The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied petitions to stay the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, preserving the landmark rule’s authority to regulate carbon emissions from power plants, even as the rule prepares to defend against subsequent litigation designed to erode its legality.
The Clean Power Plan calls for sweeping new requirements to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. States have until 2018 to submit their compliance plans.
Stating that petitioners “have not satisfied the stringent standards that apply to petitions for extraordinary writs that seek to stay agency action,” the Court declined to uphold action brought by West Virginia and Peabody Energy Corporation, which would have rendered the law powerless, even as it defended its constitutionality in future legal cases.
“Today’s court decision means we can continue working – without delay — to protect Americans from the clear and present danger of climate change,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund, a party to the case. “The Clean Power Plan encourages states to use their own best ideas and resources to create prosperous clean energy economies. It rests on a rock-solid legal foundation and will help America move toward a safer and healthier future.” continued…
first published week of: 01/25/2016
The D.C. Public Service Commission Tuesday denied Chicago-based Exelon’s proposed $6.4 billion takeover of Pepco Holdings, a major setback for the giant utility marriage.
The three-member commission unanimously rejected the utilities’ application, saying it was not in the best interests of the ratepayers.
The commission said it found no evidence the combination would improve the reliability of service and the panel expressed concern about a new management structure at Exelon that would not include a Pepco member on its executive committee, “thereby diminishing the influence of Pepco within the new structure.
“Pepco will become a second tier company in a much larger corporation whose primary interest is not in distribution, but in generation. At a time of change in the energy field, Pepco’s ability to adapt will be constrained by an increased management bureaucracy. We are also concerned about the inherent conflict of interest that might inhibit our local distribution company from moving forward to embrace a cleaner and greener environment. continued…
first published week of: 02/29/2016
A deal to restructure Puerto Rico's troubled power utility's $8.2 billion bond debt fell apart early Saturday, after lawmakers missed a Friday midnight deadline to approve key conditions for the proposed bond swap, including putting a debt payment charge directly on customers' bills.
The agreement reached with 70 percent of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's bondholders would have cut its debt by $600 million and relaxed terms on more than $700 million in debt payments in return for the more secure new bonds. Officials warn the utility will run out of cash by summer without debt restructuring, possibly prompting power cuts.
Bondholders offered to extend the legislative deadline but wanted to change terms of a $115 million loan that would have provided liquidity to PREPA, but the authority found the new conditions unacceptable.
"We are disappointed that the (bondholder) group did not grant our requested extension. PREPA remains willing to continue discussions," said the authority's chief restructuring officer, Lisa Donahue. She said bond insurers and bank lenders agreed to the extension without changing terms of the loan. continued…
first published week of: 01/25/2016
Investments by Dominion over the next six years for projects to strengthen Virginia's energy infrastructure and meet environmental goals will create thousands of jobs and inject $10.1 billion into the state's economy, according to a new study by Chmura Economic & Analytics available here: https://www.dom.com/library/domcom/pdfs/dom-cap-ex.pdf
"Our growing commonwealth requires an expanding and reliable energy infrastructure," said Paul Koonce, CEO of Dominion's Energy Infrastructure Group and President of Dominion Virginia Power "Our capital investment program over the next six years is designed to meet that need and achieve environmental goals related to the federal Clean Power Plan. We are very pleased that in doing so it will create a huge economic and jobs impact in Virginia."
Gov. Terry McAuliffe, commenting on the study's findings, said: "In order to build the new Virginia economy, we must have low-cost, diverse and reliable energy resources. These investments not only build upon an already solid foundation for future economic growth in Virginia, they also create tens of thousands of jobs and produce billions of dollars in capital that benefit the Commonwealth today."
David A. Christian, CEO of the Dominion Generation Group, said: "Strong, reliable and efficient electric generation projects are good for our customers as we bring these new facilities on-line. They are also creating well-paying construction jobs and giving a much-needed boost to local jurisdictions with increased tax revenue."
Added Barry DuVal, President and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce: "Clean, affordable, reliable energy is key to supporting Virginia's economic development needs while also meeting the growing needs of our population. continued…
first published week of: 01/18/2016
DTE Energy and Vectorform announced a partnership to leverage virtual reality (VR) to advance high-consequence training. The technology allows DTE technicians to train on a number of simulated work enviornments -- including how to operate at great heights, repair down wires and perform gas line shut-offs —- all from the safety of their offices.
"Vectorform is committed to delivering innovative digital products and experiences, and this application is leading the way for energy companies nationwide to focus on performance and safety," said Jason Vazzano, CEO of Vectorform. "We are excited to once again partner with DTE Energy to drive an industry first and integrate the HTC Vive platform into the energy company's workforce training programs."
Over the next year, Vectorform and DTE Energy will begin implementing VR training using the innovative HTC Vive® platform, currently used in many gaming applications. By wearing the Vive headset, technicians will be able to:
first published week of: 05/09/2016
Two new solar projects will provide enough zero-emission power for 9,000 homes
DTE Energy, in collaboration with the City of Lapeer, Mich., plans to break ground in the spring of 2016 on 45 megawatts (MW) of new solar generating capacity at two project sites. The projects will generate enough to power 9,000 average size homes with clean, zero-emission solar energy.
The larger of the two projects will be 30 MW, located off Interstate 69 between Michigan Highway 24 and Lake Nepessing Road. When completed, it will be the largest operating utility-owned photovoltaic solar array east of the Mississippi and the third largest in the country. A second project totaling 15 MW will be developed simultaneously at a site located on Turrill Road between Michigan Highway 24 and Clark Road.
"DTE is the largest investor in solar in the state. The development of the two new Lapeer solar projects furthers that investment and reflects DTE Energy's broader commitment to build a more sustainable future for our customers through a cleaner, more diversified energy portfolio," said Irene Dimitry, DTE Energy's vice president of Business & Development.
On Dec. 11, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved DTE's contract with Inovateus Solar MI, LLC to develop additional solar generating capacity of up to 50 MW. This approval allows DTE to move forward with development of the two Lapeer sites. The company is evaluating other sites for the remaining 5 MW of the approved generating capacity.
"Lapeer is proud to partner with DTE Energy on these solar projects, and we look forward to a long term relationship that produces many benefits for the City of Lapeer, its residents, Lapeer County, Lapeer Community schools, the I-69 corridor, and beyond. I would like to thank the professional, detail-oriented team at DTE for their commitment to the City of Lapeer," said William Sprague, mayor of the City of Lapeer.
DTE is currently developing five other solar projects across Michigan, including a 1.9 MW array at the company's Greenwood Power Plant, a 750-kilowatt (kW) array in Romulus and a 500 kW array in Brownstown, which will be complete by the end of 2015. The company is also planning an 800 kW installation in Ypsilanti and an 800 kW installation at the GM Warren Transmission plant, scheduled to be completed by June 2016.
The addition of these solar projects will position DTE Energy to exceed a state mandate requiring electric utilities to supply 10 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources every year from 2015 to 2029.
first published week of: 01/04/2016
The Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) approved Duke Energy Florida’s plan to reduce rates, due to lower projected natural gas prices.
Beginning with April 2016 billing, the fuel and capacity, or purchased power, cost will drop $5.83 on the typical 1,000-kWh residential customer's monthly bill for a total electric cost of $108.32.
"After this price drop, our customers will be paying about 21 percent less for electricity than they were in January 2009. That's nearly $30 in savings every month," said Alex Glenn, Duke Energy state president – Florida. “We continue to seek innovative approaches to provide the best possible price while we invest in affordable, clean energy and improve reliability for our customers every day.”
Other cost-saving price changes are on the horizon. In the spring, the company plans to issue low-cost bonds to cut costs associated with the Crystal River nuclear plant. This process, called Asset Securitization, will save customers approximately $600 million as compared to traditional cost recovery methods, depending on the interest rate. Once in place, customers will see a new line on the bill titled “Asset Securitization Charge.” The amount of the charge is currently estimated to be approximately $2.93/month, which is about $2 less – a more than 35 percent savings for the next 20 years – than what customers would pay on a 1,000 kWh residential bill under traditional cost recovery methods.
first published week of: 03/07/2016
Built on $100 million in startup acquisitions, a big utility company goes deep into efficiency, energy procurement and renewable integration.
Edison International has become the latest utility moving beyond selling electricity to customers, and getting into helping those customers manage that energy use.
On Tuesday, the parent company of regulated utility Southern California Edison unveiled its new energy consulting and project development arm, Edison Energy. The new company will work nationwide to “identify and execute opportunities to help them lower costs in managing their entire energy portfolio, reduce complexity, and deliver on increasingly important sustainability objectives,” according to Tuesday’s announcement.
Allan Schurr, the company’s president, described Edison Energy as “a consultancy and systems integration company that’s unbiased in relation to particular technology solutions. We’re trying to find what the largest energy users need, and identify the gaps in their strategy.” continued…
first published week of: 04/04/2016
Improved Customer Communications, Corporate Citizenship and Price Satisfaction Drive Gains; Six of Eight Highest-Ranked Providers New to Top of the Rankings
Business customer satisfaction with their electric utility is up substantially year over year, with significant improvements in communications, corporate citizenship and price satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction StudySM released today.
“Communication and corporate citizenship are important to businesses”John Hazen, director of the energy practice at J.D. Power.add author
The study, now in its 17th year, measures satisfaction among business customers of 102 targeted U.S. electric utilities, each of which serves more than 25,000 business customers. In aggregate, these utilities provide electricity to more than 12 million customers. Overall satisfaction is examined across six factors (listed in order of importance): power quality and reliability; corporate citizenship; price; billing and payment; communications; and customer service. Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale.
Overall satisfaction among electric utility business customers is 704 in 2016, a significant increase from 677 in 2015 and the highest level in eight years. Performance improvement in 2016 is driven by a sharp year-over-year rise in satisfaction with communications (+55 points), corporate citizenship (+45) and price (+43).
“Communication and corporate citizenship are important to businesses,” said John Hazen, director of the energy practice at J.D. Power. “Providers are doing a better job of proactively communicating with their business customers not only during an outage, but also on a regular basis to keep them informed of things such as energy programs offered, and to gather customer feedback.” continued…
first published week of: 01/18/2016
Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Friedman signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Energy and the American Public Power Association (APPA), ensuring collaborative efforts to electrify personal and fleet transportation in public power communities throughout the United States.
This partnership builds on the President’s goal and the Energy Department’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge to develop plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) by 2022 that are as affordable as a 2012 gasoline-powered vehicle. The MOU advances mutual interests to increase the economic, environmental, and national security benefits of using electricity as a transportation fuel and expanding the electric vehicle (EV) market by bringing utilities directly into the fold.
With the clean energy revolution accelerating and the electric vehicle market growing, it is critical that we expand cooperation as part of our EV Everywhere Grand Challengee Acting Assistant Secretary Friedman
Through this agreement, the Energy Department and APPA will pursue collaborative efforts to advance EV adoption and charging infrastructure deployment for private vehicles, commercial fleets, transportation for passengers and commerce, and other efforts that will help displace petroleum with grid-sourced electricity as a transportation fuel. The Energy Department and APPA will provide information to increase education and awareness of the benefits of EVs to public power utilities and local officials, and develop a Community Action Plan that focuses on smaller communities with fewer than 200,000 electric customers.
“With the clean energy revolution accelerating and the electric vehicle market growing, it is critical that we expand cooperation as part of our EV Everywhere Grand Challenge,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Friedman. “APPA has shown tremendous leadership in promoting EVs among its network of public utilities, and with this MOU, we are eager to work together to electrify transportation with clean and renewable power in our biggest cities and smallest towns, ensuring that EVs truly are everywhere.”
In addition, APPA will join the Energy Department’s EV Everywhere Utility Partnership, which was formed in 2015 to continue accelerating PEVs and advance the technology for the charging infrastructure. The Energy Department and APPA will work to enhance workplace charging efforts at public power utilities, study the impacts of EVs in public power communities, and share insights regarding infrastructure installation and EV interaction with the modern grid.
APPA represents not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities that power homes, businesses and streets in nearly 2,000 towns and cities, serving 48 million Americans.
first published week of: 07/25/2016