The Maine Public Utilities Commission is seeking responses to a request for information regarding the development of renewable energy projects and transmission infrastructure to deliver electricity from Northern Maine to ISO New England Inc.’s system. This initiative follows legislative requirements from 2021 and 2023 to remove barriers to renewable energy development in the region. The commission is also interested in how the New England grid operator’s recent request for proposals for transmission projects to interconnect 1,200 megawatts of onshore wind in Maine should inform its Northern Maine procurement strategy.

The Maryland Public Service Commission will hold a meeting to discuss improvements for the 2027-2029 cycle of EmPOWER Maryland, the state’s energy efficiency program. The meeting, which will reconvene the Future Programming Work Group, will focus on the program’s greenhouse gas reduction goals for the upcoming cycle. A December 2024 order on the group’s recommendations noted that several suggestions were of value but were not fully developed or are better suited for the program’s next cycle, and directed commission staff to reconvene the work group. Staff recommended that the work group take on the assignment of potentially establishing a demand response goal as well as developing GHG reduction goals. 9705

Member states of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, will hold their 68th quarterly auction of carbon allowances. The auction clearing prices will be posted on June 6. The previous auction, held in March 2025, sold all of the nearly 23.5 million allowances that were offered at a clearing price of $19.76, and generated about $465 million, bringing the total proceeds to over $9 billion. READ MORE

The California Energy Commission will hold an informational and environmental scoping meeting to discuss Compass Energy Storage LLC’s proposed 250-megawatt battery energy storage system in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County. The project consists of lithium-iron phosphate batteries, operating on 13 acres of a 41-acre parcel, and capable of supplying up to 1,000 megawatt-hours of electricity during peak times. The system will interconnect into the existing San Diego Gas & Electric Company’s Trabuco to Capistrano 138-kilovolt transmission line to provide safe, reliable and clean power to approximately 250,000 homes when needed. 24-OPT-02

The Washington Department of Ecology will hold its 10th quarterly carbon auction, which will offer allowances for current and future years. The current auction will offer 2024 and 2025 vintage allowances totaling about 6.8 million and the advance auction will offer 2028 vintage allowances totaling 2 million. A summary report is expected to be released on June 11. The previous quarterly auction held in March sold out, with current allowances clearing at $50.00 per allowance, about 24 percent higher than the December auction. READ MORE

The California Energy Commission will hold a public workshop to discuss a preliminary assessment of Hydrostor Inc.’s proposal to construct a 500-megawatt/4,000-megawatt-hour advanced compressed air energy storage project in Kern County. The project – Willow Rock Energy Storage Center – is expected to deliver more than eight hours of energy on a full charge and is designed to operate continuously, year-round, with an estimated 50-year lifespan. The discussion will help identify and resolve areas of disagreement, and to modify or refine mitigation measures. The project is expected to generate over $500 million in direct and indirect benefits to the local economy. 21-AFC-02