Arizona Corporation Commissioner Andy Tobin on Jan. 30 unveiled the Arizona Energy Modernization Plan, a proposal that sets stronger renewable energy targets, sets a goal to deploy three gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, and directs utilities to expand charging options to aid in the deployment of electric vehicles. The package marks the culmination of a years-long process by the commission to update its renewable standards, which stand at over a decade old.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed an executive order on Jan. 31 directing the Board of Public Utilities to set up rules and, with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, develop a plan to reach a state goal to deploy 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy generation by the year 2030. Murphy said that while the Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Credit program was enacted eight years ago, it has not been fully implemented and wind developers have not obtained permits from the Board of Public Utilities to move forward.

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission on Jan. 25 approved four residential demand response programs proposed by the HECO Companies seen as essential for the state to reach its goal of sourcing all of its power from wind and solar generation by 2045. The utilities will directly or indirectly control the operation of ratepayer’s energy-consuming devices, such as air conditioners, water heaters, storage batteries or electric vehicles, to gain the flexibility needed to match power demand with an increasingly intermittent and variable supply of power that fluctuates with the wind and sun. The programs include capacity service, frequency response, regulating reserve, and replacement reserve programs.

The Bureau of Land Management is considering amendments to the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan to open more of the 10.8 million acres of federal lands in the plan zone for renewable energy generation, according to the agency’s Feb. 1 press release. The plan is a major component of California’s renewable energy planning efforts, as a means to preserve desert ecosystems while allowing appropriate energy development. The bureau’s proposal is part of President Trump’s call to review actions that potentially burden the development of domestically produced energy sources. It opens a 45-day comment period.

A group of Vermont state House lawmakers, led by Democrat Jim Masland, introduced legislation on Jan. 26 that would require the utility commission to cut costs and simplify the application to net meter solar generators up to 150 kilowatts that have cleared the planning process. (H 721) Another proposal would require utilities to bear the cost of studies used to interconnect small renewable generators to the grid. (H 720)

The South Carolina House approved a measure on Jan. 31 that would end payments by customers of SCANA subsidiary South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. toward the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project. If enacted, the legislation will provide temporary relief until issues pending before the public utilities commission are resolved. It will likely deal a setback to Dominion Energy’s offer to buy SCANA, which hinges on continuing cost recovery through rates under the Base Load Review Act. (H 4375)

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission announced that it wants to ensure that the lower tax obligations for utilities under the recently enacted Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act flow down to customers, joining dozens of other states seeking relief for consumers. The commission directed all gas and electric utilities to provide information on how the tax cuts will be calculated, when refunds could be awarded, and when new rates reflecting the new tax law will be set by Feb. 21, according to the agency’s Jan. 31 press release. The Trump administration signed into law legislation slashing the corporate income tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent, at the start of the year.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a $12.6 million rate increase, compared to the $55 million requested by ALLETE Inc.’s subsidiary Minnesota Power Company, according to a Jan. 30 press release. The new rates, which take effect in late 2018, will lower the average consumer’s bill by about $1.18 per month compared to what they currently pay.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities issued an order requiring utilities to extend any savings from the Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to ratepayers, according to a Jan. 31 press release. The board ordered that rate changes made to reflect the new tax law be deferred until April 1, and said that it would determine the method for providing refunds to consumers. The Trump administration signed into law legislation slashing the corporate income tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent, at the start of the year.

Interstate Power and Light Company, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation, proposed an energy efficiency program geared to saving 665 gigawatt-hours of electricity use through the five year period ending 2023, according to the application with the Iowa Utilities Board on Feb. 1. The natural gas component of the plan is expected to save more than 6.1 million therms over the period. The program is scheduled to start next year.

The U.S. EPA announced Jan. 29 that it approved a more flexible plan for Arkansas to limit emissions of nitrogen oxide from coal-fired power plants across the state to address regional haze in lieu of a more costly federal program that had been imposed under the Obama administration. Since March, the EPA approved over 200 state environmental compliance plans as it seeks to roll back federal regulations seen as burdensome to industry.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed an executive order on Jan. 29 directing the state’s environmental protection department and public utilities board to begin the process of rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first mandatory cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Murphy’s predecessor, Chris Christie, a Republican, withdrew the state from the initiative in 2012 citing a lack of effectiveness and uncertainty over its future. Christie vetoed the legislature’s attempt to rejoin the market last year. This comes after Virginia moved to join the regional marketplace in November.

California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, on Jan. 26 signed an executive order setting a higher target for the adoption of electric and hydrogen-fueled vehicles in the state, building off the current goal of 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2025. Brown also proposed an 8-year, $2.5 billion program to continue clean vehicle rebates and fund zero-emission charging and refueling stations. California has been a leader in electrifying the automotive fleet, a sector that accounts for half the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, released a plan on Jan. 24 detailing action areas to accelerate electric vehicle adoption with a focus on building out fast-charging infrastructure through public-private partnerships. Colorado ranks seventh for the number of electric vehicles per capita, according to an Energy Department study.

Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, denied an application by Andeavor Corp. (formerly Tesoro Corp.) and Savage Companies to build the Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy oil rail terminal, underscoring the risks of oil spills and explosions, according to a Jan. 29 announcement from the administration. A vote by an advisory council in November recommended that the governor nix the project, citing impacts from increased rail traffic and geological hazards. Tesoro Savage has 30 days to appeal the governor’s decision in court.

Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, dismissed calls from a state advisory board to close Enbridge Inc.’s 64 year-old Line 5 pipeline until it is inspected and any damages repaired and that the link shut down during severe weather. Snyder said that the prior tests showed the pipeline was not at risk of imminent failure, that shutting down the project in the winter could lead to a “propane supply crisis,” and that the board lacked sufficient votes for the resolutions to be adopted. Line 5 transports up to 540,000 barrels a day of light crude oil and natural gas liquids running from Wisconsin, under the Straits of Mackinac, through Michigan to Ontario, Canada.The governor had previously struck a deal with Enbridge on Nov. 27 requiring the Canadian company to replace a portion of the pipeline.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commissions issued an order Jan. 29 directing state natural gas suppliers to provide information on how they notify and charge customers for the installation of safety devices, known as excess flow valves, which are installed on distribution lines to prevent unplanned gas flows.The investigation stems from an August 2017 petition of Great Plains Natural Gas Co., a division of MDU Resources Group Inc., for approval of revisions to comply with a 2016 rule of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which requires utilities to install such valves upon customer request.

The Bureau of Land Management on Jan. 26 released an initial environmental analysis for the Converse County oil and gas project, a proposal by Anadarko Petroleum Company, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Devon Energy, EOG Resources Inc., and SM Energy. The explorers seek to drill about 5,000 oil and natural gas wells on 1.5 million acres over a 10-year period. The project is estimated to yield about 94 million barrels of oil and 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and generate $18 billion to $28 billion in revenues and economic activity. The bureau will accept public comments on the draft through March 12.

South Dakota state House Democrats including Shawn Bordeaux and Republican Ryan Maher introduced draft legislation on Jan. 25 that would impose a moratorium on the construction of new oil pipeline infrastructure in the state. TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone Pipeline leaked 210,000 gallons of oil in November in the northeast part of the state, marking the project’s largest release to date. (HB 1223)

The West Virginia Public Service Commission on Jan. 26 authorized FirstEnergy Corp. affiliate Allegheny Energy Supply Company to transfer ownership of its 1,300-megawatt Pleasants Power Station to Monongahela Power Company and Potomac Edison, both subsidiaries of FirstEnergy. The approval is conditioned on ratepayer protections including limitations on customer costs and on recovery of closing costs if the plant is retired early. The sale must also be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which rejected the transfer on Jan. 12 finding that sufficient safeguards weren’t in place to protect ratepayers. The plant transfer is aimed at addressing a deficit in power supplies that’s projected to grow over the decade.

The nation’s crude oil production jumped to 10.038 million barrels per day late last year, just below the all-time record of 10.044 million barrels set in November 1970, according to EIA’s latest Petroleum Supply Monthly report published Jan. 31. The surge in supplies follows the advent of advanced drilling techniques, particularly fracking, which have cut the costs of extracting from prolific tight-rock formations. Shale now accounts for just over half of total production, up from less than 10 percent about a decade ago.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found that the Eastern Panhandle Expansion Project proposed by a subsidiary of TransCanada Corp. would not carry any significant environmental impacts. The project would add 46.6 million cubic feet per day of capacity for firm transportation service to markets in West Virginia, according to a Jan. 26 notice from the agency.

Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. filed an application with the Montana Public Service Commission on Jan. 31 seeking approval to implement a reorganization plan through which Montana-Dakota and Great Plains Natural Gas Co., currently operating divisions of MDU Resources Group Inc., will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of a newly formed holding company. Outstanding share of company common stock would be converted on a one-for-one basis into a share of common stock of the holding company. The companies seek approval by September 30.