The Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) board of directors on July 25 approved the largest portfolio of transmission projects in the grid operator’s footprint, authorizing $10.3 billion worth of long-range transmission plan, or LRTP, projects to ensure grid reliability during the clean energy transition. The LRTP transmission projects are expected to enhance system performance to…...
The Oregon Public Utility Commission has announced that the state’s electric utilities have filed plans to mitigate and prevent wildfire risk in the region. The plans are the first to be filed in response to legislation enacted in August 2021 requiring utilities to identify high-risk areas within their service territory and reduce those risks. The…
DetailsEnerKnol is proud to announce the release of the new Solar Research Hub on the EnerKnol platform. EnerKnol Research Hubs are a new product, released on 5/19/2022. These Research Hubs correspond to a major sector impacting the wider energy regulatory universe. The hubs leverage the real-time power of the EnerKnol platform to showcase EnerKnol’s proprietary…...
The evolving retail electricity marketplace has prompted reforms to strengthen customer protections and expand options to access clean energy while addressing reliability concerns.
The Illinois Commerce Commission on July 22 directed Ameren to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the company’s continued membership in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) versus joining the PJM Interconnection. MISO’s failure to fulfil resource demand in a capacity auction for the period June 2022-May 2023 triggered rising wholesale prices and utility bills…...
The U.S. emerged as the world’s top liquefied natural gas exporter during the first half of 2022, according to a July 25 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. U.S. LNG exports averaged 11.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d), up by 12 percent compared to the same period in 2021. An increase in U.S…....
The U.S. Energy Department on July 21 released a notice of intent to offer $225 million for states and local governments to advance the application of latest building energy standards to aid in the development of buildings that consume less energy. The Building Energy Codes: Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation Program, which is funded by…...
The U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management on July 21 announced a funding of US $96 million allocated for projects aimed at developing clean automotive technologies that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the domestic transportation industry. The investment complements the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, or NEVI,…...
The White House on July 20 announced that the U.S. Interior Department will pursue offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico, as part of a series of executive actions to tackle climate change. The department proposed the first wind energy areas in the region, which cover more than 700,000 acres and have the…...
U.S. refined coal production declined to almost zero during the first quarter of 2022, according to a July 20 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Refined coal consumption in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2022, held a 10 percent share of coal fired electricity generation, significantly lower than then 31 percent share…...
The Western Area Power Administration on July 19 announced a record of decision approving two interconnection requests related to ConnectGen’s proposed Rail Tie Wind Project, a 504 megawatt wind energy generation project located in Albany County, Wyoming. The agency is one of four power marketing administrations within the U.S. Energy Department, which transmits wholesale electricity…...
The Illinois Commerce Commission on July 18 approved $1.1 billion to authorize Illinois Power Agency (IPA) to procure new renewable generation in Illinois over a two-year period under the 2022 Long Term Renewable Resource Procurement Plan, or LTRRPP. The program will provide a minimum of 25 percent of total incentive to projects located in environmental…...
The California Air Resources Board on July 18 launched the second round of its Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project, with $125 million in funding, which is over double the amount earmarked for the project when it was launched in 2020. The voucher-based incentive plan motivates consumers to buy or rent zero-emission off-road equipment by…...
The U.S. Energy Department has announced several financing plans and $56 million in funding, including $10 million from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to spur innovation in solar production and recycling. Jointly, the initiatives would aid the reliability and affordability of clean energy, create good, well-paying jobs, and enhance U.S. technological and economic…...
The amount of gasoline expended in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2022 and early July, has been lower than the same period in 2021, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest Weekly Petroleum Status Report. The Petroleum Supply Monthly validates the trend and reports that U.S. gasoline consumption in April averaged 8.8…...
The New York State Public Service Commission has adopted new rules requiring certain energy distribution companies to compensate residential and small business consumers who have suffered widespread and prolonged service outages. The decision enables consumers to get reimbursement in the event of extensive service outages lasting longer than three days. This ensures that utilities do…...
A massive investment in transmission infrastructure is necessary to move renewable energy over long distances from where it is produced to where it is needed. These transmission lines, which are so necessary to combat climate change present an inherent wildfire risk exacerbated by drought conditions in the western United States and Canada.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on July 15 announced that the state has exceeded 4 gigawatts of solar power and 157,000 solar installations statewide, adequate to deliver electricity to more than 500,000 households yearly. Previously, the state surpassed 3 gigawatts of solar power and 116,000 solar installations in October 2019. The state is…...
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on July 14 announced that the State Public Service Commission approved New York’s electric vehicle active and passive-managed charging programs. The initiatives forma key component of the “EV Make-Ready” program, which required utilities to provide managed charging options. The initiative is aimed to provide EV drivers with discounts if they…...
The Biden administration on July 14 announced the Interior Department’s authorization to build the Ten West Link Transmission Project, which aims to assist renewable energy growth and distribution in Arizona and California. The project aims to lower consumers’ energy costs and enhance the U. S. electricity grid in the West by enabling at least 25…...
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on July 13 released its final environmental impact statement in support of Holtec International’s application to build and operate a consolidated interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility in New Mexico. The commission staff has recommended the license based on the environmental impact review, subject to a safety review of the application…....
The Mississippi Public Service Commission has approved amendments to the former net metering and interconnection rules, now known as the “Net Renewable Generation Rules.” The newly announced rules include policies that seek to enhance access to solar energy for low and middle-income residents, increase solar adoption across the board, and improve grid reliability and economic…...
The Illinois Commerce Commission on July 13 published a first draft of its Renewable Energy Access Plan as required under the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. The plan lays out a comprehensive direction toward a clean electricity system that is equitable, reliable, and reasonable. The 2021 law sets Illinois on the path to attaining…...
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the commissioning of NextEra Energy Transmission LLC’s Empire State Transmission Line, a 20-mile transmission project that will upgrade the energy transmission system in the western part of the state. This initiative will enable the delivery of an additional 3,700 megawatts of renewable energy and is expected to avoid…
DetailsThe U.S. Energy Information Administration slashed its spot natural gas price forecasts for the second half of 2022 according to a July 12 report primarily due to lower-than-expected liquefied natural gas exports stemming from the extended outage at the Freeport LNG facility. The agency expects 10.5 billion cubic feet per day in U.S. LNG exports…...
The District of Columbia Public Service Commission on July 8 opened a proceeding to take action that will identify accessible funding sources for the Potomac Electric Power Company and the Washington Gas Light Company under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. As a part of this proceeding, the commission directed the utilities to…...
The Michigan Public Service Commission has approved a settlement allowing Consumers Energy Co. to increase rates applicable to its natural gas service by $170 million. In an initial request, the company had asked for an increase of $278 million, which was later abridged to $233 million. However, the amount agreed to in the settlement is…...
The U.S. Energy Department on July 8 announced the award of over $40 million to five state agencies and 21 organizations to enable U.S. households to increase the energy efficiency of their homes and lower their utility bills. The funding from the Weatherization Assistance Program, or WAP, enhanced by over $3.2 billion through the 2021…...
Strategies to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure are gaining emphasis as states seek to reduce the use of carbon-intensive transportation fuels to progress towards decarbonization and EV adoption goals.
The Michigan Public Service Commission directed its staff to establish a Distribution System Data Access workgroup as part of the MI Power Grid effort, a multi- year initiative launched in 2019 to maximize the benefits of the transition to clean, distributed energy resources for consumers. In light of the increasing proliferation of distributed generation resources…...
The Baker-Polito Administration on June 30 published the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030 (2025/2030 CEP). The plan provides an extensive and detailed approach to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 33 percent compared to 1990 levels, by 2025 and by a minimum of 50 percent by 2030, in order to reach Massachusetts…...
U.S. primary energy consumption, which includes energy from fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear, increased by 4 quadrillion British Thermal Unit (quads) in 2021 as compared to 2020, according to a July 1 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Fossil fuels namely, petroleum, natural gas, and coal, represent approximately 76.6 quads out of the total…...
The U.S. Energy Department on June 30 circulated a request for information seeking public input on the implementation of a $630 million hydropower incentive program pursuant to the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This information would assist the department in studying the structure of hydropower incentive programs, selection criteria, timing and distribution of funds,…...
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 30 restricted the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate power plant emissions under the Clean Air Act. The 6-3 decision in favour of coal interests in West Virginia v. EPA, is expected to negatively impact the Biden administration’s wider attempts to combat climate change. The court invoked the “major…
DetailsEnergy legislation enacted across U.S. states so far in 2022 spans a broad spectrum of topics portraying actions to facilitate the energy transition. These include measures to expand renewables and distributed resources, strengthen climate commitments, optimize grid performance, and sustain the nuclear power fleet. … Read the full report …...
Federal agencies, including the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency, on June 24 released their initial lists of programs covered under the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative launched in 2021 to ensure that disadvantaged communities receive the benefits of investments in terms of climate, clean water, and energy. The goal of the initiative…...
The U.S. Energy Department on June 28 issued the 2022 U.S. Energy and Employment Report. A key finding of the report was in the face of economic uncertainty, the energy sector undertook optimistic job growth, increasing 4 percent from 2020 to 2021, outperforming general U.S. employment, which climbed 2.8 percent in the corresponding period. In…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 27 approved an agreement between its Office of Enforcement and Salem Harbor Power Development LP to resolve allegations that the company engaged in a fraudulent scheme in ISO New England Inc.’s capacity auction to secure capacity payments. The company agreed to a civil penalty of $17 million and…...
PJM Interconnection LLC’s capacity market auction for the 2023-2024 delivery year cleared at $34.13 per megawatt-day (MW-day), which is nearly 32 percent lower compared to the 2021 auction and the lowest in almost a decade. The auction results reflect a low-carbon resource mix, with a growth of more than 5,000 cleared megawatts of carbon-free resources, according to the grid operator, which operates across 13 states and the District of Columbia.
The Michigan Public Service Commission on June 23 approved a settlement agreement that allows Consumers Energy Co. to exit coal-fired generation by 2025 and add 8 gigawatts of solar energy to the grid. The settlement pertains to the company’s integrated resource plan, or IRP, which identifies the optimal mix of resources to serve customers over…...
The U.S. Energy Department on June 23 announced it will spearhead the development of an all-encompassing offshore wind supply chain action plan by participating in the Biden administration’s Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership. The landmark partnership is a forum between the White House National Climate Advisor, the Secretaries of the Interior, Energy, Commerce, and Transportation,…...
