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…
Retail electric choice has garnered increased attention as more states are weighing the prospects of opening their electricity markets to retail competition. In states with retail choice programs, regulators continue to strengthen oversight, in a bid to ensure customer protection and satisfactory service from competitive suppliers. Recent actions range from Arizona regulators’ efforts to implement customer choice, to New York’s strengthening oversight of energy marketers, and the Florida Supreme Court’s rejecting an energy choice ballot initiative.
Virginia lawmakers passed the Clean Economy Act on Feb. 11 that sets the state on the path to carbon-free power by 2050, establishes a mandatory renewable portfolio standard, adopts an energy storage deployment target, and strengthens energy efficiency requirements. Among the major provisions, the legislation replaces the existing voluntary renewable energy portfolio system program with…
The New York Public Service Commission completed a draft environmental review analysing the potential impacts associated with the procurement of up to 1.8 gigawatts of additional offshore wind generation in the near term, according to a Feb. 6 notice. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on Jan. 28 asked the commission to…
Hydropower is moving to the forefront of clean energy and climate policy debates as a growing number of U.S. states are setting targets to achieve zero-carbon power. About half a dozen state-level laws were enacted last year to establish 100 percent clean energy transition, showing how the nation’s decade-long renewable push is ramping up. Hydroelectricity…
Utilities across North America are investing billions of dollars to decarbonize their power fleets to comply with unprecedented greenhouse gas emission cuts and bold renewable energy targets. The pivot to cleaner and greener power sources is reflected in the integrated resource plans and RFPs that utilities file with state commissions. Keep on top of the…...
