Xcel Energy Inc. on June 17 filed a plan with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to invest almost $3 billion in accelerated and incremental projects in an effort to help the state’s economy recover from the slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal follows the commission’s request for information from electric and gas utilities…...
Rocky Mountain Power, a unit of PacifiCorp, proposed to close its net metering program, which compensates customers for exported energy at the retail rate, and create a successor program that would provide compensation based on an export credit rate, according to a June 12 press release from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. The new net…...
U.S. summer electricity demand, from June through August, is expected to total 998 billion kilowatthours, a 5 percent drop compared to 2019 and the lowest value since 2009, according to a June 10 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retail electricity sales in the commercial and industrial sectors are expected to decline 12 percent…...
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on June 5 submitted a petition to the Public Service Commission, requesting approval to launch and advance the Build-Ready program through 2025. The move is in response to recent legislation that established a Clean Energy Resources Development and Incentives Program through which the agency will advance…...
The Arkansas Public Service Commission on June 1 issued an order retaining the current net metering rate structure, which credits rooftop solar customers at retail rates for net excess generation, through the end of 2022. The commission decided that systems under 1 megawatt should receive the full 1:1 retail rate credit until Dec. 31, 2022…...
The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority extended the start date for delivery of renewable energy credits, or RECs, from low and zero emission facilities under the state’s LREC/ZREC program to provide flexibility for projects that may be facing delivery delays due to the COVID 19 pandemic, according to a June 1 press release. The agency…...
The number of solar and wind generation sites co-located with battery installations has grown to 53 in 2019, from 19 paired sites in 2016, according to a May 18 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Another 56 such facilities will come online by the end of 2023 according to planned installations reported to the…...
U.S. annual energy consumption from renewables reached 11.5 quadrillion British thermal units in 2019, surpassing coal for the first time since before 1885, according to a May 28 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The agency pointed to the growth of renewable energy, especially wind and solar energy, for electricity generation amid the continued…...
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska on May 18 opened a proceeding to establish certification standards for regional electric reliability organizations, or EROs, and create a regulatory framework to oversee them. The move stems from legislation enacted in March that authorized the commission to certify EROs and define their duties including submission of integrated resource plans,…...
Wild Springs Solar LLC filed an application with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a permit to build a 128-megawatt solar project in eastern Pennington County, according to a May 22 notice. The project will serve Basin Electric Power Cooperative under a 15-year power purchase agreement, starting in 2022 to help the cooperative meet…...
A handful of U.S. states have taken steps to provide relief for the solar industry that has been facing uncertainties in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures to address the ensuing challenges range from expanding incentive programs, extending project deadlines, and expediting new projects.
The California Public Utilities Commission on May 15 issued a decision adopting a new standard offer contract for independent electricity generators of up to 20 megawatts seeking to sell their power to regulated utilities under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act 1978, or PURPA. The commission established a contract length of 12 years for new…...
