The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 27 turned down a proposal by PJM Interconnection LLC to require demand response to conform to the requirements of supply-side capacity performance resources. The agency found that the changes would improperly charge load-serving entities participating in the grid operator’s price-responsive demand, or PRD, program by not providing a…
The Tennessee Valley Authority on June 28 released its 2019 integrated resource plan, which calls for up to 14 gigawatts of new solar and 5.3 gigawatts of battery storage to meet the electricity needs of the seven-state region through 2038. The utility said that the plan is designed to facilitate a more flexible power generation…
Public Citizen Inc issued a protest to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requesting it release the name of utilities that violated reliability standards, according to June 24 filing with the federal regulator. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which is responsible for enforcing the nation’s cybersecurity and reliability standards for the electric utility industry, issued a…
Democratic Governor Janet Mills signed a measure on June 26 establishing a climate council tasked with developing an action plan to achieve emissions reductions of 45 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050, relative to 1990 levels. Mills also signed a bill that strengthens the state’s renewable portfolio standard to 80 by 2030 and…
The California Public Utilities Commission on June 28 finalized the procurement levels required under the state’s renewable portfolio standard program for years beginning in 2021 that were revised by Senate Bill 100 enacted last year. The law requires 60 percent of electricity retail sales to come from renewable resources by 2030. The agency revised the…
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission announced that net metering credits for grid-exported energy will decrease to 81 percent of the retail electricity rate from 88 percent after customer subscriptions reached the 80-megawatt threshold under the second tier of the program, according to a June 26 press release. New and existing solar capacity on the system…
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on June 25 approved Xcel Energy Inc.’s 2018 rate adjustments for its revenue decoupling mechanism, which results in bill credits totaling $13 million for residential and small business customers that are subject to the program. The adjustment is calculated to match the actual electric revenue per customer to the level…
MidAmerican Energy Company served 51.4 percent of its retail sales using renewable energy last year, the Iowa Utilities Board verified in an order issued on June 21. The company said that it owns the vast majority of the renewable generation that delivers its retail energy, and acquires a small amount through power purchase arrangements. The…
In April 2019, U.S. monthly electricity generation from renewable sources exceeded coal-fired generation for the first time based on data in EIA’s Electric Power Monthly. Renewables, which include utility-scale hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, provided 23 percent of the total electricity generation while coal provided 20. According to the agency, the milestone was helped by…
Illinois lawmakers approved a measure that allows a one-year extension of the date by which the Illinois Power Agency is required to deliver renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind and solar projects acquired through long-term contracts. The bill sets a June 1, 2022 deadline for the agency to begin supplying credits. Current law directs…
Duke Energy Indiana LLC issued a proposal for its 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) calling for 2,840 megawatts of new natural gas capacity, 700 megawatts of wind and 1,650 megawatts of solar power, while accelerating the retirement of over 4 gigawatts of coal generation capacity over the next 7 to 19 years, according to a June…
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities on June 25 approved 20-year contracts between Hydro-Québec and the state’s electric distribution companies Unitil Corp., National Grid plc, and Eversource Energy to acquire Canadian hydropower to help the state achieve its clean energy goals. The power will be delivered into New England over a $1 billion transmission line…
