The California Air Resources Board finalized agreements with major automakers – Ford, Honda, BMW, Volkswagen, and Volvo – to cut vehicle emissions in the state based upon a framework released last year, according to an Aug. 17 press release. The framework, which supports continued annual reductions of vehicle emissions through the 2026 model year, sets…...
Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards on Aug. 19 signed two executive orders to address climate change and enhance coastal resilience. The first order establishes the state’s first Climate Initiative Task Force to make recommendations to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 100 percent by 2050. The second order outlines measures under the Adaptive Governance Initiative…...
The New York Public Service Commission on Aug. 13 announced an update on transmission initiatives underway to implement the 2020 Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth & Community Benefit Act. This legislation calls for significant investment to meet New York’s target of sourcing 70 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. The 2019 Climate Leadership…...
Alternative ratemaking plans and innovative rate design proposals continue to emerge as utilities adapt to policy and technology changes driven by decarbonization efforts and distributed energy growth. With growing state mandates to increase renewable energy generation, regulators are devising performance metrics and incentives to encourage utility innovation in achieving policy goals.
Xcel Energy Inc. announced a plan to power 1.5 million electric vehicles in the eight states it serves by 2030, according to an Aug. 12 press release. The company expects 20 percent of the vehicles in its service territory to be replaced by electric vehicles, over the next decade, a 30-fold increase from current levels…....
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Aug. 13 issued final rules that remove the transmission and storage segment of the oil and gas industry from regulation and revokes emissions standards for that segment. The rules also rescind methane standards for the production and processing segments as controls for ozone-forming volatile organic compounds also reduce methane…...
From 2011 to 2019, the U.S. repurposed 121 coal-fired plants to burn other fuels, of which 103 switched to natural gas, according to an Aug. 5 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The agency attributed the trend to stricter emission standards, low gas prices, and more efficient natural gas turbine technology. Of the 316.8-gigawatts…...
The offshore wind industry continues to progress in the U.S. with East Coast states proceeding with new solicitations to procure capacity to meet their ambitious goals. New York and New Jersey are seeking to add nearly five gigawatts alongside offshore port infrastructure. Massachusetts is considering a bundled solicitation for generation and transmission in its next round of procurement. The industry’s growth has prompted federal regulators to examine whether existing frameworks in regional transmission organizations can accommodate offshore wind integration.
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources on Aug. 4 announced the launch of the Clean Peak Energy Standard, an incentive program designed to encourage the use of clean energy resources during times of peak electricity demand. The first-in-the-nation program requires retail electricity suppliers to increase their kilowatt-hour sales from clean energy during seasonal peak demand…...
The University of Maine on Aug. 5 announced a partnership with New England Aqua Ventus LLC, a joint venture of Diamond Offshore Wind and RWE Renewables to develop the nation’s first floating offshore wind demonstration project off the coast of Maine. The companies will invest $100 million to build the turbine and demonstrate the technology…...
A bipartisan group of 32 legislators from Ohio asked the state’s Power Siting Board to reconsider the restrictions imposed on Icebreaker Wind Inc.‘s 20.7- megawatt offshore wind project in Lake Erie, according to a July 29 press release. The construction certificate, issued in May, includes a condition that the turbines remain feathered during nighttime hours…...
Public Service Enterprise Group is exploring alternatives to 6,750 megawatts of fossil generation in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and Maryland, and its 467-megawatt Solar Source portfolio across 14 states, according to a July 31 press release. The New Jersey utility intends to retain its existing nuclear fleet, in order to help the state achieve…...
