Southern California Gas Company has more flexibility to meet natural gas demand this winter than last year after California regulators approved new rules that make it easier for the company to withdraw gas from its Aliso Canyon storage facility, according to a Dec. 13 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Working natural gas inventory…
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom found that Pacific Gas and Electric’s proposed restructuring plan failed to meet the requirements of the state’s wildfire law, dealing a blow to the company’s efforts to exit bankruptcy, according to a Dec. 13 letter to PG&E Chief Executive Officer Bill Johnson. Newsom called for a feasible plan, pointing to the…
Year-over-year increases in U.S. proved reserves resulted in record-high levels of crude oil and lease condensate, up 12 percent, and natural gas up 9 percent in 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Year-End 2018 report. Strong oil and natural gas prices in 2018 drove the increase in…
The Public Service Commission of Maryland has issued its annual report on the implementation of the Maryland Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard with data for calendar year 2018. According to the report, published on Dec. 10, Maryland RPS obligations were almost entirely fulfilled through the submission of the appropriate level of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Renewable Energy Credits…
The New York Public Service Commission adopted a measure to consolidate the utility bills of Community Distributed Generation (CDG) customers in a bid to reduce operational costs and broaden access to the technology, according to a Dec.12 press release. CDG systems, such as community solar, offer customers that prefer not to install solar directly on their property,…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a new solar incentive program to facilitate the transition from the current Solar Renewable Energy Certificate, or SREC, program to a yet-to-be-determined successor incentive program, according to a December 6 press release. The Transition Incentive will serve as a bridge between the legacy SREC and the new…
The cumulative U.S. installed onshore wind capacity exceeded 100 gigawatts on a nameplate capacity basis as of the end of September 2019, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. More than half of that amount has been installed since the beginning of 2012. The oldest wind turbines still operating in the United States came online…
Southwest Power Pool Inc., the grid operator for 14 states in the central U.S., launched a new roadmap process to improve the way in which the grid operator and its stakeholders collaborate on proposed changes to its day-ahead and real-time electric markets, according to a Dec. 11 news release. The process adds more transparency, giving…
Republican Governor Christopher Sununu signed an executive order on Dec. 3, establishing four advisory boards to inform the state’s next steps for offshore wind energy development. The order also calls for a study on the emissions reduction potential of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, as well as the state’s existing port and coastal…
States are setting ambitious targets to grow the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road. More than half a dozen states, including Connecticut, North Carolina, Vermont, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, have unveiled blueprints this year to reach the goals. EV roadmaps and action plans are helping states explore the role of utilities, regulators, and market participants in the evolving industry and develop the necessary regulatory guidance.
The New York State Department of Public Service issued a report that recommends improvements to residential net metering to support continued growth of the state’s solar industry while ensuring fairness for all ratepayers by enhancing the accuracy of price signals and lowering the subsidies that are not directly tied to environmental values, according to a…
The Michigan Public Service Commission accepted portions of Upper Peninsula Power Company’s integrated resource plan, including a 125-megawatt solar power contract as the lowest-cost energy supply option, according to a Dec. 6 news release. The agency recommended removal of the company’s proposal to build a 20-megawatt natural gas-fired unit, and called for a more robust…
