BlueRock Energy Inc. submitted a request to the New York State Public Service Commission asking for relief from the approximately $185,000 per month that it would have to pay the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for zero-emission credits. The company explains that it entered into an agreement in October to assign all of…
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities issued an order on Jan. 23 opening an investigation into initiatives that would promote and protect electricity consumers in the state. The study will discuss measures including increasing customer awareness, improving the department’s ability to investigate dubious practices by suppliers and other means that would improve the operational efficiency of the market.…
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection determined that a private electrical system caused the Tubbs Fire in 2017 in Northern California’s Sonoma County, and not Pacific Gas & Electric Company, which had been under scrutiny for the possible involvement of its equipment in sparking the fires, according to a Jan. 24 news release.…
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Jan. 8 established a procedure to determine goals and metrics for Xcel Energy Inc.’s performance-based rates. The commission adopted the Office of Attorney General’s recommendation which outlines a “goals-outcomes-metrics process” as an effective method to gather stakeholder input and develop performance metrics. The possible outcomes identified include affordability, reliability,…
PG&E Corporation announced it intends to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code as it faces billions of dollars in potential liability resulting from the 2017 and 2018 Northern California wildfires, according to a Jan. 14 press release. The move comes a day after Geisha Williams stepped down as CEO. The company said…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Jan. 10 opened a docket to implement the provisions of Senate Bill 901 enacted last year, allowing utilities to pass some of their costs to ratepayers. The commission said it will adopt a methodology for wildfire cost recovery, but will not adopt any specific financial outcome for future applications…....
The Virginia Electric and Power Company filed a rate adjustment clause proposing a revenue requirement of $113.6 million to recover the costs of complying with state and federal environmental regulations for the 2019 rate year starting Nov. 1 and ending Oct. 31, 2020, according to a Jan. 10 press release from the Virginia State Corporation…
The Michigan Public Service Commission on Jan. 9 approved Consumers Energy Company’s settlement that provides for an annual revenue decrease of $24 million and terminates the “Credit A” federal tax cut reduction of $123 million, resulting in a net revenue increase of $99 million. The tax adjustment, the first of a three-step process to address…
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on Dec. 31 issued a notice seeking comments on a draft rule for competitive resource acquisition by utilities. The proposal is a result of stakeholder workshops and public comment processes since the commission unveiled a proposal in 2016 to examine whether rules governing the integrated resource plan and utility…
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved the second round of federal tax cut adjustments, called Credit B, requiring Consumers Energy Company and DTE Electric Company to return about $69.7 million and 92.8 million, respectively, to their electric customers beginning this month. With this ruling, the commission has ordered $228 million in Credit B refunds, in…
The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, in a Dec. 12 decision, found that the state’s local distribution companies took a prudent approach to managing their gas supply portfolio during the 2013 to 2016 winter seasons and properly met their “supplier-of-last-resort” or SOLR obligations. The agency analyzed data for the peak demand days from the three…
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a settlement raising the annual depreciation expenses of DTE Electric Co. by about $90 million – lower than the utility’s $156 million request – for coal, wind, and solar power generation plants. The agreement does not apply to the utility’s coal plants that are scheduled to retire in the…
