FERC Affirms Storage Market Participation Rule, Declining Requests for State Opt-Outs

Court Upholds FERC Rule to Expand Energy Storage Participation in Wholesale Power Markets

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on July 10 upheld the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s energy storage order, rejecting arguments that the agency exceeded its jurisdiction by barring states from prohibiting behind-the-meter storage participation in wholesale markets. The commission adopted the landmark Order No. 841 in February 2018, directing grid…...

Atlantic Coast Pipeline Project Canceled Due to Legal Uncertainties

Atlantic Coast Pipeline Project Canceled Due to Legal Uncertainties

Dominion Energy Inc. and Duke Energy Corp. canceled the Atlantic Coast pipeline project because of the ongoing delays and increased legal costs, which threaten the project’s economic viability, according to a July 5 press release. The 600-mile pipeline, initially announced in 2014, was planned to transport natural gas across West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina…....

Jordan Cove LNG Pipeline Connectors

U.S. Energy Department Issues Export Approval to Jordan Cove LNG Project

The U.S. Energy Department on July 6 issued a final long-term order authorizing the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export project and the associated Pacific Connector pipeline in Oregon. The order authorizes the facility to export up to 1.08 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas as LNG to nations with which the U.S…....

Electricity Demand Across Most of U.S.

NERC Anticipates Adequate Resources to Meet Summer Electricity Demand Across Most of U.S.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation anticipates sufficient resources to meet this summer’s projected peak electricity demand in most areas of the U.S. despite the uncertainty caused by efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a July 7 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The corporation, which oversees regional electric…...

Dakota Access Pipeline Ordered to Shut Down Pending Environmental Review

Dakota Access Pipeline Ordered to Shut Down Pending Environmental Review

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 6 ordered Energy Transfer Partners LP to shut down the Dakota Access pipeline and empty it of oil until the completion of an environmental review, which is expected to take 13 months. The court found that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the…...

AEP to Advance 1.5 Gigawatts of Wind Projects Despite Texas Commission’s Denial

AEP to Advance 1.5 Gigawatts of Wind Projects Despite Texas Commission’s Denial

The Texas Public Utilities Commission rejected a plan by Southwestern Electric Power Co., a subsidiary of American Electric Power Company Inc., to add 309 megawatts of wind energy to serve Texas customers, according to a July 2 news release. Despite the denial, the company said it can move ahead with its planned acquisition of 1,485…...

U.S. Energy Department Grants $100 Million to Accelerate Scientific Breakthroughs

U.S. Energy Department Grants $100 Million to Accelerate Scientific Breakthroughs

The U.S. Energy Department on July 1 announced $100 million funding for ten Energy Frontier Research Centers over four years to expedite the scientific breakthroughs needed to tackle the energy challenges of the 21st century. The move intends to strengthen the nation’s economic prosperity and energy security. The centers will bring together multidisciplinary scientific teams…...

California Seeks to Improve Community Engagement for Utility Power Shut-offs Ahead of Wildfire Season

PG&E Completes Bankruptcy Restructuring Process

Pacific Gas and Electric Company emerged from Chapter 11, with the completion of its restructuring process and implementation of a reorganization plan that was confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on June 20, according to a July 1 announcement. The utility deposited about $5 billion in the $21 billion wildfire fund established last year to…...

Arizona Corporation Commissioners Propose Retail Electric Competition Rules

Texas Regulators Extend Electricity Relief Program Through August

The Public Utility Commission of Texas on July 2 announced an extension of the state’s Electricity Relief Program deadline from July 17 to August 31, 2020 as COVID-19 challenges continue.  The commission launched the program on March 26, in order to relieve the burden of retail electricity customers by protecting them from disconnections for non-payment…...

New York Regulator Reaffirms Decision Approving Calpine’s 124-Megawatt Wind Project

Virginia Regulator Approves Dominion Energy’s Renewable Energy Rate

The Virginia State Corporation Commission on July 2 approved Dominion Energy Inc.’s renewable energy rate, providing its customers the option to purchase 100 percent renewable-sourced electricity. As designed, the rate would charge a $3.98 premium per month besides the standard rate for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity on average, adding annual…...

Natural Gas Project

Court Strikes Down FERC’s Practice of Tolling Rehearing Requests in Pipeline Permitting Process

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on June 30 ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission cannot indefinitely delay requests for rehearing of cases under the Natural Gas Act by issuing tolling orders, which extend the 30-day time period for the agency to act on the petitions. The 10-1 ruling concluded that…...

Pipeline Relocation Plan

Michigan Commission Rejects Enbridge’s Request for Relief on

The Michigan Public Service Commission on June 30 rejected Enbridge’s request for a declaratory ruling that it has authority to replace a pipeline segment under the Straits of Mackinac under a 1953 order approving the Line 5 pipeline. The commission found that the Line 5 project differs significantly from the pipeline approved in 1953. Different…...