States Lean on Utilities to Foster the Rise of Electric Vehicles

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – States Lean on Utilities to Foster the Rise of Electric Vehicles

The unabating momentum of electric vehicle (EV) growth has prompted regulators and legislators to examine policies and standards of utilities regarding charging infrastructure. Utilities can assume a larger role in developing EV charging because of their ability to install and operate widely distributed electrical assets.

Ohio Regulator Approves 470 Megawatts of Solar Projects

Ohio Regulator Approves 470 Megawatts of Solar Projects

The Ohio Power Siting Board on May 16 authorized the construction of Hecate Energy Highland LLC’s 300-megawatt solar project, as well as Hardin Solar Energy II LLC’s 170-megawatt facility paired with a 60-megawatt battery. Hecate’s project will occupy nearly 2,000 acres within a 3,400-acre project area in Highland County. The developer plans to begin construction…

FERC Affirms Storage Market Participation Rule, Declining Requests for State Opt-Outs

FERC Affirms Storage Market Participation Rule, Declining Requests for State Opt-Outs

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on May 16 declined a request to allow state regulatory authorities to decide whether or not behind-the-meter and distribution-connected storage resources may participate in the wholesale power markets. The agency acknowledged that states have the authority to dictate the terms of their own retail programs, allowing resources to choose between…

Maryland Enacts Law Expanding Community Solar, Creating Battery Pilot

Maryland Enacts Law Expanding Community Solar, Creating Battery Pilot

Republican Governor Larry Hogan signed legislation on May 13 that extends the state’s community solar pilot through 2024 and removes the limit on the maximum number of subscribers in the program. Hogan also signed a bill establishing an energy storage pilot program that requires each investor-owned utility to solicit offers for projects under various commercial…

Duke Energy’s Solar-Plus-Storage Microgrid Pilot

North Carolina Regulator Clears Duke Energy’s Solar-Plus-Storage Microgrid Pilot

The North Carolina Utilities Commission on May 10 authorized Duke Energy Progress LLC to construct the generation components of the company’s proposed Hot Springs microgrid project consisting of a 2-megawatt solar facility and a 4-megawatt lithium-based battery storage facility. The project, to be located in Madison County, is designed to provide an innovative grid solution…

Sempra Energy's Flow Battery Pilot Connects to California Grid, Promising Potential for Cost-Efficient, Large-Scale systems

Sempra Energy’s Flow Battery Pilot Connects to California Grid, Promising Potential for Cost-Efficient, Large-Scale systems

The California Independent System Operator Corporation announced that San Diego Gas & Electric’s vanadium redox battery pilot has been connected to the wholesale power market, opening opportunities to leverage the features of flow batteries that could make bulk system electricity storage more cost-efficient, according to an April 30 news release. The four-year pilot is intended…

New York Kicks Off Storage Incentive Program, Allocating $280 Million Worth of Funding

New York Kicks Off Storage Incentive Program, Allocating $280 Million Worth of Funding

The New York State Energy Research and Development Agency on April 25 announced a funding opportunity for two categories of projects as part of the state’s $400 million investment to attain the ambitious goal of deploying 3 gigawatts of storage by 2030. The state is making available $150 million for bulk storage projects comprising installations…

U.S. House Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Establish Energy Storage Tax Credit

U.S. House Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Establish Energy Storage Tax Credit

Rep. Michael Doyle, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania, introduced legislation on April 4 that would expand the solar investment tax credit to include energy storage technology for utilities, businesses, and homes. The current tax code provides the credit for battery technologies paired with a solar installations. (H.R.2096) More than 100 House Democrats, led by Congresswoman Haley…...

Virginia Enacts Law Establishing Solar Rebates for Low Income Households

Maryland Legislation to Expand Community Solar, Establish Battery Pilot is Poised for Passage

Both chambers of the Maryland legislature passed two bills on March 29, which seek to expand community solar and incentivize energy storage pilot programs in the state. House Bill 650 was proposed by Democratic Delegate Marc Korman on February 6 and requires the Public Service Commission to establish an energy storage pilot program by June 1. The pilot projects…

Mid-Atlantic Operator Teams Up With DOE to Study Distributed Resource Integration

Mid-Atlantic Operator Teams Up With DOE to Study Distributed Resource Integration

PJM Interconnection LLC is joining forces with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory to study the integration of distributed energy resources, such as rooftop solar, into the operator’s grid, according to an April 2 press release. The Argonne laboratory will be supporting PJM’s Distributed Energy Resource Ride-Through Task Force in developing guidelines for so-called “ride through” and…

DTE Unveils $2 Billion Plan to Boost Renewables, Retire Coal and Slash Emissions by 2040

DTE Unveils $2 Billion Plan to Boost Renewables, Retire Coal and Slash Emissions by 2040

DTE Electric Company submitted its 2019 integrated resource plan to the Michigan Public Service Commission on March 29, outlining the company’s strategy for the next 20 years. The plan focuses on a transition from coal to renewables, boosting energy efficiency and accelerating carbon emission reductions. The utility’s plan calls for about $2 billion to be invested in renewable…

Maryland Lawmakers Pass Legislation to Expand Community Solar, Establish Battery Pilot

Maryland Lawmakers Pass Legislation to Expand Community Solar, Establish Battery Pilot

The Maryland legislature on March 28 approved a measure that would extend the state’s community solar pilot through 2024 and remove the limit on the maximum number of subscribers in the program. The legislation would also include annually increasing capacity levels for each program category, modifying the current requirement that allows restrictions to enable regulators…...