PJM Interconnection has issued a Capacity Performance proposal modeled after the New England ISO Pay-for-Performance capacity market design. On December 3, 2014, PJM Interconnection issued a Capacity Performance proposal — a modified version of the October 7 staff proposal — reflecting the need for stronger incentives within the existing capacity market structure to encourage investment by new…
The House has passed a one-year extension of several tax provisions including the renewable energy production tax credit and several biofuel industry incentives. On December 3, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (H.R. 5771), a one-year tax extender package for several tax relief provisions that expired at…
The CT PURA has issued a draft decision reducing CL&P’s proposed electric rate increase by more than $100M and reflecting a penalty for CL&P’s inadequate performance during 2011 storms. On December 1, 2014, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) issued a draft decision on Connecticut Light and Power Company’s (CL&P) rate increase request, approving a…
State utilities – such as New York’s Con Edison – are beginning to consider non-traditional infrastructure and resource investments to meet peak load. Distributed energy resources investments and increased customer engagement will help create a more diverse, resilient energy grid. Over the next year – and beyond – State PUCs and utilities will work closely…
The DOI will offer approximately 742,000 acres offshore Massachusetts for commercial wind energy development in a competitive lease sale scheduled for January 29, 2015. On November 26, 2014, the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a notice to offer approximately 742,000 acres of the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (WEA) for…
According to EIA, 2014 winter natural gas prices in Boston and New York City are expected to remain higher despite an anticipated milder winter. On November 24, 2014, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a report projecting higher winter natural gas prices in Boston and New York City despite expectations of a milder 2014/2015 winter. Though natural…
The Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether EPA unreasonably refused to consider cost factors in its MATS rulemaking process. On November 25, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court granted petitions to hear state and industry challenges against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) to decide whether EPA unreasonably refused to…
The EPA has proposed to update air quality standards for ground-level ozone to levels within 65 ppb to 70 ppb from the current level of 75 ppb. On November 25, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to update the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone by strengthening primary and secondary ozone…
Non-hydro utility-scale energy storage solutions are landing record-setting contracts in multiple regions, marking a transition beyond small-scale ancillary services. Fast-reacting and flexible energy storage resources can efficiently provide ancillary services to free-up traditional generation assets for wholesale market participation. The U.S. Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change recently cited that by 2022, the worldwide demand…
The FERC has directed RTOs/ISOs to identify fuel assurance issues relevant to their respective markets and file a report on the status of their efforts to address the issues. On November 20, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order directing regional transmission organizations and independent system operators (RTOs/ISOs) to file reports on…
The DOI has offered a right-of-way grant authorizing an offshore wind energy transmission line from Block Island to the Rhode Island mainland. On November 17, 2014, the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a right-of-way (ROW) grant to Deepwater Wind Block Island Transmission System LLC for its proposed Block Island…
The U.S. has announced a $3B commitment to the Green Climate Fund – the largest single pledge to date. On November 15, 2014 – eve of the 2014 G-20 Summit in Australia – U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. will contribute $3B to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the financial support mechanism aimed…
