, was Brown's pick to lead the California Public Utilities Commission, the governor's office said in a statement. Read More Share:

More Headlines
• New England utility exec named to Vermont PSB
• Washington state carbon emissions dropped in 2011
• Vermont Yankee plant prepares to shut down
• Indianapolis airport solar farm expansion completed
• French power company to pay $772M in bribery case
• Nebraska nuclear plant back online after short outage
• Ameren Missouri plans $135M in energy efficiency