The Michigan Public Service Commission on Sept. 10 ratified a settlement allowing Consumers Energy Company to increase its natural gas rates by $144 million, which is approximately 40 percent less than the utility’s initial request. Under the new rates, effective Oct. 1, residential customers will see a 9.1 percent increase in their monthly bills. In its…...
The Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board on Sept. 15 voted in favor of a proposed regulation that would allow the state to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, a cooperative effort among 10 states to cap and reduce emissions from the power sector. Democratic Governor Tom Wolf applauded the move, which stems from…...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 14 announced a proposed settlement with German automaker Daimler AG and its subsidiary Mercedes-Benz USA LLC to resolve allegations of cheating on emission tests. The $1.5 billion settlement includes a civil penalty of $875 million, the largest in the history of the Clean Air Act. The case involves…
The New York Independent System Operator Inc. on Sept. 8 announced it has finalized the process required to allow full participation of energy storage resources in the grid operator’s wholesale energy markets. The rules are required for compliance with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Order No. 841, which directed grid operators to establish a market…...
A coalition of 15 states on Sept. 9 filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for approving oil and gas leasing activities in the 1.56 million-acre Coastal Plain area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The lawsuit, filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, argues that the approval is based on…...
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Sept. 9 announced the state’s second offshore wind solicitation, seeking 1.2 to 2.4 gigawatts of capacity. The board also approved the final Offshore Wind Strategic Plan, the state’s comprehensive roadmap for reaching the goal of 7.5 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035. The first round resulted…...
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…...