Power & Utilities
The U.S. has announced a $3B commitment to the Green Climate Fund – the largest single pledge to date. On November 15, 2014 – eve of the 2014 G-20 Summit in Australia – U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. will contribute $3B to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the financial support mechanism aimed…...
State energy efficiency resource standards (EERS) outline near- and long-term energy use reduction requirements for utilities and third-party program administrators. EERS play an instrumental role in reducing power-sector emissions growth and could help reduce electricity consumption by as much as 10 percent by 2020. States that do not have a history of EERS or incentive…...
Four large-scale renewable energy projects selected through RPS Main Tier solicitations will add approximately 164 MW to New York’s renewable energy capacity. On November 12, 2014, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced $206M in funding to four Upstate large-scale clean energy projects aimed to reduce emissions and improve energy infrastructure resiliency. Once operational, the…...
The 2013-2014 winter polar vortex and cold snap events caused record forced generation capacity outages in the PJM Interconnection region. The high outage levels prompted PJM to reassess its capacity product definitions – and associated performance incentives and penalties – to ensure future system reliability. The currently proposed Reliability Pricing Model (RPM) reforms pose significant…...
The DOE has recognized Cummins’ Jamestown Engine Plant in New York for energy efficiency achievements under the Better Plants Challenge. On November 6, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) recognized Cummins Inc. for energy efficiency achievements at its Jamestown Engine Plant in New York. The plant is a showcase project under Better Plants Challenge, the industrial component…...
ISO New England’s 2014 Regional System Plan underscores that retirements indicate the need for new resources to address future demand despite energy efficiency measures projected to flatten demand over time. On November 6, 2014, ISO New England (ISO-NE) issued the 2014 Regional System Plan, its annual guide on New England’s long term power-system planning efforts. The…...
The 2015 Fuel Economy Guide indicates that 2015 vehicle models comprise a larger number of fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles in a broader range of classes and sizes compared to previous years. On November 6, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) released the 2015 Fuel Economy Guide providing information on…...
The EPA has announced the largest penalty under the Clean Air Act, requiring automakers Hyundai and Kia to pay $100M for violating tailpipe GHG emission standards. On November 3, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a settlement resolving alleged Clean Air Act violations of Hyundai and Kia for…...
The White House has released federal agencies’ sustainability and climate plans outlining methods to incorporate energy and climate considerations into their decision-making. On October 31, 2014 – the fifth anniversary of the 2009 Executive Order on Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance – the White House released federal agencies’ sustainability and climate change adaptation plans, detailing…...
On October 16, 2014 the FERC ruled New England Transmission Owners’ base ROE unjust and unreasonable, and lowered the base rate to 10.57 percent. The rate reductions and refunds are not currently considerable financial burdens to NETO companies, however the lower ROE may impact future transmission infrastructure investments. With tightening capacity reserve margins and a shifting…...
The DOE has announced new funding to support cost-effective integration of distributed, on-site solar power systems to the electric grid. On October 29, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced $15M in funding to facilitate cost-effective and reliable distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage to overcome challenges of increasing solar deployment – such as variability of…...
The DOE’s Lap-Corps will enable national laboratory teams to access private sector opportunities to commercialize innovative clean energy technologies. On October 29, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced the launch of Lap-Corps, a $2.3M pilot program to accelerate commercialization of innovative clean energy technologies developed by DOE National Laboratories. Lap-Corps – modeled on the…...
