The U.S. District Court for the District of Montana on Nov. 8 halted construction of TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, vacating the 2017 decision that issued a presidential permit for the project. The court said that that the U.S. State Department did not take a “hard look” at the environmental impacts of the…
U.S. electric utilities installed nearly 71 million advanced meters, accounting for about 47 percent of meters that were operational in 2016, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s annual report on demand response and advanced metering. The report, issued by commission staff on Nov. 7, found that several states are considering large-scale smart meter projects,…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Nov. 7 reinstated a 2009 action clarifying “project aggregation” for the New Source Review permitting program that governs emission permits for building new or significantly retrofitted industrial facilities including power plants. Under the policy, the agency will combine multiple changes to a facility into a single project for permitting…
Pacific Gas and Electric Company proposed to create a commercial electric vehicle charging rate class, which would include two new rate schedules – EV-Small and EV-Large – to accelerate EV deployment and support for commercial customers, according to a Nov. 6 filing with the California Public Utilities Commission. The charges would feature a monthly subscription…
Clean energy ballot measures were largely defeated across the nation including Arizona, Washington, and Colorado, with exceptions in Nevada and Florida. Nevada voters passed Question 6, requiring utilities to acquire at least 50 percent renewable electricity by 2030, but the measure must now pass another round of voting in 2020. Nevadans rejected Question 3, which…
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio established the PowerForward Collaborative, a utility workgroup charged with monitoring the marketplace to propel the state along its roadmap of grid modernization. The collaborative will examine issues related to electric vehicles and deployment of non-wires alternatives. In addition, its two workgroups will consider integrated distribution planning and data access issues associated with grid modernization. The PowerForward roadmap aims to create a regulatory paradigm that will allow innovation to reach all customers. The plan envisions the modern grid as an open-access platform that helps applications interface seamlessly as they evolve and a marketplace that advances organically, allowing customers to buy innovative products and services from entities of their choice.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Nov. 5 authorized AltaGas Power Holdings (U.S.) Inc. to sell its interests in AltaGas San Joaquin Energy Inc., which owns three natural gas power plants, to SJ Power Holdings LLC. The power generated by the facilities, which have a combined capacity of 523 megawatts, is fully committed under long-term…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission extended the time Constitution Pipeline Co. LLC has to build the natural gas line until Dec. 2, 2020, according to a Nov. 5 order issued before the previous extension was set to expire. The Williams Partners LP’s project has been left in limbo by legal challenges and regulatory hurdles since…
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ISO New England Inc. unveiled two initiatives aimed to implement near-term changes in the grid operator’s operations and markets to ensure winter reliability, according to a Nov. 2 news release. Under the first initiative, the grid operator will start a 21-day forecast of the region’s available fuel supplies on Nov. 26 to identify an energy…
The Virginia State Corporation Commission on Nov. 2 issued an order finding that Dominion Energy Inc.’s proposal to build a 12-megawatt offshore wind project off the coast of Virginia Beach is prudent. The project, expected to come online in December 2020, has an estimated cost of about $300 million, excluding financing costs. The commission noted…
