The Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission will hold virtual hearings to receive comments on proposed rules and regulations for the environmental review, permitting, and siting of major renewable energy and transmission projects under the Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment, RAPID, Act passed last year. Among other things, the RAPID Act authorizes the office, in consultation with the Department of Public Service and subject to approval by the Public Service Commission, to establish rules and regulations to implement the new siting permit program for major electric transmission facilities established by the act. 24-M-0433

The New York Public Service Commission will hold a virtual hearing on Somerset Solar LLC’s application for approval to construct a 125-megawatt solar electric generation facility. The company seeks a certificate of public convenience and necessity and lightened regulation as a wholesale electric generator to build the facility in the town of Somerset in Niagara County. The project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 177,000 tons each year and produce enough energy to power nearly 25,000 homes. 24-E-0666

Member states of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, will hold their 67th quarterly auction of carbon allowances. The auction clearing prices will be posted on March 14. The previous auction, held in December 2024, sold all of the nearly 16 million allowances that were offered at a clearing price of $20.05, and generated about $320 million, bringing the total proceeds to about $8.6 billion.

The Wyoming Public Service Commission will conduct a public hearing on Rocky Mountain Power’s request for authority to increase its retail electric service rates. The company is requesting an increase of approximately $123.5 million per year or 14.7 percent, with a return on equity of 9.65 percent. 17659

The California Energy Commission seeks comments on the state’s evolving economic and demographic landscape, serving as a key foundation for the energy demand forecast, under the 2025 Integrated Energy Policy Report, or IEPR. Last month, the commission held a workshop which included panel discussions on the state’s economic projections and changing population, as well as future growth of data centers throughout the state. The commission is required to regularly assess all aspects of energy demand and supply in order to develop energy policies that conserve resources, protect the environment, and ensure energy reliability, among others. 25-IEPR-03

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission will hold a virtual public comment hearing to discuss the Public Service Company of Colorado’s 2025-2027 Wildfire Mitigation Plan and Public Safety Power Shutoff Plan. The Xcel Energy subsidiary’s plan includes a multi-year program to identify, analyze and replace or mitigate equipment that may be associated with higher wildfire risk, as well as targeted undergrounding of power lines in high-risk areas. The company has requested $1.9 billion to execute the plan, which if approved would increase the typical residential customer’s bill by approximately 9.56 percent, or $8.88 per month, through incremental bi-annual changes. An additional hearing will be held on April 29.

The California Public Utilities Commission will consider a proposal to establish new standards for the maintenance and operation of battery energy storage facilities and increase oversight over their emergency response action plans. If approved, the proposal will improve the safety of these facilities, which play a crucial role in state’s transition away from fossil fuels. Over the past several years, the deployment of battery storage systems has grown significantly, growing from 500 megawatts in 2019 to over 13,300 megawatts statewide in 2024. READ MORE