The Maine Public Utilities Commission is due to receive reply comments on issues related to the development and implementation of time of use, or TOU, standard offer and delivery rates for residential and small business customers of investor-owned utilities, and the use of demand charges for residential customers. The commission found that both types of rates offer the potential, through peak shaving, to lower future supply and delivery rates as they can reduce the need for expensive generation and grid infrastructure investments. Among other considerations, the commission is evaluating optimal peak and off-peak periods to achieve desired benefits and exploring ways to educate customers about the new rate. 2024-00231

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will hold a meeting of the Climate Change Advisory Committee. The meeting will include a discussion about the Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania program, or RISE PA. The program is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization grant funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, a funding program established by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

The New York Public Service Commission will hold a meeting of the electric vehicle infrastructure interconnection working group to discuss Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc.’s proposal on streamlining queue management in the EV make-ready program. The proposal aims to facilitate a supportive process for make-ready applicants from first contact with the utility to EV station energization. The meeting will include a discussion about the GridFAST Express, a bidirectional data exchange program between utilities and large customers to be used early as customers are developing their strategic plans for EV charging infrastructure. The working group was formed to identify, discuss, and resolve the technical barriers and challenges associated with the EV interconnection process, including queue management and EV-specific standardized interconnection requirements. 18-E-0138

The California Air Resources Board and Québec’s Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change are due to receive applications for participation in their 41st joint quarterly carbon auction, which will offer allowances for current and future years. The current auction will offer 2019 and 2024 vintage allowances totaling about 52.6 million, and the advance auction will offer 2027 future allowances totaling about 7.2 million. The previous auction held in August sold all of the nearly 51.2 million current allowances at a price of $30.24 per allowance and 7.2 million future allowances at $29.75 per allowance. California’s cap-and trade program places an economy-wide cap on major emitting sources.

The California Energy Commission is due to receive comments regarding the proposed Darden Clean Energy Project in Fresno County. The project, proposed by IP Darden I LLC and Affiliates, consists of a 1,150-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility and an up to 4,600 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system. The solar PV facility would be located on about 9,100 acres of agricultural land, which the company plans to purchase from Westlands Water District. The project would interconnect to Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Los Banos-Midway #2 500 kV transmission line.