High temperatures that have persisted across Texas have kept electricity demand elevated in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the grid for most of the state, according to a Sept. 3 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Hourly load in the region averaged a record 74.5 gigawatts (GW) for the week…...
Governor Mikie Sherrill on Sep. 1 signed the Garden State Balcony Solar Act, opening the door for New Jersey residents to install qualifying plug-in solar panels without many of the regulatory hurdles that have limited their use. The legislation allows certified portable solar systems of up to 1,200 watts to connect through a standard 120-volt…...
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill on Aug. 27 completed the four pillars of the state’s data center strategy, signing legislation to expand transparency over data centers’ energy and water use while rolling out guidance and technical support to help municipalities negotiate stronger community benefits agreements. The actions build on July legislation requiring new data centers…...
The Michigan Public Service Commission on Aug. 27 approved two actions to strengthen safeguards for electricity customers as demand from data centers and other large load users accelerates: updated emergency load-shedding rules for DTE Electric and new large load tariff requirements for Indiana Michigan Power. The decisions are designed to ensure that rapidly growing electricity…...
The California Air Resources Board on Aug. 26 released the results of its latest joint carbon allowance auction with Quebec’s Ministry of the Environment, with all available allowances selling above the reserve price, signaling continued demand from regulated companies across the linked carbon market. The Aug. 19 sale cleared current allowances at $32.48 per metric…...
PJM Interconnection on Aug. 21 proposed a broad package of governance reforms aimed at speeding decision-making, strengthening board independence, and giving states a larger role in key electricity market decisions ahead of federally mediated negotiations beginning Sept. 1. The proposal responds to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s directive to develop reforms following a July technical…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Aug. 20 awarded $500 million to seven projects to expand domestic processing of critical minerals, battery manufacturing, and recycling capacity, advancing the Trump administration’s effort to strengthen U.S. supply chains for materials essential to energy production, manufacturing, and national security. The funding, announced through the Office of Critical Minerals and…...
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and other New England states on Aug. 19 urged federal regulators to closely scrutinize NextEra Energy’s proposed acquisition of Dominion Energy, arguing the deal could increase electricity costs by concentrating control over critical power assets. The states contend the combined company would gain significant influence over the region’s energy market, including…...
PJM Interconnection on Aug. 19 released a five-year strategy that places grid reliability at the center of its long-term agenda while outlining reforms to address accelerating electricity demand, tightening generation supplies and a rapidly changing power system. The plan identifies reliability as the organization’s guiding priority and pairs that objective with commitments to improve affordability,…...
