Category Archives: United Illuminating

CPES Policy Committee Update: June 14, 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:

  • DEEP issues RFP for Shared Clean Energy Facility Pilot Program
  • PURA holds hearings on Eversource and UI rates
  • Governor Malloy signs more energy related bills into law
  • Agenda and speakers announce for upcoming ISO NE’s Consumer Liaison Group Meeting on June 17th

 

Connecticut Policy/Regulatory Update: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) has issued an updated draft RFP for its Shared Clean Energy Facility Pilot Program issued pursuant to Public Act 15-113. The draft RFP intends to solicit offers for Shared Clean Energy Facilities sized from 500 kW and no greater than 2,000 kW to implement the pilot program required under the Act. Additional requirements relate to the experience of the bidder and subscriber structure. Comments are due on the draft RFP by June 20, 2016. DEEP expects to issue a final RFP by July 1, 2016. The draft RFP is available at the following link.

Eversource and UI have their rate adjustment review hearings before PURA on Tuesday, June 14th.  See PURA calendar http://www.dpuc.state.ct.us/dockcurr.nsf/$FormWebTSPURACalendarView?OpenForm.

 

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATION:

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

On June 7, 2016, Governor Malloy signed the following legislation of the 2016 Regular Session that may be of interest to our members:

  • S.B. No. 334:  AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO CERTAIN ENERGY PURCHASING POOL AND LIFE-CYCLE COST ANALYSES STATUTES.
  • H.B. No. 5510:  AN ACT CONCERNING ELECTRIC AND FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

On June 9, 2016, Governor Malloy signed the following legislation of the 2016 Regular Session that may be of interest to our members:

  • H.B. No. 5496:  AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN VIRTUAL NET METERING FACILITIES.

On June 10, 2016, Governor Malloy signed the following legislation of the 2016 Regular Session that may be of interest to our members:

  • B. No. 366:AN ACT CONCERNING ADMINISTRATION OF THE CONNECTICUT GREEN BANK, THE PRIORITY OF THE BENEFIT ASSESSMENTS LIEN UNDER THE GREEN BANK’S COMMERCIAL SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PROGRAM AND THE GREEN BANK’S SOLAR HOME RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDIT PROGRAM.
  • B. No. 394:  AN ACT CONCERNING AUTHORIZATIONS RELATING TO VIRTUAL NET METERING.  

Regional and Industry Developments

New England Consumer Liaison Group Meeting Will Focus on Electricity Security

Registration is still open for the next New England Consumer Liaison Group meeting scheduled for June 17, 2016 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough, Massachusetts. The Consumer Liaison Group is a forum for the exchange of information between ISO New England and electricity consumers in New England.

Congressman Jim McGovern will give the keynote address. The topic for the panel discussion will be Electricity Security for Consumers: How Rapidly Changing Technology Deployment Is Altering the Way Consumers Use Electricity and What They Need to Plan for in Terms of Security and Resiliency. Panelists will include:

  • Mukund Ravipaty, Director, Enterprise Security Architecture, National Grid
  • Christine Hallquist, Chief Executive Officer, Vermont Electric Cooperative
  • EnerNOC – TBD

To register for the meeting, please click here. Additional information on the Consumer Liaison Group is available at: http://www.iso-ne.com/committees/industry-collaborations/consumer-liaison.

 

CPES Policy Committee Update: June 7, 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:

  • UI seeks to increase distribution rates
  • Governor Malloy signs bills into law
  • Real-time prices for wind-powered resources

 

Connecticut Policy/Regulatory Update: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

The United Illuminating Company has filed a preliminary notice to PURA to increase its distribution rates. PURA has assigned the request Docket No. 16-06-04, Application of The United Illuminating Company to Increase Its Rates and Charges. In its request UI has proposed to increase annual rates by $46 million in 2017, $52 million in 2018 and $43 million in 2019. UI is currently operating under a base-rate freeze through December 31, 2016 that was a commitment made as part of the UIL-Iberdrola USA merger. The PURA docket and UI notice is available at the following link.

 

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATION:

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

On May 25, 2016, Governor Malloy signed the following legislation of the 2016 Regular Session that may be of interest to our section members:

  • H.B. No. 5242:  AN ACT CONCERNING AGRICULTURAL VIRTUAL NET METERING.

On May 31, 2016, Governor Malloy signed the following legislation of the 2016 Regular Session that may be of interest to our section members:

  • H.B. No. 5427:  AN ACT CONCERNING THE SHARED CLEAN ENERGY FACILITY PILOT PROGRAM.

On June 2, 2016, Governor Malloy signed the following legislation of the 2016 Special Session that may be of interest to our section members:

  • S.B. No. 501:  AN ACT ADJUSTING THE STATE BUDGET FOR THE BIENNIUM ENDING JUNE 30, 2017.
  • S.B. No. 502:  AN ACT CONCERNING REVENUE AND OTHER ITEMS TO IMPLEMENT THE BUDGET FOR THE BIENNIUM ENDING JUNE 30, 2017.

 

Regional and Industry Developments

ISO New England Incorporates Wind-Powered Resources into Real-Time Dispatch with Do-Not-Exceed Dispatch Project

On May 25, 2016, the region’s wind-powered resources and intermittent hydro resources began taking electronic dispatch instructions from ISO New England for the first time and became eligible to set real-time prices in the wholesale electricity marketplace. These changes were made possible by the Do-Not-Exceed (DNE) Dispatch Project in which the ISO worked with stakeholders to implement a modified electronic dispatch method for these intermittent resources. The new system is expected to improve price formation in the marketplace and system use of low-cost renewable resources in areas with limited transmission capacity by:

  • Enabling wind and intermittent hydro resources to set the price at their locations on the basis of their economic offers
  • Allowing the Real-Time Energy Market to properly price congestion at their locations

The changes are also expected to minimize manual generator curtailments and improve ISO New England’s ability to manage the system during rapidly shifting weather conditions. For more information on the DNE Dispatch Project, see the ISO Newswire.

CPES Policy Committee Update: April 15, 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:

  • Summary of CPES Natural Gas Infrastructure Event
  • PURA Ends Notice Requirements for Retail Suppliers
  • Governor’s proposed budget does not include raiding funds from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
  • Net metering bill raised in legislature
  • Nuclear Power Plant Announces Future Plans

 

Project Development: Natural Gas Infrastructure Projects Serving Customers in Connecticut

DSC03604On April 13, 2016, the Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) heard from representatives of the natural gas industry on infrastructure projects progressing within Connecticut and throughout New England. As background, moderator Stephen Leahy, Vice President of Policy & Analysis for the Northeast Gas Association, explained that there are five interstate natural gas pipelines serving New England: (1) the Algonquin Gas Transmission Pipeline, (2) the Tennessee Gas Pipeline, (3) the Iroquois Gas Transmission System, (4) the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System, and (5) the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline. There are also several liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities serving the region, including Distrigas in Everett, Massachusetts and Canaport in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Michael Dirrane, Director of Marketing for Spectra Energy, discussed the infrastructure projects in progress and proposed along the Algonquin and Maritimes transmission systems, including the Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) project, the Atlantic Bridge project, and the Access Northeast project. According to Dirrane, the AIM project will add 20% more gas capacity to the Algonquin pipeline, enabling additional supplies of Marcellus Shale gas to reach customers in Connecticut. The project has an in-service date of November 2016.

Cynthia Armstrong, Director of Marketing & Business Development for Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS), provided background on PNGTS, which began serving New England in 1999 and now consists of more than 300 miles of pipeline. She explained that PNGTS delivers gas into the Algonquin and Tennessee pipelines, back-feeding the region’s natural gas transmission system from the east.

Rob Perless, Project Development Manager for Iroquois Gas Transmission System, provided background on the Iroquois system, which commenced operations in 1991 and was designed to bring Canadian gas down to the New York and New England markets. Perless provided an update on the Constitution Pipeline project, which has faced significant regulatory delays in the State of New York. Perless also provided an update on the project Iroquois plans to submit in response to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for natural gas expansion projects.

Gregg Therrien, Director of Gas Construction for Connecticut Natural Gas and The Southern Connecticut Gas Company, discussed expansion projects on the local gas distribution system in Connecticut. Many of these projects, he explained, were made possible by the 2013 Comprehensive Energy Strategy and legislation passed in 2014 to enable the recovery of costs associated with gas expansion projects over a 25-year period.

Christopher Lucca, Program Manager of Gas Expansion for Eversource, discussed the Wilton, Connecticut expansion project, a 3.6-mile distribution system expansion project which began on August 1, 2014 and concluded on October 24, 2014. The project involved extensive community engagement to ensure construction met the Town’s desired timeline, particularly for a local school and the downtown business district. This project would not have been possible, Lucca said, without the Comprehensive Energy Strategy and the legislation passed to implement it.

 

CONNECTICUT POLICY/REGULATORY UPDATE:  CT Public Utilities Regulatory Authority

The Connecticut PURA has formally terminated the requirement for retail suppliers to file quarterly notices with PURA. In a letter dated April 11, 2016, after receiving notices from multiple suppliers, PURA acknowledged the required information contained in the quarterly notices has since been incorporated into residential bills provided by the electric distribution companies, pursuant to PURA’s Decisions in Docket Nos. 14-07-19, PURA Investigation Into Redesign of the Residential Electric Billing Format and 14-07-19RE01, PURA Investigation Into Redesign of the Residential Electric Billing Format – Billing Format Clarifications. Consequently, PURA determined the notices are no longer required. The letter is available at the following link.

 

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Last week, we reported that the legislature proposed raiding $20M in funds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).  On April 12, 2016, Governor Malloy released his budget proposal, which did not include a provision raiding the RGGI funds.  http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20160412/NEWS01/160419987/officials-raiding-carbon-funds-will-increase-power-costs

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

The deadline to report bills out of the Energy and Technology Committee has passed.  On April 12, 2016, the House of Representatives passed the following bill that may be of interest to you:

  • H.B. No. 5242 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING AGRICULTURAL VIRTUAL NET METERING’, to allow agricultural customers to lease or enter into long-term contracts for an agricultural virtual net metering facility. 
    REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY

 

Regional and Industry Developments

Entergy Announces Plans to Operate Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station through May 2019

Entergy Corporation, owner and operator of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts, has announced plans to refuel in 2017 and continue operating the power plant until May 31, 2019. For more information, see Entergy’s official operational update: http://www.pilgrimpower.com/operational-update/.

CPES Policy Committee Update 3.7.16

This policy update features 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.

Connecticut Regulatory Update: Public Utilities Regulatory Authority

Eversource Energy and The United Illuminating Company have filed updated virtual net metering applications and tariff riders with PURA. The updated applications and tariff riders accommodate more liberal ownership structures for agricultural virtual net metering facilities as concluded in a recent PURA ruling. The updated VNM applications and riders are available at the following links:

UI VNM Application and Rider

Eversource VNM Application and Rider

 

Connecticut Legislative Update: Energy & Technology Committee

The Energy and Technology Committee has scheduled a public hearing for March 10 and the agenda is posted: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2016/etdata/pha/2016PHA00310-R001300ET-PHA.htm

Information about E&T, including committee meetings and public hearings, is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/.

In the appendix below, please see a list of bills that may be of interest to our members.

 

Regional and Industry Developments

ISO New England Publishes 2016 Regional Electricity Outlook

Last week, ISO New England published the 2016 Regional Electricity Outlook (REO), the ISO’s annual report on the state of New England’s power system and the innovative solutions the ISO and regional stakeholders are pursuing to ensure reliability. The 2016 REO provides an update on the ISO actions to address grid challenges, as well as other ISO efforts to improve its services and performance.

 

Appendix

List of bills before the General Assembly that may be of interest to our members:

  • S.B. No. 334 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING MINOR REVISIONS TO THE ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY RELATED STATUTES’, to (1) allow an electric distribution company to recover costs associated with the shared clean energy facilities pilot program, (2) make changes regarding contracting in connection with the purchasing pool for electricity, (3) make changes to the requirements for energy performance standards and life-cycle cost analyses, (4) remove the federal weatherization program from the purview of the Department of Social Services, and (5) make other conforming and technical changes.
    REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
  • S.B. No. 344 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY OF THE ADEQUACY OF ENERGY SUPPLIES IN THE STATE’, to require the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to conduct a study pertaining to energy.
    REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
  • S.B. No. 345 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY OF THE DIVERSITY OF ENERGY SOURCES IN THE STATE’, to require the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to conduct a study pertaining to energy sources.
    REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
  • S.B. No. 366 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING ADMINISTRATION OF THE CONNECTICUT GREEN BANK, THE PRIORITY OF THE BENEFIT ASSESSMENTS LIEN UNDER THE GREEN BANK’S COMMERCIAL SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PROGRAM AND THE GREEN BANK’S SOLAR HOME RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDIT PROGRAM’, to (1) remove the Connecticut Green Bank from Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, (2) give the Connecticut Green Bank additional powers, (3) make changes regarding the priority of the benefit assessments lien under the Connecticut Green Bank’s commercial sustainable energy program, (4) make changes to the solar home renewable energy credit program, and (5) make other technical and conforming changes. 
    REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
  • S.B. No. 394 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING VIRTUAL NET METERING AND CERTAIN ZERO OR LOW EMISSION GENERATION PROJECTS’, to make changes to the state’s virtual net metering program concerning certain zero or low emission generation projects.
    REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
  • H.B. No. 5496 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING BIOMASS FACILITIES’, to allow an administrator of certain biomass facilities to request a modification to the electricity purchase agreement to allow utilization of additional sustainable biomass fuel. 
    REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
  • H.B. No. 5504 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING NOTICE AND PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSIONS FOR PROJECTS CONSIDERED AND APPROVED BY THE SITING COUNCIL’, to require a public information session if a certified facility has not commenced construction three years from the date of the issuance of the certificate and to require reissuance of the notice of application if a certified facility has not completed construction three years from the date of the issuance of the certificate.
    REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
  • H.B. No. 5510 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING ELECTRIC, ZERO EMISSION AND FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLES’, to prepare electric distribution companies, municipalities, public and private merchants and electrical contractors for the presence and operation of electric, zero-emission and fuel cell vehicles in the state, to make changes regarding parking of hydrogen fuel vehicles under grade level and to make changes regarding labeling of vehicles that carry pressurized gas as fuel.
    REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
  • H.B. No. 5563 (RAISED) BANKING . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ASSESSED CLEAN ENERGY’, to establish a residential sustainable energy program in the state for the purpose of financing energy improvements. 
    REF. BANKING
  • H.B. No. 5592 (RAISED) FINANCE, REVENUE AND BONDING . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING CONNECTICUT FIRST’, to: (1) Establish or extend various tax credits and financial assistance to incentivize investment in brownfield remediation, clean technology, cybersecurity, bioscience and various start-up and small businesses, (2) modify requirements for certain contracts between electric distribution companies and owners or developers of Class I generation projects, and (3) expand duties and reporting requirements of the Office of Small Business Affairs. 
    REF. FINANCE, REVENUE AND BONDING