The New York Public Service Commission seeks input on revised regulations for the environmental review, permitting, and siting of major renewable energy and electric transmission facilities under the 2024 Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Deployment Act, or RAPID Act. The Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission issued a revised rulemaking after receiving more than 2,000 public comments on a proposed rule and draft environmental review issued last December, prompting substantial revisions. Key areas addressed in the revisions include revised pre-application procedures, increased stakeholder engagement, and replacement of “environmental justice” with “disadvantaged communities” in compliance with the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The newly proposed transmission regulations are expected to slash permitting time by up to 50 percent.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will hold a public informational meeting to increase awareness and understanding of the current issues and opportunities for new nuclear development in the state. The meeting will include discussions on the role of new nuclear power in New England, as well as licensing pathways, preparatory activities, and early site permitting for new projects. The stakeholder process follows a proceeding launched in October to explore the potential for new nuclear capacity. The process is intended to build on the information and dialogue fostered in the workshops to develop and implement a competitive advanced nuclear reactor site readiness funding program.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission will hold a technical conference on data center load flexibility, providing an opportunity to continue dialogue stemming from a 2024 conference that explored emerging rate impacts associated with the interconnection of large load customers. The commission is exploring a range of topics including functional classification of data centers across various regions, integrating load flexibility for new large-load customers into utilities’ demand-side management programs, and measuring load reductions achieved through flexibility. READ MORE

The California Energy Commission will hold a meeting to discuss the adoption of a draft edition of revised guidelines for the Building Initiative for Low-Emissions Development, or BUILD, program. The commission issued its draft second edition revised guidelines in October, outlining the rules for program participation, including eligibility requirements, application process, and incentive structure. The program provides technical assistance and incentives to support advanced building design and construction for new all-electric, low-income residential buildings. The BUILD program was authorized by 2018 legislation alongside the Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating, or TECH, an initiative designed to accelerate the adoption of clean space and water heating technology across California homes. 20-DECARB-01

The Washington Department of Ecology will issue a summary report of its 12th quarterly carbon auction, which offered allowances for current and future years. The current auction offered 2024 and 2025 vintage allowances totaling about 7.4 million, and the advance auction offered 2028 vintage allowances totaling 1.9 million. The previous quarterly auction held in September sold out, with current allowances clearing at $64.30 per allowance, about 10 percent higher than the June auction. READ MORE

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission seeks comments on PacifiCorp’s 2025 Clean Energy Implementation Plan detailing specific actions that the utility will take over four years from 2026-2029 to move toward the clean energy goals of the 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act. The plan forecasts the need for 2,551 megawatts of new situs-allocated renewable, non-emitting, and storage resources to meet capacity, energy, and emissions reduction goals over the 21-year planning horizon, in addition to demand-side management resources. 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. READ MORE