News

Utility Dive covered Democratic U.S. senators filing amendments to the American Energy Innovation Act that would prevent FERC's (minimum price rule) MOPR, quoting AEE's Jeff Dennis and Dylan Reed. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

"Congress is concerned about barriers to the participation of advanced energy technologies in these markets, and also concerned, I think, about the balance of state policies and federal regulation of the wholesale markets," Managing Director and General Counsel at Advanced Energy Economy Jeff Dennis told Utility Dive.

"I think the fact that we saw ... amendments on that introduced was pretty significant." Of the hundreds of amendments introduced by the Senate since the legislative package was first unveiled Feb. 28, only 18 made it into the modified version filed by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Murkowski last week. But the FERC amendments, introduced by four Democratic senators, indicate several growing frustrations around the actions of federal energy regulators, said Dennis...

Greentech Media reported details about the just-passed Virginia Clean Economy Act quoting Virginia AEE's Harry Godfrey. Read excerpts below and the entire GTM piece here. North American Windpower, Solar Power World, CleanTechnica, SmartGrid Today (sub. req.), and E&E News also covered the news, quoting Godfrey.

The Clean Economy Act passed Virginia’s House of Delegates by a 51-45 vote on Thursday and the state Senate by a 22-17 vote on Friday, clearing the way for the bill to be signed by Governor Ralph Northam, who issued an executive order calling for it last year. Both votes were carried by Democrats who won majorities in both houses from Republicans in last year’s election, although one House Democrat voted against it and one Republican Senator voted in favor of it. 

Virginia Mercury covered the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act in both the House and Senate including floor debates and challenges quoting AEE's JR Tolbert and AEE member Sigora Solar. Read excerpts below and the entire Virginia Mercury piece here. This story was also covered by the Washington Examiner (quoting Godfrey), Richmond Times Dispatch  (Godfrey pictured with bill patrons, sub. req.), and August Free Press (quoting Godfrey).

The Virginia Clean Economy Act cleared its last hurdle in the General Assembly this week when both the House of Delegates and the Senate agreed to a final version that reflected the more aggressive House timeline of making Virginia’s electric grid carbon-free by 2045 while also incorporating stronger protections for electric utility ratepayers. The bill, SB 851, heads to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, whose administration has been heavily involved in pushing it forward. Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, the Senate patron of the bill, called the passage “a major historic moment” that will “break our reliance on fossil fuels...”

Associated Press covered the Virginia Clean Economy Act's passage in the House as it makes its way to the Senate, noting AEE's role and analysis of positive ratepayer impact. Read excerpts below and the entire AP piece here. 

A sweeping energy bill that supporters said would make Virginia a national leader in addressing climate change passed the state House Thursday amid warnings by critics that it will carry a steep price tag. The legislation, called the Virginia Clean Economy Act, moved to the Senate for its expected final passage. One of the new Democratic majority’s priorities this session, the bill would overhaul how Virginia utilities generate electricity, laying out a path toward zero carbon emissions by 2045. It paves the way for an enormous expansion of offshore wind generation, solar or onshore wind generation, and the use of battery storage technology, which advocates say will create thousands of jobs...

Renewable Energy World covered unanimous approval of FPL's new customer-driven solar energy program by the Florida Public Service Commission, quoting AEE's Gloria Li. Read excerpts below and the entire Renewable Energy World piece here. (This news was also reported by S&P Global and Solar Builder) 

This week, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), located in Tallahassee, unanimously approved the Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) SolarTogether program. The program entails the development of 1,490 MW of solar capacity in the next two years and aims to help propel Florida as a leading provider of solar energy. Reduction of the state’s dependence on fossil fuels is a major goal of the project as well.

E&E News covered Florida PSC's approval of FPL's SolarTogether, the largest utility customer solar program ("green tariff") in the nation quoting AEE's Dylan Reed. Read excerpts below and the entire E&E News piece here. 

The largest community solar program in the nation will go ahead in Florida, after regulators approved a $1.79 billion slate of projects yesterday from utility Florida Power & Light Co. SolarTogether, as the program is known, will bring 20 new solar farms online by the middle of next year, adding up to just under 1,500 megawatts. That will double the country's current amount of community solar capacity, according to FPL.

Utility Dive covered unanimous approval of FPL's new customer-driven solar energy program and tariff by the Florida Public Service Commission, quoting AEE's Dylan Reed and Caitlin Marquis. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

The Florida Public Service Commission unanimously approved a 1,490 MW community solar program by Florida Power & Light, the largest in the nation, on Tuesday. FPL's "SolarTogether" program reserves 75% for the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector and 25% for the residential sector. The project more than doubles community solar capacity in the U.S., according to FPL. 

The Washington Post covered the Virginia Clean Economy Act, among other energy bills, noting Dominion's control in the state quoting the bill patron Senator Jennifer McClellan and noting AEE's role in developing this comprehensive bill. Read excerpts below and the entire Washington Post piece here. 

DailyEnergyInsider covered the Indiana Senate's amendments to HB1414 (that AEE opposes) noting AEE's perspective on closures of uncompetitive coal power plants and quoting AEE's Caryl Auslander. Read excerpts below and the entire DailyEnergyInsider piece here. 

A controversial Indiana bill that investor-owned utilities denounced for potentially increasing ratepayers’ power costs and extending the life of coal-powered electricity, on Thursday passed a state Senate committee with significant changes they find more favorable. House Bill 1414, authored by Republican state Rep. Edmond Soliday, chairman of the state’s energy task force, on Feb. 27 garnered passage by the Indiana Senate Utilities Committee, 8-2, thanks to an amendment authored by GOP state Sen. Jim Merritt, chairman of the Utilities Committee...

Utility Dive covered Indiana Senate amendments to HB 1414 (a bill that supports coal plants that AEE opposes), quoting AEE's Dylan Reed. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

Indiana's controversial House Bill 1414 was stripped of its most contentious language in the Senate Utilities Committee on Thursday, allowing it to pass 8-2 and move onto the Senate floor. The latest iteration "takes out all the worst of it," Advanced Energy Economy Director Dylan Reed told Utility Dive. Language that would have allowed utilities to store up to 90 days of fuel supply on site was removed, and the sunset was pushed up six months to Dec. 31, 2020, around the time the state's task force is supposed to issue its recommendations for how the state should proceed on energy policy. This version still slows down a utility's retirement process, mandating utilities looking to retire more than 80 MW of generation notify the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission (IURC) and go through a public hearing within 120 days of giving notice...