The New York Public Service Commission is due to receive reply comments on Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. and Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc.’s initial long-term gas system plan. The companies filed the plan in response to the commission’s May 2022 order that established a long-term gas system planning process for local gas distribution companies. The order also directed commission staff to facilitate meetings between a gas utility and stakeholders interested in its long-term plan. The commission seeks comments on the substance of the initial plan filed by the companies in May.

The Maryland Public Service Commission will hold a hearing to discuss Columbia Gas of Maryland’s application for adjustments of distribution rates and charges applicable to gas services. The NiSource Inc. subsidiary is seeking an increase in distribution revenue of $8.8 million and a return on equity of 10.95 percent, which would increase an average residential customer’s monthly bill by approximately $14.73, or by 14 percent.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is due to receive comments on proposed regulations to make cars and trucks up to 90 percent cleaner and require manufacturers to deliver more zero-emission vehicles to drivers while increasing consumer protections. The standards follow legislation adopted in 2003 which requires the state to adopt and remain consistent with California’s standards for light duty vehicles. The standards require 90 percent cleaner emissions from internal combustion engines and require vehicle manufacturers to deliver 100 percent electric vehicles by 2035.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is due to receive reply comments on Regal Solar LLC’s request for an amendment to a site permit issued in April 2021 for an up to 100-megawatt solar generation project in Benton County. The developer, a subsidiary of National Grid Renewables Development LLC, requested a permit amendment in June, proposing changes to the project, including an increase in the nameplate capacity of the project from 100 megawatts to 119.5 megawatts and an update to the preliminary project development area from 712 acres to 723 acres due to the increased generation. The project would still span an area of about 800 acres and is estimated to cost around $246 million.

The Iowa Utilities Board will begin hearings on Summit Carbon Solutions LLC’s proposed hazardous liquid pipeline, including testimony of landowners subject to eminent domain. The board will create a schedule of dates, by area, for receiving testimony from landowners and is looking to provide clarity to landowners about when they will need to be at the hearing to provide their testimony. The company has proposed to build a 687-mile carbon capture and sequestration project that is expected to move up to 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and cost around $4.5 billion. READ MORE

The California Energy Commission will hold a joint workshop with the Public Utilities Commission and the Air Resources Board to discuss the findings and recommendations in the SB 100 joint report for 2021. Enacted in 2018, the legislation increased California’s renewable portfolio standard to 60 percent, and set a goal of procuring 100 percent of the state’s retail electricity supply from renewable and zero-carbon resources by 2045. SB 100 requires the agencies to address the findings and recommendations as the 2025 joint agency report is developed. The workshop will include an overview of the 2021 report with a highlight on developments that occurred in the last two years, and presentations and panels to provide stakeholder input on the state’s path towards the goal established by the law. 23-SB-100

The California Air Resources Board and Québec’s Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change will release the results of their 36th joint quarterly carbon auction, which offered allowances for current and future years. The current auction offered 2023 vintage allowances totaling nearly 55.8 million, and the advance auction offered 2026 future allowances totaling about 7.6 million. The previous auction held in May sold all of the nearly 56.1 million current allowances at a price of $30.33 per allowance and 7.6 million future allowances at $30.05 per allowance. California’s cap-and trade program places an economy-wide cap on major emitting sources. READ MORE

The Wyoming Public Service Commission will hold a public comment hearing on Rocky Mountain Power’s application for adjustments of distribution rates and charges applicable to electric services. The utility, a division of PacifiCorp, is seeking an increase to its retail electric service rates by approximately $140.2 million per year or an average overall increase of 21.6 percent with rates effective on Jan. 1, 2024. The utility has also sought revisions to its energy cost adjustment mechanism. 17252

The California Energy Commission is due to receive comments on proposed grid modernization research funding concepts as part of the 2021-2025 Electric Program Investment Charge, or EPIC, program. This investment plan focuses on reducing grid congestion, maintaining reliability, and increasing flexibility as more renewables, distributed energy resources, and storage are added to the grid. The EPIC program invests $130 million annually in research to transform the electricity sector and meet the state’s energy and climate goals. The commission is seeking responses to questions on several topics including research priorities, target metrics for assessing technology efficacy, and best practices from other regions. 23-ERDD-01