The Florida Public Service Commission on Aug. 10 approved agreements on the storm protection plans filed by four of the state’s investor-owned utilities. A 2019 law directed utilities to file 10-year plans to reduce restoration costs and outage times associated with extreme weather events and enhance reliability. The agreements resolve issues in the plans filed…...
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources on Aug. 4 announced the launch of the Clean Peak Energy Standard, an incentive program designed to encourage the use of clean energy resources during times of peak electricity demand. The first-in-the-nation program requires retail electricity suppliers to increase their kilowatt-hour sales from clean energy during seasonal peak demand…...
The Kansas Corporation Commission on Aug 5 decided to launch a review of Evergy’s new five-year strategic plan, in order to evaluate its impacts on electric ratepayer’s interests. The Sustainability Transformation Plan was approved by the company’s Board of Directors with a focus on shareholder value creation and grid modernization. The plan, which is designed…...
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on Aug 4 approved new rules for advanced meter infrastructure, following a two-year rulemaking process. The regulations require investor-owned utilities employing residential smart meters to focus on customer data privacy and service continuity. Customers are allowed to opt-out of smart meters. Smart meters are critical to grid modernization as…...
The debate over ratepayer subsidies for struggling nuclear power plants has resurfaced, following a racketeering investigation related to a controversial Ohio law, which created a $1 billion bailout for FirstEnergy Corp. last year. The economic troubles of the embroiled industry come to the fore even as states such as New Jersey and Illinois evaluate plans to opt out of the regional capacity market in response to reforms that expanded the minimum offer price rule to subsidized resources.
The South Carolina Court of Common Pleas Thirteenth Judicial Circuit on July 21 approved a $520 million settlement to refund customers of state-owned Santee Cooper for costs incurred toward the construction of the abandoned VC Summer nuclear power project. The deal includes a four-year rate freeze by the utility, constituting an additional $510 million benefit…...
The New York Public Service Commission on July 16 adopted a successor to net metering for residential and small commercial customers, establishing monthly charges that will apply to customers who install solar on or after Jan. 1, 2022. The decision addresses cost shifts identified in a December 2019 whitepaper which recommends changes applicable to mass…
The Maryland Public Service Commission will convene a public conference next month to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on utility operations and consumer protections as the moratorium on utility service termination is set to expire on Aug. 1. The commission will seek input on regulatory measures that should be considered to mitigate and…...
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation anticipates sufficient resources to meet this summer’s projected peak electricity demand in most areas of the U.S. despite the uncertainty caused by efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a July 7 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The corporation, which oversees regional electric…...
Pacific Gas and Electric Company emerged from Chapter 11, with the completion of its restructuring process and implementation of a reorganization plan that was confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on June 20, according to a July 1 announcement. The utility deposited about $5 billion in the $21 billion wildfire fund established last year to…...
The Public Utility Commission of Texas on July 2 announced an extension of the state’s Electricity Relief Program deadline from July 17 to August 31, 2020 as COVID-19 challenges continue. The commission launched the program on March 26, in order to relieve the burden of retail electricity customers by protecting them from disconnections for non-payment…...
As the pandemic continues to unfold, utility regulators across the U.S. are focusing on the core issues of providing relief for the hardest-hit customers and reviving the economy with the help of utility initiatives. To date, several states have extended disconnection moratoriums and implemented customer relief programs, while others are examining how additional spending by the utilities could provide new jobs while minimizing customer bill impacts in the future.
