The California Public Utilities Commission on June 28 finalized the procurement levels required under the state’s renewable portfolio standard program for years beginning in 2021 that were revised by Senate Bill 100 enacted last year. The law requires 60 percent of electricity retail sales to come from renewable resources by 2030. The agency revised the…
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission announced that net metering credits for grid-exported energy will decrease to 81 percent of the retail electricity rate from 88 percent after customer subscriptions reached the 80-megawatt threshold under the second tier of the program, according to a June 26 press release. New and existing solar capacity on the system…
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on June 25 approved Xcel Energy Inc.’s 2018 rate adjustments for its revenue decoupling mechanism, which results in bill credits totaling $13 million for residential and small business customers that are subject to the program. The adjustment is calculated to match the actual electric revenue per customer to the level…
MidAmerican Energy Company served 51.4 percent of its retail sales using renewable energy last year, the Iowa Utilities Board verified in an order issued on June 21. The company said that it owns the vast majority of the renewable generation that delivers its retail energy, and acquires a small amount through power purchase arrangements. The…
In April 2019, U.S. monthly electricity generation from renewable sources exceeded coal-fired generation for the first time based on data in EIA’s Electric Power Monthly. Renewables, which include utility-scale hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, provided 23 percent of the total electricity generation while coal provided 20. According to the agency, the milestone was helped by…
Illinois lawmakers approved a measure that allows a one-year extension of the date by which the Illinois Power Agency is required to deliver renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind and solar projects acquired through long-term contracts. The bill sets a June 1, 2022 deadline for the agency to begin supplying credits. Current law directs…
Duke Energy Indiana LLC issued a proposal for its 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) calling for 2,840 megawatts of new natural gas capacity, 700 megawatts of wind and 1,650 megawatts of solar power, while accelerating the retirement of over 4 gigawatts of coal generation capacity over the next 7 to 19 years, according to a June…
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities on June 25 approved 20-year contracts between Hydro-Québec and the state’s electric distribution companies Unitil Corp., National Grid plc, and Eversource Energy to acquire Canadian hydropower to help the state achieve its clean energy goals. The power will be delivered into New England over a $1 billion transmission line…
The Illinois Pollution Control Board issued an amended decision directing Vistra Energy to retire 2 gigawatts of coal generation by the end of the year to comply with new emission caps, according to a June 20 order. Democratic Governor Jay Pritzker’s administration made changes to the Multi-Pollutant Standard or MPS, the state’s signature air pollution regulation,…
Battery storage is no longer just paving the way for greater integration of renewables onto the grid. The technology is now ushering in larger utility-scale solar and wind projects with diverse configurations. Utility proposals to develop massive storage projects in tandem with renewables are becoming more common as intermittent wind and solar continue to produce a growing share of power generation. Aggressive state and utility decarbonization goals are also driving the need for cost-effective batteries.
The Southwest Power Pool Inc., the grid operator for 14 states in the central U.S., unveiled a proposal for a Western Energy Imbalance Service market designed to balance generation and load regionally and in real time. The market aims to create opportunities for participants to utilize diverse generating resources, optimize their use of the transmission…
The Missouri Public Service Commission granted permits for The Empire District Electric Company’s proposal to build three wind farms with a combined capacity of up to 600 megawatts in Missouri and Kansas, according to a June 20 press release. The projects, which represent an investment of over $1 billion, will facilitate customer savings by using…