The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority will discuss Dominion Energy Inc.’s application for 10 year power purchase agreements for its 2,100-megawatt Millstone nuclear plant. The company secured the ability to compete for long-term contracts with other zero-carbon resources such as wind and solar and decided to keep the biggest power plant in the region operational for another decade. Dominion had earlier threatened to close Millstone saying the plant was no longer economic to operate. 18-05-04

The North Carolina Utility Commission will receive input on avoided cost rates for electric utility purchases as part of its biennial review. Under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, or PURPA, independent generators that meet certain criteria based on size and technology are entitled to sell their output to regulated utilities at the avoided cost, or the cost the utility would spend to generate the electricity or purchase from another source. E-100 SUB 158

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is due to accept applications for grants and rebates for installation of fast-charging stations and hydrogen fuel cell equipment for zero emission vehicles. The grants and rebates are part of the department’s “Driving PA Forward” initiative that seeks to lower nitrogen oxide pollution from vehicles. The programs are funded by the state’s share of $118 million from the Volkswagen settlement. The final round of applications are due on December 16.

The Georgia Public Service Commission is scheduled to rule on a plan by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, to close four of its coal generation units and procure up to 1 gigawatt of renewable resources, in a move that would ramp up the utility’s renewable capacity by 18 percent by 2024. The plan includes energy-saving programs designed to help cut peak demand by about 1.6 gigawatts, or about 10 percent of the utility’s current peak power consumption, by 2022. READ MORE

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will hold its first public meeting to collect feedback and comments on the draft version of the 2019 Energy Master Plan. It provides a blueprint made up of seven strategies for achieving the state’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emission by at least 80 percent compared to 2006 levels. New Jersey’s state agencies were directed to prepare the plan under an executive order signed by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy in May 2018, alongside legislation which established the state’s Zero Emissions Certificate program. READ MORE

The Missouri Public Service Commission will review Ameren Missouri’s application to operate the nearly 300 megawatt Outlaw project in Atchison County. The wind farm project will be constructed by Tradewind Energy Inc, a renewables company owned by Enel Green Power North America Inc. on approximately 40,000 acres and is expected to begin operation in 2020. Ameren Missouri is a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation. EA-2019-0181

WA UTC NW Natural Gas Rate Case Hearing

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission will review a settlement agreement with NW Natural Gas Company to bump its natural gas annual base revenues by $5.1 million, or 7.8 percent, and to issue customer refunds totalling $2.5 million to reflect the 2017 federal corporate tax cuts made by the Trump administration. If approved, the average residential customer would pay $1.82 more, for an average monthly bill of about $50. The company had originally wanted to hike rates by 12.6 percent, or $8.3 million. UG-181053

CA PUC PG&E’s Future Comment Deadline

The California Public Utilities Commission is taking comments on an overhaul of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s safety culture amid media reports revealing that the embattled utility had long known of possible ties of its power equipment to devastating wildfires. Among the measures under consideration are to break up its businesses and sell off its assets, set periodic reviews, and link its profits to safety performance metrics. PG&E filed to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code to deal with billions of dollars in potential liability associated with the devastating 2017 and 2018 Northern California wildfires. 15-08-019