U.S. President Joe Biden issued a series of executive actions on Jan. 20 reflecting his energy agenda that prioritizes clean energy and climate action. Biden took action to recommit the U.S. to the Paris Climate Agreement and issued an executive order revoking a key permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline and temporarily halting oil…...
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Jan. 19 vacated the Environmental Protection Agency’s Affordable Clean Energy, or ACE, rule for regulating power plant emissions, finding that the rule “hinged on a fundamental misconstruction” of the Clean Air Act. The agency finalized the rule in June 2019 replacing more stringent Obama-era restrictions…....
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has awarded two offshore wind projects, totaling 2,490 megawatts to Norway’s Equinor ASA, in one of the single largest renewable energy procurements in the U.S. to date. The procurement would bring the state halfway toward the goal of achieving 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035…....
The Washington State Department of Commerce and the Utilities and Transportation Commission on Jan 5 adopted rules for the implementation of the 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act. The law requires the state’s electricity supply to be carbon-neutral by 2030 and carbon-free by 2045, and directs electric utilities to phase out coal from their generation portfolio…...
The Florida Public Service Commission on Jan 5 approved an agreement on Duke Energy Florida ’s Clean Energy Connection Program. The initiative allows the company to provide its customers with about 750 megawatts of new solar power and offer more options for residents, businesses, and local governments for voluntary participation. The program allows customers to…...
The Oregon Public Utility Commission opened an investigation into resource adequacy in the state to address the growing concerns over the level of capacity in the region, according to a Jan. 7 notice. Reports and studies from various organizations including Northwest Power and Conservation Council, Energy+Environmental Economics(E3), Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee, and the California…...
The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approved a new performance-based regulation, or PBR, framework to govern Hawaiian Electric Company by better aligning the company’s interests with that of customers’ and the state’s clean energy goals. Hawaii is mandated by a 2018 law to implement PBR, establishing a financial link between utility revenues and performance in achieving…...
Renewable energy received a boost with the enactment of the federal spending bill and COVID-19 relief package on Dec. 27, which includes tax extenders and about $35 billion in spending authorizations to support energy research and development programs. The legislation includes a two-year extension of the Investment Tax Credit for solar generation, a one-year extension…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 21 issued a decision adopting strategies and metrics to further the integration of electric vehicles as grid resources. The decision, which adopts recommendations of the commission’s Vehicle Grid Integration Working Group, directs utilities to collaborate on interconnection and rate reforms and pilot programs, such as using EVs for…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Dec. 21 released a roadmap for its Energy Storage Grand Challenge initiative, a 10-year program launched in January to expedite the development of next-generation storage technologies. The roadmap marks the department’s first comprehensive strategy to address energy storage. The program aims to establish and sustain U.S. leadership in energy storage…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Dec. 10 announced the extension of the terms of seven long-term liquefied natural gas export projects through 2050. This marks the third set of extensions since the agency issued a policy statement in July establishing the extension, changing the prior practice of granting 20-year terms. The department extended the terms…...
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities received applications from Denmark-based Orsted A/S and Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC, a joint venture of EDF Renewables North America and Shell New Energies US LLC, in response to the state’s second solicitation launched in September, according to a Dec. 11 news release. The solicitation endears the award…...
