The Pennsylvania Senate on Sept. 9 voted in favor of a bill that would require legislative approval before the state can impose a carbon tax or join a multi-state carbon-trading program. The House of Representatives approved the legislation in July. The move comes ahead of a Sept. 15 meeting of the state’s Environmental Quality Board…
The Bureau of Land Management on Sept. 4 released its final environmental assessment for the Yellow Pine Solar Project, which would be located on about 3,000 acres of public land in Nevada. The review address two related applications. The first one consists of a 500-megawatt solar energy generation station and ancillary facilities including battery storage…...
The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment on Sept. 3 denied petitions seeking rehearing of the agency’s decision permitting Baron Winds LLC to construct a 242-megawatt wind energy project in Steuben County. Petitioners challenged the approval of amendments to the siting permit in May on grounds that the board did…...
The 49th quarterly carbon auction of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first market-based program to cut power sector emissions, sold nearly 16.2 million carbon allowances at a clearing price of $6.82, according to a Sept. 4 news release. The clearing price is the highest since the December 2015 auction, which cleared at $7.50.…
Duke Energy Carolinas LLC and Duke Energy Progress LLC on Sept. 1 unveiled their 15-year integrated resource plans for the Carolinas, presenting a range of scenarios with accelerated coal retirement options and substantial increases in solar, wind, and energy storage technologies. The proposal details six generation portfolios that would keep Duke Energy Corp. on a…...
U.S. petroleum refineries significantly altered operations in response to plummeting demand for motor gasoline and jet fuel, both of which have fallen to near-all-time lows because of efforts to mitigate the COVID 19 pandemic, according to an Aug. 28 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Beginning in April, refiners responded to less demand for…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 27 issued a decision providing guidelines on how regulated energy utilities should address vulnerabilities caused by climate change and engage with disadvantaged communities on adaptation measures. The decision ensures equitability by requiring utilities to minimize the climate-related impacts of infrastructure, operations, and service changes for the most vulnerable…...
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Aug. 27 announced plans to fund installation efforts for over 38 fast-charging stations within the state, extending the incumbent EV highway corridor network by more than 2500 miles in the process. Fast charging capabilities can fully replenish an EV with a 100-mile range in as few as 20 minutes…...
The Illinois Commerce Commission on Aug. 20 opened an inquiry to explore electricity rate design options to support transportation electrification infrastructure and gather information about the impact rate structures will have on other forms of electrification, service, and affordability. The inquiry supplements previous efforts by the commission to study electric vehicles. In 2018, the commission…...
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on Aug. 24 announced the approval of the Just Transition Working Group and six advisory panels tasked with providing recommendations to the Climate Action Council. The council is a 22-member committee established under the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which sets aggressive goals for…...
The Montana Supreme Court on Aug. 24 ruled that state regulators unlawfully reduced the payments and contract lengths for solar projects’ power supply arrangements under the 1978 Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, or PURPA, which established requirements for utilities to purchase power from small independent generators. The decision affirms a 2019 lower court order, and…...
The Bureau of Land Management’s quarterly oil and gas lease sale in New Mexico generated net proceeds of $8.28 million, according to an Aug. 28 press release. Nearly half the revenue from the sale is allotted to the states where the oil and gas activity takes place namely, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The remainder…...
