The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission determined that it has concurrent jurisdiction with bankruptcy courts over wholesale power contracts that Pacific Gas & Electric Company may seek to reject through bankruptcy, according to a Jan. 25 order. The ruling comes in response to a request by NextEra Energy Inc. and NextEra Energy Partners L.P seeking commission…...
Hydro One Ltd. and Avista Corp. have decided to terminate plans to merge after regulators in Washington and Idaho refused to approve the deal, according to a Jan. 23 press release. After weighing the chances of getting those decisions reversed, both companies have decided to kill the plan, with Hydro One having to pay Avista a $103 million termination…
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced a final rule addressing nuclear plant safety to incorporate lessons learned from the 2011 accident at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, according to a Jan. 24 news release. The rule removes the requirement in the final draft presented by the commission staff in 2016 requiring nuclear plants to take additional…...
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission issued an order on Jan. 23 approving Tenaska Inc.’s 260 megawatt Nobles 2 wind farm in Nobles County, southwestern Minnesota. The project will include between 65 to 82 wind turbines, with a nameplate capacity ranging from 2 to 4.2 megawatts each, spread over approximately 42,200 acres. In December, Nobles 2 executed a power purchase…
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection determined that a private electrical system caused the Tubbs Fire in 2017 in Northern California’s Sonoma County, and not Pacific Gas & Electric Company, which had been under scrutiny for the possible involvement of its equipment in sparking the fires, according to a Jan. 24 news release.…
U.S. energy exports in 2020 are projected to surpass imports for the first time since 1953, thanks to the continued growth in petroleum and natural gas exports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency’s Annual Energy Outlook released on Jan. 24. The trend is expected continue for the next three decades driven by large increases in the…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found that that adverse environmental impacts from Tellurian Inc.’s Driftwood LNG project in Louisiana can be reduced to less-than-significant levels with avoidance and mitigation measures, according to a Jan. 18 notice. The project includes a liquefied natural gas export facility having a capacity of 27.6 million tons per year, and…...
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved rules for a community solar pilot, allowing residents to participate in a solar project that is not located on their property, according to a Jan. 17 news release. The agency said that expanding solar access is key to achieve Democratic Governor Phil Murphy’s stated goal of 100…...
The U.S. Energy Department announced funding for cost-shared research and development projects aimed to develop advanced technologies that enhance the performance, reliability, and flexibility of existing coal power plants, according to a Jan. 23 press release. The research effort is intended to lower emissions and foster new technologies that benefit the grid. Projects will support…...
Alternative compliance payments assessed under Connecticut renewable portfolio standards program fell to $2.329 million in 2016, a decline of more than half from 2014, according to a RPS compliance report issued Jan. 23 by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Assessed alternative compliance payments fell down from $3.90 million in 2015 and $7.86 million in 2014…....
Montana House lawmaker Rodney Garcia, a Republican, introduced legislation on Jan. 15 that would allow the state to sell bonds for up to $500 million to purchase coal-fired generation facilities whose acquisition would be in the public interest. The bill aims at saving the Colstrip plant, which is facing a bleak future as climate change…...
The New York Independent System Operator Inc. on Jan. 22 released a five-year plan that outlines a path forward to tackle the changing grid dynamics and support the growing role of public policy initiatives in reshaping the grid. The 2019-2023 plan identifies strategic initiatives to guide the development of projects and resource allocations as evolving regulations and…...
