Strategies to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure are gaining emphasis as states seek to reduce the use of carbon-intensive transportation fuels to progress towards decarbonization and EV adoption goals.
The Baker-Polito Administration on June 30 published the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030 (2025/2030 CEP). The plan provides an extensive and detailed approach to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 33 percent compared to 1990 levels, by 2025 and by a minimum of 50 percent by 2030, in order to reach Massachusetts…...
PJM Interconnection LLC’s capacity market auction for the 2023-2024 delivery year cleared at $34.13 per megawatt-day (MW-day), which is nearly 32 percent lower compared to the 2021 auction and the lowest in almost a decade. The auction results reflect a low-carbon resource mix, with a growth of more than 5,000 cleared megawatts of carbon-free resources, according to the grid operator, which operates across 13 states and the District of Columbia.
The Michigan Public Service Commission on June 23 approved a settlement agreement that allows Consumers Energy Co. to exit coal-fired generation by 2025 and add 8 gigawatts of solar energy to the grid. The settlement pertains to the company’s integrated resource plan, or IRP, which identifies the optimal mix of resources to serve customers over…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Jun. 23 approved Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s regionalization plan, in an enduring attempt to enhance the utility’s capability to meet their safety requirements. In May 2020, California regulators accepted the utility’s bankruptcy reorganization plan with provisions, including changes to the company’s governance arrangement, enhanced oversight, and formation of…...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a slew of measures to strengthen the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, which sets increasing annual volumetric mandates for renewable fuel use in the transportation sector.
The U.S. Energy Department’s $6 billion nuclear credit program, the pursuit for carbon-free generation to meet climate goals, and technological advancements are reigniting support for nuclear power. The global impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine has also escalated the importance of national security considerations in energy policies including a discussion about the role of nuclear power.
Several states that have ambitious clean energy and emissions reduction mandates are investigating the role of natural gas in the shift to a low-carbon power system. Actions at the federal level, spurred by the Biden administration’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, are also catalyzing efforts to decarbonize the gas system.
The swift advancement of sophisticated cyber threats alongside the increase in advanced energy system control technologies has called for stronger measures to secure critical infrastructure and energy sector resilience.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission on April 25 approved the 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Plans (WMPs) for PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric, and Idaho Power. The commission also recommended that the utilities collaborate with commission staff as a means of improving the information they include in their plan for 2023. The Idaho Power 2022 plan was approved…...