U.S. utility-scale battery capacity is expected to nearly triple by the end of 2023 if planned additions of about 1,623 megawatts come online as scheduled, according to a July 10 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Grid-scale battery capacity more than quadrupled to almost 900 megawatts in March 2019 from 214 megawatts at the…
The New York Department of Public Service on July 1 released a unit-by-unit study of replacing or repowering peaking units, which are fossil‐fuel generators that typically operate during high demand periods. The analysis identified at least 275 megawatts, representing about 6 percent of the state’s peaking fleet, as potential candidates for substitution with 6-hour batteries…
The California state Assembly approved a measure requiring the Public Utilities Commission to earmark 10 percent of the 2020 funds from the Self Generation Incentive Program to install battery storage and distributed energy systems, in order to back up critical infrastructure in areas facing high wildfire risks. The allocation would amount to $16.6 million funded…
New Hampshire lawmakers have approved legislation that allows municipalities and counties to aggregate retail electric customers who do not opt out of a program. Currently, community choice is allowed only for residents who consent to being included in a program. The bill allows municipalities to operate energy efficiency and clean energy districts adopted with the…
The Virginia State Corporation Commission accepted Dominion Energy Inc.’s revised integrated resource plan, finding that it meets the minimum legal and regulatory requirements, according to a June 27 order. The agency warned that the plan may understate the costs facing customers, noting that it does not include the multi-billion dollar expenses of the statutorily mandated…
State renewable portfolio standards are a key driver behind the torrid expansion of wind and solar generation across the U.S., responsible for about half of the nation's deployment of the clean energy sources over the last couple of decades.
The California Public Utilities Commission launched a probe against Southern California Gas Company to determine the fines and penalties to be imposed for the failures and systemic issues that led to the four-month gas leak from the disastrous blowout at the Aliso Canyon storage facility in October 2015, according to a June 27 news release.…
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority initiated a proceeding to examine the value of distributed energy resources, according to a July 3 notice. The move stems from legislation enacted in June directing the agencies to launch a joint study and report their findings to the joint standing…
The Public Service Company of New Mexico, a unit of PNM Resources Inc., asked the Public Regulation Commission to approve its plan to retire 497 megawatts of the San Juan Generating Station coal-fired plant in 2022 after the current coal supply and operating agreements expire, according to a July 1 filing. The company evaluated four…
The California Independent System Operator Corporation launched RC West on July 1, becoming the official reliability coordinator with grid oversight responsibility for 16 balancing authorities and transmission operators in California and one in northern Mexico. The launch marks the first operational phase, with RC West taking over responsibility from Peak Reliability. The grid operator expects…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on July 2 announced that it is not necessary to impose financial responsibility requirements for the electric power industry to cover the costs associated with the cleanup of hazardous substances released from power plants. The agency said that modern industry practices, along with current state and federal regulations, address risks…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on July 5 proposed set a blending volume of 20.04 billion gallons for 2020 under the Renewable Fuel Standard, up from the current level of 19.92 billion gallons. The proposal would keep the target for conventional biofuel, mainly corn-based ethanol, at 15 billion gallons. However, proposal drew criticism for failing…