The Illinois Commerce Commission denied a request by solar developer Sunrise Energy Ventures LLC to investigate the Illinois Power Agency’s Adjustable Block Program lottery conducted in April to select projects for renewable energy credit, or REC, contracts, according to an Oct. 2 order. The commission found that the lottery is within the discretion granted to…
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Oct. 3 declined to hear a petition seeking clarification regarding the applicability of the Energy Transition Act to the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s closure and replacement of the San Juan coal-fired plant. The law, which took effect in June, includes provisions to issue energy transition bonds for…
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Oct. 2 directing the Public Utilities Commission to review each retail seller’s annual renewable portfolio standard compliance report and notify a seller if it may be at risk of not satisfying the requirement. The law requires the commission to ensure that load-serving entities carry out their integrated resource…
Democratic Governor Tom Wolf issued an executive order on Oct. 3, directing the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to develop rules to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, a nine-state compact that established the nation’s first mandatory emissions trading program. The move is significant in that it would bring a major fossil fuel…
Utility resource planning is becoming more complex in the fast-changing energy landscape, prompting intense scrutiny from regulators. State measures are transforming the way utilities procure energy in light of continued growth in intermittent large-scale energy, customer-sited generation, demand response, energy efficiency, and clean energy commitments.
The Illinois Commerce Commission will hold a policy session on October 1 to explore the current and future role of nuclear energy in fulfilling its commitments under the Paris climate agreement, according to a September 24 press release. The state became a member of the U.S. Climate Alliance, a 24-state coalition committed to reducing greenhouse…
DTE Energy Company plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions from electric generation by 2050, building on its existing commitment to cut emissions 50 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2040, according to a Sept. 26 news release. The company said that achieving carbon neutrality requires technological advancements in carbon capture, large-scale storage, and modular nuclear…
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission joined a coalition of western utility regulators, a cooperative effort formed in 2006 to promote clean energy and reduce carbon emissions, according to a Sept. 24 news release. The commission is the fifth to take part in the Joint Action Framework on Climate Change, following the Nevada’s utility commission, which…
Fossil fuels continue to account for the largest share of energy consumption in the United States. Last year, about 79 percent of domestic energy production was from fossil fuels, and 80 percent of domestic energy consumption originated from fossil fuels, according to the Energy Information Administration. The share of U.S. total energy production from fossil…
The New York Public Service Commission on Sept. 19 authorized New York Transco, a consortium of major utilities, to borrow up to $400 million to upgrade transmission corridors that will allow increased transmission of renewable electricity across the state. In May, Transco sought approval to issue new long-term debt securities to complete the New York…
The Minnesota Supreme Court on Sept. 17 declined to hear challenges by tribal and conservation groups to the environmental review of Enbridge Inc.’s proposal for replacing its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. In a June ruling, the Minnesota Court of Appeals found that the project’s environmental review failed to consider the…
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam signed an executive order on Sept. 17, setting a goal for the state to produce 30 percent of its power from renewable energy resources by 2030 and transition to zero-carbon electricity by 2050. Legislation enacted last year set a goal of achieving 5.5 gigawatts of wind and solar by 2028. The…
