Member states of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first market-based emissions regulation program, will hold their 59th quarterly auction of carbon allowances. The previous auction held in December sold all of the nearly 22.25 million allowances offered for sale. Permits were sold at a clearing price of $12.99, and generated over $288 million, bringing the total proceeds to nearly $5.9 billion. The auction clearing prices will be posted on March 10. READ MORE

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is due to receive proposals for technical training and education and job placement services to help advance the climate equity and just transition goals of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The agency seeks to strengthen the skills of the existing workforce and students in order to build a pipeline of skilled talent for the energy efficiency and clean technology labor markets. Total funding for the solicitation is $6.2 million with an allocation of $3.8 million for training activities that support building electrification. This solicitation pertains to Round 17 of multiple funding rounds under the program.

The New York Public Service Commission will discuss Empire Offshore Wind LLC’s proposal to construct approximately twelve miles of transmission lines to connect its proposed Empire Wind 2 Project to a point of interconnection with the state’s transmission system. Empire Wind is being developed by Equinor and bp through a strategic partnership. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority selected the 816-megawatt Empire Wind 1 Project in July 2019 and the 1,260-megawatt Empire Wind 2 Project in January 2021 to develop offshore wind farms. The projects would contribute to New York’s goal of 9 gigawatts of offshore wind energy generation by 2035, as outlined in the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission will hold a conference regarding the integration of energy equity and justice across its work. The move follows resolutions adopted by the state legislature in 2022, requesting the commission to consider efforts to mitigate high energy burdens for low- and moderate-income customers. Subsequently, the commission opened a proceeding to investigate how to better integrate equity and justice considerations across its proceedings and work more broadly, including regulating the functions of public utilities. In light of Hawaii’s high energy costs and the difficulty lower income households face, the legislature requested the commission to examine bill credits, rate discounts, and direct payments, expanded availability of utility bill assistance programs, and availability of adequate payment plan arrangements, among others, to assist customers facing economic challenges. 2022-0250

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will consider Byron Solar LLC’s application to construct a 200-megawatt solar energy facility and a 345 kV transmission line in Olmsted and Dodge Counties. The EDF Renewables Inc. subsidiary anticipates a developed area of approximately 1,550 acres within a 1,800-acre project site. The project aims to meet the growing renewable energy demand from commercial and industrial customers and help reach the clean energy requirements in Minnesota and neighbouring states. Byron expects to begin construction in 2024 and complete the project in time to start operating at the end of 2025. GS-20-763

The Kansas Corporation Commission is due to receive comments on NextEra Energy Resources’ proposal to construct a 94-mile electric transmission line passing through five counties in the state. The line would connect the Wolf Creek Substation in Coffey County to the Blackberry Substation in Jasper County. The proposal was identified by the Southwest Power Pool, or SPP, as a necessary economic project to relieve congestion from western Kansas east to load centers within the SPP region and increase the transmission capacity. SPP is the grid operator for 17 central and western U.S. states.