The Maryland Energy Administration is due to receive applications for grants available under two programs for FY 2022. Under the Offshore Wind Workforce Training Program, a total of $1.2 million is available, with the agency contributing up to 75 percent of the total project costs and applicants contributing the remainder in matching funds or in-kind services. The Offshore Wind Capital Expenditures Program provides a grant funding of $1.6 million, with the agency contributing at least 50 percent of the project costs. The initiatives are designed to establish an offshore wind supply chain in the state by supporting local businesses involved in the expansion of offshore wind energy. READ MORE

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will conduct a virtual public hearing on a proposed rulemaking intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from stationary sources. The measure proposes to address emissions from three major sources: fossil fuel-fired electric generating units through the application of output-based emission limits, certain commercial and industrial fossil fuel-fired boilers based upon an additional permit requirement, and fuel oil by banning its sale and use. The new rules would also cut other air pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, direct particulate matter, and hazardous air pollutants. READ MORE

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities is due to receive comments on the Office of Attorney General’s notice of retention of experts and consultants to assist in the department’s proceeding regarding distributed energy resource planning and interconnection costs. The department issued an order last November establishing a provisional framework for the funding of upgrades to the electric power system to foster prompt and cost-effective development and interconnection of distributed generation. The department opened the proceeding in October 2020 to assess optimal solutions for the interconnection of distributed generation facilities, taking a long-term perspective, and to examine methods for the assignment and recovery of costs associated with the grid connection of these resources. 20-75

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority will hold a webinar to discuss a white paper on community choice aggregation, or CCA, released by the Public Service Commission in April 2021. The webinar will focus on issues outlined in a November 2021 order on the whitepaper’s proposal for opt-out community distributed generation, or CDG, program operation. Commission staff and interested stakeholders will also identify potential solutions to establish an opt-out program that will benefit all ratepayers. To provide a path forward that ensures uniformity, transparency, and clarity, the whitepaper recommended standardized program filing requirements and provisions to reassure participants that appropriate protections are in place to participate in opt-out CCA programs. To facilitate investment in local distributed resources, the whitepaper proposed the addition of a statewide CDG program on an opt-out basis. A second webinar meeting will be held on Feb. 16. 14-M-0224, 14-01211

The District of Columbia Public Service Commission will hold a meeting of the advanced inverter working group to discuss topics including the establishment of advanced inverter settings profiles, timeline for adoption, and delays in the widespread availability of certified equipment in the market. The group is part of the commission’s investigation into the implementation of interconnection standards for distributed energy resources to attain the state’s solar and grid modernization goals. The Clean Energy DC plan identifies actions required from 2018-2032 in buildings, energy infrastructure, and the transportation system to meet the district’s ambitious emissions reduction targets. RM40-2020-01-M, FC1050

The California Energy Commission is due to receive comments on proposed natural gas research initiatives for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The commission held a workshop in January to discuss future research and budget requests for the Public-Interest Natural Gas Research and Development Program’s proposed energy-related initiatives. The workshop also considered long-term gas research strategies to help decarbonize the state by 2045. The commission serves as the administrator of the gas research fund, which includes surcharges from customers receiving gas service from public utility corporations. The fund supports public interest research and development through the program, which is evaluated on an annual basis. Research areas covered by this year’s proposed budget include energy efficiency, targeted gas system decommissioning, decarbonization of gas end uses, and entrepreneur development. 16-PIER-01

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission will hold an evidentiary hearing on Hawaiian Electric Light Company Inc.’s application for approval of a power purchase agreement for renewable and dispatchable firm energy capacity with Hu Honua Bioenergy LLC. The commission will consider issues set forth in a 2021 order that reopened the proceeding in response to a court ruling, and subsequent modifications. Topics that will be considered include greenhouse gas emissions that would result from approving the agreement and long-term environmental and public health costs of relying on energy generated from the proposed facility. The hearings will be conducted from Jan.31 through Feb. 3. 2017-0122

The California Energy Commission is due to receive comments on its zero-emission vehicle infrastructure plan designed to support the ZEV market development strategy developed by the Office of Business and Economic Development in collaboration with multiple state agencies. The commission held a workshop in January seeking early input to inform the state’s pathway to deploying the infrastructure necessary to support the level of ZEV adoption needed to meet state goals. A 2020 executive order issued by Governor Gavin Newsom set a 100 percent ZEV target for new passenger vehicle sales by 2035 and medium-and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045. The California Air Resources Board is developing Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Fleets regulations to help the state achieve its climate and air quality goals. 21-TRAN-03