Natural gas accounted for nearly 31 percent of power generation in PJM Interconnection LLC’s footprint in 2018, surpassing coal’s share of about 29 percent, according to a March 18 report from the grid operator’s market monitor. Nuclear power dominated the region’s generating sector representing about 34 percent of the generation mix last year. Renewables had…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 21 issued notices of inquiry to gather information on possible improvements to rules governing electric transmission incentives and the agency’s approach to determining the return on equity, or ROE, for setting jurisdictional rates charged by public utilities. Transmission incentives are crucial to spur investment, which can provide benefits,…
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on March 11 ruled that the bankruptcy code is adequate to decide the future of Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s wholesale power purchase contracts. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission claimed that the agency has concurrent jurisdiction with bankruptcy courts over wholesale contracts that the utility…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Feb. 25 ended its investigation into allegations that Footprint Power LLC made false and misleading power supply commitments in the summer of 2013 for its natural gas-fired Salem Harbor Power Plant in Salem, Massachusetts. The move follows the Office of Enforcement’s recommendation that the commission vacate its order to…...
New England’s grid is undergoing a rapid change as nuclear, oil, and coal-fired power plants that operate with stored fuel are retiring in larger numbers, and are being replaced by natural-gas-fired plants and renewable generation. Natural gas accounted for 49 percent of the region’s power generation last year, up from just 15 percent in 2000…....
New England’s power system is strong, but the changing resource mix, driven by industry trends and state policies, is making operations more complex, according to a Feb. 20 briefing on the state of the region’s grid by Gordon van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England Inc. Nuclear, oil, and coal-fired power plants that…...
The California Independent System Operator Corporation on Feb. 20 announced that its reliability coordinator service, named RC West, established an oversight committee to “provide guidance and foster consensus on reliability compliance.” RC West has completed 39 service agreements with balancing authorities and transmission operators across the west. The ISO announced last month that it is…...
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc. estimates that benefits in the range of $3.2 billion to $3.9 billion were realized in its region last year, according to the results of its annual value proposition study released on Feb. 19. The study, which identifies several factors that drive positive value, found that footprint diversity, wind integration,…...
PJM Interconnection LLC’s board of managers on Feb. 13 directed PJM staff to submit a revised version of its energy price formation proposal for approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The move comes after market participants failed to reach an agreement on a compromise proposal to update the energy reserve pricing rules. The board asked PJM…...
Malmstrom Air Force Base, one of NorthWestern Energy’s main federal electricity customers, proposed the creation of a new tariff that would allow the base to utilize hydropower originating from the Western Area Power Administration’s Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, according to a Feb. 12 filing with the Montana Public Service Commission. The hydropower, which comes from resources…
The ISO New England Inc.’s annual forward capacity auction cleared 34.8 gigawatts of capacity at a price of $3.80 per kilowatt-month, with adequate resources to meet peak demand in 2022-2023, according to a Feb. 6 press release. The auction was the first to be held under new rules to accommodate entry of state-sponsored resources by…
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities on Feb. 4 issued a notice of violation against Union Atlantic Electricity LLC in response to complaints that the retail supplier defaulted on its wholesale electricity market obligations and failed to comply with the renewable portfolio standard. The department noted that the supplier’s actions forced its customers onto basic service,…