The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on April 16 largely rejected requests to reconsider its December 2019 order that directed PJM Interconnection LLC to extend the minimum offer price, or MOPR, to state-subsidized resources attempting to enter the capacity market. The agency also denied rehearing of its June 2018 order which found that state subsidies distort…...
The Bureau of Land Management released a draft environmental assessment for Borderlands Wind LLC’s 100-megawatt wind generating project spanning about 40,348 acres of public land in New Mexico, according to an April 10 news release. The agency’s preferred alternative consists of 34 turbines including larger versions with a maximum height of up to 630 feet…...
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission provided direction on utilities’ accounting mechanism for costs incurred during the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency seeks to ensure operational and financial stability for regulated utilities while providing for future decisions on cost recovery and protecting consumers from unreasonable rate increases, according to an April 16 press…...
The Michigan Public Service Commission on April 15 granted Consumers Energy Co.’s request for approval of 31 power purchase agreements for 394 megawatts of solar power. The contracts stem from September 2019 settlement between Consumers Energy and numerous developers of proposed solar projects in the company’s interconnection queue, resolving issues under the Public Utility Regulatory…...
Appalachian Power Company filed an application for a triennial review of its electric service rates, seeking an increase of $65 million in its annual revenue requirement, according to an April 13 notice from the Virginia State Corporation Commission. The change represents a five percent hike in overall revenues, and would raise residential rates by about…...
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam on April 11 signed into law the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which sets the state on the path to carbon-free power by 2050. The law replaces the voluntary renewable energy portfolio program with a mandatory standard, and paves the way for an enormous expansion of wind and solar power, and energy…...
The Michigan Public Service Commission on April 15 approved DTE Electric Co.’s revised integrated resource plan, which incorporates changes to address the shortcomings that the agency identified in the original plan. The company revised the rate impact analysis to reflect the selection of a single pathway instead of four possible scenarios and removed unapproved supply-side…...
The volatile situation created by the COVID-19 spread has prompted state utility commissions to respond with new directives and guidance on a number of proceedings. Regulators have responded with various measures, including suspending service disconnections, transitioning to virtual meetings, and delaying rate cases.
The U.S. electric power sector will add 19.4 gigawatts of wind capacity and 12.6 gigawatts of utility-scale solar capacity in 2020, according to the Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook issued on April 7. These annual wind and solar capacity additions are 5 percent and 10 percent lower, respectively, compared to the previous report. Renewable…...
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam on April 6 signed legislation that requires utilities seeking to recover the cost of a natural gas capacity contract to prove that they need the fuel capacity to maintain reliable service and that it is the lowest-cost available option. The law requires utilities to first demonstrate that they cannot maintain reliable…...
Xcel Energy Inc. will sell the Mankato Energy Center, a 760-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant, to Denver-based Southwest Generation, according to an April 6 filing with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Xcel purchased the facility from Southern Power for $650 million in January through a non-regulated affiliate after Minnesota regulators rejected the company’s earlier proposal…...
The U.S. Energy Department plans to announce a funding opportunity for energy storage technologies that can improve the performance, reliability, and flexibility of fossil-fueled power generating facilities, according to an April 7 news release. The department expects co-location of energy storage with fossil energy assets to enable multiple benefits, including more reliable and affordable energy supply,…...