CPES Policy Committee Update: January 3, 2017

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by a team recently formed with support from CPES, known as the New Energy Professionals. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

This week’s features:

  • Turbines are Spinning at the Nation’s First Offshore Wind Farm
  • PURA Development of Voluntary Renewable Options Program
  • PURA Review of Electric Companies’ and Electric Distribution Companies’ Plans for Maintenance of Transmission and Distribution Overhead and Underground Lines
  • The Legislature in Connecticut  will convene on January 4, 2017

Regional & Industry Developments

Turbines Are Spinning at the Nation’s First Offshore Wind Farm

On December 12, 2016, Deepwater Wind announced that its Block Island Wind Farm had begun delivering electricity to the grid—a historic occasion for both the region and the US. The facility, located 16 miles off the coast of Rhode Island near Block Island, represents the first offshore wind farm in the nation and is paving the way for similar projects to harness New England’s significant offshore wind energy potential. As of December 1, three offshore wind projects representing 2,054 megawatts (MW) were requesting interconnection to the regional power system administered by ISO New England.

For more information on the ISO’s efforts to help integrate more offshore and onshore wind energy in New England, see the ISO Newswire.

Public Utilities Regulatory Authority New Dockets:

On December 20, 2016, PURA established the following docket on its own motion:
Docket No. 16-12-29:  PURA Development of Voluntary Renewable Options Program

On December 27, 2016, The Connecticut Light and Power Company d/b/a Eversource Energy filed its Electric Utility Line Maintenance Plan for 2017, after which PURA established the following docket:
Docket No. 16-12-37:  PURA Review of Electric Companies’ and Electric Distribution Companies’ Plans for Maintenance of Transmission and Distribution Overhead and Underground Lines

Connecticut Legislation:

The 2016 Connecticut regular session ended on May 4, 2016.  The 2017 Connecticut regular session begins January 4, 2017.

Information about the Energy and Technology Committee, including committee meetings and public hearings, is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/

CPES Celebrated the Holidays at the Society Room in Downtown Hartford

“CPES events are great networking opportunities for people in the energy industry.”
– Bruce McDermott, Partner, Murtha Cullina

On December 13, 2016, the Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) invited energy professionals to the Society Room in Downtown Hartford for networking and an address from the recently appointed Chair of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), Katie Dykes.

PURA Chair Katie Dykes and CPES President Joey Lee Miranda

Dykes, appointed by Governor Malloy on October 27 and elected Chair of the three-member authority on October 31, shared insights from her first few weeks on the bench. She expressed appreciation for the new ways PURA finds to engage with stakeholders, whether through publicly-noticed stakeholder groups or formally docketed proceedings. She spoke of the pivotal decisions the region is facing with regard to potential wholesale market changes to accommodate and achieve the New England states’ public policy objectives. She also touched on PURA’s role in tackling issues relating to electric transmission and distribution infrastructure, observing the significant amount of distributed generation being added to the grid.    

Commissioner Michael Caron receiving award from RESA’s New England Chair Marc Hanks

Following Chair Dykes’ remarks, the Retail Energy Supply Association (RESA) awarded its 2016 Champion-of-Choice Award to PURA Commissioner Michael Caron. Caron was recognized for his leadership on the bench and ongoing commitment to competitive retail markets.

Paul Brady, retiring CPES Executive Director, and Kathryn Dube, the society’s new Executive Director

 

To conclude the evening, CPES honored retiring Executive Director Paul Brady and introduced Kathryn Dube as the Society’s new executive director. 

 

 

Thank You to Our Sponsors!


 

CPES Policy Committee Update: December 6, 2016

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by a team recently formed with support from CPES, known as the New Energy Professionals. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Paul Brady, CPES Executive Director, via email: pbrady@ctpower.org.

This week’s features:

  • PURA Establishes New Docket Titled 2017 PURA Supplier Working Group
  • DEEP Selects Winning Bidders in 2 – 20 MW Small Resource Procurement  
  • ISO New England Releases 2016/2017 Winter Outlook

PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY NEW DOCKETS:

On November 28, 2016, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) established the following docket on its own motion:

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEVELOPMENTS

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has released a list of winning bidders for the 2-20 MW Renewable, Passive Demand Response, and Energy Storage Request for Proposals (RFP) issued pursuant to Public Act 15-107 – Section 1(b).

The list of winning bidders is available at the following link.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

On December 5, 2016, ISO New England issued its 2016/2017 Winter Outlook, which projects sufficient electricity supplies to meet consumer demand in New England this winter, barring unexpected resource outages or fuel delivery constraints.  Because of possible natural gas pipeline constraints, ISO New England has implemented a Winter Reliability Program that will help protect overall power system reliability.  

For more information on the upcoming winter, please see the full Winter Outlook press release, available here.

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATION:

The 2016 Connecticut regular session ended on May 4, 2016.  The 2017 Connecticut regular session begins January 4, 2017.

Information about the Energy and Technology Committee, including committee meetings and public hearings, is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/.

MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATION:

The 2015-2016 Massachusetts formal session ended on July 31, 2016.  The 2017-2018 Massachusetts session begins January 4, 2017.

Information about the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, including hearings and bills in committee, is available at: https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Joint/J37.

CPES Policy Committee Update: November 22, 2016

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by a team recently formed with support from CPES, known as the New Energy Professionals. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Paul Brady, CPES Executive Director, via email: pbrady@ctpower.org.

This week’s features:

  • FERC Commission to Speak at Event on Dec. 1st
  • Former MA State Senate joins Nexamp

 

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

Regional & Industry Developments

FERC Commissioner to Keynote Final Consumer Liaison Group Meeting of 2016

The year’s final meeting of the New England Consumer Liaison Group (CLG) will take place December 1, from Noon—4:00 p.m. at the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center in Boston. The group welcomes Cheryl LaFleur, Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as the keynote speaker. The panel discussion will focus on New England states’ clean energy initiatives and how mandated wind and hydro procurements impact customer bills and regional power markets. Panelists include Jim Bride, President, Energy Tariff Experts; Ron Gerwatowski, Advisor, Energy Policy and Utility Regulation; and Greg Cunningham, VP & Director, Clean Energy Climate Change, Conservation Law Foundation.

To register, visit the CLG webpage.

 

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATION:

The 2016 Connecticut regular session ended on May 4, 2016.  The 2017 Connecticut regular session begins January 4, 2017.

Information about the Energy and Technology Committee, including committee meetings and public hearings, is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/

 

MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATION:

Massachusetts Senator Ben Downing, who serves as the Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy but who did not run for re-election, announced that he is joining Nexamp, a solar energy company, as vice present of new market development.

The 2015-2016 Massachusetts formal session ended on July 31, 2016.  The 2017-2018 Massachusetts session begins January 4, 2017.

Information about the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, including hearings and bills in committee, is available at: https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Joint/J37