The New York Public Service Commission is due to receive comments on the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s contracts for two transmission projects: Clean Path New York LLC’s Clean Path NY and H.Q. Energy Services (U.S.) Inc.’s Champlain Hudson Power Express. The projects would deliver solar, wind, and hydroelectric power from upstate New York and Canada to New York City. This represents the largest renewable energy and transmission projects contracted for the state in the last 50 years. The contracts are expected to yield $8.2 billion in economic development across the state. The projects would help reduce the city’s fossil fuel use for electricity by more than 80 percent in 2030 and support New York State’s goal of sourcing 70 percent power from renewable resources on the path to a carbon-free grid. READ MORE

The Maine Public Utilities Commission will hold a hearing on proposed revisions to its rule governing the licensing requirements, annual reporting, enforcement, and consumer protection provisions for competitive electricity supply, in order to conform with recent legislative changes. Legislation enacted last year includes new provisions governing door-to-door marketing of retail energy supply. The law provides consumers that choose to receive electricity from competitive suppliers with new consumer protections including new conditions of licensure for these suppliers, and requires the registration of third-party sales agents. The revisions also provide additional penalty provisions. 2021-00396

The Mississippi Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing on its final proposed modifications to the net metering rules as part of its five-year review. The changes include a rebate framework that is expected to meaningfully enhance access to and adoption of distributed generation by the underrepresented low-income segment of customers. The revisions would require investor-owned utilities to offer a one-time $3,000 upfront cash rebate to eligible residential customers who purchase a renewable distributed energy facility sized at 3-6 kilowatts for use, at least in part, for self-supply. The commission said that the facility size aims to prioritise and incentivise customer adoption of renewable facilities that are primarily for self-supply rather than small-capacity generators looking to maximize excess energy sales. READ MORE

The New York Public Service Commission is due to receive comments on Bluebird Renewable Energy LLC’s request for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for its proposed renewable natural gas project in Cayuga County. The DTE Energy Company subsidiary seeks to collect and transport biogas from anaerobic digesters located at the Aurora Ridge Dairy and Sunnyside Farm to a processing facility at the Sunnyside Farm. The project will include the construction of two pipelines to connect the farms to the facility for processing the biogas, which is expected to be delivered and injected into the interstate pipeline at the Corning Natural Gas Corporation system near Caton, Cayuga County. 21-G-0576, 21-02514

The California Energy Commission will discuss a proposed design for its California Automated Permit Processing Program, or CalAPP, which will provide funding to enable and support cities and counties to establish automated online solar permitting. Topics of discussion include program design proposals with regard to eligibility requirements, funding and award structure, and application and participation process. The program will also include the SolarAPP+, a free web-based platform that gives local governments the ability to expedite review and approval of residential solar permits. The tool, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, provides solar contractors with a standardized, automated permitting process for residential installations. 21-SOLAR-01

The Iowa Utilities Board will hold a joint conference with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to discuss pipeline safety regulations. The conference will discuss the most recent products and topics in the natural gas industry, allowing attendees to interact with industry experts and receive updates on the latest state and federal pipeline safety regulations. Pipeline safety has been a major concern across the U.S. following the Colonial pipeline system shutdown on May 7, 2021 due to a ransomware attack.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission is due to receive comments on revised draft rules for implementing certain sections of the 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act, which requires utilities to phase out coal-fired power by 2025, achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and transition to a carbon-free electric system by 2045. On Jan. 19, the commission released a second draft that includes provisions to prevent double counting of unbundled renewable energy certificates, or RECs, that a utility may use as an alternative compliance option. The proposal also contains provisions to address accounting of electricity from storage resources and retained RECs. UE-210183