The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment on Sept. 3 denied petitions seeking rehearing of the agency’s decision permitting Baron Winds LLC to construct a 242-megawatt wind energy project in Steuben County. Petitioners challenged the approval of amendments to the siting permit in May on grounds that the board did…...
The 49th quarterly carbon auction of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first market-based program to cut power sector emissions, sold nearly 16.2 million carbon allowances at a clearing price of $6.82, according to a Sept. 4 news release. The clearing price is the highest since the December 2015 auction, which cleared at $7.50.…
Proposals to accelerate the phase-out of coal-fired generation appear more prominently in long-term resource plans of U.S. electric utilities, reflecting the growing shift to renewable energy. The transition from coal continues to be driven by state clean energy mandates, emissions reduction goals, low natural gas prices, and increased availability of low-cost renewables and storage resources.
Duke Energy Carolinas LLC and Duke Energy Progress LLC on Sept. 1 unveiled their 15-year integrated resource plans for the Carolinas, presenting a range of scenarios with accelerated coal retirement options and substantial increases in solar, wind, and energy storage technologies. The proposal details six generation portfolios that would keep Duke Energy Corp. on a…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 27 issued a decision providing guidelines on how regulated energy utilities should address vulnerabilities caused by climate change and engage with disadvantaged communities on adaptation measures. The decision ensures equitability by requiring utilities to minimize the climate-related impacts of infrastructure, operations, and service changes for the most vulnerable…...
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Aug. 27 announced plans to fund installation efforts for over 38 fast-charging stations within the state, extending the incumbent EV highway corridor network by more than 2500 miles in the process. Fast charging capabilities can fully replenish an EV with a 100-mile range in as few as 20 minutes…...
There is a growing interest in how carbon pricing can be incorporated into wholesale power markets as more jurisdictions embrace policy goals to transition to a lower-carbon power system. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has scheduled a technical conference to consider state adoption of mechanisms to price carbon emissions in regions with commission-jurisdictional electricity markets.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on Aug. 24 announced the approval of the Just Transition Working Group and six advisory panels tasked with providing recommendations to the Climate Action Council. The council is a 22-member committee established under the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which sets aggressive goals for…...
Exelon Generation on Aug. 26 announced that it plans to retire two nuclear plants in Illinois with a capacity of more than 4.1 gigawatts as they face revenue shortfalls due to falling energy prices and market rules that allow fossil fuel generators to underbid carbon-free resources in PJM Interconnection LLC’s capacity auction. The announcement follows…...
The California Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 27 authorized a budget of $437 million to fund the installation of about 38,000 charging ports under Southern California Edison Company’s Charge Ready 2 program. The decision adopted changes that make the program more cost effective and better align with California’s electric vehicle goals than the utility’s initial…...
The twenty-fourth quarterly carbon auction held by California and Quebec sold nearly 89 percent of the carbon permits offered for current emissions, rebounding from a dip in the previous auction which sold only 37 percent, according to the results released on Aug. 25 by the California Air Resources Board. The auction generated about $474.4 million…...
Recently, state regulators have stepped up efforts to value distributed energy resources (DERs) more accurately while looking for ways to better reflect the costs they impose on the grid. Among recent actions, New York adopted a mechanism to move the market towards more cost-reflective rates, while California decided to include avoided transmission costs in the valuation, and Connecticut unveiled a study on quantifying the benefits of these resources.
