Tag Archives: DEEP

CPES Policy Committee Update: September 18, 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:

  • New Clustering Methodology Proposed for ISO New England’s Interconnection Procedures
  • 2017 Draft Comprehensive Energy Strategy Comments due by September 25

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

NEW CLUSTERING METHODOLOGY PROPOSED FOR ISO NEW ENGLAND’S INTERCONNECTION PROCEDURES
Earlier this month, ISO New England, jointly with the New England Power Pool Participants Committee and the Participating Transmission Owners Administrative Committee, filed proposed tariff changes to incorporate a new clustering methodology in the ISO’s interconnection procedures. When specific conditions are present in the ISO’s interconnection queue, the proposed methodology would allow two or more interconnection requests to be analyzed in the same System Impact Study and for developers to share costs for certain interconnection-related transmission upgrades. Typically, each individual interconnection request involves complex and often lengthy engineering studies to identify the necessary system upgrades to accommodate the proposed resource. Therefore, at times, individual interconnection projects are not able or willing to make the necessary system upgrade investments.

The filing parties propose to first implement the clustering methodology to help move forward the backlog of interconnection requests experienced in Northern and Western Maine, where more than 5,800 megawatts of proposed new resources, mostly wind, are seeking to interconnect to the regional grid. For more information, visit the ISO Newswire.

2017 DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY STRATEGY COMMENTS DUE 9/25

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) released a draft of the 2017 Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES) on June 26th. Comments are due by September 25th. Visit the DEEP website for more information.

CPES Policy Committee Update: August 28, 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:

  • RGGI States Announced Proposed Program Changes Beginning in 2021
  • United State Department of Energy Releases Report on Electric Grid Reliability and Resilience
  • 2017 CES Technical Meeting: September 13

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

RGGI STATES ANNOUNCE PROPOSED PROGRAM CHANGES BEGINNING IN 2021
On August 23, 2017, the nine Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) announced proposed changes to the program beginning in 2021. The proposed changes, stemming from a 2016 Program Review, include a regional cap of 75,147,784 tons of CO2 in 2021, which will decline by 2.275 million tons of CO2 per year through 2030, resulting in a 30% reduction in the regional cap from 2020 to 2030. Additional adjustments have been proposed to account for the full bank of excess allowances at the end of 2020, as well as other proposed modifications.

The RGGI states will seek stakeholder comment on the draft program elements in a public meeting scheduled for September 25. Materials, including a stakeholder meeting notice and a supplementary table of year-by-year regional numbers, are posted to the RGGI, Inc. website.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RELEASES REPORT ON ELECTRIC GRID RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCE
On August 23, 2017, the US Department of Energy (DOE) released a report focused on a variety of challenges impacting the reliability and resilience of the electric grid. The report was initiated by the Secretary of Energy in April, with a focus on the effects of various economic and political factors on electric grid operations, including baseload generation powered by nuclear and coal.

The report highlights the significant impact of lower-cost natural gas on the retirement of generators that previously operated as baseload generation. The report also discusses the impacts of lower electricity demand (in part due to investments in energy efficiency), increased output from renewable resources, and various environmental regulations on nuclear and coal-fired power plants. DOE makes several recommendations for ways to improve reliability and resiliency, including for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to move forward with efforts to improve price formation in wholesale markets and potentially find ways to compensate assets providing important reliability characteristics.

The full report is available at: https://energy.gov/staff-report-secretary-electricity-markets-and-reliability

CONNECTICUT

DATES SET FOR THE DRAFT 2017 COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY STRATEGY TECHNICAL HEARINGS
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) released a draft of the 2017 Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES) on June 26th. They will hold a technical meeting on September 13, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. in Hearing Room 1, at DEEP’s New Britain Office, Ten Franklin Square, New Britain, Connecticut Directions to DEEP’s New Britain Office. The purpose of the technical meetings are to allow stakeholders an opportunity to present oral comments and to pose questions to DEEP staff and consultants involved in the preparation of the analytics and the findings in the draft Strategy. DEEP requests that you RSVP and send your questions to DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov three business days prior to the scheduled date if you plan on attending and/or participating in any of the scheduled technical meetings. Visit the DEEP website for more information.

CPES Policy Committee Update: April 3, 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.

This week’s features:

  • ISO New England Releases Draft 2017-2026 Load Forecast Showing Energy Usage Declining Slightly and Peak Demand Remaining Flat
  • New England States Committee on Electricity Releases Scenario Analysis Report
  • CT DEEP has issued a revised Request for Proposals
  • The Energy and Technology Committee’s JF deadline was March 23, 2017

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

ISO New England Releases Draft 2017-2026 Load Forecast Showing Energy Usage Declining Slightly and Peak Demand Remaining Flat

Every year, ISO New England develops a projection of how much electricity the region will use and how high demand will peak during each of the next 10 years. The 10-year forecast is a key system planning tool, helping ensure New England has an adequate supply of resources to meet future demand, and a transmission system that can do the job of carrying power to residents and businesses.

The draft long-term forecast for 2017 to 2026 projects that energy usage will decline slightly in New England and peak demand will remain flat over the 10-year period. The primary factors are continuing robust installation of energy-efficiency measures and behind-the-meter solar arrays throughout the region, as well as a slightly lower forecast for economic growth in New England.

For more information, visit the ISO Newswire.

New England States Committee on Electricity Releases Scenario Analysis Report

The New England States Committee on Electricity (NESCOE) has released the first portion of a two-phase economic analysis of a variety of hypothetical renewable and clean energy futures in New England. NESCOE characterized the analysis as “one piece of information, together with other studies, data and information produced by [ISO New England], individual states, and market participants that may inform policymakers’ consideration of issues related to New England’s competitive wholesale electric market and hypothetical resource futures.” NESCOE also said that it “welcomes from market participants or others any facts or data that clarify, correct, or should be considered in reviewing the study results.”

For more information, visit the NESCOE website.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) has issued a revised Request for Proposals (“RFP”) regarding  the Shared Clean Energy Facility Pilot Program pursuant to Public Act 15-113. The revised RFP seeks to align the definition of core forest with the responses to questions received. The revised RFP is available here.

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

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

The Energy and Technology Committee’s JF deadline was March 23, 2017.  The list of bills reported out of the Energy and Technology Committee is available at:  https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CommJFList.asp?comm_code=et and additional information about the status of these bills is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2017/etdata/cbr/et.asp

CPES does not take a position on these legislative proposals; this is provided for informational purposes only to CPES members.