Federal authorities cleared Cheniere to advance start up activities at a fourth LNG production plant at its Sabine Pass facility in Louisiana, the nation's first terminal to export U.S. shale gas.
Angelique Mercurio, chief executive of EnerKnol, discusses shifts in U.S. midcontinent state policies affecting renewable energy with Argus…....
Virginia has enacted a suite of clean energy bills that will help expand renewable energy and energy efficiency across the state. The legislation increases opportunities for community solar, pumped storage, battery technologies, and green development zones, bringing a remarkable turn in a state that has generally lingered over clean energy development. Amid legislative efforts to advance Virginia’s clean energy future, the state’s largest utility Dominion Energy also presented solar as a central piece of its 2017 Integrated Resource Plan. The new legislative package and the underlying market developments set Virginia up for a sustainable energy policy that supports economic development.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) held a technical conference to determine whether state policies and objectives can be achieved through market mechanisms of the Eastern RTOs/ISOs. Discussions signal market reforms that will focus on solutions that harmonize and accommodate state policy requirements with wholesale markets. Reforms will likely address market mechanisms to value resource attributes and internalize carbon costs within wholesale electricity prices.
Recent court rulings on FERC Order No. 1000 uphold FERC authority over regional planning, placing federal regulators at the helm of modernizing the electric grid particularly in states operating in deregulated electric markets. The court decision vacating FERC’s ROE orders casts uncertainty for utilities that rely on FERC-approved rates for transmission services. The effectiveness of transmission planning processes will continue to be under scrutiny, as the U.S. power system undergoes transformational changes driven primarily by changes in the generation resource mix toward renewables and natural gas.
Oklahoma has enacted legislation ending the state’s wind energy tax credits on July 1, 2017, more than three years ahead of the original schedule to help close a budget deficit. The early sunset of tax credits is unlikely to impact the budget outlook in the near term, but creates uncertainty for wind projects under construction. Addressing the state’s recurring budget deficits require a comprehensive economic plan and a long-term strategy to draw new investment and align revenues.
Maryland legislature has passed a bill (SB 758) establishing the nation’s first tax credits for energy storage systems. The legislation is well timed to support Maryland’s new renewable portfolio standard goals, reflecting the growing role of energy storage technologies in supporting the growth of renewables. Maryland could serve as a model for states exploring ways to bolster their nascent storage markets, as tax credits present a simpler alternative to mandates and incentives.
Ohio SB 128 would create a zero-emissions nuclear resource program to subsidize the state’s nuclear plants for providing fuel diversity and environmental benefits. The proposal is similar to programs in New York and Illinois which are facing lawsuits for discriminating specific generating units and infringing on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authority over interstate electricity markets, underscoring the need for market-based solutions to drive the nuclear industry in future.
President Trump has signed a sweeping executive order aimed to undo multiple climate regulations and agency actions that potentially burden the development of domestically produced energy resources. The most noted action of the order is a review of the Clean Power Plan, a central piece of the Obama administration’s climate agenda. The order also lifts the moratorium on federal coal leasing and calls for a review of existing regulations, including those governing hydraulic fracturing and methane emissions, which could significantly impact the oil and gas industry in the long term.
Results of California’s February 2017 quarterly carbon auction continue to reflect overall market volatility over the past year, due to the ambiguity over the post-2020 cap-and-trade program and pending litigation over the program’s legality. A resolution of legal uncertainties and clarity over the future direction of the cap-and-trade program will increase market activity as participants perceive greater certainty.
EnerKnol’s Founder and CEO, Angelique Mercurio will be among the panelists of the Women’s Energy Network Greater New York City Chapter Discussion Series. The event is in partnership with Vinson & Elkins. The panel will discuss the new administration and its potential impact on the energy sector. For more information and registration please click here…...
The New York State Public Service Commission has issued an order adopting a new Value Stack pricing mechanism to compensate distributed energy resources in a more accurate and granular manner. The order marks an important first step in moving beyond net metering to a compensation structure that considers location and environmental benefits that were previously not quantified.
