Category Archives: PURA

PURA 101: New Energy Professional’s 101 Series

REGISTER

Please join us on Thursday, November 5th from 12:00PM to 1:00PM for PURA 101, our next virtual installment of the New Energy Professional’s 101 series. Our 101 series started in March 2017 at the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, and we will return in November for the next chapter.

PURA Leadership will discuss recent organizational changes and current agency priorities, including how to interact with the agency’s new Office of Education, Outreach and Enforcement. We will discuss the agency’s goals, mission and vision for 2020 and beyond, including next steps regarding Chairman Gillett’s ambitious grid modernization agenda.

Whether a seasoned professional or new to the industry, this 101 session is not to be missed! 

REGISTER NOW!

CPES Policy Committee Update: March 17, 2020

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals Committee or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

In this Update:

  • PURA Directs Utilities to Cease Residential Shut-Offs During COVID-19 Outbreak
  • PURA’s 2020 Report to the General Assembly Regarding the CT Electric Efficiency Partners Program
  • Connecticut Cities, Solar Installers Locked in Legal Fight Over Property Taxes
  • Solar and Wind Power are Pushing Down Electricity Prices in New England, but Carbon Fuels Still Dominate          
  • 2020 Legislative Session Update
  • Sens. Manchin, Murkowski introduce American Energy Innovation Act
  • ISO-NE Releases the 2020 Regional Electricity Outlook: The Road to a Clean Energy Future
  • ISO’s Final Draft 2020 10-yr Forecasts for Heating Electrification and EVs
  • New England Sees Back-to-Back Afternoon Demand Lows 

CONNECTICUT

PURA Directs Utilities to Cease Residential Shut-Offs During COVID-19 Outbreak
Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) announced that it issued a ruling directing all regulated electric, natural gas, and water companies in the state to cease residential service terminations for non-payment as a protective measure during the current public health emergency. Docket 20-03-15 

PURA Publishes the 2020 Report to the General Assembly Regarding the CT Electric Efficiency Partners Program

Connecticut Cities, Solar Installers Locked in Legal Fight Over Property Taxes
At least 15 municipalities in Connecticut are locked in court battles with solar companies who say they are wrongfully taxing residential solar installations. Since 2017, nearly 200 lawsuits involving hundreds of properties around the state have been filed in the state Superior Court. At the root of the challenges is a state statute granting a property tax exemption to renewable energy sources that generate electricity for “private residential use.” A

Solar and Wind Power are Pushing Down Electricity Prices in New England, but Carbon Fuels Still Dominate
Renewable energy is beginning to have an impact where it counts, in the cost of electricity, as generators pledge to sell power to the New England grid at prices that keep falling and will be down more than 70% over four years by 2023. As a result, consumers will likely pay less, but the dollar impact on electricity bills is not known because utilities will factor the costs differently in rates.

2020 Legislative Session
The state Capitol is currently closed due to COVID-19.  There is no information on how the extended closing will impact the legislative session or the legislative process. Legislative leaders plan to revisit the decision as they receive additional information. Information will be shared as it becomes available. COVID-19 updates are available here.

Energy and Technology Committee
March 5th Public Hearing: The agenda included the Governor’s bill, SB 10, which codifies the Governor’s Executive Order No. 3 to require a statewide zero carbon electric sector by 2040. The Committee has made electricity storage a priority this session. HB 5351 encourages 1,000 MW of storage by December 31, 2030 and shares similar language regarding storage with the Governor’s bill, SB 10. HB 5350, which concerns natural gas infrastructure connectivity, gained a lot of traction during Thursday’s public hearing. This bill, which has been referred to as “the gas bill,” repeals the gas pipeline tax to prevent natural gas expansion in addition to requiring PURA to establish a hurdle-rate utilizing a 25-year payback period to compare revenue requirements of connecting new customers to gas distribution systems. 

February 27th Public Hearing: This hearing was largely focused on the technology side regarding Public, Educational, or Government (PEG) Programming fees, and Net Neutrality. A Distributed Energy Resource bill, which helps the procurement process of natural gas from anaerobic digestion facilities, was discussed. View PURA’s testimony here and DEEP’s testimony here.  An energy efficiency bill also made an appearance again this year. This bill updates energy and water efficiency standards for common household and commercial appliances.

INDUSTRY

Sens. Manchin, Murkowski introduce American Energy Innovation Act
U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released on Feb. 27, the text of the American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA), a compilation of more than 50 energy-related measures individually reported by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR) last year. MORE

ISO-NE Releases the 2020 Regional Electricity Outlook: The Road to a Clean Energy Future
ISO-NE’s annual report looks at the trends affecting New England’s power system and the innovative solutions the ISO is pursuing to ensure reliable electricity for homes and businesses as the region moves along its decarbonization journey. See the press release and the report for more information.

ISO’s Final Draft 2020 10-yr Forecasts for Heating Electrification and EVs
ISO published its first Final Draft 2020 Heating Electrification Forecast and Final Draft 2020 Transportation Electrification Forecast to capture growth in air source heat pumps and light-duty electric vehicles and to quantify resulting increases in grid electricity demand. The ISO forecasts that by 2029 roughly 750,000 air source heat pumps will be installed in New England with a near 600 megawatt (MW) increase in load during the winter months. Light-duty electric vehicles (including cars and light-duty trucks) are estimated to number over 515,000 region-wide, adding up to 400 MW of load a month by the end of 2029. Learn more at ISO’s Newswire.

New England Sees Back-to-Back Afternoon Demand Lows 
February 22 and 23 solar generation lead to a mid-day drop in grid demand followed by a steep evening increase- see the charts and read more at ISO’s website.

CPES Policy Committee Update: February 26, 2020

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals Committee or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

In this Update:

  • DEEP Integrated Resources Plan Technical Meetings Scheduled
  • Energy & Technology Committee will hold a Public Hearing on 2/27            
  • Upcoming Regulatory Meetings
  • FERC deals blow to New York renewable, storage projects, adding hurdles to NYISO capacity market
  • Final ISO-NE FCA #14 Results Filed with FERC
  • ISO-NE Updates Online FCM Participation Guide
  • HBJ article: Energy-capacity auction results in record low New England price

CONNECTICUT

DEEP Integrated Resources Plan
DEEP is developing a new Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) for the State of Connecticut and will hold a second technical meeting on February 28 at 9 a.m. in Hearing Room 1 at its offices in in New Britain. The purpose of the meeting is to continue the discussion from the January 22, 2020 technical meeting, and to assess the strengths and weaknesses of alternative market designs highlighted during the stakeholder process. DEEP is soliciting stakeholder participation in the form of presentations on various alternative market design proposals.

DEEP is also hosting a separate IRP technical meeting to explore a renewable portfolio standard for thermal energy. This technical meeting will be held March 16, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Hearing Room 1 at its offices in in New Britain to explore issues related to the biodiesel market; biodiesel blending infrastructure; certification mechanisms for biodiesel blending; accounting for greenhouse gas emissions associated with biodiesel use; and alternative mechanisms for the promotion of biodiesel as a thermal fuel.

2020 Legislative Session
The Energy & Technology Committee will hold a public hearing on Thursday, February 27 at 11:00 am in Room 2B of the Legislative Office Bldg  Agenda

Upcoming Regulatory Meetings
For more information on regulatory matters, see the current PURA and Siting Council agendas. This information is updated regularly.

INDUSTRY

FERC deals blow to New York renewable, storage projects, adding hurdles to NYISO capacity market
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved four separate orders to narrow exemptions of buyer-side mitigation (BSM) market rules in the New York Independent System Operator’s (NYISO) capacity zones during Thursday’s public meeting, which critics say will stifle the competitiveness of clean energy resources.

Final ISO-NE FCA #14 Results Filed with FERC
ISO New England filed the final Forward Capacity Auction (FCA) #14 results  with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  The finalized results confirm that New England’s annual capacity auction concluded with sufficient resources to meet electricity demand in 2023–2024, and at the lowest price in auction history.

ISO-NE Updates Online FCM Participation Guide
ISO’s Forward Capacity Market (FCM) Participation Guide has been updated to reflect the latest procedures, reference materials, hyperlinks, and terminology.

Hartford Business Journal “Energy-capacity auction results in record low New England price”

CPES Policy Committee Update: November 19, 2019

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals Committee or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

In this Update:

  • Connecticut PURA Grid Modernization Order
  • Vineyard Wind CEO sees both New London and Bridgeport as viable wind hubs

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut PURA Grid Modernization Order
On October 4, 2019, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (Authority) established Docket No. 17-12-03RE06 to investigate the topic of interconnection standards and practices of the Connecticut electric distribution companies (EDCs) and potential ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the EDC’s current interconnection standards, processes, and procedures. 

The Authority originally posted the attached Notice of Solutions Days and Request for Presentations and Information (also here) in Docket No. 17-12-03RE06 on October 31, 2019. Technical meetings will be held on Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. and Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at 9:00 a.m

The Day: “Vineyard Wind CEO sees both New London and Bridgeport as viable wind hubs”

CPES Policy Committee Update: November 5, 2019

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals Committee or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

In this Update:

  • PURA Announces Grid Mod “Solutions Days” for AMI, ZEVs, storage, energy affordability
  • ISO-NE Issues 10-Year Power System Plan for Region
  • Next Consumer Liaison Group Meeting December 5, Boston
  • CommonWealth Magazine: Mass. picks lowest-price offshore wind option

CONNECTICUT

PURA Announces Grid Mod “Solutions Days” for AMI, ZEVs, storage, energy affordability
See the following notices for more information and how to participate:

INDUSTRY

ISO-NE Issues 10-Year Power System Plan for Region
ISO New England today issued its 2019 Regional System Plan (RSP), the biennial report that lays the foundation for long-term power-system planning in New England. Read the press release and report.

Next Consumer Liaison Group Meeting December 5, Boston
The next meeting of the Consumer Liaison Group (CLG) will be held on December 5 at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, MA. The CLG will be celebrating its tenth anniversary with the theme: What We Learned in Our First Decade and What We Can Expect in the Second.

CommonWealth Magazine: Mass. picks lowest-price offshore wind option