Duke Energy to Return Nearly $240 Million in Federal Tax Cut Savings to Ohio Electric Customers

Duke Energy to Return Nearly $240 Million in Federal Tax Cut Savings to Ohio Electric Customers

The Ohio Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 20 approved rate reductions for Duke Energy’s electric customers to account for the federal tax law, which slashed the corporate income tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent, effective Jan. 1, 2018. Customers will see a $2.13 decrease in their monthly bills. The company will refund $8.1 million…...

Minnesota Regulator Issues Resource Plan Filing Requirements for Regulated Utilities

Minnesota Regulator Issues Resource Plan Filing Requirements for Regulated Utilities

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 20 adopted requirements that each of the state’s regulated utilities must adhere to in filing integrated distribution plans. Utilities must submit their filings biennially starting on Nov. 1, providing a five-year action plan, as well as a ten-year plan for distribution system development. Each utility is required to provide system…

U.S. Energy Department Commits $2.5 Billion Loan to EV Battery Cell Manufacturing

Missouri Regulators Consider Electric Vehicle Charging Improvements Following Court Decision

The Missouri Public Service Commission has decided to open a proceeding to study ways of accelerating the development and deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the state, after a court decision last year determined that these assets were under the commission’s jurisdiction. The process is open to any input from stakeholders, but the commission…

Georgia Regulator Approves $526 Million in Spending on Vogtle Nuclear Project

Georgia Regulator Approves $526 Million in Spending on Vogtle Nuclear Project

The Georgia Public Service Commission on Feb. 19 announced its approval of $526.4 million in construction expenses incurred by Georgia Power Company in the first half of 2018 for the Vogtle expansion project. The agency said the authorization does not deem the expenditure to be prudent, and is only an acknowledgement that the company has…...

Connecticut Legislature Floats Bill to Protect Consumers from Predatory Sales Tactics

Connecticut Legislature Floats Bill to Protect Consumers from Predatory Sales Tactics

The Connecticut House Energy and Technology Committee Committee discussed legislation on Feb. 22 that would better define the requirements imposed on electric suppliers regarding telesales calls and face-to-face marketing as well as empowering the state regulator to enforce them. The bill defines telesales calls and face-to-face marketing, setting rules for these interactions with customers such as recording the entirety of the…

FERC Approves Venture Global LNG’s Louisiana Export Terminal, Takes New Approach to Consider Emissions

FERC Approves Venture Global LNG’s Louisiana Export Terminal, Takes New Approach to Consider Emissions

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Feb. 21 cleared Venture Global Calcasieu Pass LLC’s proposed liquefied natural gas export project in Cameron Parish, Louisiana and TransCameron Pipeline LLC’s associated natural gas pipeline. Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur voted for the project commending the commission’s new approach to calculate the direct greenhouse emissions of the project. Commissioner Richard…...

New England’s Evolving Resource Mix Makes Power System Operations More Complex

New England’s Evolving Resource Mix Makes Power System Operations More Complex: ISO-NE Report

New England’s power system is strong, but the changing resource mix, driven by industry trends and state policies, is making operations more complex, according to a Feb. 20 briefing on the state of the region’s grid by Gordon van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England Inc. Nuclear, oil, and coal-fired power plants that…...