The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is due to receive applications for grants and rebates for installation of fast-charging stations and hydrogen fuel cell equipment for zero emission vehicles. These are part of the department’s “Driving PA Forward” initiative that seeks to lower nitrogen oxide pollution from vehicles, which is funded by the state’s share of $118 million from the Volkswagen settlement.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will discuss the design of a Solar Successor Program which will replace the legacy Solar Renewable Energy Certificate. The regulator just approved a temporary solar incentive program to bridge the gap, consisting of factorized, fixed-price, 15-year Transition Renewable Energy Certificates (TREC). These will be available to projects that are in the SREC pipeline but which have not yet reached commercial operation at the time the state achieves the milestone of 5.1 percent of electricity from solar under the Clean Energy Act. READ MORE

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is scheduled to replace its agreements with load serving entities to reflect the revisions to the ZEC program, which compensates nuclear plants for carbon-free electricity production. On Oct. 21, the regulator released a final plan revising the method used to calculate load-serving entities’ payment obligations under the ZEC program, establishing a flexible, “pay-as-you-go” model based on each entity’s actual load, replacing the previous payment structure that utilized a fixed obligation calculated from the historic proportional share of statewide load. READ MORE

The Maryland Public Service Commission is due to receive a report on implementing a multi-year rate plan, an alternative rate-setting process that would extend utilities’ approved rates for up to three years. The regulator created a working group in August tasked with developing the procedure. Multi-year plans can combine the stability of traditional ratemaking while allowing adjustments that better reflect the changing energy market, the agency found. The decision paves the way for electric and natural gas utilities to eventually integrate performance-based measures in their rate plans. READ MORE

The California Public Utilities Commission will discuss the commercialization of microgrids for distribution customers of large electrical corporations. Under SB 1339, the PUC, in consultation with the California Energy Commission, and the California Independent System Operator must create standards, protocols, guidelines, methods, rates, and tariffs that serve to support and reduce barriers to microgrid deployment in the state. R1909009