MidAmerican Energy Company served 51.4 percent of its retail sales using renewable energy last year, the Iowa Utilities Board verified in an order issued on June 21. The company said that it owns the vast majority of the renewable generation that delivers its retail energy, and acquires a small amount through power purchase arrangements. The…
In April 2019, U.S. monthly electricity generation from renewable sources exceeded coal-fired generation for the first time based on data in EIA’s Electric Power Monthly. Renewables, which include utility-scale hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, provided 23 percent of the total electricity generation while coal provided 20. According to the agency, the milestone was helped by…
Illinois lawmakers approved a measure that allows a one-year extension of the date by which the Illinois Power Agency is required to deliver renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind and solar projects acquired through long-term contracts. The bill sets a June 1, 2022 deadline for the agency to begin supplying credits. Current law directs…
Duke Energy Indiana LLC issued a proposal for its 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) calling for 2,840 megawatts of new natural gas capacity, 700 megawatts of wind and 1,650 megawatts of solar power, while accelerating the retirement of over 4 gigawatts of coal generation capacity over the next 7 to 19 years, according to a June…
Battery storage is no longer just paving the way for greater integration of renewables onto the grid. The technology is now ushering in larger utility-scale solar and wind projects with diverse configurations. Utility proposals to develop massive storage projects in tandem with renewables are becoming more common as intermittent wind and solar continue to produce a growing share of power generation. Aggressive state and utility decarbonization goals are also driving the need for cost-effective batteries.
The Missouri Public Service Commission granted permits for The Empire District Electric Company’s proposal to build three wind farms with a combined capacity of up to 600 megawatts in Missouri and Kansas, according to a June 20 press release. The projects, which represent an investment of over $1 billion, will facilitate customer savings by using…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities selected Denmark-based Orsted A/S to develop a 1.1 gigawatt wind project, known as Ocean Wind, off the coast of Atlantic City, according to a June 21 press release. The project, which marks the first step towards meeting the state’s 3.5-gigawatt goal by 2030, is estimated to generate $1.17…
New York state lawmakers approved legislation on June 19, which requires the state to cut its emissions to 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, with a plan to offset the remainder through measures that remove carbon dioxide, such as afforestation and carbon capture. The bill includes a requirement to produce 70 percent of electricity…
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission received an application from a subsidiary of Avangrid Renewables LLC to construct and operate the Tatanka Ridge wind farm proposed for Deuel County, in eastern South Dakota. The 155 megawatt project will encompass about 18,000 acres and be made up of 56 turbines. Construction is anticipated to begin later this year, with…
Maine state lawmakers approved legislation on June 18 that requires 80 percent of electricity consumed in the state to come from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050. The legislation, “An Act To Reform Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard,” also requires a market assessment study and analysis of the opportunities, potential, and challenges to…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has released the draft version of the 2019 Energy Master Plan, which provides a blueprint made up of seven strategies for achieving the state’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emission by at least 80 percent compared to 2006 levels,…
Lawmakers from about a dozen U.S. states advanced measures this year to grow supplies of renewable energy through bold anti-fossil-fuel mandates, showing that support for carbon free power sources bears no signs of abating even after years of steady policy action by legislatures.