PUCsPSCs State

Incorporating Variable Solar: What It Means

By


Although solar photovoltaic (PV) panel prices are rapidly dropping, integrating a high quality solar energy into the grid will have added costs, particularly because solar is an intermittent resource with highly variable output and repercussions for transmission grids.

To assess the issue, the US Department of Energy and Nevada’s utility, NV Energy, jointly sponsored a study conducted by Navigant Consulting on what the integration of solar in Nevada will mean for the utility. Download the full study here. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 3, 2012 at 11:00 AM

Marcellus Riches May Hurt Sustainable Energy Efforts

By


Natural gas riches from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale may undermine efforts to win public backing for sustainable-energy policies if people believe that the sudden surge in domestic gas has solved America’s energy-supply problems, officials warned on Wednesday.

Executives heading sustainable-energy initiatives said there’s a risk the public will lose interest in energy conservation and efficiency because the state’s booming natural gas industry is producing large quantities of cheap fuel that’s readily available for power generation, home heating and transportation while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Keep reading →

 /  Published December 8, 2011 at 10:15 AM

Duke Energy Requests $310 Million Increase In Customer Electricity Rates

By


North Carolina residents may see a bump in their electricity bills this spring.

Duke Energy announced today that it reached a preliminary agreement with North Carolina Public Utility Commission staff on an approximately $310 million increase in the customer base rates, about a 7.2% increase. If approved by the North Carolina PUC, the rate increase–based on 10.5% return on equity (ROE) and 53% equity component of capital structure–will take effect February 2012. Keep reading →

 /  Published November 23, 2011 at 11:30 AM

Group Energy Rates Inspire A New Kind Of Business

By


Pennsylvania is getting help in its campaign to persuade more retail electric customers to switch away from their local utilities to lower-cost suppliers.

AlphaBuyer, a Paoli, PA-based startup, is bundling customers and negotiating deals with power distributors that result in cost savings to households and new clients for suppliers who probably wouldn’t have got the additional business through their own marketing efforts. Keep reading →

 /  Published November 7, 2011 at 10:30 AM

On A Roll, Wind Developments Continue Cropping Up

By


Renewable energy developments seem to be sprouting up everywhere in recent months.

Last week, Western Wind Energy began operating its newest 10.5 MW wind-solar project in Arizona while on Tuesday Duke Energy announced plans to build its fifth wind power project in Texas. Duke Energy also recently announced plans to build its second wind farm in Pennsylvania this year. Read more: Duke Energy Adds Wind. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 21, 2011 at 6:00 AM

GridWeek Analysis: Smart Grid Losing to EPA

By


Though its touted for its clean, green efficiency potential, smart grid may be getting sidelined in Washington.

That’s just one of the ways regulation and smart grid development are coming into conflict, according to regulators and utility officials at the GridWeek conference in Washington DC September 12-15. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 19, 2011 at 6:00 AM

The Bill Comes In For Nuclear

By


It’s standard procedure for nuclear companies to submit annual rate recovery clauses to their local public service commissions. But for Progress Energy Florida–a subsidiary of Progress Energy that provides power to 1.6 million consumers in Florida–the process this year has been far from simple.

With two new projects in the pipeline, including a capacity increase for the Crystal River nuclear plant and construction of a new power plant of two reactors in Levy County, Progress Energy is requesting a rate recovery plan for an additional $141.1 million–$135 million for the new plant and $6.2 million for upgrades to the existing plant–company spokesperson Suzanne Grant told Breaking Energy. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 18, 2011 at 3:45 PM

Illinois Looks To Wind For Economic Revival

By


At a time when unemployment rates remain discouragingly high and the economy is faltering, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn won the 2010 race by telling constituents that he would do his best to create new jobs.

On Sunday Quinn tried to focus on that when he signed two bills that would help the state prompt offshore wind projects in Lake Michigan. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 8, 2011 at 1:00 PM

Sharpening Pain: Merger Challenged On Pollution Grounds

By


The battleground between federal and state regulators over energy and environmental policy has moved into the arena of mergers and acquisitions, sharpening pain for the industry as it seeks to extend consolidation and wring efficiency out of existing power plants and transmission assets.

Regulators at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and various state level agencies are charged with reviewing large transactions among regional power companies to guarantee a variety of standards are met. The federal agency’s ruling on the issue is usually questioned over price and fairness of access, not environmental standards. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 20, 2011 at 11:00 AM

Sunny Los Angeles Boosts Urban Solar Initiative

By


Two new proposals introduced in California aim to increase solar power generation in the city.

Last week the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) announced plans to re-launch its Solar Incentive Program (SIP) with doubled funding for the next three years. In addition, LADWP proposed a new Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program that will allow third parties to sell renewable energy to LAWDP’s citywide electrical grid. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 14, 2011 at 6:00 AM
Page 1 of 3123