The Virginia State Corporation Commission on May 20 authorized Dominion Energy Inc. to establish an experimental, voluntary residential time-of-use, or TOU, rate schedule and a solar incentive program. Under the new schedule, participants will be subject to time-varying energy charges based on the season and the time period of consumption that the company categorizes as…...
U.S. active crude oil and natural gas rigs dropped to their lowest number in over three decades, according to a May 20 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The number of rigs declined sharply to 339 on May 12, a 56 percent decline since March 17, due to an unprecedented drop in petroleum demand…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on May 21 authorized the Alaska LNG Project, which includes an 800-mile pipeline and a liquefied natural gas export facility. The $40-$45 billion project, developed by Alaska Gasline Development Corp. in partnership with BP and ExxonMobil, is expected to be the largest in the U.S. Democratic Commissioner Richard Glick dissented…...
The Ohio Power Siting Board on May 21 issued a certificate allowing Icebreaker Wind Inc. to construct a 20.7- megawatt offshore wind demonstration project in Lake Erie, subject to 33 conditions. The order includes a condition that the turbines remain feathered during nighttime hours from March 1 to November 1, in order to mitigate the…...
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska on May 18 opened a proceeding to establish certification standards for regional electric reliability organizations, or EROs, and create a regulatory framework to oversee them. The move stems from legislation enacted in March that authorized the commission to certify EROs and define their duties including submission of integrated resource plans,…...
Wild Springs Solar LLC filed an application with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a permit to build a 128-megawatt solar project in eastern Pennington County, according to a May 22 notice. The project will serve Basin Electric Power Cooperative under a 15-year power purchase agreement, starting in 2022 to help the cooperative meet…...
A handful of U.S. states have taken steps to provide relief for the solar industry that has been facing uncertainties in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures to address the ensuing challenges range from expanding incentive programs, extending project deadlines, and expediting new projects.
The California Public Utilities Commission on May 15 issued a decision adopting a new standard offer contract for independent electricity generators of up to 20 megawatts seeking to sell their power to regulated utilities under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act 1978, or PURPA. The commission established a contract length of 12 years for new…...
The New York Public Service Commission on May 14 authorized an additional $573 million in funding for the NY-Sun initiative and extended the term of the program to support the state’s goal of achieving 6 gigawatts of distributed solar by 2025. The state is approaching the attainment of the initiative’s original goal of 3 gigawatts…...
The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on May 14 issued a final rule to update regulations for oil and gas operations in the central and western Gulf of Mexico and the area off the North Slope Borough of Alaska. The changes do not relax any air pollution standards, but make technical and…...
U.S. coal shipments to the power sector declined for their fifth straight year in 2019, down to the lowest value, according to a May 12 report from the Energy Information Administration. Nearly 70 percent of coal delivered to the U.S. electricity sector last year was transported completely or in part by rail. Coal delivery costs, which…...
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on May 15 denied a water quality permit for Williams Co.’s Northeast Supply Enhancement Project. The $1 billion project is designed to provide about 400,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas capacity to National Grid. The department determined that the project would not meet the state’s rigorous…...
