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…
The Trump administration issued a 10 percent import tax which will apply to $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, including inverters used in renewable energy installations as well certain types of batteries. According to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Sept. 18 announcement, the tariffs go into effect on Sept. 24 and are set to jump to…
The U.S. Energy Department announced funding to renew the agency’s innovation hub dedicated to battery science over five years, according to a Sept. 18 press release. The Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, established in 2012, addressed major scientific challenges in electric storage including efforts to lay the foundation for doubly-charged magnesium batteries instead of…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted a request by Gateway Energy Storage LLC, a unit of LS Power Development LLC, for an order directing San Diego Gas & Electric Co. to provide transmission and grid-connections to deliver the output of its battery storage system onto its service territory within the California grid. FERC said that…
New York’s goal to add 1,500 megawatts of energy storage capacity by 2025 could create about 30,000 research, development and manufacturing jobs, while also cutting about 2 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, according to a Sept. 12 report commissioned by state regulators. Expanded deployment of energy storage figures prominently in the state’s efforts to…
The New York Public Service Commission announced Sept. 12 that it cleared the way for smaller energy storage batteries, tidal energy projects, biomass generators and food-waste digestion systems to receive compensation, removing what the agency said are arbitrary and unnecessary restrictions to the nascent technologies. The projects will receive bill credits that are roughly the…
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved Public Service Company of Colorado, a subsidiary of Xcel Energy Inc., to retire two-coal fired units in the Comanche Station, a decade ahead of schedule, as part of the company’s 2016 electric resource plan, according to the agency’s Sept. 10 decision. The commission found that the retirement of the…
New York’s six main utilities say that the state should prioritize bigger battery projects over customer-sited ones to get the most from $350 million in investments geared toward reaching a goal to deploy 1,500 megawatts of the systems by 2025. The utilities said that distribution system and bulk system projects will allow for the development…
The Texas Public Utility Commission seeks feedback on over a dozen questions as it looks to formulate rules on the use of battery storage and other “non-traditional technologies” in electric delivery service. The probe arises from the fact that batteries serve many functions, from absorbing as well as dispatching electricity to respond to swings in…
The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 24 approved a settlement cutting National Grid plc’s one‐year base rate request by 75 percent and lowering the company’s allowed return‐on‐equity to 9.275 percent from the current 9.5 percent. The agreement slashes the company’s originally requested revenue hike by about $54 million and refunds all the benefits…
