The Texas Public Utility Commission seeks feedback on over a dozen questions as it looks to formulate rules on the use of battery storage and other “non-traditional technologies” in electric delivery service. The probe arises from the fact that batteries serve many functions, from absorbing as well as dispatching electricity to respond to swings in…
The Georgia Public Service Commission on Sept. 6 approved Georgia Power Company’s sixth batch of power purchase agreements for 4.3 megawatts of customer-sited generation under its Renewable Energy Development Initiative, or REDI. The program, designed to procure 50 megawatts of customer-sited solar, was approved last October as part of the commission’s order adopting the company’s…
The California Public Utilities Commission proposed to develop a solar information packet to help utility customers planning to install solar on single-family homes and take service under a net metering successor tariff, according to the agency’s Aug. 29 proposed decision. Investor-owned utilities would have to configure their interconnection portals to ensure that only solar providers…
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities will open a new docket to investigate Eversource Energy’s proposed revisions to its net metering tariff to ensure compliance with legislation enacted on Aug. 9 amending the requirements for considering demand charges for net metered customers, according to an Aug. 29 memo. In January, the department approved demand charges…
The California legislature approved legislation on Aug. 29 that reinforces the state’s clean energy leadership with a goal of procuring 100 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable and zero-carbon resources by 2045. The bill would strengthen the Renewable Portfolio Standard to 60 percent by 2030, up from the current 50 percent. Hawaii was the…
The Illinois Power Agency finalized its first long-term renewable procurement plan, mapping an ambitious path to reach the goal of 25 percent by 2025, following structural changes to the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to enable a reliable funding mechanism. The plan lays out a framework for a new adjustable block program, community solar generation, and a low-income solar program, outlining procurement of 666 megawatts of solar.
The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 24 approved a settlement cutting National Grid plc’s one‐year base rate request by 75 percent and lowering the company’s allowed return‐on‐equity to 9.275 percent from the current 9.5 percent. The agreement slashes the company’s originally requested revenue hike by about $54 million and refunds all the benefits…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Aug. 23 rejected Southern California Edison Company’s proposal to curtail electricity delivery for customers with energy storage devices before considering other retail and wholesale users, in order to maintain system reliability during periods of high demand. The commission said it would be unduly discriminatory to treat storage customers differently…
Public Service Company of New Mexico filed a request to join the Western Energy Imbalance Market on Aug. 22, noting that a transition to the system’s more flexible supply resources could see benefits soar to $21 million by 2024. Public Service Company of New Mexico said that it seeks to use the imbalance market’s intra-hour…
The North Carolina Utilities Commission on Aug. 21 authorized a permit for Recurrent Energy LLC’s 75-megawatt solar facility in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. The project, expected to come online this year, has a 10-year power purchase agreement with Duke Energy Carolinas LLC. In May, Recurrent announced it has closed $106.7 million in financing for the…
The New England grid operator has identified fuel security as the most pressing issue affecting regional reliability and energy affordability. Growing dependence on natural gas for power generation has been a concern, particularly during winter when natural gas is largely used for heating. The retirement of nuclear, coal, and oil powered plants has pushed the region to rely on costly, carbon-intensive oil-fired units to meet peak demand.
