Power & Utilities » EnerKnol

Feb202019

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – State Regulators Exercise Greater Scrutiny on Utility Planning Efforts

Policy changes are occurring faster than ever before, confounding efforts by utilities to plan for the future, causing a paralysis in decision making. The task of identifying all possible scenarios over a longer horizon is becoming more demanding as state renewable energy standards are changing more frequently. Utilities are grappling with the influx of distributed energy resources and new renewable generation under various state programs, coupled with the need to maintain fossil generation to manage the intermittency of these sources.

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February 20, 2019

Feb202019

Midwest Grid Operator Delivered Up To $3.9 Billion in Benefits in 2018: MISO Report

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc. estimates that benefits in the range of $3.2 billion to $3.9 billion were realized in its region last year, according to the results of its annual value proposition study released on Feb. 19. The study, which identifies several factors that drive positive value, found that footprint diversity, wind integration,…

February 20, 2019

Feb192019

National Grid’s Rate Adjustments to Slash Rhode Island Residential Bills by 2.6 Percent

National Grid plc asked the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission to approve rate adjustments stemming from reconciliations for various costs from January through December 2018, according to a Feb. 15 filing. The company said that the overall impact of the changes would result in a decrease of $3.07, from $118.51 to $115.44, in monthly residential…

February 19, 2019

Feb182019

PJM Staff to File Revised Price Formation Proposal as Stakeholders Fail to Reach Consensus

PJM Interconnection LLC’s board of managers on Feb. 13 directed PJM staff to submit a revised version of its energy price formation proposal for approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The move comes after market participants failed to reach an agreement on a compromise proposal to update the energy reserve pricing rules. The board asked PJM…

February 18, 2019

Feb132019

Competitive Suppliers Accounted for 77 Percent of Ohio’s Renewable Energy Compliance Requirements in 2017: Report

The compliance obligations under Ohio’s renewable portfolio standard has been shifting from electric distribution companies to competitive retail suppliers as consumers are exercising their choice of electric service providers, according to a Feb. 11 draft annual report by the Ohio Public Utilities Commission staff. Competitive suppliers were responsible for about 77 percent of Ohio’s overall…

February 13, 2019

Feb42019

Massachusetts Regulator Unveils Framework for Capacity Rights in Solar Incentive Programs

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities issued an order on Feb. 1 clarifying ownership of capacity and energy rights of facilities under net metering and Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target, or SMART, programs participating in the ISO New England Inc.’s forward capacity market. The order allows owners of storage-paired facilities to retain their energy or capacity…

February 4, 2019

Jan282019

PG&E Cannot Avoid FERC Review to Cancel Power Contracts in Bankruptcy

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission determined that it has concurrent jurisdiction with bankruptcy courts over wholesale power contracts that Pacific Gas & Electric Company may seek to reject through bankruptcy, according to a Jan. 25 order. The ruling comes in response to a request by NextEra Energy Inc. and NextEra Energy Partners L.P seeking commission…

January 28, 2019

Jan232019

New York Grid Operator’s Multi-Year Strategy Seeks to Align Market Design With Policy Goals

The New York Independent System Operator Inc. on Jan. 22 released a five-year plan that outlines a path forward to tackle the changing grid dynamics and support the growing role of public policy initiatives in reshaping the grid. The 2019-2023 plan identifies strategic initiatives to guide the development of projects and resource allocations as evolving regulations and…

January 23, 2019

Jan222019

Liberty Utilities Wins Approval for Customer-Sited Battery Pilot in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission on Jan. 17 authorized Liberty Utilities Co. to install up to 500 Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries behind the meter at customers’ premises under a pilot program intended to achieve customer savings through peak load reductions. Liberty said that the initiative marks the first program in the nation to combine…

January 22, 2019

Jan222019

Virginia Regulator Asks Dominion Energy to Redo $6 Billion Grid Transformation Plan

The Virginia State Corporation Commission on Jan. 17 turned down a majority of Dominion Energy Inc.’s 10-year, $6 billion grid transformation proposal, finding that the utility had not shown that the costs are prudent. The agency approved only a $150 million cyber and physical security component for the first three-year phase, estimated to cost $1.5…

January 22, 2019

Jan192019

NextEra Seeks FERC Action to Protect Renewable Contracts as PG&E Faces Bankruptcy

NextEra Energy Inc. and NextEra Energy Partners L.P on Jan. 18 asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to order that Pacific Gas and Electric Company may not reject its wholesale contracts in bankruptcy without the federal regulator’s approval. PG&E announced it will file for bankruptcy protection on or about Jan. 29 as it faces billions…

January 19, 2019

Jan162019

California Grid Operator Set to Launch Reliability Services Across West

The California Independent System Operator Corporation finalized agreements to provide reliability coordinating services for 32 electricity balancing authorities and transmission operators across the west, according to a Jan. 14 press release. Following a year of planning and coordination, the ISO said it will now focus on technology and system integration to implement the service by July 1….

January 16, 2019

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