Week Ahead: PacifiCorp’s Resource Plan, CA Examines Gas Research Initiatives, Pepco’s Performance Incentives
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New York Governor Announces $90 Million in Federal Aid for Home Heating During Winter
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Dec. 28 announced an increase in emergency aid for low-and middle-income families to keep their homes heated during the winter. The move aims to prevent disconnecting or exhausting sources amid expected increases in fuel prices. Compared to last year, the emergency benefit planned for this winter ranges from 32…...
Texas Electric Generation Fleet Prepared for Winter Following Weatherization Rule: ERCOT
The Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) announced on Dec.30 it has completed on-site inspections of mandatory winterization efforts and concluded that the independently owned power generation fleet and transmission companies serving the region are prepared for winter weather. The grid operator conducted inspections at facilities, which represent 85 percent of the megawatt hours lost…...
U.S. Department of Energy Offers $100 Million to Support Clean Energy Innovation
The U.S. Energy Department on Dec. 16 announced a $100 million funding opportunity to support innovative technologies that can contribute to emissions reductions, increase energy efficiency, and support grid modernization. The agency’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will run the funding program, which is expected to support President Biden’s Building a Better America initiative by…...
President Biden Issues Executive Order to Promote Clean Energy
The U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Dec. 8 directing the federal government to use its procurement power to achieve ambitious emissions reduction and clean energy goals. This action is expected to facilitate the development of at least 10 gigawatts of carbon-free electricity by 2030 and fast-track the nation’s capacity to supply…...
California Commission Takes Steps to Ensure Summer Electricity Reliability
The California Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 2 introduced new programs and modifications to existing programs to lower energy demand and increase supply during critical hours to prevent electricity breakdowns during extreme heat events such as the west-wide heat waves of 2020 and 2021. To protect the grid during extreme weather seasons, the regulator approved…...
Michigan Regulator Launches Study to Identify Barriers to Renewable Natural Gas Development
The Michigan Public Service Commission on Dec. 9 initiated a study to examine the potential of renewable natural gas (RNG) development. The study aims to identify existing and potential sources of RNG in Michigan and any barriers to development, in order for the state to provide a carbon neutral energy solution, using the existing natural…...
Visual Primer: Weather-Induced Energy Crises Drive Resiliency Efforts Across U.S.
The growing incidence of extreme weather events has triggered regulatory and legislative efforts across the U.S. to improve the reliability and resilience of the energy system. Winter Storm Uri, which caused widespread outages in the South Central U.S. in February, prompted a regulatory upheaval in Texas, which suffered the brunt of the storm, leaving more than 4.5 million people without power. California has adopted measures to ensure reliability in the event of extreme weather in the summers of 2022 and 2023. Federal regulators have approved new cold weather electric reliability standards.
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Eight Texas Power Companies Face $7.5 Million in Penalties for Failure to Submit Winter Readiness Reports
The Texas Public Utility Commission staff on Dec. 8 filed reports of violation against eight generation companies for failing to timely submit winter weather readiness plans. Thirteen of the state’s 850 generation resources owned by these companies missed the Dec. 1, 2021 deadline. In October, the commission adopted a rule addressing weather emergency preparedness of…...