Regulation & Policy: Page 216
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Maine Gov. LePage opposes plan to replace net metering with market-based incentives
Governor’s energy office says the plan would not protect against cost shifts, while TASC says it should include net metering as an option for solar owners.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 10, 2016 -
Arizona lawmakers mull changes to conflict-of-interest law for utility regulators
Newly-appointed Arizona Corporation Commissioner Andy Tobin had agreed to recuse himself from cases involving SolarCity, where a family member works, but changes to an Arizona law could allow him to vote on those cases.
By Robert Walton • March 10, 2016 -
Trendline
The Energy Transition to Renewables
New policy and business actions are giving a significant boost to renewable energy in the U.S., but opposition is growing and grid interconnection, permitting, labor and other challenges remain.
By Utility Dive staff -
California utilities push CPUC to vacate or 'modify' net metering decision
Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Pacific Gas and Electric have said in previous accounts that preserving the retail rate remuneration doesn't take into account cost-shift burdens on non-rooftop solar users.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 10, 2016 -
Deep Dive
Learning by doing: How utilities are answering the distributed energy resources challenge
As our 2016 survey shows, utilities are beginning to understand how they can make money with distributed resources, but it's still a work in progress.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 9, 2016 -
SDG&E issues call for 140 MW of renewables, DERs, demand-side resources
The utility has issued an RFO for storage, renewables, distributed generation, energy efficiency and demand response resources to comply with CPUC procurement targets.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 9, 2016 -
Deep Dive
Charts: How will the Clean Power Plan stay affect the utility power mix transition?
Utilities will keep adding renewables and natural gas, but what happens to the Clean Power Plan could have a big effect on just how much of both are brought online in the coming years.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2016 -
California utility IID halts net metering incentives after hitting 5% cap
Imperial Irrigation District says it is still accepting applications, but installers say solar is a hard sell without the generation incentives.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2016 -
Connecticut legislature to mull slew of energy bills, including boosting renewables
Connecticut lawmakers are considering a raft of legislation on sources fom solar and nuclear to energy produced from trash.
By Robert Walton • March 7, 2016 -
Updated: Exelon, Pepco file proposal to save merger
After District of Columbia officials rejected conditions on a merger deal outlined by the PSC last week, Exelon and Pepco have filed a new proposal they hope will satisfy both the regulators and city leaders.
By Gavin Bade , Krysti Shallenberger • March 7, 2016 -
Oregon passes utility-scale solar incentives to support 50% RPS
The proposal, overshadowed last week by the larger bill its aims to support, would provide $0.005/kWh for 2 MW to 10 MW installations.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 7, 2016 -
After record year, U.S. energy storage forecasted to break 1 GW capacity mark in 2019
Energy storage installations were up 243% in 2015 compared with 2014, according to new GTM Research/Energy Storage Assoc. report.
By Peter Maloney • March 7, 2016 -
Deep Dive
Clean coalition: How utilities and greens teamed up to pass Oregon's 50% RPS
A unique combination of threat and opportunity brought Oregon’s investor-owned utilities to the negotiating table, but not everyone is pleased with the results.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 7, 2016 -
BLM issues new guidelines to streamline Western solar development
Identifying Solar Energy Zones aims to shorten development timelines and protect sensitive environments from effects of solar plant construction.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 5, 2016 -
Virginia governor vetoes bill to give legislators say over CPP plan
The measure would have been an "unacceptable breach of Virginia’s constitutional separation of powers," Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said, after he vetoed Senate Bill 21.
By Robert Walton • March 4, 2016 -
Exelon, Pepco will fight on for merger deal against mounting odds
The companies will ignore an earlier, self-imposed deadline of March 4 and continue work on the merger leading up to a March 11 deadline from D.C. regulators.
By Gavin Bade • March 4, 2016 -
Florida regulators approve first community solar program for Gulf Power
The Southern Co. subsidiary’s program will let customers without suitable roofs buy solar and receive bill credits — for a fee.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 4, 2016 -
Opinion
New York REV shows utilities and regulators how to manage change
In this guest post, Eleanor Stein, a former PSC judge and REV project manager, offers insight on how coordination between utilities, regulators, and the public can boost trust in the regulatory process.
By Eleanor Stein • March 3, 2016 -
Deep Dive
ARPA-E 2016: 4 takeaways from the Energy Innovation Summit and 1 grand narrative
Clean Power Plan's freeze could pose big hurdles for clean energy tech investment in the U.S.
By Krysti Shallenberger • March 3, 2016 -
Chief Justice rejects state request to block MATS implementation
Chief Justice John Roberts decided to act unilaterally on the stay petition, The Hill reports, rather than allowing the full court to rule, which could have led to a 4-4 split after the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia last month.
By Gavin Bade • March 3, 2016 -
EIA: Solar to lead utility-scale capacity additions in 2016, followed by gas, wind
The forecasted 9.5 GW of solar capacity additions would be slightly higher than the 9.4 GW added in the three previous years combined.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016 -
Oregon bill to curb coal, set 50% RPS heads to governor after Senate passage
Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign the bill to set a 50% renewable energy standard and eliminate coal from the state's power mix.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016 -
Deep Dive
As Xcel pushes non-wire alternatives, solar+storage pilot sparks utility ownership debate
Everyone loves that Xcel Minnesota is considering DERs instead of traditional infrastructure, but not that the utility wants to own them itself.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016 -
Opinion
Solar fight turns to presidential-style bare-knuckle campaign tactics
The presidential election season means hardball politics, but TASC's Bryan Miller argues utilities have used dirty tactics to stifle rooftop solar for years.
By Bryan Miller • March 2, 2016 -
Deep Dive
ARPA-E 2016: Sector leaders look to capitalize on 'the best of times for innovation in energy'
At ARPA-E's annual innovations summit, Moniz, Gore and other energy insiders say the stars are aligning for clean energy, but utilities must be on board.
By Krysti Shallenberger • March 2, 2016 -
Mass. Sen. Markey to push extension of 30% ITC for offshore wind to 2025
Long lead times for offshore wind facilities means many developers can't take advantage before current incentives phase out in the early 2020s.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 2, 2016