The Maine Public Utilities Commission is due to receive submissions for renewable generation projects in response to its request for proposals for high voltage transmission line and renewable energy generation projects to transmit electricity from Northern Maine to the electric grid operated by the Independent System Operator of New England. A 2021 law established the “Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program,” which seeks to encourage the rapid development of renewable sources as well as the necessary transmission infrastructure to expeditiously meet the state’s renewable energy and climate goals. Maine’s renewable portfolio standard requires 80 percent of the state’s electricity to be sourced from renewables by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050. Transmission project proposals were submitted through March 1. 2021-00369

The Maryland Public Service Commission will hold a conference regarding Waypost Solar Project LLC’s application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to build an approximately 92-megawatt solar project and an 80-megawatt hour battery storage system in Caroline County. The project, covering a total area of about 1,323 acres, would contribute to the state’s goals of sourcing 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. 9675

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a public hearing of the Climate Action Council to discuss its draft scoping plan, which describes recommended policies and actions to help the state meet its ambitious climate goals as part of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Under the law, New York must reduce economywide greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. The act requires New York to attain a carbon-free power system by 2040, setting ambitious goals to make the transition – 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035, 6 gigawatts of distributed solar by 2025, and 3 gigawatts of energy storage by 2030. The department has scheduled 10 hearings during April and May to receive public input on the draft and advance work on a final scoping plan to guide the implementation of the law.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will hold a virtual public hearing to discuss its draft Environmental Justice Policy, which expands and improves upon the existing policy, which has been in effect since 2004. The draft attempts to integrate environmental justice into additional aspects of the department’s work. Proposed changes include revising definitions of environmental justice areas or populations, enhancing collaboration and planning between state government agencies, developing resources and data for community use, and prioritizing environmental justice in grantmaking practices.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is due to receive comments on Dodge County Wind LLC’s application for a site permit, a certificate of need, and a route permit to build an up to 259-megawatt wind project in Dodge, Mower, and Steele Counties. The NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary proposes to construct the project over an area of approximately 28,348 acres with up to 79 turbines, at an estimated cost of $300 million to $400 million. Dodge County Wind has entered into a power purchase agreement with Great River Energy for the full output of the project for a 30-year term. WS-20-866

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is due to receive written comments on Xcel Energy’s proposal to build an up to 460-megawatt solar project in Sherburne County, partially replacing the energy production of the coal-powered Sherco Generating Plant Unit 2, which is scheduled to cease operations in 2023. The project, spanning about 3,479 acres, can reutilize the interconnection service at the Sherburne County Generation Plant. The project is being developed in partnership with National Grid Renewables Development LLC. In January 2021, the companies entered into a purchase and sale agreement, which authorizes National Grid Renewables to secure a site permit and two route permits for the project on behalf of Xcel Energy.

The North Dakota Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing to consider Bridger Pipeline LLC’s proposal to construct a 80-mile crude oil transmission pipeline in McKenzie County and Golden Valley County. The project would connect Bridger’s Sandstone Station to Eighty-Eight Oil LLC’s Johnson Corner Terminal in North Dakota. The project would have a throughput of up to 105,000 barrels per day with the ability to increase the capacity to 250,000 barrels per day. The North Dakota portion of the project is estimated to cost $61 million.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will consider Byron Solar LLC’s application to construct a 200-megawatt solar energy facility and a 345 kV transmission line in Olmsted and Dodge Counties. The commission will discuss actions regarding the site, route, or system alternatives to be evaluated in the project’s environmental assessment. The EDF Renewables Inc. subsidiary anticipates a developed area of approximately 1,550 acres within a 1,800-acre project site. The project aims to meet the growing renewable energy demand from commercial and industrial customers and help reach the clean energy requirements in Minnesota and neighboring states. Byron expects to begin construction in early 2023 and complete the project in time to start operating at the end of 2024. The company has applied for two generator interconnection agreements with the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. CN-20-764

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission is due to receive comments on PacifiCorp’s clean energy implementation plan, or CEIP, detailing specific actions that the utility will take over four years from 2022-2025 to move toward the clean energy goals of the 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act. The law requires the state’s electricity supply to be carbon-neutral by 2030 and carbon-free by 2045, and directs electric utilities to phase out coal from their generation portfolio by 2025. Under the law, utilities are to make CEIP actions consistent with their most recent integrated resource plans and clean energy action plans. By the end of 2024, within the four-year CEIP period, PacifiCorp’s preferred portfolio in its 2021 resource plan includes 1,792 megawatts of wind, 1,302 megawatts of solar additions, and 697 megawatts of battery storage capacity – 497 megawatts paired with solar and a 200 megawatts standalone battery.