The U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Dec. 8 directing the federal government to use its procurement power to achieve ambitious emissions reduction and clean energy goals. This action is expected to facilitate the development of at least 10 gigawatts of carbon-free electricity by 2030 and fast-track the nation’s capacity to supply…...
The Kansas Corporation Commission Dec. 6 approved an agreement, allowing Evergy to offer rebates for customers installing electric vehicle chargers. The settlement, negotiated between the commission staff, Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board, and Evergy, provides new rate options to facilitate the transition to electric vehicles. Evergy’s program offers rebates of up to $500 to help homeowners…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 2 introduced new programs and modifications to existing programs to lower energy demand and increase supply during critical hours to prevent electricity breakdowns during extreme heat events such as the west-wide heat waves of 2020 and 2021. To protect the grid during extreme weather seasons, the regulator approved…...
The Bureau of Land Management on Dec. 8 auctioned utility-scale solar energy development leases in each of the three solar energy zones in Arizona. The auction is part of the Biden administration’s plans to eliminate carbon emissions from the power sector by 2035 and permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy on public lands by 2025…....
The Michigan Public Service Commission on Dec. 9 initiated a study to examine the potential of renewable natural gas (RNG) development. The study aims to identify existing and potential sources of RNG in Michigan and any barriers to development, in order for the state to provide a carbon neutral energy solution, using the existing natural…...
The Virginia State Corporation Commission is seeking comment on Dominion Energy’s proposal to construct an offshore wind facility off the coast of Virginia Beach. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project, estimated to cost about $9.8 billion, would consist of 176 turbines each having a capacity of 14.7 megawatts. Once fully built, the offshore wind…...
The growing incidence of extreme weather events has triggered regulatory and legislative efforts across the U.S. to improve the reliability and resilience of the energy system. Winter Storm Uri, which caused widespread outages in the South Central U.S. in February, prompted a regulatory upheaval in Texas, which suffered the brunt of the storm, leaving more than 4.5 million people without power. California has adopted measures to ensure reliability in the event of extreme weather in the summers of 2022 and 2023. Federal regulators have approved new cold weather electric reliability standards.
The U.S. Energy Department on Dec. 2 announced $35 million in funding for technologies that aim to reduce methane emissions in the coal, oil, and natural gas sectors. The department selected 12 projects for the grants under a new program called “Reducing Emissions of Methane Every Day of the Year,” or REMEDY, a three-year research…...
Interest in offshore wind energy has reached new levels driven by supportive federal action, ambitious state procurement targets, and evolving technology. Recent developments include federal approval of the second commercial-scale project, and plans to hold up to seven new lease sales by 2025 in the East Coast, as well as the West and Gulf Coasts. Despite the progress, the industry faces opposition with recent lawsuits challenging the approval of the nation’s first major offshore project, the 800-megawatt (MW) Vineyard Wind I venture, over its potential impact to the fishing industry and endangered species.
The U.S. Interior Department on Nov. 24 approved the construction and operation of the 130-megawatt South Fork Wind Project, a joint venture of Denmark-based Ørsted A/S and Eversource Energy, offshore Rhode Island. The decision marks the second federal approval of a commercial-scale offshore project, following the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind I development off Massachusetts approved earlier…...
