The California Public Utilities Commission on June 24 set new guidelines and rules adding to existing directives to improve preparation and access to resources during utilities’ Public Power Shutoff, or PSPS, events ahead of the wildfire season. The commission requires electric investor-owned utilities to take a results-based approach to PSPS events, which involves proactive de-energization…...
Clean energy mandates and goals adopted by U.S. states and utilities are driving efforts to plan and build out the transmission infrastructure needed to accommodate the exponential growth of wind and solar to facilitate power sector decarbonization.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) have formed a joint-federal state task force to explore transmission-related issues. The first-of-its-kind task force will identify barriers inhibiting planning and development of transmission infrastructure, which is key to facilitating the transition towards clean energy resources, and potential solutions to…...
Legislation enacted across U.S. states so far in 2021 reflects the evolving discussion around a wide range of policies ranging from accelerating the transition to cleaner energy and strengthening emissions reduction targets, to enhancing grid resilience, and preempting municipal natural gas bans. Delaware enacted legislation to increase the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for regulated…...
The Florida Public Service Commission on June 15 approved Tampa Electric Company’s four-year microgrid pilot program, which involves the installation of new direct current electric microgrid technology and generating equipment, called Block Energy System. The new system would have the ability to operate independently and also connect to the utility grid as backup. The purpose…...
Performance-based regulation (PBR) continues to evolve in the face of transformational changes brought about by new technologies, changing customer preferences, and state policy mandates. Recent actions range from Hawaii’s approval of performance incentive mechanisms to accelerate clean energy goals, the District of Columbia’s ratemaking pilot that contains climate goals-driven tracking mechanisms, and Washington’s law to move towards PBR to help utilities adapt to rapidly changing societal expectations and public policy objectives.
The U.S. Energy Department on June 9 announced $54 million in critical seed funding for 266 clean energy and climate related projects headed up by small businesses. The awardees encompass 235 small businesses across 42 states for projects focused on proof-of-concept prototypes for technological solutions that could help achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by…
The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approved performance incentive mechanisms, scorecards, and metrics as part of its performance-based regulatory framework for the Hawaiian Electric Companies. The framework was created on Dec. 23, 2020, aiming at becoming a system that rewards “utility for exemplary performance,” while reducing utility costs for customers, and moving towards more renewable energy…....
The long-awaited capacity market auction of PJM Interconnection LLC for the 2022-2023 delivery year cleared at $50 per megawatt-day, which is 64 percent lower than the 2018 auction and the lowest in almost a decade. This is the first auction to be conducted by the nation’s largest grid operator under the expanded minimum offer price rule (MOPR) resulting from a 2019 order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Grid modernization endeavors are progressing at a fast pace as states explore solutions to advance clean energy and climate goals while effectively meeting customer needs. Modernizing the grid is necessary to support the integration of additional levels of renewables, leverage customer-sited resources to participate in grid operations, and empower consumers with more choices for electric service.
Changing power sector trends driven by mandates and goals to achieve carbon-free electricity have renewed interest in the future role of hydropower. As the target years draw near, large-scale hydropower offers an attractive solution to contribute to the evolving generation mix.
A recent ransomware attack that shut down the Colonial Pipeline system, which supplies nearly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast, has elevated concerns about the use of cyberattacks to paralyze key infrastructure. The incident is the latest example of intrusions exposing U.S. cyber vulnerabilities, calling for stronger measures to secure the nation’s energy pipelines and critical infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated and malicious attacks.
