The Florida Public Service Commission on Jan 5 approved an agreement on Duke Energy Florida ’s Clean Energy Connection Program. The initiative allows the company to provide its customers with about 750 megawatts of new solar power and offer more options for residents, businesses, and local governments for voluntary participation. The program allows customers to…...
Distribution system planning is occurring across various states as utilities and regulators assess the growing need for grid integration of distributed energy resources (DER) and investments that have long-term implications for the power system.
The shift in policy priorities of the incoming administration is expected to accelerate the transformation of the power sector towards clean energy and distributed grid, continuing its trajectory driven by market dynamics, technology, and customer preferences. The strong growth of renewable energy is expected to speed up, particularly with the extension of the federal tax…...
The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approved a new performance-based regulation, or PBR, framework to govern Hawaiian Electric Company by better aligning the company’s interests with that of customers’ and the state’s clean energy goals. Hawaii is mandated by a 2018 law to implement PBR, establishing a financial link between utility revenues and performance in achieving…...
Renewable energy received a boost with the enactment of the federal spending bill and COVID-19 relief package on Dec. 27, which includes tax extenders and about $35 billion in spending authorizations to support energy research and development programs. The legislation includes a two-year extension of the Investment Tax Credit for solar generation, a one-year extension…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 21 issued a decision adopting strategies and metrics to further the integration of electric vehicles as grid resources. The decision, which adopts recommendations of the commission’s Vehicle Grid Integration Working Group, directs utilities to collaborate on interconnection and rate reforms and pilot programs, such as using EVs for…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Dec. 21 released a roadmap for its Energy Storage Grand Challenge initiative, a 10-year program launched in January to expedite the development of next-generation storage technologies. The roadmap marks the department’s first comprehensive strategy to address energy storage. The program aims to establish and sustain U.S. leadership in energy storage…...
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which established the nation's first mandatory emissions-trading program, received a further boost as Virginia finalized regulations to become its eleventh member and Pennsylvania, the third largest coal-producing state, adopted draft regulations to join the program, following New Jersey’s re-entry after a decade.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities received applications from Denmark-based Orsted A/S and Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC, a joint venture of EDF Renewables North America and Shell New Energies US LLC, in response to the state’s second solicitation launched in September, according to a Dec. 11 news release. The solicitation endears the award…...
The growing adoption of clean energy standards, energy efficiency, and customer-sited resources is driving the need for innovative ratemaking principles. Utilities are exploring rate structures that facilitate the integration of variable and distributed generation, and align customer behavior with grid needs. Smart meters are paving the way for time-based and dynamic rate options to balance the grid under the increased penetration of renewable and distributed energy resources, as well as electric vehicles.
DTE Electric Company on Dec. 3 requested the Michigan Public Service Commission to approve the second phase of its Electric Vehicle Charging Forward Program. The company seeks authorization to create a regulatory asset to cover the costs associated with the program activities. The incremental operation and maintenance costs of the program are estimated at about…...
Amid commitments to procure more than 29 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2035, U.S. states are exploring measures for transmission planning, interconnection reforms, supply chain development, and components production.
