What's Happening in Energy highlights the most interesting findings from public utility commission filings.
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What's Happening in Energy highlights the most interesting findings from public utility commission filings.
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What's Happening in Energy — May 16
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Data centers! Pennsylvania has convened an en banc (read: every commissioner at once) proceeding on large load interconnection (read: data centers) in the state. For anyone following, shaping, or helping decide the future of large loads in the US electric system, here is a great set of questions posed by the PA PUC following the thoughtful en banc hearing that happened 3 weeks ago:
- Docket profile
- Statements from Data Center Coalition, PPL Electric Utilities, First Energy, Duquesne Light Company, PECO Energy Company, Vantage Data Centers, and more.
- Key quotes from the utilities: a single new data center could be 30% of peak load in Duquesne Light’s service territory, and four projects in advanced stages in PECO’s service territory could add 40% to its demand.
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In Wyoming, Black Hills Energy requests a 1.43% rate increase in order to cover its Carbon Capture Compliance surcharge: that’s an additional $4.7 million for 45,753 customers.
Docket profile
Application
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Also in Wyoming: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and the Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) are waiting for approval of an average 11.68% rate increase effective August 1. Rates table below - the 15.46% average increase falls heavily on residential ratepayers.
Docket Profile
Stipulation and Agreement
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Also out West: in Utah, the Salt Lake City Corporation is concerned about Rocky Mountain Power’s “unprecedented drop in avoided cost prices,” and that it will impair further development of new power assets. Relatedly: the Corporation is concerned that the new cost structure does not incorporate tariff impacts.
Filing
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An Antora energy storage project in South Dakota has received a state grant for its $200 million+ thermal energy storage project, Big Stone Energy Storage Project LLC (also receiving a grant: an “international cheesemaker”). That’s April news. Here’s what to watch: its 1-of-1 tariff being established with utility Otter Tail.
Docket profile
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In Nevada, NV Energy filed the first amendment to its 2024-26 Joint Natural Disaster Protection Plan, requesting an order accepting this first amendment by June 13. Here’s a cool flow chart of how it de-energizes in the event of a wildfire (note: redactions are within the document itself).
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From the Southwest: Southwestern Public Service Company’s $538 million “Texas Resiliency Plan 2025-2028.” Of that plan: $521 million is capital investment, and $345 million of that is distribution resiliency.
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Kentucky solar development plans have a 250 megawatt hole: AEUG Mason Solar (a subsidiary of Spanish company Acciona) is withdrawing its application to build a merchant solar+storage project in the state.
How do we know this is an Acciona development? This 2021 Notice of Intent to File Application of AEUG Mason Solar, LLC for Certificate of Construction with an Acciona email address for the filer!
Docket profile
Order
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A tidbit in Hawaii: the Public Utility Commission is decreasing oversight of Hawaii Gas’ capital expenditures by increasing the oversight threshold from $500,000 to $2.75 million. That $500k figure “has not increased in 60 years to account for inflation and rising project costs” (!).
Docket profile
Decision and Order
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And lastly in Virginia: this week was the deadline for testimony for an Appalachian Power Company (APCo) shared solar program. An interesting argument by Karl R. Rábago: that “APCo’s excessive and confiscatory proposed interim minimum bill will do irreparable harm and should not be approved.” His suggestion: a monthly minimum bill in the amount of $8.96 per customer including a fixed customer charge and $1 of placeholder administrative cost recovery.
Other perspectives include Staff of the Virginia State Corporation Commission pre-filed testimony Part A and Part B, various Memorandum submitted to the Commission, and the Coalition for Community Solar Access (Coggeshall and Kshemendranath) suggesting the minimum bill should be $0.
Stay tuned for the Evidentiary hearing on June 9th!
Docket profile
