The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration on Nov. 15 issued a final rule expanding federal safety oversight to onshore gas gathering pipelines, representing over 425,000 additional miles of pipelines that will be subject to federal reporting guidelines. Gathering lines typically transport gas from the production site to interstate transmission pipelines. The agency expects that…...
U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law on Nov.15, unlocking $62 billion for U.S. Energy Department initiatives, including revitalizing domestic manufacturing, expanding access to energy efficiency and clean energy, modernizing the power grid, and advancing next-generation technologies. Among the major provisions, the legislation allocates $6 billion for a Civilian…...
Dominion Energy Inc. on Nov. 5 filed an application with the Virginia State Corporation Commission seeking approval to build a 2.6 gigawatt offshore wind project. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind commercial project, which represents a $9.8 billion investment, would be the biggest offshore wind project in the U.S. The project would contribute to Virginia’s goal…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Nov. 3 launched the Net Zero World Initiative, a partnership between countries working to implement their climate action pledges and speed up the shift to net zero, resilient, and inclusive energy systems. The agency will lead the initiative as part of the Build Back Better World initiative to facilitate customized,…...
The Texas Public Utilities Commission on Oct. 21 adopted a rule addressing weather emergency preparedness of power generators and utilities, the first of a two-part process in the development of reliability standards in the wake of the mid-February winter storm event. The rule requires affected companies to implement winter weather readiness recommendations identified in a…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Oct. 14 released a progress report of its Better Buildings, Better Plants program that aims to decarbonize the industrial sector. To date, over 250 manufacturers and water utilities have embraced efficiency and decarbonization measures, achieving cumulative savings of $9.3 billion in costs and 1.9 quadrillion British thermal units of energy,…...
Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, a Democrat, signed legislation on Sept. 15 that puts the state on the path to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. The law sets a goal of 50 percent renewable energy by 2040 and provides financial support for the states’ existing nuclear plants at risk of closure due to market…...
The California Public Utilities Commission has authorized a 7.63 percent increase to Southern California Edison’s revenue requirement for 2021, down from the utility’s initial request of a 19.03 percent hike. The decision authorizes a $6.899 billion revenue requirement for operations and capital investment in 2021, about $730 million less than what the utility requested. This…...
U.S. large-scale battery power capacity grew by 35 percent in 2020, reaching 1.65 gigawatts, according to an Aug. 20 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Battery power capacity tripled over the last five years. Between 2021-2023, utilities are expected to install more than 10 gigawatts of additional capacity, which is about ten times the…...
The California Energy Commission on Aug. 11 adopted the 2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards revising energy efficiency standards for newly constructed and renovated buildings as part of its three-year update cycle. The new code is estimated to provide $1.5 billion in consumer benefits and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 million metric tons over the…...
The mid-February Winter Storm Uri, which caused widespread power outages across the south-central U.S., has sharply brought cold weather reliability standards to the forefront of regulatory and market attention. Texas, which experienced the worst power outages resulting from the storm, has passed legislation and initiated investigations to address the impacts of the grid event. The…...
The Illinois Commerce Commission on Aug. 3 granted Ameren Illinois Company’s request to create an electric vehicle charging program that offers new optional rate structures to incentivize EV adoption and install charging stations. The tariff, titled “Rider Optional Electric Vehicle Charging Program,” is designed to encourage charging during specific off-peak periods. This initiative would support…...
