The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will hold a bidders’ conference for its procurement of zero-carbon power supplies. Connecticut passed a law last year allowing Dominion Energy Inc.’s Millstone generator, the state’s only nuclear power plant, to compete for long-term contracts with other emission-free sources of electricity. Regulators concluded that the 2,100-megawatt generator is critical for the region’s fuel security and emission reduction goals. Competing power suppliers argue that the out-of-market payments will depress revenues, forcing premature retirements. Bids are due by Sep. 14.

The Michigan Public Service Commission is due to receive reply comments on its method for calculating the rates a utility must pay for electricity supplies from a small power producer under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act. Michigan-based utility CMS Energy Corp. has fought the purchase contracts, arguing that it already has a glut of supplies to meet demand. (U-18090)

PJM Interconnection LLC, operator of the nation’s largest grid, is scheduled to hold a second special session to review the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s rejection of its plans to shore up its annual capacity auction, which regulators see as under threat from a growing influx of subsidized generation. In June FERC proposed to set a limit on how low state-backed generation can bid in the capacity market by expanding its minimum offer price rule, or MOPR, to all sponsored types of generation. The commission expects to issue a final ruling by early January 2019.

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc. will hold its second market symposium on digitalization, de-marginalization and decentralization. The two-day industry event, which debuted in 2016, will include expert discussions on how wholesale market design and technology may change with increasing use of connected devices, distributed energy generation and cheap renewable power. The conference, co-hosted with the U.S. Department of Energy, will feature FERC Commissioner Richard Glick.

A working group with the New York Public Service Commission will review changes to how utilities should pay for distributed energy generation to more accurately reflect the environmental and system benefit of the supplies. Staff with the agency recently recommended revisions that they said could help drive an additional 1,000 megawatts of new community solar power. (15-E-0751)

The Missouri Public Service Commission is holding a third set of meetings to consider a request by Kansas City Power & Light Company and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company to hike annual electric revenues by about $16.4 million and $19.3 million respectively, leading to a $3 and $2 bump in monthly electric bills for the average residential customer. KCP&L had also asked to boost rates before regulators in Kansas, to account for new customer programs and expenses. KCP&L and GMO are subsidiaries of Great Plains Energy Inc. (ER-2018-0145)

The Electric Reliability Corporation of Texas Inc. will discuss forecasting wind power on the grid. Texas boasts more supplies of wind power than any other state in the nation with over 21,000 megawatts of installed capacity. Staff will also hold a meeting to review market rules for money-losing power generators that are kept in operation by the grid manager under so-called reliability must run contracts. The rule seeks to ensure that the subsidized plants don’t submit below-market supply offers that could undercut competing generators.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to receive an update on Hydro One Limited’s appointment of new executive leadership as the agency weighs the company’s acquisition of Avista Corp. Hydro One’s Chief Executive Officer Mayo Schmidt and the company’s board of directors departed in July under an agreement between the government of Ontario and the utility. Regulators postponed a technical hearing on the $5.3-billion deal, originally scheduled for July 23, because of the leadership shakeup. Similarly, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission announced that it has extended the deadline to rule on the merger, pushing the date to mid-December. The all-cash merger announced in July 2017 will create one of North America’s largest regulated utilities with over $25 billion in total assets. (AVU-G-17-05)