The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission will examine the propriety of National Grid’s proposed energy efficiency program for the 2021-2023 period as well as its 2021 annual plan. The budgets for the electric and gas programs under the 2021 annual plan are about $122.3 million and $38.6 million, respectively. The combined plan is funded through the legislatively mandated Energy Efficiency Plan charge, which is collected from the company’s customers. The charge, which will be collected through a reconciling funding mechanism, represents no change from the charge currently in effect, and therefore has no rate impact on customers. 5076

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will hold a meeting of the Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee. Topics of discussion include the memorandum of understanding signed by Pennsylvania and 14 other states in July to foster a self-sustaining market for zero emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The MOU calls for 30 percent of new truck and bus sales to be zero-emission by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050. The committee will also discuss the Cross State Air Pollution Rule, which requires certain states in the eastern U.S. to cut power plant emissions that cross state lines and contribute to smog pollution in downwind states.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is due to receive bids in response to its second offshore wind solicitation for up to 2.4 gigawatts of capacity. The board has approved the final Offshore Wind Strategic Plan, the state’s comprehensive roadmap for reaching the goal of 7.5 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035. The first round resulted in the selection of Denmark-based Orsted A/S in June 2019 to develop a 1.1-gigawatt wind project off the coast of Atlantic City. Orsted’s project, set to commence operations in 2024, is expected to generate an estimated $1.17 billion in economic benefits for the state. The state’s proposed procurement schedule, unveiled in March, calls for four more rounds in 2022, 2024, 2026 and 2028 to achieve the 2035 goal. READ MORE

The California Energy Commission will discuss proposed changes for solar photovoltaic and heat pump baselines for the 2022 Energy Code as part of its three-year update cycle. The first workshop on the topic, held in October, focused on encouraging greater use of electric heat pump technologies and proposed updates to solar photovoltaic and battery storage provisions. Among the key topics, the commission will examine storage provisions for encouraging self-utilization in buildings. The 2022 code will improve upon the 2019 standards by revising and updating efficiency standards for new buildings, as well as expansions and alterations to existing buildings. The 2019 code established a requirement to have solar photovoltaic systems installed in newly constructed low-rise residential buildings. In May 2018, the commission adopted standards requiring most new homes to install rooftop solar starting in 2020, making California the first U.S. state to adopt such a mandate. The new code will become effective at the start of 2023. 19-BSTD-03

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will consider Xcel Energy Inc.’s multiyear rate plan seeking a general rate increase of $405.8 million for 2021, $98.5 million for 2022, and $93.1 million for 2023. The commission will also examine Xcel Energy’s proposal for authorization to recover costs for investments that may assist in Minnesota’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the agency will discuss whether to consolidate multiple dockets including the economic recovery investment proposal, and dockets related to integrated distribution planning, advanced metering infrastructure projects, and time-of-use rate programs, into the company’s 2021 rate case docket. GR-20-723

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission is due to receive comments on the 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act provisions related to energy assistance or utility programs undertaken to lower customer energy bills. The staff opened an investigation on the topic in September with the intention of issuing a policy and interpretative statement on energy assistance by early 2021. In a recent workshop, the commission held a discussion of the requirements related to utility programs and funding, tracking progress, and prioritizing assistance to low-income households with the highest energy burden. The 2019 law requires the state’s electricity supply to be carbon-neutral by 2030 and carbon-free by 2045, and directs electric utilities to phase out coal from their generation portfolio by 2025. UE-200629