The Georgia Public Service Commission will conduct a hearing to consider Georgia Power Company’s application to determine adjustments to retail base rates necessary to include the costs of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Unit 3, a 1.1-gigawatt nuclear power reactor started commercial operation in July, joining two existing reactors and becoming the first new reactor to start up in the U.S. since the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar 2 was commissioned in 2016. Another similar-sized fourth reactor has been authorized to load fuel and start operation. The two units were originally expected to cost $14 billion and come online in 2016 and 2017, respectively, but the project ran into construction delays and cost overruns. In August, Georgia Power filed a proposed agreement with the commission’s Public Interest Advocacy staff and several intervening parties in the proceeding regarding the recovery of the remaining costs associated with the addition of the two units. READ MORE

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority is due to receive comments on its investigation of performance mechanisms for a performance-based regulation, or PBR, framework for the state’s electric distribution companies. The authority held a series of meetings to discuss existing reported metrics, scorecards, and performance incentive mechanisms and recommendations regarding potential modifications and/or additions to existing mechanisms. In April, the commission adopted a comprehensive framework of regulatory goals, foundational considerations, and priority outcomes to guide future electric utility regulation, concluding the first phase of the investigation. The second phase is set to explore a set of PBR regulatory mechanisms and elements, including revenue adjustment mechanisms, performance mechanisms, and integrated distribution system planning. 21-05-15RE02

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is due to receive applications for Step 1 of its request for proposals to auction the first project under its “Build Ready” program. This step requires proposers to demonstrate their technical and financial ability to meet the minimum qualifications to design, secure financing for, construct, and own and operate the project. NYSERDA is seeking a partner to convert a former mine in St. Lawrence County into one of the largest solar projects in New York’s Adirondack Park. The proposed Benson Mines Solar Project, a 12-megawatt solar facility, would be sited within the boundaries of Benson Mines on a former iron-ore tailings pile, and would be capable of powering up to 3,000 homes annually. The program is designed to identify sites and advance pre-construction development activities for large-scale renewable energy projects on underutilized lands before auctioning and transferring the sites to the private sector for final construction and operation. Applications for Step 2 — competitive step for proposers to submit bid proposals — are due by March 14, 2024. BRRFP23-1

The California Energy Commission is due to receive comments on barriers to commercialization and deployment of fuel cell electric vehicles, or FCEVs, and customer experience at light-duty FCEV refueling stations. The commission recently held a joint workshop with the California Air Resources Board and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to discuss its Clean Transportation Program, hydrogen station locations and development plans, and station reliability and equipment, among others. The workshop also included presentations and discussions with hydrogen station developers, automakers, hydrogen fuel suppliers, fuel cell EV drivers, and residents who live near open and planned refueling stations. 22-HYD-01

The California Energy Commission and Air Resources Board will hold their first work group meeting to discuss funding for zero-emission school buses and infrastructure under Senate Bill 114. Enacted in 2023, the legislation appropriated a total of $500 million to the agencies for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The funding allocates $375 million in incentives awarded through the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Voucher Incentive Project for zero-emission emission school buses. The remainder will be awarded to local education agencies through a future program. 18-TRAN-01

The Washington Department of Ecology will hold its fourth greenhouse gas allowance auction, which will offer allowances for current and future years. The current auction will offer 2023 vintage allowances totaling about 7.1 million and the advance auction will offer 2026 vintage allowances totaling about 2.5 million. Washington joined the Western Climate Initiative in December 2021, which provides an auction platform for linked programs in California and Québec, and a stand-alone program in Nova Scotia. The third quarterly auction sold all allowances offered and generated more than $541 million.