The share of U.S. electricity sales by competitive suppliers increased slightly since 2013 following over a decade of steady growth, according to a Nov. 1 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. While customer choice programs use competition to lower power prices and introduce new service products, not all customers pay less for purchasing power through…
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources on Oct. 30 announced the selection of Mayflower Wind Energy LLC’s 804-megawatt project to negotiate contracts with the state’s electric distribution companies as part of the competitive solicitations required under 2016 legislation, which requires the state to secure 1.6 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2027. Mayflower anticipates long term…
The Rhode Island Distributed-Generation Board submitted its recommendations for the 2020 Renewable Energy Growth Program Year to the Public Utilities Commission on Oct. 23, with proposed changes to classes, tariff term lengths, ceiling prices and the state allocation plan affecting mostly solar and wind generation. Regarding classes, the board proposes to combine the small and…
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam announced that Virginia entered into a contract with Dominion Energy Inc. to buy 420 megawatts of renewable energy to power state government facilities, according to an Oct. 18 news release. The agreement, which includes four new solar projects and Virginia’s first onshore wind facility, will ensure that state agencies and institutions…
The U.S. Department of Justice on Oct. 23 filed a lawsuit against California for unlawfully entering into a cap-and-trade agreement with the Canadian Province of Quebec in 2013. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, claims that the agreement interferes with foreign policy and the federal government’s full and…
The California Public Utilities Commission issued a proposed decision on Oct. 21, requiring load-serving entities to procure 4 gigawatts of additional capacity to forestall potential resource adequacy shortages starting in 2021. The order also recommends extension of the Water Resource Control Board’s once-through-cooling regulation compliance dates for about 3.7 gigawatts of gas-fired units slated to…
The Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC asked the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to authorize the acquisition of a 302-megawatt wind farm from EDP Renewables North America LLC through a joint venture, according to an Oct. 22 filing. The Indiana Crossroads Wind Farm, which will be located in White County, was selected through a request…
State renewable portfolio standards are a key driver behind the torrid expansion of wind and solar generation across the U.S., responsible for about half of the nation’s deployment of clean energy sources over the last couple of decades, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Over three dozen states, territories and the nation’s capital have…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities must take a hard look at the ratepayer impact of nuclear subsidies as the state’s reentry into the regional carbon market and pending wholesale market initiatives will likely increase revenue for the nuclear units receiving zero emission credits, or ZECs, according to the Division of Rate Counsel. Those…
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority executed 25-year contracts with Equinor Wind US LLC and Sunrise Wind LLC for nearly 1.7 gigawatts of offshore wind at an average all-in development cost of $83.36 per megawatt-hour in 2018 prices, according to an Oct. 23 announcement. The agency also released a report on the…
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Department of Public Service on Oct. 21 released a final plan revising the method used to calculate load-serving entities’ payment obligations under the zero emission credit, or ZEC, program that compensates nuclear plants for carbon-free electricity production. The plan establishes a flexible, “pay-as-you-go” model…
State-level activity on emission-trading programs and carbon pricing is ramping up as more jurisdictions embrace policy goals to transition to a lower-carbon power system and economy.