Time to prepare for a busy new year with a special edition of the EnerKnol Week Ahead. Dozens of state legislatures will convene next week for a new session. We've compiled a list of the energy topics to watch out for including New York's ambitious renewable energy policies, California's wildfire aftermath and Virginia's fossil fuel moratorium. Track all of these bills and much more with the EnerKnol Platform.
California
Connecticut
Illinois
Maryland
Minnesota
Missouri
North Carolina
New Jersey
New York
South Carolina
South Dakota
Texas
Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
As South Carolina’s legislature resumes work, issues such as offshore oil and gas drilling will likely be part of the agenda in the coming year. South Carolina and other states in the region are moving against President Donald Trump’s plans to allow for oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic coast.
Democrats flipped the state legislature, giving the party control of both the executive branch and the statehouse. With this trifecta, it’s more likely that renewable-friendly proposals that were introduced over the past year will become a reality. Democratic Governor-elect Ned Lamont signaled his support to strengthen the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to at least 35 percent Class I renewable energy sources by 2025, 50 percent by 2030 and at least 80 percent by 2040, ultimately reaching 100 percent by 2050.
Illinois finds itself as a contender for more ambitious renewable energy policies in the aftermath of elections that saw Democrats flip the governorship, adding to the party’s control of the legislature. Democratic Governor-elect J.B. Pritzke ran on a campaign to move towards 100 percent renewable energy supplies as well as on a commitment to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate agreement, an accord that seeks to reign in greenhouse gas emissions. The state’s current RPS target, last updated in 2016, calls for the procurement of 25 percent of renewable energy by 2026. The shift to the political left may also usher a sharp pivot in energy policy from the previous legislature, which floated bills to create carve-outs for ‘clean coal’ and cutbacks to renewable energy procurement.
Maryland General Assembly members were prompted to action by the recent federal report on climate change, which recommended increased use of clean energy. In the next legislative session, legislators will likely propose the Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Act, which seeks to boost Maryland’s clean energy goal from 25 percent by 2020 to 50 percent by 2030. The proposal would also require the state to come up with a plan to get it to 100 percent clean power by 2040.
The North Carolina General Assembly will convene for its long session following sinificant gains by Democrats in the Midterm elections. Democratic Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order to reduce the state’s carbon footprint by 20 percent, which is likely to lead to further debate in the legislature over issues such as global warming and renewable energy incentives.
New Jersey will likely consider legislation concerning the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a nine-state compact that established the nation’s first mandatory emissions trading program. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy issued an executive order to start the process of rejoining the RGGI after his predecessor, Chris Christie, a Republican, withdrew the state in 2012 because he argued that the program wasn’t effective. The state has a goal to procure 100 percent clean electricity by 2050 with an emphasis on solar, offshore wind and energy storage.
Democrats have taken control of the Senate, consolidating power over the legislature and re-electing Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat. A more ambitious renewable energy mandate than the state’s current Clean Energy Standard (CES) will likely be at the top of the agenda for the coming year, as Cuomo pledged to move New York to 100 percent carbon neutral electricity by 2040. the governor has hinged much of his legacy around energy, from seeking to jumpstart the state’s offshore wind energy, phasing out coal-fired generation, to laying the foundation for a burgeoning battery storage industry.
Virginia will consider a bill prefiled last November that would enact a moratorium on fossil fuel development in 2020 and require the state to get all of its electricity from clean energy resources by 2036. Virginia is striding towards a clean energy future with the Grid Transformation and Security Act enacted last year that declares that 5 gigawatts of solar and wind energy are in the public interest. (HB 1635)
California will likely continue efforts to pave the way for grid operator to expand its operations into other western states. Proponents believe that an integrated power grid will help manage the growing amounts of renewable energy and advance the state’s clean energy goals. The biggest victory last year for California’s climate was the passage of SB 100, which accelerated the renewable energy requirement to 60 percent by 2030 and set a goal to supply all of California’s electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045. Last year, the state enacted a law requiring investor-owned utilities to file wildfire mitigation plans. Sen. Bill Dodd, one of the authors the law, has called for a management shakeup at Pacific Gas & Electric in the wake of massive fires in 2017 and 2018.
The election of Democrat Tony Evers as the governor of Wisconsin saw odds for a shift in energy policy grow, albeit marginally. Evers, a proponent for shifting the state to 100 percent renewable energy by mid-century, only narrowly defeated Republican Governor Scott Walker. Evers also faces a legislature still under the control of the GOP, denying him the mandate and leeway for a massive course change in energy policy.
There are many items left over from last year that are likely to gain bipartisan approval in the upcoming legislative session in Minnessota, as Democrats now control the House chamber in the legislature. An overhauled RPS target may be in the cards for the state considering Governor-elect Tim Walz, a Democrat, has advocated for expanding the state’s renewable energy standard to 50 percent by 2030, up from the current achieved rate of 21 percent.
South Dakota will consider legislation that seeks to update regulations regarding pipeline safety inspections and to increase the maximum civil penalty for certain pipeline safety violations. (SB 18). Lawmakers have also proposed bills to establish provisions for solar energy permits (SB 14) extend the timeline for granting wind energy permits (SB 15).
Legislators in the lone star state will have a busy session with a focus on budget issues but also more than 100 energy related bills. Among those to watch out for are Senate Bill 76, which would create a Grid Security Council to monitor issues on grid security. Legislators will also be focusing on payments and Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts as well as a renewed push for climate change adaptation measures.
Legislators in Wyoming are set to discuss a few energy proposals stemming from the state’s changing energy mix. A bill to lower the severance tax on coal from 7 percent to 6.6 percent and potential bump to the state’s wind tax from $1 megawatt/hour to $5 mw/hr might be discussed in the upcoming session as renewable energy growth outshines traditional sources.
Missouri lawmakers will convene to discuss new legislation (SB 131) that would require a biennial review of the state’s state energy plan from January 1, 2021 using diverse stakeholder input. Another bill (SB 126) would require government units to award energy savings contracts if proposed measures do not exceed the amount of energy or operational savings within 25-year timeframe, up from the previous 15 years.
