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Inflation Reduction Act
FERC Authorizes NYISO to Halt Circuitous Scheduling Around Lake Erie
On August 21, FERC issued an order accepting the New York ISO's (NYISO) emergency revisions to its tariff to prohibit certain scheduling practices around Lake Erie. In its order, FERC approved the NYISO's use of temporary action to reduce unscheduled...
PG&E Announces Plans to Buy 800 MW of Solar Power
One of the largest utilities in California, Pacific Gas and Electric Company ("PG&E"), has signed two contracts to purchase up to 800 MW of power from two new solar plants that will be constructed by photovoltaic (PV) systems manufacturers, OptiSolar...
Texas Commission Selects Plan to Deliver Wind Power from Competitive Renewable Energy Zones
The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUCT) recently selected one of the four transmission scenarios that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) proposed for bringing a total of 18,456 MW of wind power from West Texas and the Texas Panhandle...
CAIR Court Throws Eastern Utility Markets into Financial Tail-Spin
A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in a July 11 order threw eastern power markets into financial chaos by vacating the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). ( North Carolina v...
NYISO Asks FERC for Authority to Control Congestion and Loop Flow Around Lake Erie
Assailed by sharp increases in transmission congestion and loop flow in its Lake Erie region, New York's Independent System Operator (NYISO) in a July 21st emergency filing asked FERC to approve tariff revisions to prohibit scheduling on commonly used "”...
"Back to the Future" Debate Continues at FERC on State of Competition in Wholesale Power Markets
On the heels of moves in several states to "re-regulate" electric markets, and complaints from consumer advocates that electric competition has not brought about promised savings, FERC has embarked on a series of public conferences regarding the status of competition...
New Mexico Promotes Transmission Solutions for Renewable Energy Development, Ups RPS
Developing renewable energy far from load centers demands construction of transmission. But which comes first "“ the generation or the transmission? Several Western states, including California and Texas , are addressing this issue, and New Mexico has recently adopted its...
Making Waves "• FERC Turns Attention to Ocean Power
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has put the spotlight on a lesser known but potentially valuable source of renewable energy by announcing an interim policy and inviting public comment on how to process preliminary permit applications for ocean energy: wave...
Energy Advisor to Coordinate State Energy Policy in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri (R) issued an executive order in mid-January creating the Office of Chief Energy Advisor to the Governor, and named Andrew Dzykewicz, Senior Project Manger at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) , to...
Reductions of Power Plant Emissions on the Minds of State Regulators
Reducing power plant emissions seems to be the priority du jour , as several state regulatory agencies consider plans to comply with the EPA's new clean air interstate rule ("CAIR"). Passed in March of this year, CAIR permanently caps sulfur...
U.S. Supreme Court Will Not Review Decision Prohibiting Courts from Ruling on Wholesale Power Prices
Fallout from the 2000-2001 western energy crisis persisted in April. In a case involving one of the relatively smaller claims to arise out of the crisis, on April 18, 2005, the US Supreme Court denied the petition of the State...
California Assembly Again Considers Retail Choice for Large Customers
The California State Assembly is considering the possibility of returning retail choice to the state, after its suspension during the 2000-2001 energy crisis. Assembly Bill 1704 ("AB 1704"), introduced by Assemblyman Keith Richman (R-Granada Hills), would establish a core/non-core retail...
FERC Asks for Comments on the Roles of RTOs and ISOs in Establishing Reference Prices for Mitigation
On April 1, 2005, FERC invited comments on the roles of Regional Transmission Organizations ("RTO"), Independent System Operators ("ISO"), or their market monitors in establishing reference prices to be used to lower or "mitigate" wholesale power prices deemed to be...