The New York Public Service Commission seeks comments on proposed heat island criteria filed by the state’s large electric and water utilities. The move follows a March 2026 order establishing uniform extreme heat protections for residential customers. The rules require the utilities to halt service terminations for non-payment on any day when the heat index reaches or exceeds 90 degrees, with two additional days of protection in designated heat islands. The commission directed the utilities to propose heat island criteria and list the identified heat islands within their respective service territories. Utilities are also required to develop customer communications regarding the protections and update their outreach plans. The commission also directed utilities to standardize their tariff language regarding the protections. Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. has been granted additional time to comply with certain clauses of the order. 24-M-0586

The New York Public Service Commission seeks comments on the Coordinated Grid Planning Process Cycle 1 Report, filed by the state’s electric utilities pursuant to a 2023 order adopting the coordinated grid planning process. The 2023 order approved a new long-term system planning process to help the commission and utilities identify transmission investments needed to meet the objectives of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The Accelerated Renewables Act, enacted in 2020, directed the commission to establish new transmission planning processes to ensure timely and cost-effective construction of new, expanded, and upgraded transmission infrastructure. Con Edison, National Grid, New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation request commission approval to advance seven local transmission projects, with cost estimates for individual projects ranging from $92 million to $2.32 billion. 20-E-0197

The New York Public Service Commission seeks comments on National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation’s updated Stage 2 filing and supplemental filing for the Buffalo Project, a pilot project proposed in response to the 2022 Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act. The project is one of several utility thermal energy network pilots advancing through the commission’s multi-stage review process. The commission requires Stage 2 filings to include decision-quality information to assess the merits of the project. Comments will inform the commission’s determination on whether the project should advance to Stage 3, which involves customer enrollment and project construction. The commission extended the comment period from the original Aug. 24 deadline, granting the Building Decarbonization Coalition’s request for additional time to review the company’s updated cost estimate and analysis. 22-M-0429

The Delaware Public Service Commission will hold a workshop to discuss improvements to the state’s Community Energy Facilities program, as outlined in Senate Bill 321. The bill, which passed the legislature in June, calls for stakeholder working groups to discuss improvements in low- to moderate-income enrollment, consumer protections, and other topics necessary to achieve the outcomes of the program. This marks the fourth in a series of workshops to discuss topics addressed in the bill. The commission would be required to submit stakeholder recommendations to the legislature by Jan. 31, 2027. WG. 1

The Vermont Public Utility Commission seeks comments on Green Mountain Power’s reliability plan addressing reliability concerns identified in northern and northwest Vermont under the state’s 2024 Long-Range Transmission Plan for the 10-year planning horizon beginning in 2033. Green Mountain Power led a working group to conduct non-transmission alternative analyses. The reliability plan states that the need for a transmission solution has been deferred beyond the study period by considering existing peak-shifting storage programs, flexible load management, and event-based electric vehicle programs. The company has filed information requests concerning the plan including an updated forecast showing a significantly lower projection of EV adoption across the state pending the removal of federal incentives. 24-3351-INV

The North Dakota Public Service Commission seeks comments on Otter Tail Power Company’s petition for approval of a new Tiered Large General Service class, which would divide the utility’s large-customer rate class into tiers and create a separate high power compute rate schedule for data centers with at least 75 megawatts of firm load. The proposal is designed as a long-term, take-or-pay service construct that assigns to data center customers all costs attributable to serving their load, separate from Otter Tail’s traditional cost of service. PU-26-215

The California Energy Commission will hold a workshop as part of its informational proceeding on the “Lithium Valley Vision,” which calls for a strategy to develop a world-class lithium industry centered on recovering lithium from the Salton Sea region. Experts from industry, start-ups, academia, local government, and the community will participate in a series of panels examining near- and medium-term market opportunities and workforce priorities. Staff will provide an overview of the status and current conditions for potential development. The region holds some of the largest lithium deposits in the world, with an analysis from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory finding that it has enough lithium to support over 375 million batteries for electric vehicles. Written comments will be accepted through Sept. 30. 24-OIIP-02