MidAmerican Energy Company served 51.4 percent of its retail sales using renewable energy last year, the Iowa Utilities Board verified in an order issued on June 21. The company said that it owns the vast majority of the renewable generation that delivers its retail energy, and acquires a small amount through power purchase arrangements. The…
Illinois lawmakers approved a measure that allows a one-year extension of the date by which the Illinois Power Agency is required to deliver renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind and solar projects acquired through long-term contracts. The bill sets a June 1, 2022 deadline for the agency to begin supplying credits. Current law directs…
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities on June 25 approved 20-year contracts between Hydro-Québec and the state’s electric distribution companies Unitil Corp., National Grid plc, and Eversource Energy to acquire Canadian hydropower to help the state achieve its clean energy goals. The power will be delivered into New England over a $1 billion transmission line…
Battery storage is no longer just paving the way for greater integration of renewables onto the grid. The technology is now ushering in larger utility-scale solar and wind projects with diverse configurations. Utility proposals to develop massive storage projects in tandem with renewables are becoming more common as intermittent wind and solar continue to produce a growing share of power generation. Aggressive state and utility decarbonization goals are also driving the need for cost-effective batteries.
The Southwest Power Pool Inc., the grid operator for 14 states in the central U.S., unveiled a proposal for a Western Energy Imbalance Service market designed to balance generation and load regionally and in real time. The market aims to create opportunities for participants to utilize diverse generating resources, optimize their use of the transmission…
The Missouri Public Service Commission granted permits for The Empire District Electric Company’s proposal to build three wind farms with a combined capacity of up to 600 megawatts in Missouri and Kansas, according to a June 20 press release. The projects, which represent an investment of over $1 billion, will facilitate customer savings by using…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities selected Denmark-based Orsted A/S to develop a 1.1 gigawatt wind project, known as Ocean Wind, off the coast of Atlantic City, according to a June 21 press release. The project, which marks the first step towards meeting the state’s 3.5-gigawatt goal by 2030, is estimated to generate $1.17…
Maine state lawmakers approved a measure on June 18 that expands opportunities to invest in solar power, most notably by lifting the nine-person limit on the number of customers who can participate in a community solar farm. The legislation also calls for the procurement of 375 megawatts of distributed generation through competitive solicitation over the…
New York state lawmakers approved legislation on June 19, which requires the state to cut its emissions to 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, with a plan to offset the remainder through measures that remove carbon dioxide, such as afforestation and carbon capture. The bill includes a requirement to produce 70 percent of electricity…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on June 19 finalized its long-awaited carbon emission rules for the nation’s power sector, replacing more stringent Obama-era restrictions. The agency described the “Affordable Clean Energy Rule” as an effort to provide existing coal power plants with “achievable and realistic standards” to cut emissions. The rule allows states the flexibility to…
Maine state lawmakers approved legislation on June 18 that requires 80 percent of electricity consumed in the state to come from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050. The legislation, “An Act To Reform Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard,” also requires a market assessment study and analysis of the opportunities, potential, and challenges to…
In this update, Maryland, Nevada, Washington and Puerto Rico are the latest states and territory to strengthen targets for clean energy, showing how America’s decade-long renewable push is ramping up. Puerto Rico set a goal in March to source all of its power from renewables by 2050. In April, Nevada lawmakers unanimously approved a target…...
