The Climate Policy, Renewable Energy, & Sustainability Blog
On October 13, 2025, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) released its Draft Final Proposal for Interconnection Process Enhancements (IPE) 5.0—continuing its multi-year effort to modernize and streamline the interconnection process for new energy resources. The proposed reforms build on lessons learned from Cluster 15, previous IPE tracks, and stakeholder feedback.
Highlights of CAISO’s…
Update: Governor Newsom signed the Pathways Bill into law on September 19, 2025.
On September 13, 2025, Assembly Bill (AB) 825, titled the Independent System Operator: Independent Regional Organization Act, passed the California state Senate on a 34-0 vote, and a 74-1 approval in the Assembly.[1] The bill now heads to the Governor’s…
By Ariel Stavitsky, Emily Schimelpfenig, and Sudha Basu[1]
For nearly a decade, tension has grown in Oregon between the desire for agricultural and wildlife conservation and the desire for renewable energy development. In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3409, directing the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC), the body that administers the…
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC or Commission) has launched a new rulemaking to update Electric Tariff Rule 21 (Rule 21). This proceeding was initiated through an Order Instituting Rulemaking (OIR) adopted at the August 14, 2025 CPUC voting meeting, and seeks to modernize interconnection procedures in response to the rapid evolution of Distributed Energy…
Background
On August 7, 2025, the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Center for Biological Diversity, Inc. v. Public Utilities Commission (Cal., Aug. 7, 2025, No. S283614), 2025 WL 2253765 (Center for Biological Diversity). The case centers around the Net Energy Metering program, updated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in…
This post was co-authored by Stoel Rives summer associate Jayden M. Dirk.
Last month, the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) proposed changes to its rules on site certificate amendments in OAR 345 Division 27. These rules govern the process by which the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) and EFSC review requests for energy facility site…
On November 21, 2024, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) filed an application at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC or Commission) seeking approval of a new Electric Rule No. 30 (Electric Rule 30) to address the interconnection of non-residential customers requesting retail electric service at transmission-level voltages between 50 kilovolts (kV) and 230 kV…
The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) recently finalized rules clarifying its contested case procedures for energy project siting. These updates aim to improve clarity, align procedures with broader administrative rules, and address participation criteria for stakeholders. A contested case hearing resembles an administrative trial and is a culminating step in EFSC’s certification process.…
On Thursday, May 9, 2024, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) issued an addendum to its Interconnection Process Enhancements (IPE) Track 2 Final Proposal, and issued a revised version of that addendum on May 17. Track 2 focuses on modifications to the interconnection and queue management processes to address the substantial interconnection request volumes in…
Background
The California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) recently issued Interconnection Process Enhancements (IPE) final proposal[1] provides heightened requirements to complete an interconnection request and relies on scoring criteria to determine which projects advance to the interconnection study process. Due to the proposed 150% cap on specific interconnection zones, not all interconnection requests in each…
