Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo on Feb. 21 proposed a budget amendment to speed up the permitting and construction of large-scale renewable energy projects. The legislation would create a new Office of Renewable Energy Permitting that will create a siting process specifically designed for renewable energy projects. The changes are intended to help New York advance…
Senators Lisa Murkowski, a Republican representing Alaska, and Joe Manchin, a Democrat representing West Virginia, unveiled a bipartisan legislative package on Feb. 27 that compiles more than 50 energy-related measures reported by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year. The comprehensive bill supports innovative energy technologies covering a range of topics including energy efficiency,…
U.S. annual wind electricity generation surpassed hydropower for the first time in 2019 to become the largest source of renewable electricity generation in the U.S., according to a Feb. 26 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Although total installed capacity of wind power exceeded that of hydro in 2016, it wasn’t until last year…
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission approved a settlement allowing Public Service Company of Oklahoma to recover costs to add 675 megawatts of wind power the state, according to a Feb. 20 news release. The move will not increase rates for customers, as cost savings resulting from the project will be passed on to them. Public Service will…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Feb. 20 issued a series of orders to narrow the resources exempt from the New York grid operator’s buyer-side market power mitigation rules. The agency dismissed a complaint from the Public Service Commission and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority seeking an exemption for electric storage…
Utility-scale wind generators accounted for 70 percent of the 3.1 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity in Michigan last year, according to a Feb. 18 report by the state’s Public Service Commission. Across the state, new wind and solar projects are expected to add more than one gigawatt of new, utility-scale electricity generation in 2020 and…
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources endorsed the long-term contracts executed by the state’s electric distribution companies to procure offshore wind power from Mayflower Wind Energy LLC ‘s 804-megawatt project, citing net benefits of about $2.4 billion to ratepayers over the 20-year term. The wind generation output and renewable energy certificates from the project will…
The NY Green Bank’s fourth quarter of 2019 was the strongest to date, adding nearly $118 million to its portfolio, according to a Feb. 14 announcement. With portfolio commitments exceeding $909 million, the bank has spurred $2.4 billion in clean energy investments. The bank was established in 2013 to alleviate market barriers, motivating private sector…
The Maine Public Utilities Commission issued a request for proposals from renewable generation resources for the sale of energy or renewable energy credits, according to a Feb. 14 news release. The move stems from legislation enacted in 2019 directing the commission to conduct two competitive solicitations for long-term procurement contracts for an amount of energy…
Vineyard Wind LLC no longer expects its 800-megawatt offshore project to begin commercial operation in 2022, according to a Feb. 11 announcement, after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management updated the permitting schedule for the project. The revised schedule indicates that the final environmental review will be issued on Nov. 13, later than what was…
The New York State Public Service Commission approved the first phase of the New York Power Authority’s Moses-Adirondack Smart Path Reliability Project, which is designed to improve the reliability and resilience of the electric system in Upstate New York, according to a Feb. 6 news release. The project will rebuild facilities that are well past…
The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment granted more flexibility to Number Three Wind LLC in building its 106-megawatt wind farm, revising an earlier decision granting approval for the project, according to a Feb. 13 news release. The board agreed with the project developer that the cost of installing underground…