| Right Direction The high-stakes nature of one of this year’s biggest public corruption trials became clear recently when a defense attorney predicted an ominous argument from prosecutors: That federal guidelines call for life sentences for four people convicted of conspiring to bribe then-Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. ‘Life’ at stake? Ominous prediction made as sentencing hearings loom in ComEd bribery case. An apartment complex in Herriman, Utah, is powered by 5 MW of solar panels and has a battery in each of its 600 units. Seven lessons for Rocky Mountain Power and its partners from virtual power plant pioneer Soleil Lofts. Green Bay, Wisconsin, officials unveil the city’s first clean energy plan that calls for renewable energy and electric vehicles to help reach a net zero carbon target by 2050. Green Bay unveils Clean Energy Plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Here's what to know. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will tour a Louisiana microgrid project that installs solar and battery storage in underserved neighborhoods. Project marks seventh ‘Community Lighthouse’ to come online. Dominion Energy reaches a tentative settlement with ratepayer, environmental and other groups to keep its base rates stable for the next two years while increasing its allowable profit. Proposed Dominion rate settlement would keep customer base rates stable for next two years. Wisconsin Democrats propose a sweeping, 20-bill climate package that they hope gains at least some bipartisan support with measures involving energy efficiency and agriculture. Assembly Democrats take aim at climate change in large package of bills. Black Hills Energy is no longer pursuing a plan to lower the rates it reimburses rooftop solar customers for the excess power they send back to the grid. That comes after statewide environmental group issued a report countering the utility’s claims those with solar panels are costing those without more money. Illinois ratepayer advocates praise state regulators for limiting four gas utilities’ proposed rate increases to roughly half of what the companies requested. Advocates hail regulatory ‘earthquake’ as state slashes requested gas rate increases. A Colorado city completes a solar installation expected to offset 100% of its municipal facility and streetlight power consumption. Fountain, Colorado Completes Groundbreaking Solar Array Project to Achieve 100% Offset of Municipal Electrical Use. A Hawaii county streamlines residential solar permitting for systems under 10 kw. A boost for residential solar. A Montana ski area installs a solar system expected to offset about 70% of a chairlift’s power use. Montana ski area adds solar power. A federal appeals court grants FirstEnergy’s request to have the court review an earlier ruling supporting utility investors’ pursuit of a class action lawsuit over alleged securities fraud. Rocky Mountain Power awards a Wyoming nonprofit more than $100,000 to help install a solar array on its facility. The New York Times looks at how electricity is changing, country by country. A California columnist explores ways to make residential solar more equitable but says slashing incentives before alternative solutions are implemented is “inexcusable” in an era of climate calamity. California strikes another blow against rooftop solar. Wrong Direction Ohio utilities have added nearly $6.5 billion in PJM-approved “supplemental projects” since 2017 without oversight of their need, prudence and cost-effectiveness, the Ohio ratepayer advocate said. FERC must review local transmission planned by AEP, Duke, other Ohio utilities: complaint. Xcel says a new grid management policy in Minnesota is necessary for safety and reliability, but others say the standard is illegal and want it investigated. 'Deep disappointment' over Xcel's new policy that restricts small solar. Residents in two East Texas towns outside the state’s deregulated market sue to have state regulators review their municipal utilities’ rates and provide more transparency about how they’re set. Seeking lower electricity rates, residents in two East Texas towns hope the state will intervene. Electric customers have fallen into a “regulatory gap” that’s allowed billions of dollars of transmission construction to happen without oversight of need, prudence or cost effectiveness, according to a complaint filed with federal regulators by the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel. Lack of oversight on transmission spending leads to higher electric bills, consumer advocate says. A metering change requested by Mon Power and Potomac Edison would change the amount of money the utilities have to pay West Virginians for electricity generated from rooftop panels. Under utilities’ proposed changes, solar panels could become unaffordable for many West Virginians A central Michigan county continues to plan for restrictions on wind and solar development despite the potential of being overruled by the state. Illinois regulators will decide today on rate increase requests from three gas utilities that total nearly $900 million and face strong criticism from ratepayer advocates. Gerrymandering, voter suppression, dark money and other moves insulate Ohio policymakers from accountability when they prop up fossil fuels at the expense of clean energy – Ohio’s climate progress stymied by political ploys. California makes it harder for schools, farms and rental housing to go solar. Regulators have slashed the value of shared-solar systems, starting in 2025. School districts, community advocates and politicians have expressed outrage over the decision. Texas voters approve $10B energy fund, with most going to build gas-fired power plants. The fund will be administered by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, with $7.2 billion allocated for new construction or upgrades of dispatchable power generation. A trade group finds inadequate regulatory support for microgrid development in all Western states but Colorado, which received a “B” grade. Microgrids Can Bolster Creaky Electricity Systems, But Most States Do Little to Encourage Their Development. Ohio’s former top utility regulator, who accepted what FirstEnergy said was a $4.3 million bribe from the utility, has not been charged with a crime three years after federal agents raided his home. California’s Supreme Court rules Pacific Gas & Electric customers cannot sue the utility for losses incurred during public safety power shutoffs aimed at reducing wildfire hazard California’s grid is hindering its climate goals. Can a new law fix it? The state’s grid isn’t growing fast enough to support a surge of EVs, heat pumps and more. A new law offers a potential path forward — and could be a model for other states. And Finally… David Roberts at the Volts podcast has a fun conversation with cleantech investor and podcast host Shayle Kann. Kann hosts Catalyst on Canary Media which looks at the decarbonization race. |
