The Michigan Public Service Commission approved DTE Gas Co.’s third round of federal tax cut refunds that will return a total of $333 million, or $12.7 million annually, to customers, according to an Aug. 20 news release. The commission established a three-step process to address the short- and long-term impacts of the federal tax law, which…
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality on Aug. 16 unveiled a draft Clean Energy Plan outlining policy and action recommendations for the state to transition to carbon-free electricity by 2050, starting with a 60 to 70 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2030. An executive order issued last year by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper…
The California Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 15 approved a settlement allowing San Diego Gas & Electric Company to build charging infrastructure for a minimum of 3,000 medium and heavy electric vehicles. The agency authorized cost recovery of $107.4 million for the five-year program, as well as $1.7 million for a vehicle-to-grid pilot that will…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Aug. 20 released recommendations to help states in developing air-quality plans to address visibility-impairing pollution under the Regional Haze Rule’s second implementation period ending in 2028. The guidance provides more leeway for states, highlighting the discretion and flexibilities available for state implementation plans. The agency said the guidelines aim…
The New York Public Service Commission has granted approval to Eight Point Wind LLC’s 101.8-megawatt wind farm in Steuben County, western New York, according to an August 20 press release. Eight Point will consist of 31 wind turbines a collection substation, mostly underground 34.5-kilovolt collection lines and other operations and maintenance facilities. The developer also proposes to construct…
U.S. petroleum and natural gas production increased by 16% and by 12%, respectively, in 2018, and these totals combined established a new production record, according to the Energy Information Administration. In 2011, the country overtook Russia to become the world’s largest producer of natural gas and just last year surpassed Saudi Arabia in the production…
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued the state’s first solicitation dedicated to offshore wind power, seeking proposals for up to 2 gigawatts, according to an Aug. 19 press release. The state’s multi-resource solicitations held in 2018 resulted in the selection of 300 megawatts of the Revolution Wind project being developed by Denmark-based…
Natural gas feedstock deliveries to LNG export facilities were the fastest growing among all U.S. natural gas consumption sectors in the first seven months of 2019, according to an Aug. 19 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Deliveries to export terminals set a new monthly record in July, averaging 6.0 billion cubic feet per day. The…
Democratic Governor Tony Evers on Aug. 16 signed an executive order requiring the state’s electricity consumption to be carbon-free by 2050. The order establishes the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy, which will work with other state agencies and utilities to achieve the goal. The new office will develop a clean energy plan to help…
The Public Utility Commission of Texas issued a news release on August 13 urging Texans to conserve electricity as record demand met temperatures in the triple digits. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc. saw its operating reserves dip below their 2.3 gigawatt threshold and push power prices to the market cap of $9,000/MWh. High temperatures…
The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission voted to approve a zero-emission vehicle mandate, which requires more than 5 percent of vehicle sales in the state to be electric vehicles by 2023, according to an Aug. 16 press release. The requirement rises to more than 6 percent of sales by 2025. Automakers will get credits for each…
A coalition of 22 states and 7 cities on Aug. 13 filed a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Affordable Clean Energy” rule that replaced more stringent Obama-era restrictions on power sector emissions. The new plan allows states the flexibility to choose from a list of technologies to set performance standards for individual facilities, making…