The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has awarded two offshore wind projects, totaling 2,490 megawatts to Norway’s Equinor ASA, in one of the single largest renewable energy procurements in the U.S. to date. The procurement would bring the state halfway toward the goal of achieving 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035…....
Several states are rethinking the resource adequacy paradigm as the electric resource mix changes through the addition of more intermittent resources to replace retiring coal-fired capacity and meet state decarbonization goals. Resource adequacy initiatives are intended to ensure that the planned resource mix is sufficient to meet the future system capacity needs and maintain grid reliability.
The Washington State Department of Commerce and the Utilities and Transportation Commission on Jan 5 adopted rules for the implementation of the 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act. The law requires the state’s electricity supply to be carbon-neutral by 2030 and carbon-free by 2045, and directs electric utilities to phase out coal from their generation portfolio…...
Distribution system planning is occurring across various states as utilities and regulators assess the growing need for grid integration of distributed energy resources (DER) and investments that have long-term implications for the power system.
The shift in policy priorities of the incoming administration is expected to accelerate the transformation of the power sector towards clean energy and distributed grid, continuing its trajectory driven by market dynamics, technology, and customer preferences. The strong growth of renewable energy is expected to speed up, particularly with the extension of the federal tax…...
The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approved a new performance-based regulation, or PBR, framework to govern Hawaiian Electric Company by better aligning the company’s interests with that of customers’ and the state’s clean energy goals. Hawaii is mandated by a 2018 law to implement PBR, establishing a financial link between utility revenues and performance in achieving…...
Renewable energy received a boost with the enactment of the federal spending bill and COVID-19 relief package on Dec. 27, which includes tax extenders and about $35 billion in spending authorizations to support energy research and development programs. The legislation includes a two-year extension of the Investment Tax Credit for solar generation, a one-year extension…...
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities received applications from Denmark-based Orsted A/S and Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC, a joint venture of EDF Renewables North America and Shell New Energies US LLC, in response to the state’s second solicitation launched in September, according to a Dec. 11 news release. The solicitation endears the award…...
The growing adoption of clean energy standards, energy efficiency, and customer-sited resources is driving the need for innovative ratemaking principles. Utilities are exploring rate structures that facilitate the integration of variable and distributed generation, and align customer behavior with grid needs. Smart meters are paving the way for time-based and dynamic rate options to balance the grid under the increased penetration of renewable and distributed energy resources, as well as electric vehicles.
Amid commitments to procure more than 29 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2035, U.S. states are exploring measures for transmission planning, interconnection reforms, supply chain development, and components production.
With the growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the need for flexible storage resources in the electric grid has drawn increased attention to how well the vehicles can integrate into the grid as temporary batteries. While California is making strides in furthering the utilization of EVs as a grid resource, a handful of states are contemplating the technology in connection with electrification of fleets, and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s energy agenda prioritizes clean energy and climate action, with a far-reaching strategy, which includes rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, committing to achieve a carbon-free power sector by 2035, and banning new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters.