Category Archives: Energy and Technology Committee

CPES Policy Committee Update: March 12, 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:

  • Energy & Technology Committee Meeting: March 12
  • Dominion Pushing for Sweeter Deal to Keep Millstone Open
  • NE Publishes 2019 Regional Electricity Outlook
  • U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce Holds Hearing on Energy Efficiency Standards

CONNECTICUT

LEGISLATIVE
ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
The Energy & Technology Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly will hold a Committee Meeting on March 12 at 2:30 PM in Room 1B of the Legislative Office Building.

The Bil Record Book, which contains proposed House and Senate bills, is available here.

DOMINION PUSHING FOR SWEETER DEAL TO KEEP MILLSTONE OPEN
When an industry analyst on a February conference call asked if Millstone Power Station still faced closure, Dominion Energy President and CEO Thomas Farrell replied that executives were “not here to do any saber-rattling.” Article

INDUSTRY

NE PUBLISHES 2019 REGIONAL ELECTRICITY OUTLOOK
ISO’s 2019 Regional Electricity Outlook (REO) is an annual report looking at the trends affecting New England’s power system today and in the future.

U.S. HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & COMMERCE HOLDS HEARING ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS
The March 7th hearing focused on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) delay of 16 appliance energy efficiency standards and failure to publish Final Energy Conservation Standards.  Related documents are available here.

 

CPES Policy Committee Update: March 5, 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:

  • Energy & Technology Committee Public Hearings: March 5
  • Finalized Auction Results Confirm Sufficient Capacity Resources for 2022–2023
  • FERC Accepts Revisions for Batteries and Other Emerging Storage Technologies to More Fully Participate in the New England Markets

CONNECTICUT

LEGISLATIVE
ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
The Energy & Technology Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly will hold a public hearing on March 5 at 10:00 AM.  Agenda  The agenda includes An Act Concerning Energy Efficiency Standards (HB 7151) introduced by Governor Lamont.

The Bil Record Book, which contains proposed House and Senate bills, is available here.

INDUSTRY
FINALIZED AUCTION RESULTS CONFIRM SUFFICIENT CAPACITY RESOURCES 2022–2023
ISO New England has filed the finalized results of FCA-13 with FERC. A press release summarizing the filing, and the full filing, can be found on the ISO’s website.

FERC ACCEPTS REVISIONS FOR BATTERIES AND OTHER EMERGING STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES TO MORE FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE NEW ENGLAND MARKETS 
The revisions allow emerging storage technologies to be dispatched in the Real-Time Energy Market in a manner that more fully recognizes their ability to transition continuously and rapidly between a charging state and a discharging state and provides a means for their simultaneous participation in the energy, reserves, and regulation markets. Learn more about these market changes from ISO.

FERC SCHEDULES RELIABILITY TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON RELIABILITY OF THE BULK-POWER SYSTEM
FERC will hold a Technical Conference on Thursday, June 27, 2019, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM to discuss policy issues related to the reliability of the Bulk-Power System

CPES Policy Committee Update: February 26, 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:

  • Energy & Technology Committee Public Hearing Feb 26
  • Governor Lamont Introduces Two Energy Bills
  • ISO-NE Publishes 2019 “State of the Grid” Media Briefing Materials
  • Registration Open for ISO Webinars: FCM Show of Interest for New Demand Resources and FCM Show of Interest for New Generation and Imports

CONNECTICUT

LEGISLATIVE
ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
The Energy & Technology Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly will hold a public hearing on February 26 at 1:45 PM.  Agenda 

The Bill Record Book, which contains House and Senate Energy bills, is available here.

CONNECTICUT
GOVERNOR LAMONT INTRODUCES TWO ENERGY BILLS
As part of the 2019 Legislative Proposal from Governor Lamont’s administration, two energy bills address offshore wind energy procurements and energy efficiency standards:
SB 875, An Act Expanding Connecticut’s Offshore Wind Energy Portfolio
HB 7151, An Act Concerning Energy Efficiency Standards

 

ISO-NE PUBLISHES 2019 “STATE OF THE GRID” MEDIA BRIEFING MATERIALS
ISO New England President and CEO Gordon van Welie updated reporters on the state of the region’s power system during a media briefing on February 20, 2019. The presentation and remarks are now available on ISO’s website.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR ISO WEBINARS: FCM SHOW OF INTEREST FOR NEW DEMAND RESOURCES AND FCM SHOW OF INTEREST FOR NEW GENERATION AND IMPORTS
These webinars will inform prospective project sponsors and market participants about the requirements and submittal process for the Show of Interest (SOI) for the fourteenth Forward Capacity Auction (FCA #14) to be held in February 2020 for the 2023-2024 Capacity Commitment Period. Register now.

CPES Policy Committee Update: February 19, 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:

  • Energy & Technology Committee Public Hearings: Feb 19 and Feb 21
  • PURA established Docket No. 19-02-13:  Declaratory Ruling Regarding Licensed Electric Supplier Practices of Altering the Prices in Fixed-Price Contracts
  • Consumers in Retail Competition Markets Saved $300B Over the Past Decade, Trade Group Says
  • Speaker Announced for ISO-NE March CLG Meeting: Jeffrey Grybowski, Co-CEO Ørsted US Offshore Wind
  • ISO-NE Announces Spring 2019 Market Training Classes
  • 2nd Circuit Sides With Direct Energy Services in Rate Hike Dispute
  • Vistra Energy to Expand Retail Business with $328M acquisition
  • Future US Electricity Generation Mix Will Depend Largely on Natural Gas Prices

CONNECTICUT

LEGISLATIVE
ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
The Energy & Technology Committee will hold the following public hearings:
                 -Tuesday, February 19, 10:15 am in room 1E of the LOB Agenda
                 – Thursday, February 21, 10:00 am in Rm 1B of the LOB Agenda  

The Bil Record Book, which contains proposed House and Senate bills, is available here.

REGULATORY
On February 11, 2019, PURA established Docket No. 19-02-13:  Declaratory Ruling Regarding Licensed Electric Supplier Practices of Altering the Prices in Fixed-Price Contracts

REGIONAL/INDUSTRYCONSUMERS IN RETAIL COMPETITION MARKETS SAVED $300B OVER THE PAST DECADE, TRADE GROUP SAYS
Electricity prices in many states with retail choice are high, but RESA’s analysis concludes they are moving lower, as consumers reap the benefits of cheap natural gas and lower electricity demand. But the same cannot be said for states with monopoly utility structures. MORE

SPEAKER ANNOUNCED FOR ISO-NE MARCH CLG MEETING: JEFFREY GRYBOWSKI, CO-CEO ØRSTED US OFSHORE WIND
Jeffrey Grybowski, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Ørsted US Offshore Wind, will give the keynote address at the March 14th meeting of the Consumer Liaison Group (CLG) at the Omni Providence Hotel. Following, a panel will discuss Transforming the Power Sector: Customer Choice in a Changing Energy Landscape. 

ISO-NE ANNOUNCES SPRING 2019 MARKET TRAINING CLASSES
ISO-NE’s Customer Training will hold Introduction to Wholesale Electricity Markets April 29- May 3 and Intermediate Wholesale Electricity Markets June 11-13.  Learn more and register here.

2ND CIRCUIT SIDES WITH DIRECT ENERGY SERVICES IN RATE HIKE DISPUTE
Connecticut resident Gary Richards had sued private electricity supplier Direct Energy Services LLP, claiming it unfairly hiked prices by switching from a fixed to variable rate. A Second Circuit panel, ruling 2-1, upheld a lower court ruling that sided with the electricity supplier. MORE

VISTRA ENERGY TO EXPAND RETAIL BUSINESS WITH $328M ACQUISITION
Vistra Energy Corp. has entered into an agreement to acquire Crius Energy Trust for about $328 million, the company announced in a news release Thursday. The move comes as Irving-based Vistra (NYSE: VST) seeks to expand its retail business. With the acquisition of Crius Energy, Vistra would serve 19 states and the District of Columbia in the electricity and natural gas product market for residential and small business customers. MORE

FUTURE US ELECTRICITY GENERATION MIX WILL DEPEND LARGELY ON NATURAL GAS PRICES
The mix of fuels used to generate electricity in the US has changed in response to differences in the relative costs of electricity-generating technologies and their fuels. EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2019 shows that projected generation and capacity is significantly influenced by natural gas prices. MORE

 

 

CPES Policy Committee Update: January 29, 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:

  • CT Energy & Technology Committee Schedules Informational Hearings
  • ISO-NE Publishes 2018 Electric Energy Data
  • EIA releases New England Dashboard to Track Energy Market Conditions

LEGISLATIVE
CT ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE SCHEDULES INFORMATIONAL HEARINGS
The CT General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Energy & Technology has scheduled three informational hearings.  See the committee calendar for the agendas

  • 1/31, 2:15 p.m. E&T Committee Informational Meeting for Generators, agenda
  • 2/5, 12:30 p.m. E&T Committee Meeting 
  • 2/5, 1:45 p.m. E&T Committee Info Meeting for Regulators and Utilities

The Bil Record Book, which contains proposed House and Senate bills, is available here.

REGIONAL/INDUSTRY

ISO-NE PUBLISHES 2018 ELECTRIC ENERGY DATA 
The total amount of energy and the sources of energy the New England region used in 2018 to satisfy demand are now available on the ISO’s Resource Mix webpage.

EIA RELEASES NEW ENGLAND DASHBOARD TO TRACK ENERGY MARKET CONDITIONS
To increase customer understanding of weather-related energy issues in New England, the U.S. Energy Information Administration now has an interactive dashboard showing energy market conditions.

EIA will update the New England Dashboard every day by 10:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, including on weekends. The dashboard includes detailed regional information on temperatures; various fuel prices; locational marginal prices; the status of the electric grid, outages, and available capacity; current and projected load; liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports; electricity generation fuel mix; inter-regional electric transmission and natural gas flows; and petroleum product stocks.