Dominion Energy is seeking state approval in Virginia to deploy the nation’s largest electric school bus program, starting with 50 buses in 2020, then adding 200 per year for the next 5 years, according to an October 10 press release from PJM Interconnection LLC, the grid operator. Dominion expects to spend $13.5 million replacing the first 50…
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities issued a final order on Oct. 7 approving National Grid’s electric rate request, with a $41.8 million or 32 percent cut to the company’s original application for a $132.2 million hike. Regulators also approved performance-based ratemaking proposals, storm cost recovery and a limited part of the company’s aggressive electric vehicle…
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Oct. 7 approved Xcel Energy Inc.’s subscription pilot for electric vehicle charging services for residential ratepayers. The program, which intends to make the energy-related costs of operating electric cars more predictable, allows customers to charge the vehicle for a flat monthly fee for a two-year period, instead of paying for…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities took the first step towards developing an incentive program to support the purchase and use of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure in the state, according to a Sept. 27 news release. The state has a goal of achieving 330,000 EVs on the road by 2025, which will cut…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 19 announced a final rule establishing nationwide uniform fuel economy and emission standards for automobiles and light duty trucks. As part of the rule, the agency said it is withdrawing a 2013 waiver that allowed California to pursue its own tailpipe pollution standard and zero-emission vehicle mandate. The…
Carbon reduction is becoming ingrained in the planning strategies of utilities across the Northwest in response to state-level decarbonization policies and market changes. As coal plants are no longer cost-competitive, utilities are taking advantage of new technologies and favorable economics of natural gas and renewables.
California’s energy landscape is evolving rapidly driven by its ambitious clean energy and carbon reduction goals. Recent actions range from enhancing renewable integration to reforming carbon market rules, strengthening auto-emission standards, and revising energy efficiency policies.
The California Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 15 approved a settlement allowing San Diego Gas & Electric Company to build charging infrastructure for a minimum of 3,000 medium and heavy electric vehicles. The agency authorized cost recovery of $107.4 million for the five-year program, as well as $1.7 million for a vehicle-to-grid pilot that will…
The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission voted to approve a zero-emission vehicle mandate, which requires more than 5 percent of vehicle sales in the state to be electric vehicles by 2023, according to an Aug. 16 press release. The requirement rises to more than 6 percent of sales by 2025. Automakers will get credits for each…
The transportation sector’s overwhelming reliance on higher-emitting fossil fuels combined with a federal retreat on climate change policy and fuel economy standards has made the widespread deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) one of the top priorities for states looking to achieve increasingly stringent emission cuts. Electric utilities, playing a central role in the shift away from gasoline-powered cars, are now rolling out of hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure investments and a grab bag of consumer incentives.
Democratic Governor Kate Brown signed legislation on July 15 that sets goals to promote zero-emissions vehicles in the state, including a requirement that all light-duty vehicles owned or leased by the state of Oregon be ZEVs by 2029. The new law aims for at least 50,000 registered ZEVs by 2020 and 250,000 by 2025. At…
North Carolina lawmakers approved a measure on July 8 allowing charging stations to resell kilowatt-hours purchased from an electric utility to the public, in a bid to encourage private investment in charging infrastructure. The bill determines that operators of these stations are not public utilities. Under the legislation, charging stations must be immobile and entities…
