U.S. electric power sector emissions totaled 1,744 million metric tons in 2017, the lowest since 1987, according to an Oct. 29 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Energy-related emissions in the power sector fell by 28 percent since 2005 compared to 5 percent in all other energy sectors. The agency attributed the drop in…
The Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board on Oct. 30 approved recommendations to revise to regulations governing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric power plants in the state. The Department of Environmental Quality proposed a more stringent base budget of 28 million tons in 2020 resulting in additional emissions reductions of 5 million tons…
The Florida Public Service Commission on Oct. 29 authorized Tampa Electric Company to recover costs for five solar projects totaling 260 megawatts under the second phase of the company’s solar plan. The projects raise the revenue requirement by $46 million resulting in a $2.46 increase in monthly residential bills, effective January 2019. The agency said…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced that all Solar Renewable Energy Certificate or SREC applications submitted after Oct. 29 will have a lifespan of 10 years, clarifying legislation enacted in May. The language of the legislation says that the 10-year term applies only to certain proposals seeking to connect to the distribution system.…
ISO New England Inc. filed revisions with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a new market design that would help emerging storage technologies to “more fully participate” in the wholesale power markets, according to an Oct. 29 news release. The rule would recognize the ability of batteries to transition continuously and rapidly from charging to…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a six-month contract beginning Nov. 1 with Rutgers University to conduct an analysis of energy storage, according to the agency’s Oct. 29 press release. The state enacted legislation in May that sets a target to reach 600 megawatts of storage by 2021 and 2,000 megawatts by 2030.…
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on October 26 issued an order approving Enbridge Inc.’s proposed $7-Billion Line 3 replacement project, following a favorable vote in June. The formal ruling, which comes after much deliberation over replacing a 1960s-era line versus limiting environmental risks, opens the door for appealing the decision. Environmental groups like Sierra Club…
The U.S. Energy Department is conducting exercises with the private sector to enhance the energy industry’s ability to withstand cyber attacks in keeping with the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month dedicated to protecting critical infrastructure, according to an Oct. 26 press release. The agency’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, launched in February, engaged…
The Montana Public Service Commission voiced support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Affordable Clean Energy Rule,” a proposal to replace an Obama-era measure to regulate carbon emissions from power plants, according to an Oct. 26 press release. The commission said it “takes a keen interest” in the proposed rule in view of the state’s…
The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut ruled on Oct. 25 that Connecticut’s transfer of ratepayer funds collected for energy conservation programs to the general fund is not illegal. The court said that state law has not promised ratepayers that their money would not be transferred to the general fund for other purposes,…
Governor Kate Brown, a Democrat, issued an executive order on Oct. 24 directing state agencies to safeguard Oregon’s coastal economy by preventing the construction of infrastructure associated with oil and gas drilling. The measure comes in response to the Trump administration’s proposal to encourage offshore drilling in federal waters off the Oregon coast. Brown sought…
