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Cuomo Orders National Grid to Immediately Connect Over 1,000 Gas Customers Previously Denied Service by Moratorium

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, announced that National Grid is being directed to immediately connect more than 1,000 customers that were previously denied service following supply constraints, according to an October 11 press release. The company is currently under investigation and facing millions of dollars in penalties for failing to connect existing residential customers…

U.S. Interior Approves 465 Megawatts of Solar Projects in California

National Grid’s Enrollment in Massachusetts Solar Incentive Program Quadrupled in Third Quarter

About 23.7 megawatts of capacity was enrolled in the service territory of National Grid plc during the third quarter of this year, up from 5.6 megawatts in the previous quarter, under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target, or SMART, program, according to an Oct. 18 report. Community solar accounted for nearly 7 megawatts of the capacity. The…

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Michigan Regulators Propose Overhaul of Natural Gas Standards Including Cybersecurity Rules

The Michigan Public Service Commission is proposing to amend rules governing the technical standards for gas service for utilities under the Commission’s jurisdiction, including cybersecurity measures, according to an Oct. 17 press release. The proposed rules reflect new technologies in the area of metering, equipment inspections and tests as well as removing references to obsolete…

U.S. EPA Reverses Finding That Formed Basis for Obama-Era Power Plant Mercury Rules

U.S. Lawmaker Proposes Bill Requiring Federal Regulators to Consider Climate Impacts of Gas Pipeline Projects

U.S. House Representative James McGovern, a Democrat representing Massachusetts, introduced legislation on Oct. 11 that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider greenhouse gas emissions when reviewing natural gas pipeline projects. Recent FERC approvals of pipeline projects have drawn attention to the commission’s divided approach to assess greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the need…

Bolster Battery Critical Materials Supply Chains

FERC Clears PJM, SPP Proposals Establishing Energy Storage Market Participation Models

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Oct. 17 largely approved plans filed by PJM Interconnection LLC and Southwest Power Pool Inc. addressing electric storage participation in their wholesale markets. The orders mark the agency’s first move to implement the landmark Order No. 841, which directed grid operators to establish a market model that recognizes the…

Energy Department Secretary Rick Perry

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to Step Down This Year Amid Ukraine Scandal

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced his resignation on Oct. 17 amid a Democratic-led impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s actions to pressure the Ukraine government to investigate his political opponent Joe Biden. The Energy Department wrote to House Committees that it would not comply with a subpoena demanding Ukraine-related documents, arguing that the House…

Solar Panel 10 18 2019

West Virginia Revises Net Metering Rules, Retains Retail Rate Credit

The West Virginia Public Service Commission on Oct. 16 issued final revisions to regulations governing net metering, ruling that customer generators will receive retail rate credit for grid-exported energy, provided that the rate credits do not reduce the bill below the fixed monthly minimum plus any separate charge for the incremental cost of connection. The commission…

Renewable Fuel Standard

Biofuel Industry Says U.S. EPA Failed to Ensure Integrity of Renewable Fuel Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Oct. 15 proposed to calculate the small refinery exemptions for 2020 under the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS, program based on a three-year average of the relief recommended by the Energy Department. The biofuel industry criticized the proposal for failing to meet the Oct. 4 agreement with the Trump…

Plaquemines LNG Map

Venture Global LNG’s Plaquemines Export Project Wins U.S. Energy Department Approval

The U.S. Energy Department authorized Venture Global Plaquemines LNG LLC to export liquefied natural gas equivalent to 3.4 billion cubic feet per day from its proposed export facility in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana to countries with non-free trade agreement for a term of 20 years, according to an Oct. 16 order. With this project, the agency…

renewable portfolio standard

NIPSCO Launches Solicitation for 2.6 Gigawatts of Renewables to Phase Out Coal

The Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC on Oct. 1 issued a request for proposals for 2,600 megawatts of solar, wind, and storage to satisfy a 2023 capacity need identified in its integrated resource plan, which proposes to phase out coal-fired generation by 2028. The company is requesting proposals in three areas:  300 megawatts of…