New Jersey lawmakers have passed a suite of sweeping measures to propel the state’s clean energy agenda under Democratic Governor Phil Murphy's administration. The swift turn of events marks a significant shift from his Republican predecessor Chris Christie who withdrew the state from the carbon market and shunned offshore wind.
Nine out of the ten resource zones cleared at $10/MW-day in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s sixth annual Planning Resource Auction, up from last year's clearing price of 1.50/MW-day. MISO said that increased demand and lower supply were largely responsible for the higher prices and expects adequate capacity for the planning year starting June 1.
To overcome protests against oil and gas pipelines, at least 8 states are advancing bills creating new penalties for disrupting pipeline operations. Despite the Trump administration's moves to support pipeline developers, the opposition - consisting of environmentalists, landowners, and a few state governments - has dramatically slowed down some projects.
The penetration of distributed energy resources (DER) has led states and utilities to reconsider their strategies and planning processes. Advanced metering infrastructure and automation allow utilities to capture the full value of DERs and explore new uses of emerging technologies. Because of the rapid influx of DERs utilities must stay proactive to avoid issues on the distribution grid and capture new growth opportunities.
