The U.S. Energy Department plans to invest in a five-year research program focused on producing fuels from sunlight, according to a Feb. 19 news release. The agency will establish one large or two smaller energy innovation hubs, which are “integrated multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research teams” to accelerate the fundamental scientific breakthroughs needed to enable solar fuel…
The NY Green Bank’s fourth quarter of 2019 was the strongest to date, adding nearly $118 million to its portfolio, according to a Feb. 14 announcement. With portfolio commitments exceeding $909 million, the bank has spurred $2.4 billion in clean energy investments. The bank was established in 2013 to alleviate market barriers, motivating private sector…
The Maine Public Utilities Commission issued a request for proposals from renewable generation resources for the sale of energy or renewable energy credits, according to a Feb. 14 news release. The move stems from legislation enacted in 2019 directing the commission to conduct two competitive solicitations for long-term procurement contracts for an amount of energy…
Vineyard Wind LLC no longer expects its 800-megawatt offshore project to begin commercial operation in 2022, according to a Feb. 11 announcement, after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management updated the permitting schedule for the project. The revised schedule indicates that the final environmental review will be issued on Nov. 13, later than what was…
The New York State Public Service Commission approved the first phase of the New York Power Authority’s Moses-Adirondack Smart Path Reliability Project, which is designed to improve the reliability and resilience of the electric system in Upstate New York, according to a Feb. 6 news release. The project will rebuild facilities that are well past…
The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment granted more flexibility to Number Three Wind LLC in building its 106-megawatt wind farm, revising an earlier decision granting approval for the project, according to a Feb. 13 news release. The board agreed with the project developer that the cost of installing underground…
Virginia lawmakers passed the Clean Economy Act on Feb. 11 that sets the state on the path to carbon-free power by 2050, establishes a mandatory renewable portfolio standard, adopts an energy storage deployment target, and strengthens energy efficiency requirements. Among the major provisions, the legislation replaces the existing voluntary renewable energy portfolio system program with…
The New York Public Service Commission completed a draft environmental review analysing the potential impacts associated with the procurement of up to 1.8 gigawatts of additional offshore wind generation in the near term, according to a Feb. 6 notice. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on Jan. 28 asked the commission to…
The Maryland Public Service Commission approved a process allowing an electric or natural gas utility to propose a multi-year rate plan, an alternative rate-setting process that would extend utilities’ approved rates for up to three years, according to a Feb. 4 news release. The order establishes a framework for the first utility that requests for…
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission granted a permit allowing Lookout Solar LLC to construct a 110-megawatt solar generation facility in Oglala Lakota County, according to a Feb. 4 news release. The $100 million facility, spanning an area of about 810 acres on the pine Ridge Reservation, is expected to reach completion in the second…
The U.S. Energy Department will invest $125.5 million to advance research and development of solar technologies that lower costs, increase the competitiveness of manufacturing and businesses, and support grid reliability, according to a Feb. 5 news release. The agency will also spend $43.8 million to support geothermal technologies. The funding opportunities will be made available…
The ISO New England Inc.’s annual forward capacity auction closed at a clearing price of $2.00 per kilowatt-month, the lowest in the auction’s history, according to a Feb. 5 news release. The closing price was about 47 percent lower than the last year’s auction, which valued capacity at $3.80 per kilowatt-month. The primary auction received…