The New York Public Service Commission will hold a technical conference to discuss a whitepaper regarding utilities marginal cost of service studies. The report makes recommendations for the preparation of these studies by the state’s utilities – Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc., New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, National Grid, Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc., and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation. The studies would be used to calculate elements of the commission’s Value of Distributed Energy Resources Value Stack Compensation. New York adopted the value stack pricing mechanism in 2017 to compensate distributed energy resources in a more accurate and granular manner.

The Maryland Public Service Commission will conduct a prehearing conference to discuss Potomac Edison Company’s application for adjustments of distribution rates and charges applicable to electric services. The FirstEnergy subsidiary is seeking an increase in distribution revenue of $47.5 million and a return on equity of 10.6 percent, which would increase an average residential customer’s monthly bill by 9.7 percent.

The New York Public Service Commission is due to receive comments on issues related to the decommissioning of the Indian Point Energy Center, which ceased operations in 2021. In February, the commission held a joint meeting of the Indian Point Closure Task Force and Decommissioning Oversight Board to examine their scope and goals, and receive presentations on key issues related to the decommissioning and spent fuel management. The task force is charged with exploring ways to mitigate local tax and workforce impacts and evaluate new economic opportunities and initiatives, as well as identifying a decommissioning timeline that is in the interest of local communities. The oversight board is required to assess ways to protect the interest of affected communities including current workforce and public safety. The three-unit Indian Point shut down its last nuclear reactor having a capacity of 1,040 megawatts on April 30, 2021, marking the end of 59 years of continuous power generation.

The California Energy Commission is due to receive comments on consulting firm Energy and Environmental Economic Inc.’s project assessing the role of energy storage, including long duration energy storage, in meeting California’s clean energy goals. A 2018 state law requires all retail electricity to be supplied by zero-carbon resources by 2045. Previous studies by the firm have indicated that greenhouse gas reductions of 90 percent or more in the electricity sector are achievable with current technology, which includes a mix of solar photovoltaics, wind resources – both in-state and out-of-state – and existing energy storage technologies such as lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro or compressed air. However, reaching a 100 percent emissions reduction goal may require newer technologies, including different types of long-duration energy storage. 20-MISC-01

The Oregon Public Utilities Commission will consider Portland General Electric Company’s application for adjustments of retail rates and charges applicable to electric services. The Enron Corporation subsidiary is seeking a net increase of $337.8 million, or 14 percent, with a return on equity of 9.8 percent. UE 416

Public Service Company of New Mexico will hold a meeting to discuss its integrated resource plan, or IRP, covering the 2023–2043 time frame. In November 2022, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission established new procedures for the state’s investor-owned electric utilities to pursue stakeholder engagement in developing their 20-year resource plans. The commission appointed Gridworks as the independent facilitator to lead a stakeholder process intended to advise the utility and reach a potential agreement on the statement of need and action plan, the two key elements of the IRP. The company is expected to file its IRP on Dec. 15, 2023.