The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities must take a hard look at the ratepayer impact of nuclear subsidies as the state’s reentry into the regional carbon market and pending wholesale market initiatives will likely increase revenue for the nuclear units receiving zero emission credits, or ZECs, according to the Division of Rate Counsel. Those…
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority executed 25-year contracts with Equinor Wind US LLC and Sunrise Wind LLC for nearly 1.7 gigawatts of offshore wind at an average all-in development cost of $83.36 per megawatt-hour in 2018 prices, according to an Oct. 23 announcement. The agency also released a report on the…
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Department of Public Service on Oct. 21 released a final plan revising the method used to calculate load-serving entities’ payment obligations under the zero emission credit, or ZEC, program that compensates nuclear plants for carbon-free electricity production. The plan establishes a flexible, “pay-as-you-go” model…
State-level activity on emission-trading programs and carbon pricing is ramping up as more jurisdictions embrace policy goals to transition to a lower-carbon power system and economy.
The New York State Public Service Commission adopted new cybersecurity and data privacy requirements for third-party energy suppliers and companies that electronically receive and exchange utility housed customer data, according to an Oct. 17 press release. The commission’s decision is directed at the state’s utilities and third-party energy suppliers with standards that ensure customer data remains…
The Illinois Power Agency proposed revisions to its long-term renewable procurement plan, covering the agency’s potential procurements and programs for 2020 and 2021 for Ameren Illinois Company, Commonwealth Edison Company, and MidAmerican Energy Company, according to an Oct. 21 filing with the Illinois Commerce Commission. For the 2020-2021 delivery year, the overall number of renewable…
The California Public Utilities Commission’s President Marybel Batjer ordered Pacific Gas and Electric Company to take a multitude of immediate corrective actions after it encountered significant problems with communication and coordination during the largest public safety power shut-off event in the history of California, which impacted an estimated 2 million people, according to an Oct.…
The Michigan Public Service Commission is proposing to amend rules governing the technical standards for gas service for utilities under the Commission’s jurisdiction, including cybersecurity measures, according to an Oct. 17 press release. The proposed rules reflect new technologies in the area of metering, equipment inspections and tests as well as removing references to obsolete…
U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced his resignation on Oct. 17 amid a Democratic-led impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s actions to pressure the Ukraine government to investigate his political opponent Joe Biden. The Energy Department wrote to House Committees that it would not comply with a subpoena demanding Ukraine-related documents, arguing that the House…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Oct. 15 proposed to calculate the small refinery exemptions for 2020 under the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS, program based on a three-year average of the relief recommended by the Energy Department. The biofuel industry criticized the proposal for failing to meet the Oct. 4 agreement with the Trump…
The U.S. Energy Department authorized Venture Global Plaquemines LNG LLC to export liquefied natural gas equivalent to 3.4 billion cubic feet per day from its proposed export facility in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana to countries with non-free trade agreement for a term of 20 years, according to an Oct. 16 order. With this project, the agency…
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority released the the NYStretch Energy Code 2020 toolkit, which aims to aid municipalities interested in voluntarily adopting higher efficiency standards for new and renovated building construction projects, according to an October 10 press release. The toolkit includes one-page fact sheets describing NYStretch and its benefits, a step-by-step adoption guide…
