Yesterday EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy unveiled the highly anticipated carbon dioxide rules for existing power plants. Dubbed the “Clean Power Plan,” the rules taken together likely will have a significant impact on industrial and other consumers of electricity as well as developers of natural gas-fired and renewable generation (e.g., solar, biomass and wind). Stoel Rives attorneys … Continue Reading
FERC issues a proposed rulemaking that impacts the owners of gen-tie lines, and the rulemaking is particularly important to renewable energy developers who are interested in maintaining priority to gen-tie capacity for multi-phase projects.… Continue Reading
Like other Independent System Operators have done before it, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is back at the drawing board in an effort to further refine its generator interconnection procedures and improve on queue reforms initially put in place in 2009. And also like other ISOs that have continued to tinker with queue reform, SPP … Continue Reading
Interconnection customers: be on notice. Your interconnection agreement may not be just a transmission provider service agreement that allows your project to interconnect with the transmission system. It may also be a rate schedule–your rate schedule–that you must file with FERC or suffer the consequences for violating the Federal Power Act. At last … Continue Reading
The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) recently announced its Clean Solar Initiative Feed-In Tariff-II (FIT-II), a feed-in tariff program for solar projects between 100 kW and 2 MW in size and located in LIPA’s service territory. FIT-II is currently open for public comment, and will be effective only upon formal approval by the LIPA Board of … Continue Reading
Last week the White House issued an Executive Order calling for 40 GW of new CHP capacity by 2020: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/30/executive-order-accelerating-investment-industrial-energy-efficiency The Executive Order on Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency (also known as combined heat and power (CHP) or cogeneration) calls for federal agencies (including the Departments of Energy, Commerce and Agriculture), States, industrial companies … Continue Reading
I’ll be moderating Energy Storage for the Grid: Watchful Waiting or the Perfect Storm? at the MIT Enterprise Forum Northwest’s May 8, 2012 program at Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) , 2700 24th Ave East. The event, which includes a networking reception, will be held from 5:00 to 8:30 pm. The evening’s panelists will be: Terry Oliver, Chief … Continue Reading
A legal update from our colleagues Steve Hall, Dina Dubson and Jason Johns: On December 7, 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order holding that the Bonneville Power Administration violated Section 211A of the Federal Power Act by curtailing wind energy under BPA’s Environmental Redispatch policy and requiring BPA to file a revised transmission … Continue Reading
Through industry presentations and publications as well as through our blog, our energy attorneys are dedicated to helping you stay informed and knowledgeable about legal developments that affect your business. Visit our website for the latest calendar of events. Upcoming highlights include: Utah Solar Tour 2011 September 24 – Salt Lake City, UT Join Stoel … Continue Reading
On June 20, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion on American Electric Power Co., Inc., et al. v. Connecticut, et al. This case is significant because it dismissed a lawsuit in which several states and environmental groups sought court orders requiring large electrical utilities (alleged to be “the five largest emitters of carbon … Continue Reading
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Technology Transition Corporation recently issued a request for information (RFI) to prepare for multiple demonstrations and the market introduction of 1MW / 2MWh lithium ion battery energy storage systems (ESS) for electric utility grid management solutions. EPRI and TTC have assembled a utility team for this project, and they encourage manufacturers … Continue Reading
From our colleague David Hattery: In its year-end report, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) outlined its program for an unprecedented build-out of high voltage lines to serve renewable energy projects. ERCOT will be overseeing the design and construction of more than 2,000 miles of new 345-kV transmission to serve additional wind capacity in … Continue Reading
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced conditional commitments to provide loan guarantees in connection with two geothermal projects located in Oregon and Nevada. Specifically, on June 10, 2010, Secretary Chu announced that the Department of Energy offered a $102 million conditional commitment for a loan guarantee to U.S. Geothermal, Inc. to construct a 22 megawatt geothermal … Continue Reading
From our colleagues Beverly Pearman and Jeremy Sacks: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc. v. General Electric Company On May 20, 2010, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (“MHI”) and Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc. (“MPSA”) (collectively “Mitsubishi”) filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas contending that … Continue Reading
From our colleague Michael O’Connell: On May 18, 2010, California and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate federal and state procedures and schedules for development of hydrokinetic projects off California’s coast. FERC previously entered MOUs for such coordination with Oregon, Washington and Maine. The California-FERC MOU provides … Continue Reading
On May 14, 2010, Salt Lake County, Utah will be releasing a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for a 1 MW solar project. If your company is interested in receiving the RFP as soon as it is released, you should register with BidSync (registration is free). About the Solar Project: It is anticipated that the initial … Continue Reading
On October 12, 2009, the Public Service Commission of Utah ("PSC") joined the ranks of several other states in the west, including Oregon, when it established a docket to investigate whether, and the extent to which, certain third-party arrangements for renewable energy generation are subject to the PSC’s jurisdiction. www.psc.utah.gov/utilities/misc/miscindx/0999912indx.html, Pursuant to the notice, the PSC may … Continue Reading
Next week, the Anaheim Convention center hosts Solar Power International, which bills itself as ‘North America’s largest business to business solar industry event.’ With over 900 exhibitors (Stoel Rives included) and 25,000 attendees expected, there is no doubt that this conference will be one of the largest and most heavily attended solar industry events in … Continue Reading
On July 13-14, 2009, I attended Infocast’s Storage Summit in La Jolla, California. The conference attracted over 200 attendees. On day one, Jim Woolsey, Venture Partner and Senior Advisor for VantagePoint Venture Partners and Former Director of the CIA, delivered a keynote address that focused on the theme of the role of energy storage in achieving … Continue Reading
The following changes to Rocky Mountain Power’s (RMP) Net Metering Tariff went into effect April 1, 2009, based on the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) ruling in February 12, 2009: Key Changes to Net Metering Total System Capacity set at 20% of RMP’s 2007 peak demand (equivalent to 923,000 kW or 923 MW). All Renewable … Continue Reading
Although this blog is focused on renewable energy, manufacturers in the renewable space should be aware of a new tax credit included in the stimulus bill. The provisions is complicated and unlike most tax credits. Nevertheless, its benefits, especially for manufacturers on the cutting edge, may be too great to ignore. Taxpayers who qualify are … Continue Reading
Renewable energy supporters in Utah are cheering a recent order which will make renewable energy systems such as wind turbines and solar panels more cost effective for consumers. On February 12, 2009, the Utah Public Service Commission issued an order revising the Rocky Mountain Power net metering policy. In the past customers who own renewable-energy … Continue Reading
Last year, we reported on Utah Public Service Commission decisions regarding the need for the Milford Wind Power Project to obtain a certificate of convenience and necessity. Ultimately, the Commission ruled that the Project’s 90-mile transmission line connecting the wind farm to a point of interconnection at the Intermountain Power Project generating station was not … Continue Reading
