The Western Energy Imbalance market generated about $65 million in savings in the third quarter of this year, with total benefits reaching about $801 million since its launch in November 2014, according to a Nov. 1 press release from the California Independent System Operator Corporation. The energy imbalance market is an automated system that secures…
The California Public Utilities Commission issued its annual Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) report showing that the program is on track and is helping to drive down renewable contract prices and increasing in-state procurement, according to a Nov. 1 press release. As of 2019, the state’s large investor-owned utilities have executed renewable electricity contracts necessary to…
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources on Oct. 30 announced the selection of Mayflower Wind Energy LLC’s 804-megawatt project to negotiate contracts with the state’s electric distribution companies as part of the competitive solicitations required under 2016 legislation, which requires the state to secure 1.6 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2027. Mayflower anticipates long term…
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam announced that Virginia entered into a contract with Dominion Energy Inc. to buy 420 megawatts of renewable energy to power state government facilities, according to an Oct. 18 news release. The agreement, which includes four new solar projects and Virginia’s first onshore wind facility, will ensure that state agencies and institutions…
The California Public Utilities Commission issued a proposed decision on Oct. 21, requiring load-serving entities to procure 4 gigawatts of additional capacity to forestall potential resource adequacy shortages starting in 2021. The order also recommends extension of the Water Resource Control Board’s once-through-cooling regulation compliance dates for about 3.7 gigawatts of gas-fired units slated to…
The Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC asked the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to authorize the acquisition of a 302-megawatt wind farm from EDP Renewables North America LLC through a joint venture, according to an Oct. 22 filing. The Indiana Crossroads Wind Farm, which will be located in White County, was selected through a request…
State renewable portfolio standards are a key driver behind the torrid expansion of wind and solar generation across the U.S., responsible for about half of the nation’s deployment of clean energy sources over the last couple of decades, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Over three dozen states, territories and the nation’s capital have…
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority executed 25-year contracts with Equinor Wind US LLC and Sunrise Wind LLC for nearly 1.7 gigawatts of offshore wind at an average all-in development cost of $83.36 per megawatt-hour in 2018 prices, according to an Oct. 23 announcement. The agency also released a report on the…
The Illinois Power Agency proposed revisions to its long-term renewable procurement plan, covering the agency’s potential procurements and programs for 2020 and 2021 for Ameren Illinois Company, Commonwealth Edison Company, and MidAmerican Energy Company, according to an Oct. 21 filing with the Illinois Commerce Commission. For the 2020-2021 delivery year, the overall number of renewable…
The Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC on Oct. 1 issued a request for proposals for 2,600 megawatts of solar, wind, and storage to satisfy a 2023 capacity need identified in its integrated resource plan, which proposes to phase out coal-fired generation by 2028. The company is requesting proposals in three areas: 300 megawatts of…
In the last year alone, states from Maine to New Mexico have enacted measures mandating the study of microgrids, showing the growing interest in harnessing the technology to shore up grid reliability and accomplish broader policy goals in which microgrids may play a role.
The Michigan Public Service Commission authorized a contract allowing Consumers Energy Co. to purchase a 166-megawatt wind farm in Hillsdale County, according to an Oct. 7 news release. The project, which will be developed by Crescent Wind LLC, is expected to come online by the end of next year. The agency also approved cost recovery…