The Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc. estimates that benefits in the range of $3.2 billion to $3.9 billion were realized in its region last year, according to the results of its annual value proposition study released on Feb. 19. The study, which identifies several factors that drive positive value, found that footprint diversity, wind integration,…...
Wisconsin Power and Light Company is seeking approval of three new tariff options to expand its voluntary renewable energy options for customers, according to its Feb. 18 application filed with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. The proposal includes a subscription-based community solar program, renewable energy contracts targeted at large commercial and industrial customers, and a…...
The Maryland Department of the Environment released a plan to invest the state’s allocation of $75.7 million from the Volkswagen settlement in transportation strategies and projects to improve air quality, according to a Feb. 13 press release. The plan intends to use the full 15 percent of the amount that is allowed for electric vehicle…
National Grid plc asked the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission to approve rate adjustments stemming from reconciliations for various costs from January through December 2018, according to a Feb. 15 filing. The company said that the overall impact of the changes would result in a decrease of $3.07, from $118.51 to $115.44, in monthly residential…...
Virginia lawmakers approved legislation on Feb. 18 that would make changes to the net metering program for customers of electric cooperatives, including increasing the cap from one percent of system peak to three percent for residential, four percent for not-for-profit and non-jurisdictional, and two percent for non-residential customers. The bill would allow electric cooperatives to…...
Democratic Governor Janet Mills signed an executive order on Feb. 14 ending a moratorium on wind turbine permits, authorizing state agencies to resume determining whether proposed projects qualify for approval. The move comes at a time when Northeastern states are planning large amounts of wind power to meet clean energy goals. Maine has a target…...
Portland General Electric Company and NextEra Energy Resources LLC have announced plans to build a 300-megawatt wind farm combined with 50 megawatts of solar and 30 megawatts of battery storage, making it the largest project of this kind in the nation, according to a Feb. 13 press release. The new project called the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility…
New York installed 744 megawatts of solar generating capacity through 2018, with an additional 883 megawatts in the pipeline under the NY Sun program, a $1 billion initiative that aims to add 3 gigawatts by 2023, according to a Feb. 14 report from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Expanding to include…...
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is scheduled to receive comments on the draft environmental impact statement for Vineyard Wind LLC’s 800-megawatt offshore wind project by Feb. 22, with a final version of the environmental study set to be released in the spring, according to a Feb. 8 notice. The statement provides an analysis…
The California Public Utilities Commission has begun developing a policy framework on decarbonizing buildings as part of its ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, according to a Feb. 8 order. The Commission recognizes that the state’s ambitious 2030 greenhouse gas reduction goals cannot be achieved with 100 percent renewable energy alone since 25 percent…
PJM Interconnection LLC’s board of managers on Feb. 13 directed PJM staff to submit a revised version of its energy price formation proposal for approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The move comes after market participants failed to reach an agreement on a compromise proposal to update the energy reserve pricing rules. The board asked PJM…...
The Michigan Public Service Commission opened an investigation requested by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, on the supply and deliverability of natural gas, electricity, and propane in Michigan as well as contingency plans, according to a Feb. 7 press release. The investigation was prompted by a fire at Consumer EnergyCo.’s Ray natural gas compressor station. The…
