The New York Public Service Commission will hold a meeting regarding the “mid-point review” under the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Make Ready program. The commission detailed a list of topics that the review should evaluate. These include the program’s budget and incentive levels, the need for additional phases for the program, and redirecting unused program funding to multi-unit dwellings and workplaces or redefining the accessibility criteria to include them. The review would also delve into future-proofing requirements and budgets and utility ownership of charging station hardware. The commission approved rules last year allowing utility companies to fully implement the initiative aimed to facilitate a ten-fold increase in the number of non-residential charging ports within four years. The program incentivizes utilities and charging port developers to site infrastructure in places that offer maximum benefits to consumers. 18-E-0138

The Maryland Public Service Commission will hold a hearing to discuss Delmarva Power & Light Company’s proposal to increase its electric retail rates. The company proposes to increase its distribution rates by $37.5 million over three years from 2023-2025. The plan proposes an increase in electric delivery revenues of about $22.7 million for 2023, $30.6 million for 2024, and $37.5 million for 2025. The company also proposes to offset the increase by including the acceleration of certain tax benefits resulting in a 50 percent offset in 2023, and a 25 percent offset in 2024. Under the plan, a residential customer would see an average monthly bill increase of 2.11 percent each for the first two years and 2.58 percent for the final year.

The New York Public Service Commission will hold a joint meeting of the Indian Point Closure Task Force and Decommissioning Oversight Board established to provide guidance and support for communities affected by the three-unit Indian Point Energy Center ceasing operations. The meeting will examine the scope and goals of the task force and the oversight board, and 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. Indian Point, which had a capacity of 1,040 megawatts, shut down its last nuclear reactor on April 30, 2021, marking the end of 59 years of continuous power generation.

The California Public Utilities Commission will hold a remote public forum to provide an opportunity for customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Company to offer their perspective and input to the commission about the company’s natural gas rate proposals. Late in 2021, PG&E submitted an application requesting the commission to approve its gas transmission and storage cost allocation and rate design proposals for the years 2023 through 2026. Another forum will be held on Sept. 22.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission will discuss whether additional guidance is necessary to determine a cost-effectiveness test for distributed energy resources incorporating the 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act. The commission will discuss utility system impacts and non-utility system impacts to include in a primary test as part of its effort to develop a jurisdiction-specific test that incorporates the goals of the law and follow the principles described in the National Standard Practice Manual For Benefit-Cost Analysis of Distributed Energy Resources. The law directs utilities to ensure that all customers benefit from the transition to clean energy through equitable distribution of benefits and reduced burdens. READ MORE

The Michigan Public Service Commission will conduct a public hearing to provide information regarding commission staff’s draft report on integrated resource planning parameters, to receive public comment on the draft. The discussion will also address questions regarding the process for reviewing the parameters. Legislation enacted in 2016 directed each rate-regulated electric utility to file an IRP and directed the commission to establish filing requirements and deadlines. The commission’s directives include identifying potential revisions to the IRP modeling parameters or the filing requirements to better accommodate transmission alternatives to prepare for next formal review of the planning parameters expected to take place in 2022. READ MORE

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is due to receive initial briefs on Public Service Company of New Mexico’s Renewable Energy Act Plan. The company requested approval to reset the rate for its renewable energy rider effective Jan. 1, 2023 for recovery of renewable portfolio standard procurement costs anticipated during 2023 including costs for registering and retiring renewable energy certificates in the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System. The 2023 revenue requirement of about $61 million would be recovered through the rider. READ MORE