The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission will hold a hearing to discuss the Narragansett Electric’s proposed electric infrastructure, safety, and reliability plan for the fiscal year 2024-2025. The Rhode Island Energy subsidiary’s plan includes a proposed spending of $192.6 million for capital investment which includes a $51.7 million item for advanced metering functionality. This plan represents a sizeable increase in capital investment from the company which was of $112.3 million in the last fiscal year.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is due to receive bids for Step 2 of its request for proposals to auction the first project under its “Build Ready” program. NYSERDA is seeking a partner to convert a former mine in St. Lawrence County into one of the largest solar projects in New York’s Adirondack Park. The proposed Benson Mines Solar Project, a 12-megawatt solar facility, would be sited within the boundaries of Benson Mines on a former iron-ore tailings pile, and would be capable of powering up to 3,000 homes annually. The program is designed to identify sites and advance pre-construction development activities for large-scale renewable energy projects on underutilized lands before auctioning and transferring the sites to the private sector for final construction and operation. The first step required proposers to demonstrate their technical and financial ability to meet the minimum qualifications to design, secure financing for, construct, and own and operate the project.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission will conduct virtual evidentiary hearings on Public Service Company of Colorado’s proposed 2024-2028 Clean Heat Plan. The plan contains four portfolios including a preferred portfolio, which the company calls “Clean Heat Plus.” Legislation enacted in 2021 established a clean heat standard and directed gas utilities to develop and file clean heat plans to demonstrate the utility will achieve emissions reduction targets of 4 percent by 2025 and 22 percent by 2030, based on 2015 emission levels, from a range of prescribed clean heat resources. Additional hearings will be held from March 18-19. READ MORE

The California Energy Commission is due to receive comments on an analysis by Energy and Environmental Economics Inc.’s project regarding strategic gas infrastructure decommissioning in Northern California. The analysis is part of the commission’s gas research and development program. California is exploring strategic approaches to a managed transition for the gas system in a future with declining gas usage driven by electrification, a key component of the state’s plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2045. This project investigates how targeted building electrification along with tactical gas decommissioning can provide net gas system savings while promoting equity and meeting the needs of local communities. READ MORE

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission will hold a hearing to discuss Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC’s application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to build an approximately 400-megawatt natural gas combustion turbine peaking plant. The NiSource Inc. subsidiary also seeks approval to designate the plant as a clean energy project and authority to recover costs incurred in connection with the project. NIPSCO’s generating facilities have a total installed capacity of 2,764 net megawatts and consist of nine separate generation sites. Of the total capacity, 42.6 percent is from coal-fired units. The company plans to retire its remaining coal-fired generation by 2028 consistent with its 2018 and 2021 integrated resource plans. The project would displace electricity generated from existing coal generating facilities. 45947 – NONE