Utility resource plans continue to manifest the changing power generation mix as more states pursue zero-carbon goals. The shift drives the need for innovative policy initiatives that optimize renewable energy sources and enhance grid reliability.
The Michigan Public Service Commission on Sept. 8 issued an order aimed to improve reliability in the electric distribution system and advance efforts on customer data and privacy issues. The move is part of the MI Power Grid initiative, a multi-year stakeholder initiative launched in 2019 to maximize the transition to clean and distributed energy…...
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Aug. 30 ruled that a ballot referendum in Maine that was voted in November 2021 to block the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission project is unconstitutional. The latest development provides renewed impetus to the $1 billion U.S. transmission line designed to transmit Canadian hydropower. The court states that…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Aug. 30 released a request for information on a $10.5 billion Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership Program. The funding, backed by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, spans a five-year period from fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to prevent outages and enhance the resilience of the electric grid, deploy…...
Federal and state actions to boost distributed solar show the growing interest in harnessing the technology to achieve broader policy goals.
The U.S. offshore wind industry is growing stronger, spurred by expansion into new leasing areas to support the national goal of 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and ambitious state-level commitments.
The Ohio Power Siting Board on Aug. 18 approved the construction of two utility-scale solar farms totaling 250 megawatts. The projects comprise the 150 megawatt-Wild Grains and 100 megawatt-Nottingham projects slated for development in Van Wert and Harrison counties, respectively. Spanish utility Iberdrola subsidiary Avangrid is developing Wild Grains and expects construction on the project…...
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Aug. 18 announced a request for interest aimed to determine public interest in the expansion of commercial offshore wind leases on nearly 13.7 million acres in the Gulf of Maine. The bureau also published a separate request for competitive interest in response to Maine’s research lease application to…...
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Aug. 18 accepted a cost impact study, assessing how the state’s transition to renewable energy will affect utility rates under the Energy Master Plan, or EMP. The study found that most ratepayers would be able to reduce their energy bills by electrifying buildings and transportation and lowering…...
