Following several months of debate among ratepayer advocates, utilities and solar industry groups, California’s Assembly Bill 327 ("AB 327") passed the California Assembly this week and now awaits Governor Brown’s signature. This bill would effect policy reform in three major areas: The tiered rate structure for residential customers, generally, and the fixed charges assessed to … Continue Reading
A tentative ruling was issued yesterday in the related cases California Chamber of Commerce v. California Air Resources Board (ARB) and Morning Star Packing Co. v. ARB, pending before the Sacramento County Superior Court. The cases challenge the legality of ARB’s cap and trade auctions under two theories: (1) the cap and trade auctions exceed ARB’s authority … Continue Reading
My colleagues Wayne Rosenbaum and Ryan Waterman authored, "DTSC Rulemaking Proposes to Classify All Discarded Solar Panels As Hazardous Waste" today on our California Environmental Law blog. On June 27, California’s Department of Toxic Substance Control (“DTSC”) announced a 15 day comment period on new regulations concerning the disposal of photovoltaic (PV) modules—broadly defined as … Continue Reading
The California Public Utilities Commission has adopted Decision 13-05-034, approving PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E’s joint standard contract for California’s expanded feed-in tariff (FiT) program. D.13-05-034 also revises several provisions of the FiT tariff and addresses two petitions to modify D.12-05-035, the Commission’s previous decision implementing the expanded FiT. The most recent legislation affecting the FiT, SB 1122 … Continue Reading
The results are in for the third California cap and trade auction. A metric ton of CO2e went for $14 in the third auction, which took place on May 16, 2013. The top bid at the auction was $50.01, with a mean bid of $16.67 submitted. All of the 14.5 million 2013 vintage allowances available at the … Continue Reading
On May 9, 2013, the California Public Utilities Commission adopted Resolution E-4582, scheduling the fourth Renewable Auction Mechanism (RAM) auction to close on June 28, 2013 and setting a fifth RAM auction for no later than June 27, 2014. The RAM program allows renewable energy developers to bid their 3 MW to 20 MW projects to … Continue Reading
On April 19, 2013, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted to link the California cap and trade program to Québec’s cap and trade system. CARB approved changes to the California cap and trade regulation on Friday to allow for the linkage, which is effective January 1, 2014. In practical terms, the linkage opens a new market … Continue Reading
A legal update from my colleagues Barbara Brenner and Kristen Castaños: We are pleased to report that the California Third District Court of Appeal recently granted our request to publish its decision in a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) case in which we were lead counsel. In a challenge to the certification of an environmental … Continue Reading
California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a new law that could significantly expand virtual net energy metering in California. Since 1996, California utility customers owning renewable energy systems have been able to offset their electricity bills with credits earned by feeding power generated by their systems back to the utility. SB 594 amends California’s net metering law … Continue Reading
California’s Pacific Gas and Electric Company (“PG&E”) announced today that it plans to issue an Energy Storage Request for Information (“RFI”) to obtain information on utility-scale, dispatchable, and operationally flexible storage resources through a solicitation of interest from technology providers, owners, and developers of energy storage resources. PG&E said that it plans to issue the … Continue Reading
Here’s a California law update from my partner Wayne Rosenbaum in San Diego: The California legislature continues to emphasize the importance of renewable energy for the State’s environment and economy. Of the renewable energy bills passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor this year, three of them focused on biogas. Some of the … Continue Reading
TerraPass Inc., recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) on behalf of a client that is interested in ownership, investment and/or long-term bundled renewable energy offtake opportunities within PG&E territory. The RFI seeks information from firms with renewable energy projects that are currently under development or construction in California and have projected online dates in 2014 or 2015. TerraPass’ … Continue Reading
The City of Palo Alto, California, is seeking a minimum of 20 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually, not to exceed 80 GWh/year, from eligible renewable resources. The City will not, however, consider proposals for the sale of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) alone . The City intends to negotiate and execute one or more power purchase agreements with … Continue Reading
The California Bioenergy Interagency Working Group has released its 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan, with the goal of facilitating the development of bioenergy in California on a variety of levels, including research and development support, streamlining and consolidating permitting, facilitating access to transmission, pipelines, and other distribution networks, and policies and laws to monetize the benefits … Continue Reading
On June 22, 2012, SDG&E will host a forum on the Renewable Auction Mechanism. The forum will be held at the SDG&E Energy Innovation Center located at 4760 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92117. The forum begins at 10 AM and concludes at 12 PM. The forum will also be available via webinar. In person or webinar reservations can … Continue Reading
On April 30, 2012, SCE announced the launch of its second Renewable Auction Mechanism (RAM) RFO (RAM 2). SCE’s RAM program is open to all RPS eligible technologies not greater than 20 MW and interconnected within any of the service territories of SCE, Pacific Gas & Electric or San Diego Gas & Electric. The RAM RFO will be … Continue Reading
PG&E announced today that it expects to issue its Renewable Auction Mechanism (RAM) RFO on May 1, 2012. Offers under the RAM RFO will be due no later than 12:00 noon (PPT) on May 31, 2012. PG&E will host a Bidders’ Conference at the company’s headquarters on May 16, 2012, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 … Continue Reading
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has adopted several changes to the state’s Renewable Auction Mechanism program (RAM), created in 2010. The RAM program operates as a reverse auction, offering a standard contract with the state’s three largest investor-owned utilities for energy from renewable distributed generation facilities of up to 20 megawatts (MW). The utilities will procure … Continue Reading
From Allison C. Smith and Lee N. Smith: Last week was busy for the California Cap-and-Trade Program, adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) last December under A.B. 32. First, last Tuesday, CARB Chairman Mary Nichols announced at a Senate hearing that the first scheduled Cap-and-Trade allowance auction, scheduled for August 2012, will be … Continue Reading
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) announced yesterday that it had issued its 2012 Photovoltaic Program Power Purchase Agreement Request for Offers (“PV PPA RFO”). PG&E seeks to procure PPAs for 50 MW of new photovoltaic resources to be located in PG&E’s service territory. Copies of the solicitation protocol and related information and materials are now available … Continue Reading
In October 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order No. 755, which requires regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) to pay for frequency regulation services based on the actual amount of service provided in response to actual or expected frequency deviations or interchange power imbalances. The order directs RTOs … Continue Reading
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) announced today that it expects to issue its 2012 Solar Photovoltaic PPA RFO (“PV PPA RFO”) in late March or April . PG&E’s goal in this second round of the RFO is to procure 50 MW of new PV generation. Two of the eligibility requirements of the PV PPA RFO are (1) … Continue Reading
Yesterday, the California Independent System Operator Corp. (“CAISO”) issued a straw proposal entitled “Cost Allocation Guiding Principles.” The straw proposal kicks off a new stakeholder process designed to establish a set of guiding principles for cost allocation that can be applied throughout the CAISO’s various markets and services. As expected, the stakeholder community has been divided … Continue Reading
In a previous blog, we reported on a proposed decision pending consideration by the California Energy Commission (CEC), which would allow solar photovoltaic project developers to opt-in to the CEC’s permitting process. The CEC has announced that its decision on this matter has been postponed to an as-yet undetermined date.… Continue Reading
