The Maine Public Utilities Commission seeks written comments on a straw proposal outlining a performance-based regulation, or PBR, framework for Central Maine Power Company. The commission requested CA Energy Consulting to prepare a report outlining a PBR framework, including initial designs for a multi-year rate plan and performance incentive mechanisms aligned with the state’s regulatory goals. The report recommends a price cap framework with a four-year term, providing adequate time for the company to find cost efficiencies and reduce the administrative burden of frequent rate cases, while being short enough for a rate case to be filed before an excessive divergence of revenues and costs. 2025-00354

The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission will conduct a hearing to examine proposals made by the Rhode Island Distributed Generation Board for the Renewable Energy Growth, or REG, program, including ceiling prices and a megawatt allocation plan. The hearing will also consider proposed changes to the tariffs and enrollment rules filed by Rhode Island Energy, as well as the proposed REG factor for the 2026-2027 program year. The REG program is designed to finance the development of distributed renewable energy projects through performance-based incentives. Eligible developers and customers can enroll in the program and receive compensation under commission-approved REG tariffs. Net costs associated with the incentives and Rhode Island Energy’s administrative costs are recovered through the REG factor. 25-52-REG

The New York Public Service Commission will hold a public comment hearing to discuss Sugar Maple Solar LLC’s proposed 125-megawatt solar energy facility in Jefferson and Lewis Counties. The proposed project includes photovoltaic solar arrays, inverters, electric collection lines, collection substation, point of interconnection switchyard, and a 20-megawatt battery energy storage system. The project is expected to help reduce emissions by approximately 162,000 metric tons each year.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission will hold a workshop to discuss Central Maine Power Company’s integrated grid plan, or IGP, filed in response to a 2024 order that established requirements for utilities to develop 10-year plans to facilitate the cost-effective transition to a clean, affordable, and reliable electric grid. The inaugural IGP provides a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening Maine’s electric grid to meet rising demand, integrate clean energy resources, and improve resilience against increasingly severe storms. The workshop will provide an opportunity for the commission to ask questions about the plan, as it has not been involved in the 18-month utility-led stakeholder processes used to develop the grid plans. A workshop to discuss Versant Power’s integrated grid plan will be held on Feb. 26. 2022-00322

The Oregon Public Utilities Commission seeks comments on rules to implement the 2025 FAIR Energy Act, which prohibits residential rate increases during winter months. The law also requires utilities to provide a cumulative economic impact analysis in filings in which their return on equity is subject to the commission’s review and modification. In addition, the legislation requires two new recurring utility reports: a visual representation of cost drivers affecting rate change and reporting on any rate adjustments in the next 12 months. AR 678

The Montana Public Service Commission will hold public meetings to discuss NorthWestern Corporation’s draft 2026 integrated resource plan, or IRP, outlining the company’s 20-year strategy to meet customer needs. The IRP examines long-term scenarios, evaluating how changes in fuel prices, environmental rules, technology costs, and electricity demand could shape the company’s resource portfolio. Across the Western Interconnection, electricity demand is projected to rise more than 30 percent by 2035, driven by data centers, electrification, and steady native load growth. The 2026 IRP identifies a near-term capacity need emerging in the winter of 2027, driven by expiring contracts and rising demand. The plan highlights the need to prepare for broader structural changes, including the future of the Colstrip coal plant. Modeling results indicate that keeping Colstrip operating through 2042 remains the lowest-cost and lowest-risk option, though the company notes uncertainty around future EPA mercury and greenhouse gas regulations.

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission seeks comments on the scope of the environmental assessment for American Transmission Company LLC’s proposed Ozaukee County Distribution Interconnection Project in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. The company seeks approval to construct approximately 96 to 123 miles of transmission lines and up to five new substations to support the interconnection of a new large system load in Port Washington with the existing electrical transmission and distribution network. The project is expected to cost $1.36 billion to $1.64 billion, depending on route selection. 137-CE-221