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…...
The Florida Public Service Commission on Aug. 18 approved Peoples Gas Systems’ request for an accounting mechanism to track and record additional costs brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The mechanism allows the utility to request approval of cost recovery through rates at a later time. The implementation of this tracking system provides a method…...
The Florida Public Service Commission on Aug. 18 approved Duke Energy Florida LLC’s plan to decommission the Crystal River Nuclear Plant by 2038. This ceasing of operations in the nuclear space comes 36 years earlier than initially planned, and is meant to protect Duke’s customers from potential financial, environmental, and regulatory risks. The Duke Energy…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Aug. 19 announced a plan to award $21 million to support artificial intelligence and machine learning research on fusion energy for a duration of three years. The awards are expected to improve operational efficiencies with automated data analysis workflows and real-time control algorithms at the Office of Science. The department…...
The U.S. Interior Department on Aug. 17 issued a decision approving oil and gas leasing activities in the 1.56 million-acre Coastal Plain area in Alaska’s 19.3 million Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The move follows the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which directed the Secretary of the Interior to establish a competitive program for the…...
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.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on August 11 released a draft report concerning the incentive levels required to support continued solar development while lowering costs to the state’s four million ratepayers. To attain incentive values that better align with the project types and maximize ratepayer savings, the report recommends transitioning away from the…...
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…...
The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management on Aug. 14 issued a final environmental review for ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.’s proposed Willow Master Development Plan, an oil and gas development project in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. The project is expected to produce up to 590 million total barrels of oil during its 30-year…...
