U.S. biofuel production is projected to grow by 18 percent in 2050, relative to 2019 levels, under the reference case, which reflects current laws and regulations in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook. The growth is driven largely by economic and policy factors, according to the agency’s March 9 report. In a scenario…...
Solar and wind developers are faced with tough challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts the global supply chain, affecting project timelines. Delays have the potential to threaten power purchase contracts and federal tax credits that are crucial for project economics. The crisis has triggered an economic slowdown as governments take measures to curb the advance of…
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission issued a permit allowing Crowned Ridge Wind II LLC to build a 301-megawatt wind energy facility in Codington, Deuel, and Grant counties, according to a March 18 press release. The $425 million project consists of 132 wind turbines spanning about 70,000 acres east of Watertown. The developer has entered…...
The Tennessee Valley Authority issued a request for proposals to develop 200 megawatts of renewable energy projects that can begin commercial operations by the end of 2023, according to a March 16 news release. The seven-state power agency said it does not have a need for more base-load energy and is investing in renewables in…...
The 47th quarterly carbon auction of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first mandatory cap-and-trade program to cut power sector emissions, sold about 16.2 million carbon allowances at a clearing price of $5.65, according to a March 13 news release. New Jersey participated in the auction for the first time in almost a decade…...
Virginia lawmakers approved legislation on March 5 that requires the State Corporation Commission to determine the amortization period for the recovery of any costs associated with the early retirement of coal and natural gas generation. The commission is tasked with performing an independent analysis of economic factors pertaining to the operation of each electric utility’s…...
Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo on March 16 announced the selection of 21 large-scale solar, wind, and energy storage projects totaling 1,278 megawatts in the state’s latest annual solicitation for large-scale renewable energy capacity. The awards, which represent $1 billion in state investment, include projects that offered bids 23 percent lower than those received three years…...
The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment on March 13 granted a permit, allowing Canisteo Wind Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Invenergy LLC, to construct a 290.7-megawatt wind generating facility in Steuben County. The project is expected to generate up to $60 million in local property tax revenues over 20…...
Georgia Power Company seeks to reduce fuel rates by about 16 percent, driven primarily by projected decreases in natural gas prices, according to a March 9 filing with the Georgia Public Service Commission. The change would lower monthly residential bills by 4 percent or $5 for a customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month, beginning June…...
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on March 4 approved Indianapolis Power & Light Company’s seven-year grid modernization plan, which proposes an investment of $1.2 billion to replace or upgrade the company’s aging transmission and distribution system assets. The plan will provide new technology, equipment, and systems including a self-healing grid that allows the company to…...
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems on March 10 announced a contract with Utah’s Intermountain Power Agency for the first advanced class gas turbines designed to facilitate the transition of a power plant in central Utah from coal, to natural gas and ultimately to renewable hydrogen fuel. The transition will begin in 2025, with a fuel mix…...
Indiana lawmakers approved legislation on March 10 that requires utilities to provide at least three years advance notice to the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission before retiring a legacy generation resource. A public utility may not retire otherwise transfer the ownership of a reliable capacity resource before May 2021 without receiving regulatory approval. The measure comes…...