A bill introduced by Senator Jacob Candelaria, a Democrat, which seeks to make New Mexico’s electricity generation 100 percent carbon-free by 2045 passed the eight-member Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee, with two Republican members voting against the measure. Known as the Energy Transition Act, it would require the state’s utilities to derive at least 50 percent…
Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers put forward a requirement to make the state’s electricity supply carbon-free by 2050, according to a March 7 proposal. During last year’s midterm elections, Evers made it clear that he was a proponent for shifting the state to 100 percent renewable energy by mid-century, but his political position is not as strong as some…
Green Mountain Power Corporation proposed to focus on transitioning to a highly distributed system while continuing its strategic efforts to electrify transportation, heating, and fossil fuel processes, in its 2018 integrated resource plan filed with the Vermont Public Utility Commission on March 6. The 10-year plan underscores the company’s declining electric demand as customers look to install their…
Dominion Energy Inc. is due to make a decision by March 15 on whether or not to retire the 2,100-megawatt Millstone nuclear plant. Despite securing the ability to compete for long-term contracts with other zero-carbon resources such as wind and solar, the biggest zero-emission power plant in the region may be forced to close if…
The Florida Public Service Commission on March 5 accepted Tampa Electric Company’s opt-out tariff for customers who wish to retain their existing analog meter instead of a smart meter. The company anticipates about 0.2 percent of customers to opt out of the initiative, after reviewing experiences with other utilities that have implemented advanced metering programs…....
The Missouri Public Service Commission approved an agreement allowing Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, to own and operate a 157-megawatt wind generation project to be built in Atchison County, according to a March 6 press release. The proposed Brickyard Hills Wind Facility, to be developed by EDF Renewables North America, is expected to come…...
The U.S. Energy Department authorized Venture Global Calcasieu Pass LLC to export liquefied natural gas equivalent to 1.7 billion cubic feet per day from its proposed export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana to non-free trade agreement countries for a term of 20 years, according to a March 5 order. With this project, the agency has…...
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio accepted the results of AEP Ohio’s wholesale power auction which resulted in six winning bidders and an average clearing price of $46.63 per megawatt hour (MWh), according to a March 6 press release. The auction, held on March 5, 2019, will be combined with previous results to set the…
The Maine Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 26 approved terms for a 10-year contract for Three Rivers Solar Power LLC’s project, the winning proposal among seven bids submitted in response to the agency’s solicitation last July. The commission also directed its staff and Emera Inc. subsidiary Emera Maine to finalize a contract with the project…...
Wyoming lawmakers on Feb. 27 approved legislation that would establish a process for the sale coal-fired power plants, which would otherwise be retired. The bill would require utilities to look for buyers before attempting to close coal generators, and buy back power from the plants if they are sold. (SF 159) Under the bill, utilities…
The U.S. Energy Department on March 4 announced funding for its H2@Scale Initiative, which is focused on wide-scale hydrogen production and utilization across multiple energy sectors to support resilience in power generation and transmission. The agency identified affordability, reliability, and performance of emerging hydrogen and fuel cell technologies as the main challenges to the concept. The…
Democratic Governor Tim Walz announced a proposal that would require the state’s utilities to source all of their electricity from carbon-free resources by 2050, allowing them to set their own pace to meet the goal, according to a March 4 press release from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Under the plan, titled “One Minnesota Path…