The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on Dec. 31 issued a notice seeking comments on a draft rule for competitive resource acquisition by utilities. The proposal is a result of stakeholder workshops and public comment processes since the commission unveiled a proposal in 2016 to examine whether rules governing the integrated resource plan and utility…
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission on Jan. 3 determined that the proposed sale of Washington-based Avista Corporation to Canada-based Hydro One Limited would violate state law that bars the transfer of regulated electric utility assets to an entity that is owned or controlled by another state. The move follows similar action last month by Washington…
The Maryland Board of Public Works on Jan. 2 unanimously rejected a permit for Columbia Gas Transmission LLC to build a pipeline across the state to transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to West Virginia. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan joined Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp to vote against an easement required to install a…...
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved the second round of federal tax cut adjustments, called Credit B, requiring Consumers Energy Company and DTE Electric Company to return about $69.7 million and 92.8 million, respectively, to their electric customers beginning this month. With this ruling, the commission has ordered $228 million in Credit B refunds, in…
Avista Utilities asked the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to determine that the utility’s spending on energy efficiency programs in 2016 and 2017 was prudent, according to a Dec. 20 press release. The agency said that if the programs are not found to be cost-effective, the expenses will be passed on to shareholders, rather than the…...
The U.S. Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced a funding opportunity intended to encourage early stage, transformative technologies, according to a Dec. 20 press release. The agency seeks to investigate the potential of new program areas while identifying challenges that are of interest to the nation’s competitiveness and security. The initial round calls for…
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam on Dec. 27 unveiled a report providing a roadmap for Virginia to develop a supply chain to serve offshore wind projects planned along the East Coast. The report examines Virginia’s strategic role in the emerging industry, highlighting that the state is well-positioned to serve as a supply chain hub thanks to…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Dec. 20 approved an agreement allowing cost-of-service compensation for the continued operation of Exelon Corp.’s Mystic 8 and 9 natural gas-fired generating units to address reliability concerns in the New England region. The contract also includes the company’s Distrigas liquefied natural gas terminal that serves the plant. Commissioner Richard…
The California Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 21 announced it is considering reforms ranging from splitting Pacific Gas and Electric into separate electric and gas companies to reconstituting into a public entity in the wake of wildfires that caused widespread destruction in Northern and Southern California. The agency said that the utility has had serious…
Monitoring Analytics LLC, the independent market monitor for PJM Interconnection LLC, filed a complaint against the grid operator for determining not to assess a penalty to a market participant who violated the fuel cost policy, according to a Dec. 28 filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The market monitor said that the violation occurred on…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Dec. 31 authorized NJR Clean Energy Ventures II Corporation to sell its interests in four wind energy projects totaling 117 megawatts to SRIV Partnership LLC. NJR Clean Energy said that the $208.5 million transaction completes the sale of all its operating wind facilities. In June, the company sold a…...
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission authorized Minnesota Power’s 20-year power purchase agreement with Tenaska Inc. for 250 megawatts of wind-generated power, according to a Dec. 20 press release. The energy would be supplied by the proposed Nobles 2 facility in Nobles County along Buffalo Ridge expected to come online in October 2020. The contract, which…...
