American Electric Power hit with second subpoena tied to nuclear bailout bill Oct. 28, 2022 American Electric Power has been hit with a second subpoena from federal regulators looking for information tied to the power company’s involvement in the scandal-ridden House Bill 6 legislation enacted three years ago to bail…
FirstEnergy cuts off its ‘dark money’ spigot in Ohio, disclosures show
FirstEnergy cuts off its ‘dark money’ spigot in Ohio, disclosures show Oct. 24, 2022 Akron-based utility FirstEnergy has stopped using “dark money” in Ohio after agreeing to disclose future contributions, temporarily abandoning a controversial political spending tactic that was a critical cog in the largest bribery scandal in state history.…
Xcel Energy-Colorado positioned to lead clean energy transition, new president says
Xcel Energy-Colorado positioned to lead clean energy transition, new president says October 16, 2022 Robert Kenney took over as President of Xcel Energy-Colorado as the utility sought approval from state regulators for rate increases, a new clean energy plan and a proposal to reduce emissions from its natural gas system.…
A colder winter and higher energy prices will boost winter heating costs, EIA says
A colder winter and higher energy prices will boost winter heating costs, EIA says Energize Weekly, October 19, 2022 American households will pay more for natural gas, electricity, heating oil and propane to heat their homes, spurred by increased energy prices and the forecast of a colder winter, according to…
As electric vehicles shrink gas tax revenue, more states may tax mileage
As electric vehicles shrink gas tax revenue, more states may tax mileage OCTOBER 11, 2022 The increasing popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles is shrinking revenue from gas taxes, prompting more states to consider charging fees based on miles driven to help pay for roads and bridges. This year at…
AEP, Liberty reach amended agreement
AEP, Liberty reach amended agreement September 30, 2022 American Electric Power has signed an amended agreement on the sale of its Kentucky operations to Liberty, according to a press release. AEP expects to close the sale in January 2023 after approval of the transaction from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,…
Rhode Island Communities Announce Launch of First-Ever Electricity Aggregation Programs
Rhode Island Communities Announce Launch of First-Ever Electricity Aggregation Programs September 22, 2022 Six Rhode Island cities and towns have joined together to launch aggregation programs that leverage community-wide buying power to provide their residents and businesses with new options for electricity supply. These Community Electricity Aggregation (CEA) programs will…
Duke Energy wins SEPA utility transformation program award for Florida subscription pilot program
Duke Energy wins SEPA utility transformation program award for Florida subscription pilot program September 19, 2022 The nonprofit Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) offered its 2022 Utility Transformation Program of the Year award to a Duke Energy subscription pilot program last week for its efforts to provide Florida customers with…
San Diego To Explore Full Public Power Takeover
San Diego To Explore Full Public Power Takeover September 16, 2022 The city of San Diego took one step closer toward full government takeover of its privately-owned power utility Thursday. The San Diego City Council’s Environment Committee approved a $3 million contract to NewGen Strategies & Solutions LLC to study…
Xcel property in Becker eyed for another big data center project
Xcel property in Becker eyed for another big data center project Sep 9, 2022 Xcel Energy Inc. plans to sell 348 acres of land at its Sherco location in Becker to an unknown company that could build a $1 billion data center project there. The utility said the new center…
TVA Board holds base rates steady, increases customer credits for 2023 fiscal year
TVA Board holds base rates steady, increases customer credits for 2023 fiscal year Sep 1, 2022 Despite high inflation and fuel prices, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) says it is maintaining strong, steady electric rates for the next decade. Over the past 10 years, the TVA says their wholesale power…
Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to stay with the TVA
Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to stay with the TVA Aug. 25, 2022 The six Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light Gas and Water to stay with the Tennessee Valley Authority and not switch electricity suppliers. The six suburbs have written a joint resolution that urges…
SoCalGas to provide water, energy conservation solutions to reach carbon emissions goals by 2045
SoCalGas to provide water, energy conservation solutions to reach carbon emissions goals by 2045 August 19, 2022 SoCal Gas announced Tuesday that it would implement several measures to conserve water and energy as part of its plan to meet net-zero carbon emission goals by 2045. The company said it recently…
Pennsylvania energy companies increasing prices next month
Pennsylvania energy companies increasing prices next month Aug 10, 2022 The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is notifying residents and businesses that electric generation prices for some customers are expected to rise on Sept. 1, 2022. According to PUC, approximately half of Pennsylvania’s major electric distribution companies (EDCs) will reset their…
Climate bill cuts carbon emissions and inflation while boosting economy, studies say
Climate bill cuts carbon emissions and inflation while boosting economy, studies say Energize Weekly, August 10, 2022 The climate, healthcare and budget bill passed by the U.S. Senate Aug. 7 will help curb both greenhouse gas emissions and inflation while providing a modest boost to the economy, according to three…
NV Energy seeks right to stick ratepayers with Greenlink bill
NV Energy seeks right to stick ratepayers with Greenlink bill AUGUST 2, 2022 When NV Energy turned to Nevada lawmakers last year to salvage a massive transmission line project that state utility regulators had already partially denied because of the potential cost to ratepayers, the utility’s CEO testified any increase…
Firm working for FPL took control of news site, let execs influence coverage, records show
Firm working for FPL took control of news site, let execs influence coverage, records show Jul 25, 2022 Operatives working for Florida Power & Light in the lead-up to the 2020 elections gained control over a Tallahassee-based political news website, making editorial decisions about its content – and allowing executives…
Dominion Energy rolls out various energy efficiency programs
Dominion Energy rolls out various energy efficiency programs July 18, 2022 Dominion Energy is expanding energy efficiency and conservation programs, offering various voluntary programs from weatherization assistance for low-income customers to incentives for builders. Read more
DOE to award over $40M for energy efficiency improvements
DOE to award over $40M for energy efficiency improvements July 12, 2022 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded over $40 million to 21 organizations and five state agencies for energy efficiency improvements. The funding comes from the $3.2 billion Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which was created to help repair,…
New South Carolina law could help electric customers save millions
New South Carolina law could help electric customers save millions July 01, 2022 A new law recently passed in South Carolina could save electric customers in that state millions of dollars in costs to restore service after weather events, Duke Energy said Wednesday. The legislation – Senate Bill 1077 –…
DOE launches $500 million effort to turn mines into clean energy hubs
DOE launches $500 million effort to turn mines into clean energy hubs 7.1.2022 A $500 million program funded by the bipartisan infrastructure package aims to transform current and former mines into clean energy hubs. The Dept. of Energy (DOE) issued a Request For Information (RFI) to inform how the program…
US launches new federal-state partnership to grow domestic offshore wind supply chain
US launches new federal-state partnership to grow domestic offshore wind supply chain June 27, 2022 The White House has announced that it is joining with 11 governors from East Coast states to launch the Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership, which is intended to accelerate America’s growing offshore wind industry. Read…
Ameren aims to charge customers for closure of Rush Island coal plant
Ameren aims to charge customers for closure of Rush Island coal plant June 21, 2022 The costs to close the region’s second-largest power plant, after decades of Clean Air Act violations, are rising. Electric utility Ameren has proposed the construction of $244 million in electric lines and other upgrades before…
Lawsuit filed against Mon Power, FirstEnergy after 2021 house fire
Lawsuit filed against Mon Power, FirstEnergy after 2021 house fire June 10, 2022 A lawsuit filed this week in Monongalia County Circuit Court by a Taylor County couple names Monongahela Power Company (Mon Power) and FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. as defendants, along with Mon Power Supervisor for Distribution Technician James Connor…
Here’s what has to happen before CPS Energy can shut down its last coal plant
Here’s what has to happen before CPS Energy can shut down its last coal plant June 6, 2022 In recent months, and with San Antonio facing stricter air quality regulations, calls to diversify CPS Energy’s generation portfolio and speed up the closure of the J.K. Spruce coal-burning power plant have…
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans May 26, 2022 Today, New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), subsidiaries of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), announced the companies have filed proposed changes to delivery rates with the New York State Public Service Commission…
BPUB customers to see higher bills as program ends
BPUB customers to see higher bills as program ends May 8, 2022 After getting the go-ahead from the Brownsville City Commission on May 3, the Brownsville Public Utility Board announced on May 4 that it will be updating its electric, water and wastewater rates. Read more
We Energies seeks rate plan to fund clean energy investments, grid hardening
We Energies seeks rate plan to fund clean energy investments, grid hardening May 02, 2022 We Energies proposed a new rate plan to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) last week, potentially raising customers’ rates for electricity, natural gas and steam next year to pay for a large-scale clean…
PG&E makes property tax and franchise fee payments to cities and counties
PG&E makes property tax and franchise fee payments to cities and counties 21 APRIL 2022 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported this week on the property tax payments it is making to cities and counties this month. The company, which serves more than 16 million Californians, is paying property taxes…
PGE offers a look inside its futuristic new ops center
PGE offers a look inside its futuristic new ops center Apr. 15, 2022 When you flip the light switch or turn up your thermostat, you expect the juice to start flowing. It’s as simple as that. But in an age of distributed power generation and storage, intermittent renewables, electric cars,…
California utility to pay $55 million for massive wildfires
California utility to pay $55 million for massive wildfires April 11, 2022 Pacific Gas & Electric, the nation’s largest utility, has agreed to pay more than $55 million to avoid criminal prosecution for two major wildfires sparked by its aging Northern California power lines and submit to five years of…
Surging electric bills threaten Calif. climate goals
Surging electric bills threaten Calif. climate goals 04/05/2022 Millions of Californians pay among the highest prices in the nation for electricity, a potential threat to the state’s plans to electrify cars and homes as it battles climate change. Surging electricity prices of the three biggest utilities in the Golden State…
UN report on climate crisis confirms the world already has solutions – but politics are getting in the way
UN report on climate crisis confirms the world already has solutions – but politics are getting in the way April 4, 2022 The world is careening toward levels of global warming that will have irreversible impacts, a new landmark report says, but we already have the solutions — the only…
Coal plant owners seek to shut 3.2 GW in PJM in face of economic, regulatory and market pressures
Coal plant owners seek to shut 3.2 GW in PJM in face of economic, regulatory and market pressures March 22, 2022 Power plant owners started the process of potentially retiring 3,228 MW of coal-fired generation in the PJM Interconnection’s footprint this month, according to the grid operator’s generator deactivation list. Another 1,024…
Pueblo County drops support for nuclear power after facing backlash from residents
Pueblo County drops support for nuclear power after facing backlash from residents February 22, 2022 Pueblo County officials say they are pulling back their support for replacing the state’s largest coal-fired power plant with a nuclear reactor following a public outcry from residents. The decision is a quiet reversal by…
Former Ohio regulator linked to $4M payoff directed agency to limit response to FirstEnergy corruption
Former Ohio regulator linked to $4M payoff directed agency to limit response to FirstEnergy corruption February 15, 2022 Newly produced documents show that Sam Randazzo, former chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, came up with the idea to let FirstEnergy show it didn’t use ratepayer money for House Bill…
After a record-breaking 2021, Global EV sales are set for another surge in 2022
After a record-breaking 2021, global EV sales are set for another surge in 2022 Energize Weekly, February 9, 2022 After a record-breaking 2021, global electric passenger vehicle (EV) sales are poised to surge again in 2022, reaching 10.5 million, a nearly 60 percent annual increase, according to new analyses of…
Emergence of the New Payments Paradigm – The Case for Utility CX Transformation
Emergence of the New Payments Paradigm – The Case for Utility CX Transformation By Paridhi Gupta, Marketing, Smart Energy Water Utilities across the geographies have started their journey to improved customer self-service capabilities. Now millions of people enjoy the digital convenience of managing their utility account, tracking usage, paying bills,…
Tri-State reaches agreement with more than two dozen parties on resource plan
Tri-State reaches agreement with more than two dozen parties on resource plan January 20, 2022 Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a wholesale power provider serving rural utilities in Colorado and three other states, has reached a settlement with several parties on a plan aimed at cutting costs for ratepayers and…
Energy and Commerce Committee leaders seek information from TVA on business practices
Energy and Commerce Committee leaders seek information from TVA on business practices January 17, 2022 Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are seeking information from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on its lack of deployment of renewable energy and other business practices. Specifically, the lawmakers are concerned that TVA…
Adding Intelligence to Outage Management with Integrated Cloud-Based Digital Platforms
Adding Intelligence to Outage Management with Integrated Cloud-Based Digital Platforms January 17, 2022 By Paridhi Gupta, Marketing, Smart Energy Water “The grid is not ready for the 21st century.” “Climate change will lead to frequent outages, and utilities are unprepared.” Headlines such as these have become commonplace. Nothing eye-opening about…
Evergy Files Missouri Rate Review to Recover Costs to Modernize Grid, Improve Reliability and Enhance Customer Service
Evergy Files Missouri Rate Review to Recover Costs to Modernize Grid, Improve Reliability and Enhance Customer Service January 7, 2022 Today Evergy submitted a detailed rate review to the Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC). The requested rate adjustment reflects investments to improve reliability, enhance customer service and enable the company’s transition to cleaner energy…
Exelon separation moves forward, with New York Public Service Commission approval
Exelon separation moves forward, with New York Public Service Commission approval December 20, 2021 Exelon Corp. announces that the New York State Public Service Commission has approved a unanimous settlement agreement that allows Exelon to move forward with its plan to separate into two companies in the first quarter of 2022. Read…
Cincinnati, Columbus settle civil claims related to FirstEnergy bailout
Cincinnati, Columbus settle civil claims related to FirstEnergy bailout December 14, 2021 The cities of Cincinnati and Columbus have dismissed their state court claims against FirstEnergy and Energy Harbor for the companies’ actions relating to House Bill 6, the nuclear and coal bailout law at the heart of a $60…
California Community Choice Financing Authority issues first municipal clean energy bonds
California Community Choice Financing Authority issues first municipal clean energy bonds DECEMBER 6, 2021 California’s first municipal non-recourse Clean Energy Project Revenue Bonds issued today are valued at over $2 billion for thirty-year terms. The two separate bond issuances support the purchase of clean electricity to serve over 2.5 million…
The First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Could Be a Lifeline for Struggling New England Cities
The First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Could Be a Lifeline for Struggling New England Cities NOVEMBER 29, 2021 As many of New England’s industrial cities fell into decline in recent decades, the wealthier residents of Martha’s Vineyard, a regional center of affluence and privilege, have gotten richer, building and rebuilding…
PJM members flag power price formation, transmission planning concerns to board
PJM members flag power price formation, transmission planning concerns to board 22 Nov 2021 PJM Interconnection’s management board recently met with representatives of each of the five power industry sectors who raised concerns regarding energy market rule changes increasing power prices, resource adequacy, transmission regulation, and other issues. Read more
Energy companies push for proposed merger in New Mexico
Energy companies push for proposed merger in New Mexico NOVEMBER 13, 2021 New Mexico’s largest electric provider and global energy giant Iberdrola say they’re committed to customer protections as they push for regulatory approval for a multibillion-dollar merger. Read More
Virginia GOP targets clean energy law, but options for rollback are limited
Virginia GOP targets clean energy law, but options for rollback are limited November 9, 2021 Newly emboldened Virginia Republicans are vowing to roll back the state’s landmark clean energy reforms enacted by Democrats over the last two years. Read more
CMP, public power backers locked in war to weaken each other’s 2022 referendum bids
CMP, public power backers locked in war to weaken each other’s 2022 referendum bids October 11, 2021 Supporters and opponents of establishing a consumer-owned utility in Maine both made changes to their ballot initiatives in the past week in attempts to render the other ineffective ahead of a possible referendum fight…
