The New York State Department of Public Service issued a report that recommends improvements to residential net metering to support continued growth of the state’s solar industry while ensuring fairness for all ratepayers by enhancing the accuracy of price signals and lowering the subsidies that are not directly tied to environmental values, according to a…
The Michigan Public Service Commission accepted portions of Upper Peninsula Power Company’s integrated resource plan, including a 125-megawatt solar power contract as the lowest-cost energy supply option, according to a Dec. 6 news release. The agency recommended removal of the company’s proposal to build a 20-megawatt natural gas-fired unit, and called for a more robust…
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 5 approved NV Energy’s integrated resource plan, which will add 1,190 megawatts of new solar energy projects and 590 megawatts of energy storage. The new capacity will come from three projects located in Clark County, southern Nevada, and are scheduled to be operational by Jan. 1, 2024. The…
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 3 granted Xcel Energy Inc.’s proposal to modify the value of solar, or VOS, methodology to arrive at a more stable and reasonable rate. The commission agreed that the avoided distribution cost component is the cause for the volatility in the VOS rate, which is used to calculate…
More U.S. states are exploring programs and policies to leverage the application of battery storage for the benefit of the power grid and to examine how the technology may provide value to consumers. Studies and investigations are intended to help craft initiatives that can tap the resource for multiple applications ranging from offsetting peak loads, supporting renewable integration and stabilizing the distribution system, to providing peaking capacity and replacing fossil generation.
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy Corp., completed a $700 million green bond transaction to finance renewable energy projects, including solar generation and utility-scale battery storage deployments in the state, according to a Nov. 26 news release. This is the third green bond transaction by Duke Energy utilities over the past year, following…
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has received an application from El Paso Electric Company to build a solar generation project paired with energy storage at the New Mexico State University, according to a Nov. 20 filing. El Paso Electric is seeking expedited approval for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a 3-megawatt…
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is seeking an additional $573 million to help achieve the expanded 6 gigawatts of solar energy by 2025 policy goal set by Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier this summer, according to a Nov. 25 filing. From this request, the agency wants to allocate $290 million for the…
U.S. energy sector carbon emissions rose by 2.7 percent last year compared to 2017, reaching 5.27 billion metric tons, according to a Nov. 26 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Emissions in 2018 rose for the first time since 2014, driven by higher natural consumption to meet demand during extreme weather conditions and transportation-related…
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Nov. 21 denied a request by American Electric Power to impose a non-bypassable charge on its customers to support two solar power projects totaling 400 megawatts, finding that the utility failed to demonstrate the need for the new generation based on resource planning projections. The agency noted that…
Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo on Nov. 25 announced a settlement with National Grid plc to immediately lift the moratorium on gas service in Long Island, Queens and Brooklyn. The move follows Cuomo’s notification earlier this month threatening to revoke National Grid’s operating license over its inability to provide reliable supply. The utility committed to short-term…
U.S. House Representative Donald McEachin, a Democrat representing Virginia, introduced legislation on Nov. 21 that would set a nationwide goal of achieving a 100 percent clean energy economy by 2050. The bill, which has over 150 co-sponsors, calls on federal agencies to use their existing authorities to reach the net-zero carbon goal while remaining technology-neutral. The…
