The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on July 29 approved an extension of the state’s Clean Energy Program budget through the end of September, consistent with the state’s extended fiscal year. The extended budget will allocate a total of $7 million for the fifth quarter of Fiscal Year 2020 to support renewable energy, energy…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on July 29 announced a new research, development, and deployment initiative to bolster the relationship between ratepayer-funded projects and emerging policy issues. This shall manifest itself within four new workstreams pertinent to advancing the state’s energy agenda: equity, wildfire mitigation, transportation electrification, and utility safety power shut offs. In doing…...
The debate over ratepayer subsidies for struggling nuclear power plants has resurfaced, following a racketeering investigation related to a controversial Ohio law, which created a $1 billion bailout for FirstEnergy Corp. last year. The economic troubles of the embroiled industry come to the fore even as states such as New Jersey and Illinois evaluate plans to opt out of the regional capacity market in response to reforms that expanded the minimum offer price rule to subsidized resources.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission on July 29 approved a portfolio of renewable energy projects, including 650 megawatts of solar and 300 megawatts of battery storage, to replace the retiring capacity of the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station. Investment in the resources could total about $1 billion. The commission found that the plan is…...
U.S. utility-scale power generation facilities used 38 quadrillion British thermal units, or quads, of energy to provide 14 quads of electricity in 2019, according to a July 21 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Much of the difference is attributed to losses during the conversion process. In presenting this statistic, the industry at large…...
The Western Energy Imbalance market generated about $79 million in savings in the second quarter of this year, with total benefits reaching about $998 million since its launch in 2014, according to a July 29 press release from the California Independent System Operator Corporation. The market constitutes an automated system that secures the lowest-cost energy…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on July 22 issued a draft guidance document for the second offshore wind solicitation for 1.2 to 2.4 gigawatts of capacity. The first round resulted in the selection of Denmark-based Orsted A/S to develop a 1.1-gigawatt wind project, known as Ocean Wind, off the coast of Atlantic City…....
Renewables’ share of Colorado’s electricity generation grew from 10 percent to 25 percent between 2010 and 2019, according to a July 23 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Wind generation more than tripled since 2010, providing nearly 20 percent of the state’s electricity generation in 2019. Renewable electricity generation increased by more than double…...
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, on July 21 announced solicitations seeking up to 4 gigawatts of renewable capacity, including 2.5 gigawatts of offshore wind and 1.5 gigawatts of land-based large-scale projects. In addition, a solicitation for $400 million in multi-port investment requires offshore wind generators to collaborate with any of the 11 prequalified…...
U.S. electric generators experienced more delays in commercial operation dates in March and April partly due to the COVID-19 mitigation efforts, according to a July 15 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Restricted travel of specialized workers, along with supply chain disruptions and permitting challenges increased the risk of project delays. According to a…...
The Michigan Public Service Commission on July 9 approved DTE Electric Co.’s amended renewable energy portfolio. The new supply-side renewable resources approved incorporate a 225-megawatt wind farm and two 25-year solar power purchase contracts of about 128 megawatts. The generation capacity, to be added over the next two years, would enable the company to comply…...
The Texas Public Utilities Commission rejected a plan by Southwestern Electric Power Co., a subsidiary of American Electric Power Company Inc., to add 309 megawatts of wind energy to serve Texas customers, according to a July 2 news release. Despite the denial, the company said it can move ahead with its planned acquisition of 1,485…...
