Utility-scale solar is growing at a remarkable pace driven by declining costs, state clean energy commitments, retirement of fossil-fueled generation, and utility decarbonization goals. The industry is poised to add about 13.5 gigawatts of new projects this year, outpacing the previous annual record of 8 GW set in 2016, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, signed legislation on Feb. 21 that bars a municipality or county from imposing requirements that restrict a utility provider’s authority to operate and serve customers. Under the law, municipalities may not deny building permits based on the utility provider that will serve the project. The measure comes at a…...
Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo on Feb. 21 proposed a budget amendment to speed up the permitting and construction of large-scale renewable energy projects. The legislation would create a new Office of Renewable Energy Permitting that will create a siting process specifically designed for renewable energy projects. The changes are intended to help New York advance…
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.
