Congress Debates Ways to Boost Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage as Favourable Bills Pile Up

Congress Debates Ways to Boost Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage as Favourable Bills Pile Up

Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse

The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will examine opportunities to boost the deployment of grid-scale energy storage, according to the committee’s calendar. The discussion will include remarks from Andrew Ott, the outgoing CEO and President of PJM Interconnection LLC., Ben Fowke, Chairman of the Board, President & Chief Executive Officer of Xcel Energy Inc., Mitch Davidson, CEO…

California Wildfire Commission Recommends Liability Reform to Save Utilities, Protect Ratepayers

California Wildfire Commission Recommends Liability Reform to Save Utilities, Protect Ratepayers

Climate Change and Emissions, Electric Transmission, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, Grid Modernization, Wholesale Power

The Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery published a draft report on May 29 with recommendations on equitable distribution of costs among affected parties of the catastrophic California wildfires. According to the report, the trend of growing fire activity related to increasing global temperatures coupled with population incursions into high fire risk areas means that…

Colorado Enacts Suite of Climate, Energy Bills, Building Path Toward 100 Percent Renewable Energy

Colorado Enacts Suite of Climate, Energy Bills, Building Path Toward 100 Percent Renewable Energy

Climate Change and Emissions, Electric Vehicles, Energy Efficiency, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Solar

Democratic Governor Jared Polis on May 30 signed a slate of bills that will transform the state’s energy and environmental landscape, and unveiled a roadmap for the state to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. Among the measures, House Bill 19-1261, the centerpiece of the state’s climate policy, sets a goal of achieving emission…

Rhode Island Regulator Approves National Grid’s Contract With 400-Megawatt Revolution Wind Project

Rhode Island Regulator Approves National Grid’s Contract With 400-Megawatt Revolution Wind Project

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Wind

The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission approved a 20-year agreement under which National Grid plc will purchase 400 megawatts of electricity from the Revolution Wind Farm that is being developed by Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind and Eversource Energy, according to a May 28 press release. National Grid will pay $98.425 per megawatt-hour as part of…

U.S. EPA Removes Restrictions on Year-Round Use of Higher-Ethanol Fuels

U.S. EPA Removes Restrictions on Year-Round Use of Higher-Ethanol Fuels

EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Pulse, Oil

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized regulatory changes allowing the sales of E15 gasoline, a fuel blend of gasoline and 15 percent ethanol, during summer months, according to a May 31 news release. The move expands the waivers for “Reid vapor pressure,” a measure of gasoline volatility, which currently applies to E10 blends to E15…

California Regulator Approves Utility Wildfire Plans, Proactive Power Shutoffs

California Regulator Approves Utility Wildfire Plans, Proactive Power Shutoffs

Electric Transmission, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, Retail Power and Gas

The California Public Utilities Commission on May 30 approved wildfire mitigation plans for the state’s electric utilities in response to legislation enacted last year that directed electric corporations to file annual plans describing measures to prevent, combat, and respond to wildfires in their service areas. The commission also made enhancements to communication and notification guidelines…

Ohio House Clears Bill to Subsidize Nuclear, Repeal Renewable Standards

Ohio House Clears Bill to Subsidize Nuclear, Repeal Renewable Standards

EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, Nuclear, REC Feed, Solar

The Ohio House on May 29 passed legislation that would require electric customers to pay monthly charges from 2020 through 2026 to ultimately raise about $198 million per year, most of which would be passed on in the form of “clean air credits” to rescue FirstEnergy Solutions Corp.’s ailing nuclear plants. Simultaneously, the bill seeks…

Maryland Enacts Law Allowing Participation in Regional Program to Cut Transportation Emissions

Maryland Enacts Law Allowing Participation in Regional Program to Cut Transportation Emissions

Climate Change and Emissions, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Pulse

Maryland enacted legislation on May 25 that authorizes the governor to include the state in a regional initiative that limits or reduces emissions from the transportation sector. The state is part of the Transportation and Climate Initiative, under which, a regional collaboration of nine Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and Washington DC that are exploring ways…

New England Wholesale Power Costs Rose by $2.9 Billion in 2018

New England Wholesale Power Costs Rose by $2.9 Billion in 2018: Annual Report

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, REC Feed, Wholesale Power

The total wholesale cost of electricity in the ISO New England Inc.’s markets was $12.1 billion in 2018, about 32 percent higher than the previous year, according to the grid operator’s annual market report released on May 23. The report said that the overall performance of the region’s capacity, energy, and ancillary service markets was…

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Hawaii Regulators Identify Priorities for Designing Performance-Based Rates

EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse, Wholesale Power

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission released an order identifying specific goals and best suited regulatory performance-based rate mechanisms for each outcome to be addressed in the upcoming Phase 2 of its investigation of performance-based rules, set to begin next month, according to a May 23 order. Building on a staff proposal issued in February 2019, the commission…

SoCal Edison Launches $360 Million Charging Program for Commercial Vehicles

SoCal Edison Launches $360 Million Charging Program for Commercial Vehicles

Electric Vehicles, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Pulse

Southern California Edison on May 20 rolled out its Charge Ready Transport program, which aims to add charging stations for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles in at least 870 commercial sites within the utility’s service territory. The utility plans to install infrastructure to support nearly 8,500 industrial vehicles over a five-year period. The utility said…