EIA Utility Rate Cases

Utility Regulators Approved Total Electric Rate Increase of $2.8 Billion Last Year: EIA

Last year, 89 utilities, representing nearly half of all major U.S. electric utilities, filed rate cases with state regulatory commissions, the largest number since 1983, according to a July 19 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The aggregated value of utility-rate hike requests in 2018 was $6.8 billion, and regulators approved a total increase…

hawaii 1867850 1280

Hawaiian Electric Seeks 900 Megawatts of New Renewables to Replace Ageing Fossil Fuel Plants

The Hawaiian Electric Company has submitted a plan with state regulators for its largest-ever renewable energy solicitation, seeking about 900 megawatts of new renewable generation capable of delivering nearly 2 million megawatt-hours each year, according to a July 17 filling. Pending regulatory approval, the utility plans to issue the final RFPs by August 9 and…

Illinois REC Projects

Illinois Enacts Bill Allowing One-Year Extension for Supply of Renewable Credits From New Projects

Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, a Democrat, signed legislation that allows a one-year extension of the date by which the Illinois Power Agency is required to deliver renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind and solar projects acquired through long-term contracts. The bill sets a June 1, 2022 deadline for the agency to begin supplying…

FirstEnergy Tax Cut Savings Grid Modernization

FirstEnergy to Refund $900 Million in Federal Tax Cut Savings, Advance $500 Million Grid Modernization Plan

The Ohio Public Utilities Commission on July 17 adopted a settlement requiring FirstEnergy Corp.’s distribution utilities to revise their rates to reflect the savings from the federal tax cut law that slashed the corporate income tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent, effective Jan. 1, 2018. The agreement calls for credits and rate revisions…

Puget Sound Energy, Avista Implement COVID-19 Bill Assistance Programs for Washington Customers

DTE Electric to Test Time-Based Rates for Michigan Residential Customers

DTE Electric Company asked the Michigan Public Service Commission to approve a pilot program that will test six distinct rates within the residential rate class, according to a July 19 filing. In May, the agency provided an extension to the implementation of the time-of-use rate structure ordered last year and authorized the company to test…

Carbon Capture and Storage Projects

New England Grid Operator Draws Criticism for Withholding Rate Data in Evaluating Retirement Bids

Public Citizen, a Washington DC-based consumer advocacy group, lodged a protest against that New England grid operator for failing to provide access to details of its interim fuel security program in its rate filing on delist bids submitted for the 2023-24 capacity auction, according to a July 17 filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.…

U.S. Energy Department Explores Use of Storage Technologies to Enhance Performance of Fossil-Fueled Power Plants

State Utility Regulators Challenge FERC Denial to Allow Opt Out of Energy Storage Rule

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to overturn the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s decision to deny states the opportunity to opt out of storage participation in wholesale markets, according to a July 16 press release. The organization, which represents state utility commissions,…