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week of Mar. 13, 2025

The EnerKnol Week Ahead is back to give you the key energy policy events happening next week, all powered by the EnerKnol Platform. Coming up, the U.S. Energy Department discusses updates to prior analyses used to inform public interest determinations for liquefied natural gas exports; the District of Columbia Public Service Commission advances integrated distribution system planning to modernize the grid and meet the growing demands of a clean energy future; Maine regulators examine the allocation of the benefits of distributed generation under the net energy billing program.

Featured Entities


BLM

California EC

District of Columbia PSC

DOE

New York PSC

Rhode Island PUC

TVA

Federal Agencies

Monday,
March 17
BLM Oil and Gas Leasing

The Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on 61 oil and gas parcels totaling about 51,068 acres that may be included in the December 2025 lease sale in Colorado. The bureau seeks comments that address issues relevant to the proposed action, offer reasonable alternatives, propose the extent to which those issues and alternatives should be analyzed, or identify new technical or scientific information to be considered in its environmental analysis.

Tuesday,
March 18
TVA Advanced Nuclear Project

The Tennessee Valley Authority is due to receive comments on its draft supplemental environmental impact statement for the Clinch River Nuclear Site Advanced Reactor Technology Park Unit 1. The draft, which supplements a programmatic review that was completed in September 2022, includes new information about potential impacts related to the project technology. READ MORE

Thursday,
March 20
DOE LNG Export Study

The U.S. Energy Department seeks comments on its 2024 study on liquefied natural gas exports, providing an update to prior analyses used to inform public interest determinations for exports to countries lacking a free trade agreement with the U.S. In January, the department ended a pause instituted under the former Biden administration on new export permit reviews. The move follows an executive order issued by President Trump directing the department to restart reviews of applications for approvals of export projects. The order requires public interest assessments to consider the economic and employment impacts to the U.S. and the impact to the security of allies and partners. READ MORE

Thursday,
March 20
DOE Tribal Energy Planning and Development

The U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Indian Energy is due to receive applications for a $25 million funding opportunity to support tribal energy planning and development. The office anticipates making approximately 20-40 awards that range from $100,000 to $2,500,000 for projects supporting planning, feasibility and viability assessments, and energy design and development activities.

Eastern Region

Monday,
March 17
DC PSC Integrated Distribution System Planning

The District of Columbia Public Service Commission seeks comments on various matters related to electric utility distribution system planning, including a draft proposal on an integrated distribution system planning, or IDSP, framework. The commission has launched a proceeding to initiate an IDSP process to prepare the electric grid to support the demands of the clean energy transition and integrate distributed energy resources. In addition to the traditional distribution planning that utilities undertake, IDSP incorporates advanced technologies, data analytics, and distributed energy resources, such as solar panels, energy storage, electric vehicles, demand response, energy efficiency, and federal and local policy. Reply comments are due by April 14. FC1182

Monday,
March 17
RI PUC Gas Infrastructure Plan

The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission will conduct a hearing on Rhode Island Energy’s proposed Gas Infrastructure, Safety and Reliability, or ISR, Plan for fiscal year 2026. The plan sets forth proposals the company has identified as necessary to sustain and enhance the safety and reliability of its gas distribution system. For fiscal year 2026, the plan proposes capital spending that reflects an incremental revenue requirement of $24.6 million over the amount in the fiscal year 2025 plan, to be collected through the Distribution Adjustment Charge effective April 1, 2025. The average residential heating customer using 845 therms per year is expected to see an annual bill increase of 4.4 precent. 24-55-NG

Wednesday,
March 19
ME PUC Net Energy Billing Program

The Maine Public Utilities Commission will hold a technical conference to discuss the allocation of the benefits of distributed generation under the net energy billing, or NEB, program. The commission has engaged Sustainable Energy Advantage LLC to conduct a structured and comprehensive study of the net benefits of distributed generation under the state’s two NEB programs: kilowatt hour credit program and tariff rate program. The costs of distributed generation under net energy billing are determined through annual stranded cost rate investigations. This proceeding aims to determine the benefit categories under the program, identify which benefits may be monetized and to whom they accrue, and adopt a methodology for calculating benefits that will be applied annually in stranded cost rate proceedings to streamline the process. 2024-00149

Friday,
March 21
NY PSC 125 MW Somerset Solar Project

The New York Public Service Commission seeks comments 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

Western Region

Monday,
March 17
MN PUC 414 MW Plum Creek Wind Project

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission seeks supplemental comments on Plum Creek Wind Farm LLC’s request for amendments to site and route permits issued by the commission to build a 414-megawatt wind project and an associated 345 kilovolt transmission line in Cottonwood, Murray, and Redwood counties. The amendments include an extension of the construction commencement date, to allow construction to begin by Sept. 25, 2027, and changes to turbine models in certain locations to replace previously decided models that are no longer available in North America.

Tuesday,
March 18
CA EC EV Charging With Solar Microgrids

The California Energy Commission will hold a workshop on a potential solicitation aimed to demonstrate electric vehicle charging solutions that integrate direct current-coupled solar microgrids and connect to the grid through flexible service agreements. This effort is a part of the Electric Program Investment Charge, or EPIC, program. Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison will discuss their flexible energization pilots and commission staff will outline a proposed solicitation concept planned to be released in Q3 2025. Many sites seeking to develop charging infrastructure, particularly for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles, lack adequate distribution capacity, often resulting in lengthy, ratepayer-funded utility upgrades to support new loads. Co-locating behind-the-meter distributed energy resources with charging infrastructure has emerged as a potential solution to mitigate grid strain, lower ratepayer costs, and enhance resiliency. 23-ERDD-01