The California Department of Conservation halted approval of new permits for wells that use high-pressure steam to extract oil from underground formations and instituted a scientific review of pending applications to conduct hydraulic fracturing and other well stimulation practices, according to a Nov. 19 news release. The new measures stem from legislation enacted last month…
California adopted a policy that prohibits state agencies from buying sedans powered by an internal combustion engine, except for certain public safety vehicles, according to a Nov.15 announcement by the Department of General Services. The department is also developing a policy, which will require state agencies, beginning next year, to purchase vehicles from manufacturers that…
The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved a series of changes to Summit Natural Gas of Missouri Inc.’s rates to reflect the wholesale cost of natural gas and the company’s Actual Cost Adjustment factor, according to a November 12 press release. For its Gallatin Division, residential customers will see a rate decrease from $0.43 per hundred cubic feet…
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has prepared a final environmental impact statement for the Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas project and the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, set to be the first natural gas export facility on the U.S. West Coast, stating it would result in some adverse long-term and permanent impacts on the environment, according to…
The Michigan Public Service Commission on Nov. 14 announced that the state’s utility customers will benefit from about $4.1 billion in refunds, following the final round of adjustments to tally the impacts of the federal tax law, which slashed the corporate income tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent effective Jan. 1, 2018. The agency…
The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved a settlement against a retail electric provider, concerning over-billing of customers and ordering the payment of $35,000 in administrative penalties as well as refunds to 7,610 customers, according to a Nov. 14 press release. The retail energy provider had already provided refunds totaling about $10,500 to almost 40,000 of…
The Illinois Commerce Commission announced that Christy George has been named as its new Executive Director, according to a November 15 press release. When taking over on November 18, 2019, she will be the first female executive director, not serving in an interim capacity, to supervise the Commission Staff and oversee the management of the…
U.S. natural consumption rose by 11 percent from 2017 to 2018 due to increased demand for electricity, much of which was fueled by natural gas, according to a Nov. 15 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The U.S. electric power sector has been shifting toward natural gas in the past decade thanks to favorable prices…
California, joined by 22 other states, filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to withdraw a 2013 waiver that allowed the state to set its own tailpipe pollution limits and zero-emission vehicle standards, according to a Nov. 15 news release. The agency acted in September to cancel the waiver as part of…
New York installed 934 megawatts of distributed capacity through Sept. 30, with an additional 1,053 megawatts in the pipeline under the NY Sun program, a $1 billion initiative to expand solar capacity through the strategic use of public funds to build a self-sustaining market, according to a Nov. 14 report from the New York State…
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…
