U.S. President Biden Announces Ban on Energy Imports From Russia

U.S. President Biden Announces Ban on Energy Imports From Russia

U.S. President Joe Biden announced on March 8 that the U.S. will ban imports of Russian oil and gas and energy, “targeting the main artery of Russia’s economy.” This is latest action taken by the Biden administration in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began nearly two weeks ago. Biden noted that the effort…...

100-Megawatt Solar Power Contract

Pennsylvania to Meet Half of State Government’s Electricity Needs From Solar

Democratic Governor Tom Wolf on March 22 announced a clean energy initiative that aims to source nearly 50 percent of state government’s electricity from solar installations totaling 191 megawatts to be built across the state. The initiative, called Pennsylvania Project to Utilize Light and Solar Energy, or PULSE, represents the largest government commitment to solar…...

Battery Installation to Provide Black Start Service at Gas-Powered Plant

California Approves Battery Installation to Provide Black Start Service at Gas-Powered Plant

The California Energy Commission on Feb. 20 approved the installation of a battery storage system to the Russell City Energy Center, a 600-megawatt natural-gas fired power plant, to provide black start capability. The project consists of installing 6 to 10 megawatts of lithium-ion batteries, which would be used to start the gas turbines, in order…...

Texas Solar Capacity to More Than Double This Year

Texas Solar Capacity to More Than Double This Year: Grid Operator

New utility-scale solar projects totalling 2.1 gigawatts have locked into agreements to connect with the Texas grid in 2019, or enough to more than double the system’s solar capacity, with even larger amounts in store for 2020, according to a Feb. 5 report by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc. While Texas is known for…

MISO Proposes Market Rules for Electric Storage Resource Category

MISO Proposes Market Rules for Electric Storage Resource Category

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc. on Dec. 3 proposed revisions to facilitate deeper integration of energy storage resources across its region. The grid operator proposed a new electric storage resource category providing unique modeling, offer parameters, operating limitations, and settlement provisions that recognize the characteristics of energy storage resources. MISO said that the filing…

New York Adopts Targets to Achieve 3 Gigawatts Energy Storage, Double Energy Efficiency Progress

New York Adopts Targets to Achieve 3 Gigawatts Energy Storage, Double Energy Efficiency Progress

The New York Public Service Commission on Dec. 13 set an energy storage target of 3,000 megawatts by 2030 pursuant to legislation enacted last year, with an interim goal of 1,500 megawatt by 2025. The new storage target is the most ambitious nationwide compared to California’s goal of 1,300 megawatts by 2020 and New Jersey’s recently adopted target of…

Record-Breaking $405M Massachusetts Offshore Wind Auction Signals Growing Industry

Record-Breaking $405M Massachusetts Offshore Wind Auction Signals Growing Industry

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management auctioned three leases off Massachusetts’ coast earmarked for the development of offshore wind farms, reaping a record-breaking $405-million, according to a Dec. 14 press release. The bureau sold commercial wind energy leases comprising nearly 390,000 acres, which are expected to support about 4.1 gigawatts of power. Out of 11 bidders,…

PJM Reports Adequate Resources to Meet Winter Peak Electricity Demand

PJM Reports Adequate Resources to Meet Winter Peak Electricity Demand

PJM Interconnection expects to have 185,611 megawatts of resources available to meet the forecasted peak demand of 135,506 megawatts, according to a Dec. 5 press release. The grid operator said its system is ready to meet needs despite a “less-certain winter weather forecast,” noting that climate models indicate a warmer season but similar studies point…

District of Columbia Updates Renewable Portfolio Standard Rules to Increase Clarity

District of Columbia Updates Renewable Portfolio Standard Rules to Increase Clarity

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…

NV Energy Seeks to Add 350 Megawatts of Renewables, Storage in Nevada

EDF Renewable Energy Wins U.S. Approval for 500-Megawatt Solar Project in California

The Bureau of Land Management authorized EDF Renewable Energy Inc.’s Palen Solar Project, a 500-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility that would span 3,478 acres of federal lands in Riverside County, California. The project, expected to come online in 2020, would be located in the bureau’s Solar Energy Zone and Development Focus Area that has been designated…

PJM Finds ‘No Imminent Threat’ to Fuel Security, Seeks Market-Based Solutions to Address Long-Term Concerns

PJM Finds ‘No Imminent Threat’ to Fuel Security, Seeks Market-Based Solutions to Address Long-Term Concerns

PJM Interconnection LLC released its fuel security analysis on Nov. 1 finding that its system is reliable and can endure prolonged periods of highly stressed conditions. The study analyzed over 300 scenarios that could occur from 2023 considering generation retirements, customer demand, fuel delivery, and fuel disruptions. The results underscored that in a sustained cold…

Indiana Regulator Slashes Indianapolis Power & Light’s Revenue Hike by Half

Indiana Regulator Slashes Indianapolis Power & Light’s Revenue Hike by Half

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved a settlement increasing Indianapolis Power & Light’s annual revenues by about $43.9 million, resulting in a $5.18 hike in monthly residential bills, according the agency’s Oct. 31 press release. In February, the utility lowered its revenue request to $96.7 million from its initial request of $124.5 to account for…