Category Archives: Energy

CPES Policy Committee Update: February 4, 2020

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

In this Update:

  • Sen. Chris Murphy demands utilities ‘take responsibility’ for protecting eligible low-income families from utility shut-offs
  • DEEP/PURA Value of DER Joint Study – New Date Technical Hearing
  • DEEP/PURA Accepting Comments on Value of DER Joint Study
  • ISO Announces Feb 2020 Forward Capacity Market Webinars
  • Listing of Upcoming Regulatory Meetings
  • New England AGs Call Out Power Grid Operator Over Anti-Competitive Practices
  • US EIA Release 2020 Annual Energy Outlook
  • 2019 Sources of Electric Energy in New England

CONNECTICUT

Sen. Chris Murphy demands utilities ‘take responsibility’ for protecting eligible low-income families from utility shut-offs: Hartford Courant
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy told regulators Thursday he doesn’t believe Connecticut’s power companies are complying with an order to insulate thousands of low-income families from utility disconnections during the annual, six-month-long winter protection period — an established program that prohibits disconnections from November to May. Senator Murphy’s letter was filed as part of PURA’s Energy Affordability Grid Modernization Docket (17-12-03RE01).

DEEP/PURA Value of DER Joint Study – New Date Technical Hearing
The agencies have revised the date of the next technical hearing to February 7.  See the notice here and draft agenda here.

DEEP/PURA Accepting Comments on Value of DER Joint Study
The agencies are seeking comment on modeling inputs by February 14, 2020. See the notice here.

ISO Announces Feb 2020 Forward Capacity Market Webinars
ISO Customer Training is hosting three webinars in February on the forward capacity markets:

2020 Legislative Session
The 2020 Legislative Session will convene on Wednesday, February 5th. 
2020 DEEP Legislative Proposals

Upcoming Regulatory Meetings
For more information on regulatory matters, see the current PURA and Siting Council agendas. This information is updated regularly.

INDUSTRY

New England AGs Call Out Power Grid Operator Over Anti-Competitive Practices: WSHU – As part of FERC Docket EL19-90, The Connecticut and Massachusetts Attorneys General filed joint comments with DEEP, OCC and Maine Public Advocate in support of tariff changes to implement a more competitive transmission process. PURA also separately filed comments.

US EIA Release 2020 Annual Energy Outlook
For the first time, the EIA predicts renewables will outpace natural gas by 2050. Read the press release here, and the full report here.

2019 Sources of Electric Energy in New England
The total amount of energy and the sources of energy the New England region used in 2019 to satisfy all residential, commercial, and industrial customer demand are now available on ISO-NE’s website.

CPES Policy Committee Update: October 22, 2019

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

In this Update:

  • DEEP Issues Draft “Electric Vehicle Roadmap for Connecticut” and Announces Public Meeting
  • DEEP Issues Notice of Revised Scope, Updated Schedule for 2018 Integrated Resources Plan
  • FERC Approves First Compliance Filings on Storage Rule (Order 841)
  • New ISO Resource on Distributed Generation Interconnection

CONNECTICUT

DEEP Issues Draft “Electric Vehicle Roadmap for Connecticut” and Announces Public Meeting
DEEP’s Electric Vehicle Roadmap identifies specific policies, programs, and strategies that would enable Connecticut to optimize deployment of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure. A technical meeting and public comment session is scheduled for November 8.

DEEP Issues Notice of Revised Scope, Updated Schedule for 2018 Integrated Resources Plan
Learn more about the IRP process at DEEP’s website, and see notice of here.

INDUSTRY

FERC Approves First Compliance Filings on Storage Rule (Order 841)
FERC approved the first two orders implementing Order No. 841, the storage rulemaking aimed at breaking down market barriers to electricity storage.  See FERC’s press release for more information on the orders addressing SPP’s and PJM’s compliance filings.

New ISO Resource on Distributed Generation Interconnection
ISO has recently developed an informational handout on DG interconnection for state officials, developers, and other stakeholders – learn more here.

CPES Policy Committee Update: October 1, 2019

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

In this Update:

  • Millstone, utilities finalize 10-year contract
  • CT Updates Rules for Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
  • DEEP/PURA Value of Distributed Energy Resources Technical Meetings
  • When is a new power plant ‘necessary’ in New England? Regulators defer to capacity market

CONNECTICUT

Millstone, utilities finalize 10-year contract
State regulators recently approved a 10-year contract between the owner of Millstone Power Station and utility companies, effectively ending the yearslong political, regulatory and environmental battles to keep the plant operational. More

CT Updates Rules for Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Read DEEP’s press release on the regulations, proposed by DEEP in coordination with other states who are part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), that make a number of improvements including an additional 30 percent regional CO2 emissions cap between 2020 and 2030.

DEEP/PURA Value of Distributed Energy Resources Technical Meetings
Deep and PURA are holding technical meetings on their joint value of distributed energy resources study.  See the presentation from September 20th meeting here and details for the second technical October 4th meeting here.

When is a new power plant ‘necessary’ in New England? Regulators defer to capacity market
Within the span of a few weeks in June, regulatory officials in Connecticut and Rhode Island came to starkly different conclusions on development proposals for natural gas-fired electric generating plants on sites about 20 miles apart. Read more

INDUSTRY

ISO-NE Developing Method for Assessing Energy-Efficiency Resources Performance
Read a recap of the final report by the Demand Resources Working Group on how to address the performance of energy efficiency resources.

CPES Policy Committee Update: September 24, 2019

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

In this Update:

  • PURA Approves Zero Carbon RFP Contracts
  • DEEP and PURA Issue Draft Outline for Value of Distributed Energy Resources Study
  • Governor Lamont Applauds PURA Approval of Millstone Contract Between Dominion, Eversource, and United Illuminating 
  • Former FERC Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur joins ISO-NE Board of Directors
  • FERC Proposes to Modernize PURPA Regulations
  • ISO-NE expands auction opportunities for Financial Transmission Rights
  • Materials From ISO System Plan Public Meeting Online
  • New Study Finds Energy Efficiency Reduces Emissions and Helps Achieve Climate Goals

CONNECTICUT

PURA Approves Zero Carbon RFP Contracts PURA Filing

Governor Lamont Applauds PURA Approval of Millstone Contract Between Dominion, Eversource, and United Illuminating Governor Lamont Press Release

INDUSTRY

Former FERC Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur joins ISO-NE Board of Directors
Last week, ISO announced the election of the 2019 Board of Directors slate, including new Director Cheryl LaFleur. LaFleur was most recently a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) commissioner.  Read more at ISO’s website.

FERC Proposes to Modernize PURPA Regulations
FERC announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking focused on recent wholesale power market developments.  Comments are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register; read more at FERC’s website.

ISO-NE expands auction opportunities for Financial Transmission Rights
On September 17, 2019, ISO New England launched the Financial Transmission Rights – Balance of Planning Period (FTR BoPP) project to provide market participants with more opportunities to configure their FTR portfolio. Learn more at ISO’s website.

Materials From ISO System Plan Public Meeting Online
ISO New England held its biennial Regional System Plan Public Meeting in Boston, Mass. on September 12, 2019, to present the final draft 2019 Regional System Plan (RSP 19) and receive feedback from stakeholders.  Keynote and panel presentations, as well as highlights from the RDP19 report are available on ISO’s website.

New Study Finds Energy Efficiency Reduces Emissions and Helps Achieve Climate Goals
The report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Halfway There: Energy Efficiency Can Cut Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Half by 2050, shows that energy efficiency can reduce US energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050.

 

CPES Policy Committee Update: September 4, 2019

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. 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.

In this Update:

  • Governor Lamont Signs Executive Order Strengthening Connecticut’s Efforts to Mitigate Climate Change
  • DEEP and PURA Issue Draft Outline for Value of Distributed Energy Resources Study
  • PURA Issues Interim Decision Approving Millstone PPA
  • CT Mirror: CT offshore wind may face some rough seas
  • HBJ: CT expects $82.4M for winter assistance program
  • Register Now for ISO-NE’s 2019 Regional System Plan Public Meeting – September 12, Boston
  • Utility Dive: Rhode Island issues 10-year tax credit to draw offshore wind business

CONNECTICUT

Governor Lamont Signs Executive Order Strengthening Connecticut’s Efforts to Mitigate Climate Change
Governor Ned Lamont announced that he has signed an executive order strengthening Connecticut’s ongoing efforts to combat the effects of climate change and ensure that the state’s communities are as resilient as possible to rising sea levels and increasingly powerful storms.

DEEP and PURA Issue Draft Outline for Value of Distributed Energy Resources Study
Review the draft outline here. Comments are being accepted until September 18.

PURA Issues Interim Decision Approving Millstone PPA
PURA issued an interim decision approving the 10 year PPA between Dominion.  A final decision is anticipated on September 18.

CT Mirror: CT offshore wind may face some rough seas

HBJ: CT expects $82.4M for winter assistance program

INDUSTRY

Register Now for ISO-NE’s 2019 Regional System Plan Public Meeting – September 12, Boston
The 2019 Regional System Plan (RSP) public meeting is scheduled for September 12 at the Westin Copley Place, Boston, MA from 11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. At this meeting, the ISO will present the final draft of, and receive feedback on, the 2019 RSP. The meeting will also include a keynote address from Damir Novosel, president and founder of Quanta Technology, and a panel discussion entitled, “Transition to the Grid of the Future: Adapting to Disruptive Technologies.” Registration is required and available on ISO-TEN.

Utility Dive: Rhode Island issues 10-year tax credit to draw offshore wind business