The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced a rulemaking to update provisions of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act 1978, or PURPA, which requires utilities to purchase power from small independent electricity generators at the avoided cost, or the cost the utility would spend to procure the electricity itself, according to a Sept. 19 press release.…
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam signed an executive order on Sept. 17, setting a goal for the state to produce 30 percent of its power from renewable energy resources by 2030 and transition to zero-carbon electricity by 2050. Legislation enacted last year set a goal of achieving 5.5 gigawatts of wind and solar by 2028. The…
A growing number of states are redesigning policies and incentives for distributed generation as customer-sited installations spread amid falling costs. Regulators have initiated a number of actions this year, ranging from examining the value of distributed energy resources (DER) to overhauling interconnection rules, and equipping utilities with the planning structure required to accommodate new resources.
Xcel Energy Inc. asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to authorize a power purchase agreement with Elk Creek Solar LLC for new solar energy generation from an 80-megawatt facility to be located in Rock County, according to a Sept. 10 filing. The company plans to use the generation in support its Renewable*Connect program, a green…
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission found that Pacific Power and Light Company, one of the state’s investor-owned electric utilities, is complying with Washington’s renewable energy requirements for 2019 by supplying at least 9 percent of its electric load through renewable sources, according to a September 12 press release. Last month, the regulator reviewed compliance by the state’s other…
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a settlement agreement that resolves a number of long-standing contract issues between Consumers Energy Co. and qualified independent power producers in five separate cases, according to a September 11 press release. In June, the commission approved a settlement in Consumers’ integrated resource plan that included a new Public Utility…
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources on Sept. 5 proposed to add 800 megawatts to the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target, or SMART, program, which is fast approaching its current 1.6-gigawatt target. The declining block program was launched last November to provide a long-term, sustainable solar incentive solution.The agency proposed several revisions to the initiative as…
Carbon reduction is becoming ingrained in the planning strategies of utilities across the Northwest in response to state-level decarbonization policies and market changes. As coal plants are no longer cost-competitive, utilities are taking advantage of new technologies and favorable economics of natural gas and renewables.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas expects nearly 84,000 megawatts of resource capacity to be available to meet a projected peak demand of 61,034 megawatts for the upcoming fall season from October through November, according to a Sept. 9 news release. The final assessment for the fall season includes 1,198 megawatts of planned capacity based…
Democratic Governor Ned Lamont on sept. 3 signed an executive order directing the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to evaluate pathways and recommend strategies to transition to 100 percent carbon-free power by 2040. The order expands the responsibility of the Governor’s Council on Climate Change, or GC3, which was tasked with developing strategies…
California’s energy landscape is evolving rapidly driven by its ambitious clean energy and carbon reduction goals. Recent actions range from enhancing renewable integration to reforming carbon market rules, strengthening auto-emission standards, and revising energy efficiency policies.
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission established a work plan to carry out the requirements of energy legislation passed in the 2019 session, according to an Aug. 27 news release. Legislators passed a sweeping energy policy agenda, including a bill requiring the state’s electricity supply to be carbon-neutral by 2030 and carbon-free by 2045. The…