The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities issued a report on March 31, forecasting that 5.1 percent of electricity sold in the state will be supplied by qualified solar generation facilities around or before May 2020. The forecast for the attainment of 5.1 percent, the threshold set by legislation enacted in 2018 to phase out…
DTE Electric Company proposed a 225-megawatt wind farm and two solar power purchase contracts of about 125 megawatts in its revised renewable energy plan filed with the Michigan Public Service Commission on March 31. The generation capacity, to be added over the next two years, would enable compliance with the 15 percent of the renewable…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on March 27 opened a proceeding to examine whether the state can achieve its long-term clean energy and environmental goals under the current resource adequacy procurement paradigm. The commission will assess alternatives to the state participating in the regional capacity market administered by PJM Interconnection LLC as the…...
U.S. President Donald Trump on March 27 signed into law the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package aimed to provide financial and emergency relief to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The rescue package does not include tax credit extensions and direct pay provisions that wind and solar groups sought as…
Even modest carbon fees can facilitate emissions reductions in the short term, especially in the power sector where natural gas and renewables supplant coal, according to a March 17 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. However, once the emissions level linked to coal consumption is reached, the remaining gas- and petroleum-related emissions are harder…...
DTE Electric Company on March 20 filed a revised integrated resource plan with the Michigan Public Service Commission incorporating changes that the agency recommended to the original plan. The new IRP includes a single pathway and eliminates the four possible scenarios in the previous plan, applies higher energy waste reduction targets, and removes unapproved supply-side…...
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities issued a report on March 20 showing that 447 megawatts of solar capacity came online in 2019, setting a new record for solar installation in a single year. This brings the state’s total capacity to 3,190 megawatts, which represents five percent of its energy needs. The previous record…
The Bureau of Land Management on March 20 released a draft environmental assessment for Yellow Pine Solar LLC‘s 500-megawatt solar generating project spanning about 3,000 acres of public land in Nevada. The review includes analysis of the proposed photovoltaic generation station and ancillary facilities including battery storage, as well as an associated substation and transmission…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 20 proposed revisions to its electric transmission incentive policy to spur investment in the infrastructure needed to support the evolving generation mix, increasing number of new resources seeking transmission service, and changes in load patterns. The commission proposes a shift in its incentive analysis to grant incentives based…...
Solar and wind developers are faced with tough challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts the global supply chain, affecting project timelines. Delays have the potential to threaten power purchase contracts and federal tax credits that are crucial for project economics. The crisis has triggered an economic slowdown as governments take measures to curb the advance of…
The Tennessee Valley Authority issued a request for proposals to develop 200 megawatts of renewable energy projects that can begin commercial operations by the end of 2023, according to a March 16 news release. The seven-state power agency said it does not have a need for more base-load energy and is investing in renewables in…...
Virginia has become the first state in the South to begin a clean energy transition with the passage of a sweeping energy bill that sets the state on the path to carbon-free power by 2050. The law replaces the voluntary renewable energy portfolio program with a mandatory standard, and paves the way for an enormous expansion of wind and solar power, energy storage, and energy efficiency.
