The Iowa Utility Board on Dec. 4 approved a settlement determining ratemaking principles for MidAmerican Energy Company’s proposed 591-megawatt Wind XII Project. The settlement establishes a cost cap of $1.560 million per megawatt and a return on equity of 11 percent. For construction work in progress, an equity rate of 10 percent will be applied.…
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas unveiled a report on Dec. 4, which forecasts planning reserve margin for summer 2019 to be 8.1 percent, which is 2.9 percent lower than the previous projection issued in May. The Capacity, Demand and Reserve report contains five-year projections for planning reserve margins – the difference between the total…
The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia issued an update to its renewable energy portfolio standard policy revising the generator certification and eligibility requirement, eliminating redundancies, deleting obsolete sections and generally clarifying the commission’s rules, according to a Dec. 5 order. On Nov. 27, the Council of the District of Columbia voted unanimously to advance a…
The U.S. Energy Department selected two pumped-storage hydropower projects to conduct techno-economic studies in a bid to examine their long-term value, according to a Dec. 3 news release. The department said that the continued growth of variable renewable generation is having an impact on the value these projects provide to the grid. Pumped hydro projects…
The proliferation of customer-sited generation has prompted utilities to push for demand charges – a fee based on a customer’s peak consumption during a billing period – to recover fixed costs and address cross-subsidies. Utilities face the conundrum of losing revenue as customers installing distributed generation, such as rooftop solar, rely less on the utility for power needs while also shifting costs to other customers. Solar advocates argue that these fees impact customers’ ability to control their bill, potentially wiping out the incentive to install solar.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection released its final plan to advance in-state solar development, with a goal to achieve a 10 percent increase in solar-powered electricity by 2030 from the current level of less than one percent. The state would have to install about 11 gigawatts of solar capacity to reach the goal, up…
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is soliciting proposals under its ChargeOK Grant Program aimed to build out the state’s light-duty electric vehicle charging stations, according to a Nov. 29 news release. The agency will award grants a competitive basis for the purchase, installation, and operation of publicly accessible charging stations. The grant will reimburse…
The political puzzle pieces are falling into place for nearly a dozen states to strengthen targets for the deployment of renewable generation following the Midterm elections, in what could serve as the latest driver for growth in solar- and wind-powered electricity. Newly elected Democratic governors in six states, ranging from Maine to New Mexico, ran on campaigns to pursue more ambitious renewable energy goals. Their rise to power not only boosts the prospect for more aggressive environmental mandates and targets, but will also mark a progressive shift in energy policy from their respective Republican predecessors, which had blocked renewable-friendly measures.
ISO New England Inc. is equipped to meet winter demand which is forecast to peak at 20,357 megawatts under normal conditions and 21,057 megawatts at extreme temperatures, according to a Nov. 28 press release. Based on lessons learned from last winter, the grid operator recently unveiled new initiatives including a 21-day forecast of the region’s…
The Council of the District of Columbia voted unanimously on Nov. 27 to advance a bill that would double the renewable energy portfolio standard to 100 percent by 2032, from the current target of 50 percent. The bill, which amends the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Act of 2004, would require utilities operating in the District…
The Illinois Power Agency on Nov. 26 unveiled a final supplemental funding plan for the “Illinois Solar for All Program” established under the 2016 Future Energy Jobs Act which modernized the state’s renewable portfolio standard to ensure long-term funding sources for purchasing renewable resources. The program is intended to encourage the development of new distributed…
The North Carolina Utilities Commission on Nov. 26 approved Duke Energy Progress LLC’s proposed decrement rate to reflect about $103.88 million in annual revenue impact from the federal tax law that slashed income tax rates to 21 percent from 35 percent effective Jan. 1. The change will offset a rate hike slated to go into…
