Louisiana’s utility commission is putting an end to the state’s net metering scheme for residents with solar generators at the end of the year as the regulator seeks to limit the costs the program imposes on all ratepayers. In a 3-2 vote, commissioners approved a staff proposal to set compensation for residential solar power sold…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 19 announced a final rule establishing nationwide uniform fuel economy and emission standards for automobiles and light duty trucks. As part of the rule, the agency said it is withdrawing a 2013 waiver that allowed California to pursue its own tailpipe pollution standard and zero-emission vehicle mandate. The…
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 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced a rulemaking to update provisions of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act 1978, or PURPA, which requires utilities to purchase power from small independent electricity generators at the avoided cost, or the cost the utility would spend to procure the electricity itself, according to a Sept. 19 press release.…
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…
A growing number of states are redesigning policies and incentives for distributed generation as customer-sited installations spread amid falling costs. Regulators have initiated a number of actions this year, ranging from examining the value of distributed energy resources (DER) to overhauling interconnection rules, and equipping utilities with the planning structure required to accommodate new resources.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved Ocean Wind LLC’s purchase of capacity interconnection rights, or CIRs, to advance its proposed 1.1 gigawatt wind project off the coast of Atlantic City, according to a Sept. 11 order. The agency found that the CIRs reduce the costs of transmission upgrades, and therefore, the ratepayer allocation…
Xcel Energy Inc. asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to authorize a power purchase agreement with Elk Creek Solar LLC for new solar energy generation from an 80-megawatt facility to be located in Rock County, according to a Sept. 10 filing. The company plans to use the generation in support its Renewable*Connect program, a green…
Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced a $11 billion settlement representing about 85 percent of insurance claims associated with the 2017 and 2018 wildfires in California, according to a Sept. 13 press release. The agreement comes on the heels of PG&E’s reorganization plan filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California,…
Nearly 600 million short tons of coal was shipped to the U.S. electric power sector in 2018, the lowest level since 1983, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Coal shipments to the electric power sector in 2018 were 7 percent (47 million short tons) lower than the previous year. More than 75 percent of the…
The California Public Utilities Commission approved new budgets, modified incentives and rules for energy storage under its Self-Generation Incentive Program, as part of an ongoing effort to improve wildfire resiliency throughout the state, according to a September 12 press release. The program upgrade consists of a $100 million resiliency fund that supports the installation of energy storage in…