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.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has announced a comprehensive review of technological and regulatory innovation to advance grid modernization. With continued growth in distributed energy resources and demand-side opportunities, the power industry faces the challenge of transitioning to a modern grid that addresses the demands of the evolving electric sector. Among other states where utility commissions have taken measures to address grid modernization, New York and California have garnered nationwide attention, setting the pace with significant progress towards necessary enhancements.
The Arizona Public Service and solar industry have reached a rate case settlement agreement to bring a five-year debate over rooftop solar compensation to an end. With the agreement, Arizona joins New York and Colorado where utilities and solar advocates have reached similar compromises in the transition from retail rate net metering, demonstrating that the solar industry and utilities can find practical alternatives to solar grid charges.
Maryland has advanced a three-year community solar pilot program which is expected to jumpstart community solar, demonstrating the viability of the segment in the state. With the initiative, Maryland joins other states looking at creative policies aimed at boosting solar project deployment and methods to compensate distributed generation. Community solar models can overcome the constraints of net metering through partnerships with utilities and also provide a return on their investment instead of a reduction in the participant’s utility bill.
Nevada AB 206, aimed to expand the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 80 percent by 2040, is the latest in the growing list of states planning to strengthen their renewable energy targets. While AB 206 would place Nevada in a similar trajectory with top-tier RPS states, such as California and New York, Massachusetts has proposed an even more ambitious goal of 100 percent by 2035, aiming to make Massachusetts the first U.S. state to be powered entirely by renewable energy. Stronger RPS policies will stimulate market and technology development to increase the competitiveness of renewable energy.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality has proposed new and revised general permits, as well as revisions to an air quality permit exemption to reduce methane and other emissions at well sites and compressor stations associated with natural gas operations. The proposals come at a time when Congress is moving towards repealing a federal methane rule, drawing attention to state actions.
The House has passed a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal the Methane and Waste Prevention rule, following similar resolutions that allowed Congress to repeal the Stream Protection Rule and Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers. President Trump is expected to sign the resolutions and the White House has strongly supported repealing these regulations citing burdensome compliance requirements that adversely impact jobs and businesses.
President Donald Trump has issued memoranda to advance the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines and an Executive Order to expedite environmental review for priority infrastructure. Several oil and gas projects that were delayed or rejected during the previous administration will likely be revisited. Grid modernization and transmission expansion will support large-scale wind which is particularly dependent on transmission infrastructure to connect with load centers.
The Department of the Interior has approved Phase I of a 3 GW wind project to be built in two phases on 220,000 acres in Wyoming. Meanwhile, legislators have introduced a bill that would ban the use of large-scale renewable generation to meet in-state needs by 2019. Despite the state’s high-quality wind resources, additional regulatory and tax burden on Wyoming’s wind industry could make the state less competitive nationwide, creating a foregone opportunity in the long term.
The Department of the Interior has released a scoping report identifying potential reforms to the federal coal program including options to increase royalty rates and account for climate impact. Efforts to follow through the recommendations under the new administration are unlikely, given that both President-elect Trump and Zinke, Trump’s nominee for DOI Secretary, are inclined to further coal development.
The California Public Utilities Commission has approved a three-year pilot program allowing Pacific Gas & Electric
Company to deploy 7,500 electric vehicle charging ports at workplaces, disadvantaged communities, and multi-unit dwellings. The program components, including hybrid ownership and time-of-use rates, could inform other states exploring business models for utility involvement in EV infrastructure.