New Mexico Enacts Trio of Bills Supporting Renewable Energy Expansion

NYSERDA Requests Funding to Launch Build-Ready Program for Renewable Energy Development

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on June 5 submitted a petition to the Public Service Commission, requesting approval to launch and advance the Build-Ready program through 2025. The move is in response to recent legislation that established a Clean Energy Resources Development and Incentives Program through which the agency will advance…...

SWEPCO Wins Arkansas Approval to Acquire 800 Megawatts of Wind Power

NextEra Wins North Dakota Approval for 200-Megawatt Wind Project

The North Dakota Public Service Commission on June 10 issued a permit allowing Northern Divide Wind LLC to build a 200-megawatt wind generating facility and associated transmission line in Burke County. The NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary submitted a revised project application after a previous proposal was denied over concerns by federal and state regulators about…

New York Regulator Reaffirms Decision Approving Calpine’s 124-Megawatt Wind Project

New Mexico Approves 76-Megawatt Wind Project on State Trust Land

The New Mexico State Land Office approved leases for a 76-megawatt wind project proposed by Pattern Renewables 2 LP,  according to a June 4 news release. The Western Spirit Wind Development, spanning about 16,442 acres in Torrance County and Lincoln Counties, is expected to power over 15,000 homes annually. Commissioner of Public Lands, Stephanie Garcia…...

Invenergy Wins Approval for New York’s Largest Wind Generation Project

Invenergy Wins Approval for New York’s Largest Wind Generation Project

The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment on June 3 granted a permit, allowing Alle-Catt Wind Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Invenergy LLC, to construct a 340-megawatt wind generating facility in Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Wyoming counties. The $454 million facility, spanning about 30,000 acres, is expected to generate up to…...

New Mexico Enacts Trio of Bills Supporting Renewable Energy Expansion

Connecticut Regulator Provides Relief for Renewable Energy Projects Facing Delays From COVID-19

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority extended the start date for delivery of renewable energy credits, or RECs, from low and zero emission facilities under the state’s LREC/ZREC program to provide flexibility for projects that may be facing delivery delays due to the COVID 19 pandemic, according to a June 1 press release. The agency…...

AEP Wins Louisiana Approval to Advance 1.5 Gigawatts of Wind Projects

AEP Wins Louisiana Approval to Advance 1.5 Gigawatts of Wind Projects

The Louisiana Public Service Commission approved a settlement agreement, allowing  Southwestern Electric Power Co., a subsidiary of American Electric Power Company Inc., to acquire up to 810 megawatts of wind energy from three projects in Oklahoma, according to a May 27 press release. Following previous regulatory approvals from Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the Federal Energy Regulatory…...

Number of Renewable Projects Co-located With Storage Continue to Grow Across U.S: EIA

Number of Renewable Projects Co-located With Storage Continue to Grow Across U.S: EIA

The number of solar and wind generation sites co-located with battery installations has grown to 53 in 2019, from 19 paired sites in 2016, according to a May 18 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Another 56 such facilities will come online by the end of 2023 according to planned installations reported to the…...

Renewables Exceed Coal in U.S. for the First Time in Over a Century

Renewables Exceed Coal in U.S. for the First Time in Over a Century: EIA

U.S. annual energy consumption from renewables reached 11.5 quadrillion British thermal units in 2019, surpassing coal for the first time since before 1885, according to a May 28 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The agency pointed to the growth of renewable energy, especially wind and solar energy, for electricity generation amid the continued…...

Ohio Regulators Approve Nation’s First Freshwater Offshore Wind Project With Conditions

Ohio Regulators Approve Nation’s First Freshwater Offshore Wind Project With Conditions

The Ohio Power Siting Board on May 21 issued a certificate allowing Icebreaker Wind Inc. to construct a 20.7- megawatt offshore wind demonstration project in Lake Erie, subject to 33 conditions. The order includes a condition that the turbines remain feathered during nighttime hours from March 1 to November 1, in order to mitigate the…...

Alaska Commission Begins Process to Regulate Electric Reliability Organization

Alaska Commission Begins Process to Regulate Electric Reliability Organization

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska on May 18 opened a proceeding to establish certification standards for regional electric reliability organizations, or EROs, and create a regulatory framework to oversee them. The move stems from legislation enacted in March that authorized the commission to certify EROs and define their duties including submission of integrated resource plans,…...

California Adopts New Standard Contracts for Small Generators Under Federal Power Purchase Law

California Adopts New Standard Contracts for Small Generators Under Federal Power Purchase Law

The California Public Utilities Commission on May 15 issued a decision adopting a new standard offer contract for independent electricity generators of up to 20 megawatts seeking to sell their power to regulated utilities under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act 1978, or PURPA. The commission established a contract length of 12 years for new…...

Utility Power Shutoffs

New York Regulator Initiates Power Grid Study to Advance Clean Energy Goals

The New York Public Service Commission on May 14 opened a proceeding to implement the provisions of the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act with regard to distribution and transmission upgrades and capital expenditures needed to meet the state’s clean energy goals. The law established a new siting office to streamline permitting for…...