The North Carolina Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing on Duke Energy Progress LLC’s application for adjustment of rates and charges applicable to electric service. The company asked for return on equity of 10.3 percent and an annual revenue increase of nearly $586 million, with the amount partially offset by federal and state tax savings to reflect the net revenue hike of nearly $464 million. The proposed changes would result in a 14.3 percent increase in average rates for residential customers, while commercial and industrial customers would see a 10.4 percent increase.

The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment will consider Canisteo Wind Energy LLC’s proposal to construct a 290-megawatt wind generating facility in Steuben County. Last year, the New York Power Authority awarded a 20-year power purchase agreement to the Invenergy LLC subsidiary for the energy, capacity and renewable energy credits generated from the project. The award, which is a result of a 2017 competitive bid solicitation, marks NYPA’s first transaction for a large-scale renewable project.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to receive reply comments on Walleye Wind LLC’s proposed 111-megawatt wind generation project in Rock County. The developer, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC, has requested exemption from certain application and information requirements that are specific to traditional utilities and not applicable to independent power producers such as Walleye Wind. The output of the facility will be sold to Minnesota Municipal Power Agency through a 30-year power purchase agreement. CN-20-269

The California Public Utilities Commission will hold the second Wildfire Safety Advisory Board meeting. The board was established last year to review and resolve mitigation plans for 2020 and beyond to ensure that the electrical utilities are taking effective actions to reduce utility-related wildfire risk. The commission approved the mitigation plans for 2019 last May, and directed electric corporations to track data and evaluate the outcomes to improve future plans. Catastrophic fires in 2017, 2018 and 2019 resulted in billions of dollars in damage across the state, forcing Pacific Gas & Electric to declare bankruptcy last year.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to receive responsive comments on rules regarding the filing of distribution system plans by the state’s investor-owned electric utilities. A law enacted in June directs the commission to adopt rules requiring electric utilities to submit distribution system plans and workforce transition details when they propose to retire power plants. Distribution planning would help ensure that grid modernization allows for continued safe, reliable and cost-effective utility operations, according to the agency. READ MORE

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission is due to receive comments on a rulemaking proposal regarding equity in utility planning pursuant to the Clean Energy Transformation Act, which requires the state’s electricity supply to be carbon-neutral by 2030 and carbon-free by 2045. The law, enacted last year, directs the state’s electric utilities to phase out coal from their generation portfolio by 2025. The commission is in the process of developing rules and guidance related to the equity provisions, including equity assessments within a utility’s resource plan and requirements to ensure that all customers are benefiting from the transition to clean energy. UE-190837