The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on April 27 proposed to amend its solar energy rule and create a Transition Incentive Program to replace the Solar Renewable Energy Certificate, or SREC, initiative. The board ordered the closure of the SREC program effective April 30, declaring that the state has attained the milestone set by…...
New Jersey and Maryland filed a lawsuit with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s order directing PJM Interconnection LLC to extend the minimum offer price rule, or MOPR, to state-subsidized resources, according to an April 27 news release. Several states have criticized the move, citing its potential to harm…...
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission on April 29 put off a decision on the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s plan for two solar-plus-battery projects to partially replace the generation from the San Juan Generating Station scheduled for retirement by 2022. In a March 27 recommended decision, hearing examiners suggested that the commission approve…...
The New England grid operator has proposed a long-term, market-based solution to the region’s energy security problem as the power generation fleet moves towards a mix of energy-limited resources. With the retirement of resources with stored fuel, the system is increasingly reliant on facilities that run on just-in-time natural gas deliveries and weather-dependent wind and solar energy. To address the ensuing challenge, the grid operator proposes to improve the current market structure by creating incentives for the region’s fleet to invest in the energy supply arrangements and technologies on which the region depends.
The Illinois Commerce Commission on April 21 opened a proceeding to establish a method for calculating the rebate values for distributed generation within Ameren Illinois Company’ service territory. The Future Energy Jobs Act, which took effect in 2017, directed the commission to start such a process when the total generating capacity of net metering customers…...
Amid the economic downturn ensuing from the pandemic, state utility regulators are faced with the challenging task of protecting customers from power shutoffs while also considering costs incurred by utilities. A growing number of state commissions are directing utilities to establish a regulatory asset account to capture and track COVID-19-related incremental costs.
The Michigan Public Service Commission on April 15 granted Consumers Energy Co.’s request for approval of 31 power purchase agreements for 394 megawatts of solar power. The contracts stem from September 2019 settlement between Consumers Energy and numerous developers of proposed solar projects in the company’s interconnection queue, resolving issues under the Public Utility Regulatory…...
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam on April 11 signed into law the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which 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, and energy…...
The volatile situation created by the COVID-19 spread has prompted state utility commissions to respond with new directives and guidance on a number of proceedings. Regulators have responded with various measures, including suspending service disconnections, transitioning to virtual meetings, and delaying rate cases.
The U.S. electric power sector will add 19.4 gigawatts of wind capacity and 12.6 gigawatts of utility-scale solar capacity in 2020, according to the Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook issued on April 7. These annual wind and solar capacity additions are 5 percent and 10 percent lower, respectively, compared to the previous report. Renewable…...
The District of Columbia Public Service Commission approved a pilot program to procure renewable energy through a long-term power purchase contract to supply five percent of the district’s standard offer service, or SOS, procurement portfolio, according to an April 8 press release. The commission directed Potomac Electric Power Company, which administers the SOS program, to…
New York lawmakers passed legislation as part of the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 state budget to establish an Office of Renewable Energy Permitting, which will create a siting process specifically designed for renewable energy projects, according to an April 3 announcement from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The office, the first of…
