Republican Governor Christopher Sununu vetoed legislation on July 24 that sought to revise the state’s renewable portfolio standards for solar to 5.4 percent by 2025. Currently, the state’s RPS requires 25.2 percent of power to come from renewables by 2025, with a solar carve-out of 0.7 percent by 2020. This is the second solar bill…
Duke Energy Renewables LLC on July 22 announced the purchase of its largest solar energy project, a 200-megawatt facility, which is being developed by 8minute Solar Energy in Texas. The solar farm, which is expected to be complete in the summer of 2020, will sell much of its output through a 12-year hedge agreement to…
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on July 24 granted a permit allowing Triple H Wind Project LLC to construct a 250-megawatt wind energy facility in Hyde County at an estimated cost $300 million. Triple H Wind, a subsidiary of Engie North America Inc., has entered into two 30-year power purchase agreements to sell the…
The California Independent System Operator Corporation called for an immediate plan to address near-term reliability needs through 2022, according to a July 23 filing in response to the Public Utilities Commission’s rulemaking to refine long-term procurement planning requirements. The grid operator projects a gap of up to 2 gigawatts beginning in the summer of 2021…
Virginia, followed by Ohio and Pennsylvania ranked as the top states within the PJM Interconnection LLC system for the amount of solar capacity requesting to be connected to the network, according to a July 26 report from the system manager. The bulk of the wind project requests, mostly large offshore projects, are from New Jersey…
Democratic Governor Kate Brown signed legislation on July 15 that sets goals to promote zero-emissions vehicles in the state, including a requirement that all light-duty vehicles owned or leased by the state of Oregon be ZEVs by 2029. The new law aims for at least 50,000 registered ZEVs by 2020 and 250,000 by 2025. At…
Twin Eagle Resource Management LLC agreed to pay an administrative penalty of $180,000 to resolve alleged claims arising from its obligations as a qualified scheduling entity in 2016, according to a July 22 settlement agreement with the Texas Public Utilities Commission staff. Twin Eagle failed to reserve sufficient capacity to meet its obligations for 23…
Ohio state lawmakers approved legislation on July 23 requiring electric customers to pay new monthly surcharges from 2021 through 2027 to raise $150 million per year to subsidize FirstEnergy Solutions Corp.’s ailing nuclear plants. Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, signed the bill into law, making Ohio the fifth state in the nation to prop up…
The Michigan Public Service Commission on July 18 approved part of DTE Electric Co.’s renewable energy plan, which includes the purchase of about 455 megawatts of wind power that will qualify for the full federal tax credit. The investments are expected to boost the company’s renewable energy portfolio by nearly 50 percent. The agency said…
The New Hampshire Supreme Court on July 19 ruled in favor of the state’s decision that denied a key permit for Eversource Energy to construct its 192-mile Northern Pass transmission line designed to supply hydro power from Hydro-Quebec’s dams in Canada to New England. Last February, the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee, the state agency…
Last year, 89 utilities, representing nearly half of all major U.S. electric utilities, filed rate cases with state regulatory commissions, the largest number since 1983, according to a July 19 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The aggregated value of utility-rate hike requests in 2018 was $6.8 billion, and regulators approved a total increase…
The Hawaiian Electric Company has submitted a plan with state regulators for its largest-ever renewable energy solicitation, seeking about 900 megawatts of new renewable generation capable of delivering nearly 2 million megawatt-hours each year, according to a July 17 filling. Pending regulatory approval, the utility plans to issue the final RFPs by August 9 and…