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week of Jan. 30, 2025

The EnerKnol Week Ahead is back to give you the key energy policy events happening next week, all powered by the EnerKnol Platform. Coming up, Minnesota regulators consider Xcel Energy’s portfolio of innovative resources designed to help achieve the state’s emissions reduction and renewable energy goals; the District of Columbia Public Service Commission reviews Pepco's interconnection procedures; and the U.S. Energy Department discusses a funding opportunity aimed to commercialize innovative technologies to harness power from ocean waves.

Featured Entities


Colorado PUC

District of Columbia PSC

DOE

Minnesota PUC

NRC

NYSERDA

Federal Agencies

Thursday,
February 6
NRC ADVANCE Act Implementation

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to discuss activities under the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act, or ADVANCE Act, passed in 2024. Under the act, the commission is required to take a number of actions, particularly in the areas of licensing of new reactors and fuels, while maintaining its core safety and security mission. The act affects a wide range of commission activities, including enhancing the regulatory framework for advanced reactors and fusion technology, and requiring initiatives to support efficient, timely, and predictable reviews of license applications.

Thursday,
February 6
DOE Wave Energy Development

The U.S. Energy Department is due to receive applications for a $112.5 million funding opportunity to advance the commercial viability of wave energy technologies, its largest investment in marine energy. The five-year funding program will cover research and development activities, such as the design, manufacture, and testing of wave energy converters. This investment aims to advance promising wave energy technologies, lower financial risks for developers, and incentivize investors. The initiative intends to support technologies at smaller scales as they progress toward utility scale, while increasing learning for installation and maintenance.

Eastern Region

Tuesday,
February 4
NYSERDA Quality and Market Standards Services

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is due to receive proposals from qualified service providers to develop and implement quality initiatives supporting its programs and clean energy technologies. Qualified proposers will work with the agency’s quality and market standards team to implement existing and upcoming standards and deliver market-based quality assurance solutions. Proposers qualified under the solicitation will help the agency make quality a competitive determinant to drive contractor performance, build consumer and investor confidence, and accelerate adoption of clean energy solutions in the state.

Tuesday,
February 4
DC PSC Interconnection Standards

The District of Columbia Public Service Commission will hold the first in a series of technical conferences to discuss Potomac Electric Power Company’s interconnection procedures. The commission is examining various aspects of Pepco’s interconnection practices including responsiveness to interconnection requests, data collection, cost allocation, as well as interconnection as part of broader grid planning under an integrated distribution framework.

Western Region

Tuesday,
February 4
MN PUC 150 MW Castle Rock Solar Project

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission seeks comments on Castle Rock Solar LLC’s application for a site permit to construct an up to 150-megawatt solar energy generating facility in Castle Rock Township in Dakota County, Minnesota. The project would span approximately 1,355 acres with an approximate project footprint of 928 acres and interconnect to the existing Chub Lake to Hampton 345 kilovolt transmission line. Reply comments are due by Feb. 11.

Wednesday,
February 5
MN PUC 325 MW Iron Pine Solar Project

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will hold a hearing on Iron Pine Solar Power LLC’s application for a permit to construct an up to 325-megawatt solar energy generating facility and a transmission line in Pine County, Minnesota. The Swift Current Energy subsidiary proposes to build the solar facility on approximately 1,537 acres within a site of 2,208 acres in Kettle River Township. The generation tie line would connect to the existing Minnesota Power 230-kilovolt Arrowhead-Bear Creek transmission line. Comments are due by Feb. 20.

Thursday,
February 6
MN PUC Xcel Energy’s Natural Gas Innovation Plan

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will consider Xcel Energy’s 2023 Natural Gas Innovation Plan, which includes pilot programs and research and development projects that leverage a variety of technologies, ranging from renewable natural gas to energy efficiency. The filing is in response to the 2021 Natural Gas Innovation Act, which established a framework to allow natural gas utilities to use innovative resources to work towards Minnesota’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. In 2022, the commission finalized a framework to implement the act. M-23-518

Thursday,
February 6
CO PUC Xcel Energy's Wildfire Mitigation Plan

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission will hold a virtual public comment hearing to discuss the Public Service Company of Colorado’s 2025-2027 Wildfire Mitigation Plan and Public Safety Power Shutoff Plan. The Xcel Energy subsidiary’s plan includes a multi-year program to identify, analyze and replace or mitigate equipment that may be associated with higher wildfire risk, as well as targeted undergrounding of power lines in high-risk areas. The company has requested $1.9 billion to execute the plan, which if approved would increase the typical residential customer’s bill by approximately 9.56 percent, or $8.88 per month, through incremental bi-annual changes. Additional hearings will be had on March 13 and April 29. 24A-0296E