The Illinois Commerce Commission on Aug. 3 granted Ameren Illinois Company’s request to create an electric vehicle charging program that offers new optional rate structures to incentivize EV adoption and install charging stations. The tariff, titled “Rider Optional Electric Vehicle Charging Program,” is designed to encourage charging during specific off-peak periods. This initiative would support…...
The Bonneville Power Administration on July 29 released a draft decision to join the Western Energy Imbalance Market, or EIM, operated by the California Independent System Operator Corp., in March 2022 after a three-year evaluation of the market opportunity. The federal power marketing administration, which sells electricity from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant…...
Oregon has embarked on a clean energy transition with the enactment of sweeping legislation that mandates carbon-free power by 2040, setting one of the most ambitious decarbonization timelines in the nation. The state’s carbon reduction efforts range from legislative measures to study renewable hydrogen and expand transportation electrification, to rulemaking for a climate protection plan, and investigation into resource adequacy.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission launched a proceeding on July 23 to examine regulatory and policy structures governing natural gas utilities, in a bid to evaluate potential changes required for accomplishing the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. The move stems from the Natural Gas Innovation Act enacted in June establishing a regulatory framework for gas…...
U.S. liquefied natural gas exports hit record highs in the first half of 2021, averaging 9.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), according to a July 27 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This represents a 42 percent increase from exports during the same period in 2020, when gas exports hit record lows during…...
The Michigan Public Utility Commission on July 27 granted a proposal by DTE Michigan Lateral Co., a subsidiary of DTE Energy Co., to convert existing pipelines from gas gathering to transmission service, a $28 million project, as well as build two connector pipelines – $7million Rogers City and $13.9 million Norwalk Manistee connectors. The commission…...
Emission trading is coming to prominence as a key market-based tool in state efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, including decarbonization of the electricity sector. Among recent actions Washington has enacted legislation to implement an economy-wide cap-and-invest system, becoming the second state to have a comprehensive carbon-pricing program, and Pennsylvania has adopted rulemaking for a carbon trading program covering the power sector.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown, a Democrat, signed legislation on July 19 requiring electricity providers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity sold to Oregon consumers to 80 percent below a 2010-2012 baseline of average emissions by 2030, 90 percent by 2035, and 100 percent by 2040. The law requires each electric company to develop…...
The U.S. Energy Department on July 15 launched a free web-based platform that gives local governments the ability to fast-track review and approval of residential solar installation permits. The Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus, or SolarAPP+, aims to reduce barriers to solar deployment, spur economic development, and support renewables energy goals. The tool, developed by…...
Demand response (DR) portfolios of electric utilities across the U.S. continue to expand as they refine their programs and explore new options to support grid reliability in response to the changing resource mix. The role of DR in planning and operations is expected to increase as the resource mix continues to evolve with increasing generation from natural gas, wind, solar, battery storage, and other emerging distributed energy technologies.