The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved PPL Electric Utilities Corporation’s plan to return $44 million in federal tax reform savings to customers in the form of a credit on their monthly bills during 2020. The amount, accumulated during the first six months of 2018, is in addition to the refund that the company is already…
The Maine Public Utilities Commission established new standard offer electricity prices that will lower rates for customers of Central Maine Power Company and Emera Maine, effective for a twelve-month term beginning January 1, according to a Nov. 13 press release. Residential and small businesses will see a 19-20 percent cut in their bills while medium…
The compliance obligations under Ohio’s renewable portfolio standard continue to shift from electric distribution companies to competitive retail suppliers, who were responsible for 78 percent of the requirements, up from 77 percent in the prior year, according to a Nov. 13 draft annual report by the Ohio Public Utilities Commission staff. Electric distribution utilities accounted…
The California Public Utilities Commission opened an investigation to determine whether the state’s investor-owned utilities prioritized safety and followed the commission’s regulations during their proactive power shutoffs in late 2019 to avoid the risk of power lines starting wildfires, according to a Nov. 13 news release. The agency will review the impacts of these events…
In the latest sign of the health and growth of the nation's nascent offshore wind industry, state commitments to procure supplies of the energy source rose to nearly 20 gigawatts this year, quadruple the amount of capacity from just two years ago. The burgeoning industry remains upbeat even as federal permitting delays to the nation’s first large-scale project raised concerns of regulatory roadblocks.
A coalition of investor-owned utilities and renewable energy developers on Nov. 11 asked the Maine Public Utilities Commission for temporary rule changes to resolve issues arising from the growth in interconnection activity after the state passed a law in June that expands opportunities to invest in solar power and distributed generation. The legislation led to…
Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo notified National Grid plc of the state’s intent to revoke the company’s license to operate its gas franchise, following its inability to provide reliable natural gas supply, according to a Nov. 12 press release. The company’s failure to plan for supply needs is evident from its own explanation that it denied…
The California Public Utilities Commission voted to authorize the procurement of 3.3 gigawatts of new, non-emitting electricity resources by 2023 to forestall potential resource adequacy shortages starting in 2021, according to a Nov. 7 news release. The order also seeks to keep some natural-gas-fired power plants open past their current 2020 closure dates by recommending…
U.S. President Donald Trump formally nominated Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to head the Energy Department, according to a Nov. 7 press release. If confirmed by the Senate, Brouillette will replace current Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who announced his resignation last month amid scrutiny for his involvement in the administration’s interactions with Ukraine. The Ukraine…
PJM Interconnection LLC and its members are prepared to meet the forecasted winter electricity demand across 13 states and the District of Columbia, according to a Nov. 7 press release. The nation’s largest grid operator forecasts peak demand at around 134,000 megawatts this winter compared to the grid operator’s all-time winter peak of 143,434 megawatts, which…
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved annual changes to the fixed cost adjustment for Avista natural gas customers, according to a Nov. 6 press release. According to the company, an average residential natural gas customer using 61 therms per month will see their monthly bills increase from $45.67 to $46.72, an increase of $1.05…
The amount of natural gas held in storage in 2019 went from a relatively low value of 1,155 billion cubic feet at the beginning of April to 3,724 billion cubic feet at the end of October because of near-record injection activity during the natural gas injection, or refill, season, which goes from April 1 to…