PJM Interconnection expects to have 185,611 megawatts of resources available to meet the forecasted peak demand of 135,506 megawatts, according to a Dec. 5 press release. The grid operator said its system is ready to meet needs despite a “less-certain winter weather forecast,” noting that climate models indicate a warmer season but similar studies point…
The U.S. Energy Department issued a request for proposal for innovative designs to build coal-fired plants as part of its new “Coal FIRST” initiative which envisions future plants to be “Flexible, Innovative, Resilient, Small and Transformative.” As part of the solicitation, the department encourages teaming arrangements involving engineering companies, technology developers, equipment manufacturers, and end…
The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 on Dec. 6 to confirm Bernard McNamee as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, restoring the agency’s Republican majority amid questions of McNamee’s support for fossil fuels over renewable energy. On the same day, the Harvard Electricity Law Initiative filed a brief with FERC saying that McNamee must…
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources announced that the state’s electric vehicle rebate program, which has issued or reserved more than $23 million in rebates for over 11,000 cars since its launch in 2014, will be extended through June 30, 2019, according to a Dec. 6 press release. Starting next year, the program will support…
Governor Ralph Northam, a Democrat, announced that 15 percent of the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust will be used to deploy electric transit buses across Virginia, according to an Oct. 31 press release. The Department of Environmental Quality which is tasked with implementing Virginia’s allocation of $93.6 million from the Volkswagen settlement will provide the funding…
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a settlement raising the annual depreciation expenses of DTE Electric Co. by about $90 million – lower than the utility’s $156 million request – for coal, wind, and solar power generation plants. The agreement does not apply to the utility’s coal plants that are scheduled to retire in the…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed to replace the agency’s 2015 rule that requires new coal powered generation units to install partial carbon capture and storage technology to lower emissions, according to a Dec. 6 press release. The agency said that the technology, which is costly and limited geographically, discourages new coal developments. The revision…
BP Energy Company, Equinor Natural Gas LLC, and Shell NA LNG LLC filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Dec. 4 alleging that Dominion Energy Cove Point LNG LP imposed fuel costs associated with a “2004 terminal expansion” on each of them, violating commission regulations. LNG import facilities that were initially certified…
The Iowa Utility Board on Dec. 4 approved a settlement determining ratemaking principles for MidAmerican Energy Company’s proposed 591-megawatt Wind XII Project. The settlement establishes a cost cap of $1.560 million per megawatt and a return on equity of 11 percent. For construction work in progress, an equity rate of 10 percent will be applied.…
The Washington Utilities and Transportation on Dec. 5 determined that the proposed merger deal between Canada-based Hydro One Limited and Washington-based Avista Corporation does not fully protect the U.S. company or its customers from political and financial risk. After Ontario’s general election in June, an agreement between the province and Hydro One resulted in the…
The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority issued an interim decision on Dec. 5 finding that Dominion Energy Inc.’s 2,100-megawatt Millstone nuclear plant is “at risk of retirement,” a determination that could allow the facility to compete for long-term contracts with zero-carbon resources such as wind, solar and hydropower. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental…
The establishment of an ethane storage and distribution hub in Appalachia benefit the broader petrochemical and plastics industries, according to a Dec. 4 report from the U.S. Energy Department. The report, prepared at the request of Congress, examines the feasibility of developing an ethane hub, based on the abundant low-cost resource from the Marcellus and…
