Senators Lisa Murkowski, a Republican representing Alaska, and Joe Manchin, a Democrat representing West Virginia, unveiled a bipartisan legislative package on Feb. 27 that compiles more than 50 energy-related measures reported by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year. The comprehensive bill supports innovative energy technologies covering a range of topics including energy efficiency,…
U.S. annual wind electricity generation surpassed hydropower for the first time in 2019 to become the largest source of renewable electricity generation in the U.S., according to a Feb. 26 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Although total installed capacity of wind power exceeded that of hydro in 2016, it wasn’t until last year…
The total working natural gas in storage is projected to exceed the previous five-year average for the remainder of 2020, despite declines in production, increases in power sector consumption, and growth in exports, according to a Feb. 24 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The Lower 48 states’ working natural gas in storage will…
The Maine Public Utilities Commission issued a request for proposals from solar and other renewable energy developers for small-scale projects, pursuant to a 2019 law that established a distributed generation procurement program, according to a Feb. 28 news release. The law directs the agency to conduct multiple solicitations to obtain 250 megawatts of distributed generation…
The California Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 27 proposed a fine of nearly $2.14 billion on Pacific Gas and Electric Company shareholders for the utility’s role in causing the catastrophic wildfires in its service territory in 2017 and 2018. The record penalty, imposed in an administrative law judge’s decision, is an increase of about $462…
The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 27 adopted reforms to enhance rules related to customer information disclosure and pricing practices for retail electricity service. The revisions are intended to provide customers with accurate, timely pricing information when they are shopping for electric service from competitive suppliers. The rule changes ban termination fees in the final…
The California Energy Commission on Feb. 20 approved Sacramento Municipal Utility’s proposal for a community solar program under the state’s new building standards, which took effect on Jan. 1. While the 2019 Energy Code requires a solar photovoltaic system on new homes, the commission noted that community solar was built into the code to provide…
Williams Companies Inc. announced on Feb. 24 that it has halted investment in the proposed Constitution natural gas pipeline, which has been delayed for years due to regulatory setbacks and opposition from environmental groups. The project, designed to connect Pennsylvania and New York, won the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval in December 2014, but has…
Utility regulators are expanding resource planning requirements as a growing number of utilities are proposing early closure of coal plants, in addition to investing more in solar, wind and battery storage. Long-term resource plans are evolving to consider a host of emerging issues ranging from equity assessments and avoided costs, to reflecting the cost of carbon, as utilities seek to balance flexibility and reliability.
The Southwest Power Pool Inc., the grid operator for 14 states in the central U.S., filed a tariff with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to implement its Western Energy Imbalance Service Market in 2021, according to a Feb. 21 news release. The market is designed to balance generation and load regionally and in real time.…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Feb. 20 voted not to issue an order on the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export project and the associated Pacific Connector pipeline in Oregon. The decision follows the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development’s determination that the coastal adverse effects from the project will be significant. As…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Feb. 20 authorized Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America LLC to advance its Gulf Coast Southbound Project, which is designed to provide an additional 300,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation service for Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC’s liquefied natural gas facility in Texas. The project involves the construction operation,…
