The Biden administration has announced a series of initiatives to advance the U.S. offshore wind industry, including committing to a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of capacity by 2030. Achieving the 2030 target is expected to lead up to the installation of 110 gigawatts of capacity by 2050. The 2030 goal, a shared commitment by…...
The Ohio legislature on March 25 passed a bill to repeal the provisions of a 2019 law that provided FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., which is now known as Energy Harbor Corp., with annual subsidies of nearly $150 million over seven years to keep its ailing nuclear plants operating. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, is expected…...
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed legislation on March 26, which commits the state to achieve net-zero emissions in 2050. The law allows Massachusetts to procure an additional 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, bringing the state’s total authorization to 4 gigawatts by 2027. The law – An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate…...
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…...
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc. on March 12 held an urgent Board of Directors meeting in which invoice payouts for market participants and settlements across Feb. 19 – March 8 were divulged. From Feb. 13 – 19, the state of Texas was plagued with near-unprecedented grid infrastructure failures due to extreme winter weather…....
The member states of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, on March 15 announced the third adjustment for banked allowances held by market participants for the five-year period from 2021-2025. The adjustment is a reduction in the number of carbon allowances that is being sold over the period. The amount of the reduction is…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on March 5 released a proposal detailing utility programs to manage energy supply during peak hours so as to ensure reliability in the event of extreme heat in the summers of 2021 and 2022. The proposal is the latest in a series of actions under a proceeding that was opened…...
The U.S. Interior Department on March 8 announced the completion of its environmental analysis of Vineyard Wind LLC’s proposed 800-megawatt wind project offshore Massachusetts. Conclusion of the final review marks a key milestone for the project, which is expected to be the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm. In January, U.S. President Joe Biden signed…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 5 announced that it will hold a technical conference in June to discuss the threat posed by climate change and extreme weather events on electric system reliability. The agency announced a proceeding to examine the issue following prolonged power outages across Texas and the south-central U.S. during the…...
The 51st quarterly carbon auction of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, the nation’s first market-based program to cut power sector emissions, sold all of the nearly 23.5 million permits offered for sale at a price of $7.60 per allowance, according to the auction results released on March 5. This is the first auction…...
The Missouri Public Service Commission on Feb. 25 opened an investigation into the state’s electric and natural gas utilities’ preparedness and response to the mid-February winter storm that resulted in rolling blackouts and natural gas price spikes. The commission’s Regulatory Analysis and Customer Experience Departments, in collaboration with agencies within its Industry Analysis and Financial…...
The Texas Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 24 launched an investigation into retail electric suppliers’ business practices following complaints of skyrocketing bills for plans with pricing indexed to the wholesale rate in the aftermath of sweeping power outages caused by extreme winter weather conditions. Although indexed plans are allowed under law, an influx of complaints…...
