Blog preview 2020 01 22

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Grid Modernization Efforts Expand to Accommodate Proliferation of Distributed Resources

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Power & Utilities, REC Feed, Smart Grid, Solar, Wind

More states are venturing into grid transformation initiatives that enable customer-focused and innovative solutions to support clean energy commitments. The electricity system is undergoing a significant transition powered by technological innovation, increased use of distributed energy resources (DER), and changing customer preferences. These factors are driving the changes needed to make the grid more efficient, flexible, resilient, and renewable.

New York Regulator Reaffirms Decision Approving Calpine’s 124-Megawatt Wind Project

Maryland Regulator Appeals FERC Capacity Market Order Citing Potential to Frustrate State Clean Energy Efforts

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Wholesale Power

The Maryland Public Service Commission requested rehearing of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s order issued last December to revamp PJM Interconnection LLC’s capacity market rules, according to a Jan. 21 news release. The ruling would expand the minimum offer price rule, or MOPR, to new or existing resources entitled to state subsidies, with certain exemptions.…

U.S. Interior Department Leases in Arizona Solar Energy Zones Expected to Produce 825 Megawatts

California Regulator Allots $1 Billion for Distributed Energy Projects to Boost Wildfire Resiliency

Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Solar

The California Public Utilities Commission on Jan. 16 approved $830 million in new funding for the Self-Generation Incentive Program, or SGIP, prioritizing energy storage projects for communities most impacted by utilities’ public safety power shutoff events to avoid the risk of power lines starting wildfires. When added to unspent funds from previous years, the decision…

New Mexico Enacts Trio of Bills Supporting Renewable Energy Expansion

New York Expects $4.6 Billion in Savings From New Pricing Structure for Renewable Energy Procurement

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Solar, Wind

The New York Public Service Commission on Jan. 16 issued an order authorizing the state’s Energy Research and Development Authority to offer an index renewable energy credit price option in addition to the traditional fixed-price in future solicitations for long-term renewable energy contracts. The new pricing structure, expected to reduce risks for developers and lower…

Virginia Regulator Clears Dominion’s $226 Million Portfolio of Demand Side Programs

New York Regulators Slash Con Edison’s Revenue Hike by 75 Percent, Advance Initiatives to Reduce Need for Natural Gas

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, Retail Power and Gas

The New York Public Service Commission on Jan. 16 adopted a three-year rate plan for Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc., allowing the utility to increase electric and gas rates annually through 2022. The agency authorized a first-year electric revenue increase of about $113 million, or 3.1 percent, down from the original request of…

NY Green Bank Commitments Exceed $900 Million, Driving $2.4 Billion in Clean Energy Investments

Rhode Island Governor Signs Order for 100 Percent Renewable Electricity by 2030

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Solar, Wind

Democratic Governor Gina Raimondo signed an executive order on Jan. 17 setting a goal for the state to source all of its electricity from renewable resources by the end of 2030. The order directs the state’s Office of Energy Resources to conduct an economic and energy market analysis and develop policies and programs to attain…

Planned Generating Capacity 2020

Solar, Wind Represent 76 Percent of New Electric Generating Capacity in 2020: EIA

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About 42 gigawatts of new power generating capacity is expected to come online in 2020, with solar and wind accounting for almost 32 gigawatts of the capacity, according to a Jan. 14 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Wind represents the largest share at 44 percent, followed by solar at 32 percent and natural…

PHMSA Underground Natural Gas Storage

U.S. Transportation Department Strengthens Safety Standards for Underground Natural Gas Storage

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, Natural Gas

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a final rule addressing safety issues related to underground natural gas storage facilities, according to a Jan. 13 news release. The rule stems from legislation enacted in 2016 that directed the agency to establish minimum federal safety standards for these facilities, following a…

Iowa Board Approves 200 Megawatts of Solar Projects

First Solar Wins Federal Approval for 450-Megawatt Project in California Desert

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Solar

The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management authorized Desert Quartzite LLC, a subsidiary of First Solar Inc., to build a 450-megawatt solar photovoltaic project covering about 3,000 acres of public lands in eastern Riverside County, California, according to a Jan. 15 news release. The project will result in a private infrastructure investment of $1…