Category — Regulation

Minnesota could become the 17th state to mandate that major power companies generate more electricity from the sun.

The state House passed a bill Tuesday to require investor-owned utilities to get 4 percent of their power from solar by 2025. It would be one of the nation’s more aggressive solar mandates, the equivalent of 2,000 solar arrays like the one Ikea installed atop its Bloomington store last year.

“It is a move toward the future,” said House Majority Leader Erin Murphy of St. Paul.

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On April 18, 2013, the New York State Public Service Commission (“NYPSC”) approved construction of the 1,000 MW Champlain-Hudson direct current transmission line. When built, the Champlain-Hudson line is anticipated to deliver primarily hydroelectric power from Canada to New York City. [Read more →]

On April 23, 2013, FERC’s Director of Office of Energy Projects, Jeff C. Wright, testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources concerning draft legislation aimed at increasing hydropower production in the United States. The draft legislation at issue included S. 545, “Hydropower Improvement Act of 2013” and H.R. 267, “Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013.” In his testimony, Wright discussed FERC’s authority under the Federal Power Act (“FPA”) to issue licenses or exemptions for hydropower projects under its jurisdiction. Wright further detailed FERC’s recent efforts to support small and “innovative” projects, including marine and hydrokinetic projects, and pumped storage projects. [Read more →]

North Carolina lawmakers today rejected efforts to scale back the use of renewable energy. [Read more →]

More than half the U.S. states with laws requiring utilities to buy renewable energy are considering ways to pare back those mandates after a plunge in natural gas prices brought on by technology that boosted supply. [Read more →]