As the energy storage industry continues on its trajectory of near-exponential growth, in the course of assisting our clients we are seeing a wide variety of battery energy storage system (BESS) offerings in the market, and we don’t always like what we see from a project finance and risk perspective. Battery system offerings are all … Continue Reading
The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is accepting stakeholder comments until August 13, 2019 on its new Hybrid Resources Issue Paper, kicking off a stakeholder initiative expected to proceed until April 2020. Initial comments submitted now will help shape the direction of the initiative and potential market changes. Though not exclusively limited to renewables + storage … Continue Reading
The 2019-2020 California Legislative Session has reached its first deadline. February 22, 2019 marked the deadline by which bills could be introduced for the first half of the Legislative Session. Lawmakers will begin Spring Recess April 12 and reconvene April 22. The last day for bills to be passed out of the house of origin … Continue Reading
Is a co-located storage facility and wind or solar facility considered to be one qualifying facility (“QF”) under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (“PURPA”)? Or multiple QFs? How will the aggregate capacity of such storage plus wind/solar QF(s) be measured? If the storage will only be charged from the co-located wind/solar facility, will the … Continue Reading
The New Jersey legislature recently passed a bill (the “Bill”) that would set a goal of reaching 600 megawatts of energy storage capacity by 2021 and 2 gigawatts by 2030.[1] This represents one of the largest energy storage implementation goals in the country and likely signals the coming of a large new market for energy storage. The Bill requires the … Continue Reading
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (“FERC”) long-awaited Order 845 (Reform of Generator Interconnection Procedures and Agreements) was issued on April 19 after over two years of consideration of the issues. Order 845 is the first grid-wide major reform of FERC’s Generator Interconnection Procedures and Agreements since Order 2003 was issued 15 years ago. Order 845 … Continue Reading
In February, FERC issued Order 841, Electric Storage Participation in Markets Operated by Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators (the “Order”), requiring RTOs and ISOs to establish new market participation rules for energy storage that recognize the physical and operational characteristics of these resources. While the Order set forth some minimal requirements that each … Continue Reading
On February 8, 2018, the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) adopted a new procurement process in a decision which suggested that 2,000 MW of new battery energy storage resources may be needed in California by 2030. This means an additional 2,000 MW of storage on top of the existing 1,325 MW that is already required. … Continue Reading
The investment tax credit (“ITC”) plays a major role in driving investment in the U.S. solar energy market. Earlier this month, two members of Congress introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide a similar ITC for energy storage systems. The bill, called the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act of … Continue Reading
On December 1, 2017, two of the three major California investor-owned utilities (“IOUs”), Pacific Gas & Electricity (“PG&E”) and Southern California Edison (“SCE”), submitted applications for approval of the results of their 2016-2017 energy storage request for offers. Background on the Energy Storage Mandate in California In September 2010, the Governor of California signed AB … Continue Reading
By a notice issued yesterday, September 28, Rick Perry, the Secretary of Energy, utilized section 403 of the DOE Act to require FERC to cause organized energy market operators (ISOs/RTOs) to compensate “fuel secure generation”, i.e., coal power, for grid “resiliency”–something that apparently puts Americans at risk despite statements by NERC to the contrary or … Continue Reading
Stoel Rives’ Energy Team has been monitoring and providing summaries of key energy-related bills introduced by California legislators since the beginning of the 2017-2018 Legislative Session. Legislators have been busy moving bills through the legislative process since reconvening from the Summer Recess. For any bill not identified as a two-year bill, the deadline for each … Continue Reading
Massachusetts recently became the latest state to adopt an energy storage target, following California’s lead, and recent storage legislation in Nevada and New York. The Massachusetts storage mandate originated in the legislature last year, when the state legislature passed H.4568, which was signed by the Governor on August 8, 2016. The legislation required the state’s … Continue Reading
On May 19, 2017, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) held a joint en banc on customer and retail choice in California. In attendance were CPUC Commissioners Guzman Aceves, Randolph, Peterman, and President Picker. CEC Commissioners McAllister, Douglas, and Chair Weisenmiller attended. The en banc was intended to address … Continue Reading
On April 6th, the energy storage market received a boost in California when state regulators authorized $196 million in new rebates for customers who install onsite (behind the meter) energy storage systems. Background The change occurs under the California Self Generation Incentive Program (“SGIP”). SGIP provides a financial rebate to energy customers who install new … Continue Reading
In our first post, the Stoel Rives’ Energy Team provided a summary of energy related bills introduced by California legislators during the first half of the 2017-2018 Legislative Session. Provided below is a summary of changes to bills we have been following, as well as a list of energy related bills not included in our … Continue Reading
In what some commentators are calling the first of its kind, Maryland’s legislature has passed a bill that would allow taxpayers to claim a state income tax credit equal to 30% of the installed cost of an energy storage system. The bill would cap the credit amount at $75,000 for a commercial installation or $5,000 … Continue Reading
Two new bills, similar in concept but differing in approach, seek to align renewable energy output with peak electricity demand. Currently, the California Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires investor-owned utilities to procure 50% of total retail sales of electricity from renewable energy resources by 2030. If enacted, the bills would expand the RPS from a … Continue Reading
February 17, 2017 marked the deadline by which legislators had to introduce bills for the first half of the 2017-2018 Legislative Session. The Stoel Rives’ Energy Team has been and will continue to monitor bills throughout the two-year session and will provide periodic updates as to the status of those bills. Most noteworthy here is … Continue Reading
Around the country clean energy resources, energy efficiency and demand response are quickly being adopted alongside more traditional resources. Southern California Edison (“SCE”) recently contracted for an assortment of clean energy resources that will be used in a groundbreaking attempt to see whether those resources can supply electricity to a densely populated area – Orange … Continue Reading
I just wanted to pass along word to readers that Stoel Rives partner and Renewable + Law blog author Jon Wellinghoff will be leaving us to join SolarCity as their new Chief Policy Officer. Read SolarCity’s official announcement. We’ve enjoyed working with Jon as a member of the Stoel Rives Energy Team. We’d like to … Continue Reading
In the biggest consumer energy story of the day, and perhaps the decade, the U.S. Supreme Court today upheld FERC’s jurisdictional authority in FERC Order 745. Read the Decision here (PDF). The so called Demand Response Rule permits consumer energy products and services, such as demand response, to participate in wholesale energy markets, and to … Continue Reading
Last Friday, September 11, 2015 was the final day for California legislators to pass bills out of the Legislature and on to Governor Jerry Brown for consideration. This year’s crop of bills included something for both sides of the aisle on energy and climate change issues: from the proposed repeal of AB 32, the California … Continue Reading
We recently learned that San Diego Gas and Electric has issued a 2014 All Source Request for Offers (RFO). The RFO requests offers for up to 800 MW from the following resources: Energy Efficiency (EE) Demand Response (DR) Renewables Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Energy Storage Conventional Distributed Generation (DG) The RFO is authorized by CPUC Decision 14-03-004. The … Continue Reading
