The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities issued an order on Feb. 1 clarifying ownership of capacity and energy rights of facilities under net metering and Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target, or SMART, programs participating in the ISO New England Inc.’s forward capacity market. The order allows owners of storage-paired facilities to retain their energy or capacity…...
Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur announced on Jan. 31 that she would not be seeking a third term at the agency and plans to step down later this year. LaFleur, the longest-serving member on FERC, added that she will stay through the end of her term until June 30, and probably longer, depending on…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission determined that it has concurrent jurisdiction with bankruptcy courts over wholesale power contracts that Pacific Gas & Electric Company may seek to reject through bankruptcy, according to a Jan. 25 order. The ruling comes in response to a request by NextEra Energy Inc. and NextEra Energy Partners L.P seeking commission…...
The New York Independent System Operator Inc. on Jan. 22 released a five-year plan that outlines a path forward to tackle the changing grid dynamics and support the growing role of public policy initiatives in reshaping the grid. The 2019-2023 plan identifies strategic initiatives to guide the development of projects and resource allocations as evolving regulations and…...
NextEra Energy Inc. and NextEra Energy Partners L.P on Jan. 18 asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to order that Pacific Gas and Electric Company may not reject its wholesale contracts in bankruptcy without the federal regulator’s approval. PG&E announced it will file for bankruptcy protection on or about Jan. 29 as it faces billions…...
The California Independent System Operator Corporation finalized agreements to provide reliability coordinating services for 32 electricity balancing authorities and transmission operators across the west, according to a Jan. 14 press release. Following a year of planning and coordination, the ISO said it will now focus on technology and system integration to implement the service by July 1…....
The Electric Power Suppliers Association on Jan. 7 filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review appellate court rulings that upheld zero-emission credit programs designed to support financially struggling nuclear plants in New York and Illinois. The organization argues that the subsidy programs infringe on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s jurisdiction over wholesale…...
The New York Independent System Operator Inc. on Dec. 7 released a plan outlining a design to internalize the social cost of carbon dioxide emissions in the wholesale electricity markets. The plan would use a carbon price in dollars per ton of emissions, proposing a net cost of $40.74 per ton in 2020. The proposal would require suppliers to include the charges in their energy offers, allowing the price to…
PJM Interconnection expects to have 185,611 megawatts of resources available to meet the forecasted peak demand of 135,506 megawatts, according to a Dec. 5 press release. The grid operator said its system is ready to meet needs despite a “less-certain winter weather forecast,” noting that climate models indicate a warmer season but similar studies point…
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas unveiled a report on Dec. 4, which forecasts planning reserve margin for summer 2019 to be 8.1 percent, which is 2.9 percent lower than the previous projection issued in May. The Capacity, Demand and Reserve report contains five-year projections for planning reserve margins – the difference between the total…
ISO New England Inc. is equipped to meet winter demand which is forecast to peak at 20,357 megawatts under normal conditions and 21,057 megawatts at extreme temperatures, according to a Nov. 28 press release. Based on lessons learned from last winter, the grid operator recently unveiled new initiatives including a 21-day forecast of the region’s…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Nov. 19 rejected CXA La Paloma LLC’s petition to order California Independent System Operator Corporation to implement a centralized resource adequacy procurement process and a transitional payment mechanism. In a complaint filed in June, the company alleged that the continued dependence on “stopgap mechanisms” for resource adequacy has led…