The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission on March 25 authorized the initial, four-year phase of the Hawaiian Electric Companies’ grid modernization strategy set to begin later this year. The companies will invest $86.3 million in advanced meters, a meter data management system, and a telecommunications network. The companies said that the first phase marks a “foundational…
The Kansas Corporation Commission decided that there is no need for utilities to offer an alternative metering solution for customers who wish to opt out of advanced meters, according to a March 14 order. The agency said that implementing an opt-out program would be difficult, given the high costs and administrative burden. Such a program…...
U.S. states are plowing ahead in setting market compensation rules for battery technology, laying the foundation for future growth of the fast-maturing technology in retail and wholesale markets. While progressive states California, New York and Massachusetts are charging ahead in how to value the resource, others are still grappling with how to regulate a system that fails to fit squarely in any one box and that raises a range of jurisdictional and ownership questions.
The spread of advanced meters across the U.S. has come a long way, with over half of the nation's 152 million electricity consumers now hooked up to the devices. But further deployment of the technology, seen critical for a more responsive and reliable grid, is at risk amid heightened scrutiny from regulators, who are increasingly bowing to concerns over the costs to consumers.
The Florida Public Service Commission on March 5 accepted Tampa Electric Company’s opt-out tariff for customers who wish to retain their existing analog meter instead of a smart meter. The company anticipates about 0.2 percent of customers to opt out of the initiative, after reviewing experiences with other utilities that have implemented advanced metering programs…....
The New York Independent System Operator Inc. on Jan. 22 released a five-year plan that outlines a path forward to tackle the changing grid dynamics and support the growing role of public policy initiatives in reshaping the grid. The 2019-2023 plan identifies strategic initiatives to guide the development of projects and resource allocations as evolving regulations and…...
The Virginia State Corporation Commission on Jan. 17 turned down a majority of Dominion Energy Inc.’s 10-year, $6 billion grid transformation proposal, finding that the utility had not shown that the costs are prudent. The agency approved only a $150 million cyber and physical security component for the first three-year phase, estimated to cost $1.5…...
New Hampshire House Democratic lawmakers Peter Somssich, Jacqueline Cali-Pitts, and Kenneth Vincent introduced legislation on Jan. 2 that would establish a task force to investigate the near- and long-term applications of microgrids to better manage demand on the primary grid, allowing for lower customer bills and more efficient use of electricity. (HB 238) The bill…...
The Dayton Power and Light Company, a subsidiary of AES Corporation, filed a distribution modernization plan with the Public Utility Commission of Ohio that proposes to invest $576 million in capital projects over the next decade, according to a Dec. 28 press release. The company said that plan is consistent with PowerForward, the state’s grid…...
The U.S. Energy Department announced $98 million in funding for 40 new projects as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s open funding opportunity to spur innovative technologies that can transform the energy system, according to a Nov. 15 press release. The projects, located in 21 states, cover a broad range of technologies in multiple…
FirstEnergy Corp.’s subsidiaries reached a settlement that would allow the companies to flow back $900 million in savings from the federal tax cut law that lowered the corporate income tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. The company said that the tax savings would be credited through a new mechanism reconciled annually, and that…
Massachusetts electric and gas utilities on Oct. 31 filed a joint energy efficiency plan with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities proposing an investment of $2.77 billion over three years from 2019 to 2021. The proposal seeks to invest over $200 million more in the new plan compared to the prior three-year period and achieve…