The New Hampshire state legislature passed a measure that revises the state’s renewable portfolio standards for solar to 5.4 percent by 2025, up from the current 0.6 percent. The bill specifically seeks to raise the amount of electricity that utilities must procure from Class II renewables, which comprises solar electric systems that began operation after…
Legislation creating an ambitious cap-and-trade program in Oregon cleared a key committee on June 12 and is scheduled for a House vote on Monday. If passed, the bill would make Oregon the second state after California to adopt the market-based approach to slashing greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change. Democrats currently hold a trifecta in…
Democratic Governor Janet Mills signed legislation on June 14 establishing the position of a “nonwires alternative coordinator” to investigate and identify alternatives to proposed transmission projects, and evaluate the costs and benefits of nonwire alternatives compared to utility capital investments in the transmission and distribution system. Nonwire alternatives refer to infrastructure, technology, or application that…
Magnolia LNG LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of LNGL, submitted a request to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to boost liquefied natural gas production capacity at its proposed Magnolia LNG export terminal in Louisiana, according to a June 7 notice. The company wants to expand the production capacity of the project from the currently approved 8 million…
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection denied Williams Partners LP a water quality certification for its nearly $1 billion Northeast Supply Enhancement natural gas project, over concerns that it would “adversely impact surface water quality”, according to a June 6 press release. The move follows the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s decision just last month to deny “without…
The Florida Public Service Commission on June 11 approved an agreement allowing Duke Energy Florida LLC to use savings from the 2017 federal tax reforms to cover the costs of restoring power after hurricane Michael, avoiding a surcharge to the utility’s customers. Duke Energy will use $223.5 million for the costs incurred from the October…
The Maine legislature has passed a bill on June 11 which was set to mandate an 80 percent renewable portfolio standard by 2040, but the goal was removed to focus instead on workforce initiatives and solar installations in schools. The final version of the bill, which was introduced by Democratic Representative Chloe Maxmin, centers instead on workforce…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has released the draft version of the 2019 Energy Master Plan, which provides a blueprint made up of seven strategies for achieving the state’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emission by at least 80 percent compared to 2006 levels,…
The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) filed the latest edition of its 2019-2038 integrated resource plan which calls for 1,800 megawatts of solar, 920 megawatts of storage and resilient MiniGrids at a cost of about $14 billion, according to a June 7 testimony and plan. With the assistance of Siemens and extensive stakeholder input, PREPA settled…
U.S. coal consumption declined from its peak of 1,128 million short tons in 2007 to 687 MMst last year, the lowest since 1978, according to a June 10 report from the Energy Information Administration. Nearly all of the coal consumed in the U.S. is produced domestically, and most of it is used to generate electricity.…
The Oregon legislature on June 7 approved a measure that seeks to prohibit the use of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas exploration and production. The ban is set to expire on Jan. 2, 2025. (HB 2623) The bill exempts the use of fracturing for natural gas storage wells, geothermal activities, and existing coal bed…
The ISO New England Inc. requires wind and intermittent hydropower generators with a capacity supply obligation to offer their power into the grid operator’s day-ahead energy market, starting June 1. The requirement stems from an initiative launched in 2016 to enable these resources to take part in real-time markets and begin taking electronic dispatch instructions.…