The cumulative U.S. installed onshore wind capacity exceeded 100 gigawatts on a nameplate capacity basis as of the end of September 2019, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. More than half of that amount has been installed since the beginning of 2012. The oldest wind turbines still operating in the United States came online…
The 46th quarterly carbon auction of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first mandatory cap-and-trade program to cut power sector emissions, resulted in a price of $5.61 per short ton for the 13.1 million tons of carbon allowances sold. The clearing price was almost the same as the June 2019 price, which was the…
Southwest Power Pool Inc., the grid operator for 14 states in the central U.S., launched a new roadmap process to improve the way in which the grid operator and its stakeholders collaborate on proposed changes to its day-ahead and real-time electric markets, according to a Dec. 11 news release. The process adds more transparency, giving…
Republican Governor Christopher Sununu signed an executive order on Dec. 3, establishing four advisory boards to inform the state’s next steps for offshore wind energy development. The order also calls for a study on the emissions reduction potential of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, as well as the state’s existing port and coastal…
The New York State Department of Public Service issued a report that recommends improvements to residential net metering to support continued growth of the state’s solar industry while ensuring fairness for all ratepayers by enhancing the accuracy of price signals and lowering the subsidies that are not directly tied to environmental values, according to a…
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas forecasts the reserve margin for summer 2020 to be 10.6 percent, based on resource updates provided to the grid operator from generation developers and an updated peak demand forecast, according to a Dec. 5 press release. The grid operator released its December Capacity, Demand and Reserves (CDR) Report which includes planning reserve…
The Michigan Public Service Commission accepted portions of Upper Peninsula Power Company’s integrated resource plan, including a 125-megawatt solar power contract as the lowest-cost energy supply option, according to a Dec. 6 news release. The agency recommended removal of the company’s proposal to build a 20-megawatt natural gas-fired unit, and called for a more robust…
Venting and flaring of U.S. natural gas reached its highest average annual level of 1.28 billion cubic feet per day in 2018, with North Dakota and Texas accounting for 82 percent of the amount, according to a Dec. 6 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. As crude oil production has outpaced the buildout of…
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 5 approved NV Energy’s integrated resource plan, which will add 1,190 megawatts of new solar energy projects and 590 megawatts of energy storage. The new capacity will come from three projects located in Clark County, southern Nevada, and are scheduled to be operational by Jan. 1, 2024. The…
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection selected Vineyard Wind LLC’s 804-megawatt Park City Wind Project as the winner in its offshore wind solicitation, according to a Dec. 5 news release. The project represents Connecticut’s largest renewable energy purchase, and will provide the equivalent of 14 percent of the state’s electricity. Vineyard will now…
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 3 granted Xcel Energy Inc.’s proposal to modify the value of solar, or VOS, methodology to arrive at a more stable and reasonable rate. The commission agreed that the avoided distribution cost component is the cause for the volatility in the VOS rate, which is used to calculate…
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission opened a docket to develop rules requiring investor-owned utilities to file distribution system plans, according to a Dec. 3 news release. Distribution planning would help ensure that grid modernization allows for continued safe, reliable and cost-effective utility operations, according to the agency. The move stems from legislation enacted in June…