Tag Archives: DEEP

CPES Policy Committee Update: May 1, 2018

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:

  • FERC’s State of the Markets Report 2017
  • ISO New England Winter Recap
  • Setting Regional Solar and Wind Power Records in New England
  • FERC Issues Letter Accepting the Results of the 12th Forward Capacity Auction
  • Docket No. 18-04-25: PURA Investigation Regarding Issues Related to Uncollectible Accounts and Docket No. 10-06-18RE02: Application of Spark Energy, L.P. for an Electric Supplier License – Investigation Into Marketing 

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

FERC’S STATE OF THE MARKETS REPORT 2017
FERC’s Office of Enforcement’s Division of Energy Market Oversight published their annual assessment of natural gas, electric, and other energy markets developments during the past year.  The Commission’s accompanying presentation is always available on their website.

ISO NEW ENGLAND WINTER RECAP
ISO New England published a recap of the 2017/2018 winter conditions, describing the effect of the historic cold snap in the final week of December and first week of January. For more on how these cold weather conditions impacted grid operations, see ISO-NE’s analysis.

SETTING REGIONAL SOLAR AND WIND POWER RECORDS IN NEW ENGLAND
Over 130,000 solar power installations now span the six New England states, totaling about 2,400 MW (nameplate)—over 5,800 MW are expected by 2027. Almost all this solar power is connected to local distribution utilities or “behind the meter” (BTM) directly at retail customer sites. On April 9, a cool, cloudless day across New England, BTM solar power set a new regional record. Wind, energy-efficiency measures and storage are also contributing to the changing grid, reducing  the region’s emissions. Learn more at ISO-New England’s website.

FERC ISSUES LETTER ACCEPTING THE RESULTS OF THE 12TH FORWARD CAPACITY AUCTION
FERC issued a letter order accepting ISO New England’s filing of the results of the twelfth Forward Capacity Auction, held on February 5-6, 2018 for the June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022 Capacity Commitment Period. The document has been posted to the ISO’s website. 

CONNECTICUT

RECENT PURA DOCKETS
On April 26, 2018, PURA established Docket No. 18-04-25:  PURA Investigation Regarding Issues Related to Uncollectible Accounts 

On April 25, 2018, PURA established Docket No. 10-06-18RE02:  Application of Spark Energy, L.P. for an Electric Supplier License – Investigation Into Marketing 

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The 2018 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly convened on February 7, 2018 and will adjourn on May 9, 2018.  General information about the Energy and Technology Committee is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et

 

 

 

 

March 14, 2018 Dinner meeting with Jack Betkoski, III and Tracy Babbidge

WRAP UP: CPES Dinner Meeting

Speakers:  PURA Vice-Chairman and President of NARUC, Jack Betkoski, III; Tracy Babbidge, Bureau Chief of DEEP’s Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy

Moderated by: Kate Boucher, Associate at Locke Lord LLP, Member of CPES’ New Energy Professionals Group

On Wednesday, March 14th, CPES hosted Jack Betkoski III, PURA Vice-Chairman and President of NARUC and Tracy Babbidge, Bureau Chief of DEEP’s Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy for a dinner discussion on what’s happening and in the pipeline for 2018 at DEEP and PURA. 

DEEP Bureau Chief Babbidge started the discussion with an overview of DEEP’s 2018 Comprehensive Energy Strategy released in February and its eight main themes.  She noted the challenge in writing the CES to balance the document’s strategic and comprehensive goals while writing for an audience ranging from experts to lay readers.

PURA Vice-Chairman Betkoski followed, speaking on PURA’s focus areas for the year, such as a grid modernization, the ramifications of federal tax reform for the state’s utilities, and best practices for electrical suppliers. He also discussed the new statewide water plan, submitted February 1st to the legislature for review, which outlines water policy in Connecticut for the next 50 years and his work with NARUC nationally on the water-energy nexus. 

The speakers fielded questions from moderator Kate Boucher and attendees on a range of topics, from the role of climate policy in future editions of the CES, the state’s electric-vehicle deployment strategy, and position on fuel cells, to siting of renewable energy projects and water plan implementation. Throughout the night, both speakers emphasized the collaborative relationship between DEEP and PURA and the positive synergies that have come out of the 2011 consolidation of the state’s energy policy, environmental, and public-utility functions into one agency. 

When asked to identify the state’s biggest challenges in 2018, Bureau Chief Babbage noted the complexities of progressing on DEEP’s priorities in the uncertainty that comes with an election cycle.  Vice-Chairman Betkoski identified the state’s ongoing budget problems and personnel turnover as overarching challenges for PURA.

RTO Insider’s Article “Conn. Officials Talk State Policy, Wider Trends”

To read the newly released 2018 CES, click here.

CPES Policy Committee Update: February 13, 2018

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:

  • ISO’s Forward Capacity Auction
  • CT’s Net Metering Program
  • Energy and Technology Committee Information
  • PURA Docket No. 18-02-02:  Annual Reconciliation of the Conservation Adjustment Mechanisms

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

ISO’S FORWARD CAPACITY AUCTION
New England’s annual capacity auction for power system resources concluded Tuesday with sufficient resources to meet peak demand in 2021-2022, and preliminary results indicate the clearing price was the lowest in five years due to a surplus of capacity in the region. The auction is run by ISO New England Inc. to procure the resources that will be needed to meet consumer demand for electricity in three years. Finalized auction results, with resource-specific information, will be filed with FERC by the end of this month.  ISO’s press release with more information is available here.

CONNECTICUT

NET METERING PROGRAM
DEEP recommendation to revise and phase out Connecticut’s net metering program has been met with opposition.

 

2018 CONNECTICUT LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The 2018 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly convened on February 7, 2018.  Information about the Energy and Technology Committee is available here. The committee’s bill record book is available here. 

PURA DOCKETS
On February 1, 2018, PURA established the following docket: Docket No. 18-02-02:  Annual Reconciliation of the Conservation Adjustment Mechanisms filed by: The Connecticut Light and Power Company, the United Illuminating Company, Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation, the Southern Connecticut Gas Company and Yankee Gas Services Company 

 

CPES Policy Committee Update: February 6, 2018

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:

  • New RFP for Clean Energy
  • DEEP/PURA Determination on Millstone Study
  • NH Rejects Northern Pass Transmission, Throwing Project into Doubt
  • ISO Releases Web-Based Training Module on Energy Markets
  • CT Legislative Session will convene on February 7th
  • Energy and Technology Informational Meeting on February 8th and 13th at 1pm

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

NEW RFP FOR CLEAN ENERGY
On January 31, 2018 DEEP issued a final RFP for certain Class I resources: offshore wind, fuel cells, fuels cells paired with combined heat and power, and anaerobic digestion facilities. Energy storage may be co-located with projects. Proposals are due by April 1, 2018. DEEP anticipates selection of bidders in June 2018 and submittal of contracts to PURA for approval in the fall of 2018.

DEEP/PURA DETERMINATION ON MILLSTONE STUDY
A final determination was released on February 1, 2018 and concludes that under certain assumptions, the Millstone Generating Facility could face retirement, however, such risk cannot be determined without additional audited financial data. The final determination recommends moving forward with a multi-tiered procurement that offers favored pricing to Dominion if Dominion is able to submit financial data verifying Millstone’s retirement risk. Without a verified retirement showing, Dominion’s bid would be evaluated against the forecasted price of power. The conclusions reached in the final determination will now be considered by the Legislature in the upcoming Session.

NEW HAMPSHIRE REJECTS NORTHERN PASS TRANSMISSION, THROWING PROJECT INTO DOUBT
The New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) yesterday unanimously rejected the Northern Pass transmission project, throwing the project’s future into doubt.The New Hampshire SEC’s decision to reject Northern Pass came as a surprise yesterday, only a week after Massachusetts gave the project a green light and a major role in its energy plans. The project has sparked backlash from residents in New Hampshire, and a lawyer for the siting board reportedly said that Eversource had failed to prove the transmission would not “unduly interfere with the orderly development of the region.” It is not clear yet what the decision will mean for the project. Even if Northern Pass appeals and ultimately wins, the process could set the project behind schedule. An expedited schedule is one reason Massachusetts selected the line — its schedule was two years shorter than other proposals. A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Attorney General said yesterday the decision “raises serious questions about this timetable.” That announcement follows Healey’s calls for an investigation into the process used to select Northern Pass.

ISO RELEASES WEB-BASED TRAINING MODULE ON ENERGY MARKETS
The ISO released a new training module: New England’s Energy Markets that provides a brief overview of the region’s wholesale electricity markets, explaining how and why they were formed and the role of each market in the broader wholesale marketplace. The training focuses on the ISO’s day-ahead and real-time energy markets, the financial settlement of the markets, and how they are monitored.  

The module is the fourth in a series of core modules. Click here to access this training in ISO-TEN, the ISO’s Training and Events Network. The three previous modules are available in the links below:

  1. Overview of the Bulk Power System and ISO New England
  2. Introduction to ISO New England System Operations
  3. Introduction to ISO New England System Planning

ADDITIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS:

Maine’s governor puts the kibosh on new wind power in the state

Will the country’s first mandatory residential demand charge slow the Massachusetts solar boom?

2018 CONNECTICUT LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The 2018 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly convenes on February 7, 2018.  Information about the Energy and Technology Committee is available here.

ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY INFORMATIONAL MEETING 
On February 8th and 13th at 1:00pm the Energy and Technology Committee will hold a Stakeholders Status Report on Energy in Connecticut. Where are we? Where are we going?  (LOB Room 2D)

CPES Policy Committee Update: January 23, 2017

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:

  • Operational Fuel-Security Analysis Released
  • U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in Allco v. Klee
  • Update on the Economic Stability of Millstone
  • CT Legislative Session will convene on Wednesday, February 7th
  • PURA Dockets released in January

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

OPERATIONAL FUEL-SECURITY ANALYSIS RELEASED
On January 17th, ISO New England released its Operational Fuel-Security Analysis, a study assessing whether possible future resource combinations have enough fuel to ensure bulk power system reliability throughout an entire winter. The results indicate that maintaining reliability is likely to become more challenging, especially if current power system trends continue. Read the press release, and find more information on the ISO New England website.

ALLCO V.KLEE
The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in Allco v. Klee. In June 2017, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s dismissal. It concluded that Connecticut’s renewable energy procurement program was not preempted by the Federal Power Act and the state’s rule that the state’s RPS program did not violate the dormant Commerce Clause. The opinion is particularly significant because it is the first federal court decision to discuss the scope of the Supreme Court’s 2016 Hughes decision. The Second Circuit’s interpretation of Hughes will inform district courts that are weighing motions to dismiss claims about zero emission credits (ZECs) for nuclear plants. Click here to view the procedural overview courtesy of the State Power Project.  

CONNECTICUT

UPDATE ON THE ECONOMIC STABILITY OF MILLSTONE
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) have released a revised draft report in Docket No. 17-07-32: DEEP and PURA Joint Proceeding to Implement the Governor’s Executive Order Number 59. The joint proceeding is tasked with reviewing the economic stability of the Millstone nuclear generating station in Waterford, Connecticut.  The most recent draft report reverses previous conclusions reached by PURA/DEEP regarding Millstone’s retirement risk and supports implementing a multi-tiered solicitation to procure energy from nuclear power facilities such as Millstone. DEEP/PURA have requested comments on the revised draft report which are due this Thursday, January 25, 2018. The notice and draft report are available here: http://www.dpuc.state.ct.us/dockcurr.nsf/All/E08A9CCEF25C28FB8525821D0055E28F?OpenDocument

2018 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The 2018 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly convenes on February 7, 2018.  Information about the Energy and Technology Committee is available here.

RECENTLY RELEASED PURA DOCKETS
On January 16, 2018, PURA established the following docket: Docket No. 18-01-31:  2017 Report to the Legislature – Electric Supplier Report 

On January 11, 2018, PURA established the following dockets:
Docket No. 18-01-29:  Annual Report to the Legislature – The State of Electric Competition 
Docket No. 18-01-28:  2018 Report to the General Assembly Regarding the Connecticut Electric Efficiency Partners Program 

On January 3, 2018, PURA established the following docket: Docket No. 18-01-15:  PURA Review of Rate Adjustments Related to the Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act