Duke Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, issued $1 billion in green bonds to finance zero emission projects such as solar and energy storage in North and South Carolina, according to a Nov. 9 press release. The bonds, which mark the company’s first clean energy investment offering, have a weighted average coupon of 3.74…
ISO New England Inc. filed revisions with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a new market design that would help emerging storage technologies to “more fully participate” in the wholesale power markets, according to an Oct. 29 news release. The rule would recognize the ability of batteries to transition continuously and rapidly from charging to…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a six-month contract beginning Nov. 1 with Rutgers University to conduct an analysis of energy storage, according to the agency’s Oct. 29 press release. The state enacted legislation in May that sets a target to reach 600 megawatts of storage by 2021 and 2,000 megawatts by 2030.…
The U.S. Energy Department’s Argonne National Laboratory signed an agreement with 14 members of the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium to explore the next generation of lead batteries making it more attractive to the automotive industry and the power grid, according to an Oct. 19 press release. Lead battery makers have largely focused on the…
The California Public Utilities Commission approved Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s energy storage contracts totaling 165 megawatts with six storage resources including a 20-megawatt project that would provide distribution deferral services, according to an Oct. 19 decision. The commission also authorized a 10-megawatt contract proposed by Southern California Edison Company. The contracts stem from a…
The New York Public Service Commission updated the Standardized Interconnection Requirements for renewable distributed generators including energy storage systems. With these revisions to the application and technical study process, the regulator wants to achieve a more transparent and faster interconnection process, allowing the utility to analyze and process a high volume of applications and helping…
NV Energy Inc. issued a request for proposals for projects of at least 20 megawatts to add 350 megawatts or more renewable energy capacity in Nevada, according to the company’s Oct. 16 press release. The solicitation is open to solar, geothermal, wind, biomass and biogas technologies that comply with the state’s renewable portfolio standards. The…
New Jersey state Assembly member Harold Wirths, a Republican, introduced legislation on Oct. 15 that would require the board of public utilities to establish mechanisms for electric suppliers and utilities to procure energy storage as part of their distribution and transmission system planning process. The legislation would require the board adopt rules and regulations that…
Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, announced the funding to advance progress towards the state’s ambitious target of deploying of 1,500-megawatts of energy storage by 2025 and also support the Clean Energy Standard, which requires half of the state’s electricity to come from renewable energy by 2030. The NY-Sun program, a $1 billion initiative that strives…
President Donald Trump nominated Bernard L. McNamee to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the term ending June 30, 2020, to fill the vacancy resulting from Commissioner Robert Powelson’s resignation in August, according to an Oct. 9 release from the agency. McNamee currently serves as the Executive Director of the U.S. Energy Department’s Office of…
Duke Energy Progress LLC asked the North Carolina Utilities Commission to approve its Hot Springs microgrid project consisting of a 2-megawatt solar facility and a 4-megawatt lithium-based battery storage facility in Madison County, according to an Oct. 8 filing with the agency. The company said the project provides an innovative grid solution without the need…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $398.5 million to improve rural electric service in 13 states, according to a Sept. 19 press release. The spending includes about $43.7 million for smart grid technology to enhance the reliability and efficiency of electric power systems. The loan will also finance an 81 MW solar photovoltaic farm…
