The Michigan Public Service Commission authorized a contract allowing Consumers Energy Co. to purchase a 166-megawatt wind farm in Hillsdale County, according to an Oct. 7 news release. The project, which will be developed by Crescent Wind LLC, is expected to come online by the end of next year. The agency also approved cost recovery…
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin issued a draft environmental impact statement for Wisconsin Electric Power Company-Gas Operations’ Lakeshore Lateral natural gas line, according to the Oct. 4 filling. The draft report identified impacts and minor route adjustments, with recommendations available in the final report. The new natural gas transmission would be approximately 46 miles in length,…
PacifiCorp unveiled its draft long-term resource plan on Oct. 3 that proposes to retire 20 of its 24 coal units by the end of the planning period in 2038, reducing coal-fired generation capacity by about 4.5 gigawatts. The plan, which envisions about 7 gigawatts of renewables and storage by 2025, identifies battery installations as part…
The U.S. Department of Energy issued an order to Ferus Natural Gas Fuels, L.P. approving exports of domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its Eagle Jacksonville Project, according to an October 4 press release. Under the order, Eagle LNG will have the authority to export up to 0.14 billion cubic feet per day of…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is scheduled to issue an environmental review for two natural gas compressor projects by February 8, 2020, according to a Sept. 24 press release. Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline LLC’s $145 million Acadiana project and Columbia Gulf Transmission LLC’s $470 million Louisiana Xpress project will have a combined environmental review. The Acadiana project,…
The Illinois Commerce Commission denied a request by solar developer Sunrise Energy Ventures LLC to investigate the Illinois Power Agency’s Adjustable Block Program lottery conducted in April to select projects for renewable energy credit, or REC, contracts, according to an Oct. 2 order. The commission found that the lottery is within the discretion granted to…
Dominion Energy Inc. on Sept. 30 filed a second petition with the Virginia State Corporation Commission for approval of the first three-year phase of its 10-year grid transformation plan. The $594 million proposal includes investments in a customer information platform that allows for digital management of energy usage and nearly one million smart meters, which…
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Oct. 3 declined to hear a petition seeking clarification regarding the applicability of the Energy Transition Act to the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s closure and replacement of the San Juan coal-fired plant. The law, which took effect in June, includes provisions to issue energy transition bonds for…
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Oct. 2 directing the Public Utilities Commission to review each retail seller’s annual renewable portfolio standard compliance report and notify a seller if it may be at risk of not satisfying the requirement. The law requires the commission to ensure that load-serving entities carry out their integrated resource…
Democratic Governor Tom Wolf issued an executive order on Oct. 3, directing the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to develop rules to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, a nine-state compact that established the nation’s first mandatory emissions trading program. The move is significant in that it would bring a major fossil fuel…
The Energy Information Administration projects that renewables will collectively provide almost 50 percent of global electricity generation by 2050, with solar being the fastest growing technology, according to its latest International Energy Outlook 2019. Resource availability, renewable policies, regional load growth, and declining technology costs drive EIA’s projected increase in global electricity generation from solar technologies.…
The Illinois Power Agency on Sept. 30 proposed a plan for the procurement of electricity for eligible retail customers of Ameren Illinois Company, Commonwealth Edison Company, and MidAmerican Energy Company for the period of June 2020 through May 2025. The plan provides recommendations related to the procurement of electricity, capacity, and associated transmission services to…