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 — Sept 19
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Let’s start in South Carolina with Santee Cooper’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) update. There are many charts, but two stand out: the utility has significantly revised its winter peak forecast since 2023, and its large load forecast has a wide-open range.
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In Connecticut, the annual Energy Storage Solutions (ESS) program is currently under review. A key question: what to do with energy storage systems after SunPower’s bankruptcy? To view responses from Eversource, United Illuminating, the Office of Consumer Counsel, the CT Green Bank, and others, try the recently released Halcyon Search (free).
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In Colorado, Xcel is undertaking a complex $1.3 billion transmission upgrade project (including Allowance for Funds Used During Construction “AFUDC”). According to the Direct Testimony, “[The Denver Metro Project] will also require the coordination of over 300 outages, with each ranging anywhere from days to months.” Below, cost estimates for two substation and transmission projects are presented (see Table WJD-1 and -2). Additionally, for a third upgrade location, the Smokey Hill Substation, a commission staff engineer has raised concerns about projections that show increases of more than 2500%.
Meanwhile, the CO Utility Consumer Advocate (rev 1) requests that the Commission mandate PSCo to conduct further analyses on the capability of DER and storage to prevent the need for transmission upgrades in the Denver Metro area.
- Docket profile
- Hearing Exhibit 200, Public Answer Testimony of Staff Witness Dalton
- Hearing Exhibit 300, Chris Neil Answer Testimony, Rev 1
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In Oregon, numerous comments have been filed in response to Energy Trust of Oregon’s (ETO) Draft 2026–2030 Multiyear Plan. PacifiCorp notes that while supporting energy efficiency (EE), in future years it will become more expensive to actualize the kWh savings. Projected savings will increase by 24%, while the required revenue funding will rise by 157%. This results in a 107% increase in the cost of acquisition compared to average cost from 2018 to 2024, which will, in turn, impact customer rates.
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In California, Pacific Steel emphasizes the need for rate certainty due to the time-sensitive nature of Southern California Edison’s new dynamic pricing rate for the first steel mill in CA in over 50 years.
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Also in California, the Prairie Song Reliability Project, a 1,150 megawatt battery energy storage system in LA County, is a…prairie song of support and opposition. Halcyon wrote about this asset back in July, but it’s worth revisiting some of the concerns regarding this 70-acre, 2,035 battery enclosure project. One notable point of opposition references the Moss Landing battery fire, which occurred at an older project that used a different battery chemistry.
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In Texas, ERCOT has hosted four guest presentations from the Texas Geothermal Alliance (TXGEA), Sage Geosystems, UT Austin, and Project Innerspace. These presentations focused on the potential of geothermal energy in Texas (and the world). In Dallas-Ft. Worth area, Austin, and San Antonio, there is over 4+GW of potential geothermal power available for data center power, which could meet 100% of the projected growth in energy demand.
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In Arizona, the Arizona Public Service Company (APS) filed its 2025 Transportation Electrification Mid-Year Progress Report. The report estimates 45% of all Arizona’s electric vehicles are located within APS service territory. Additionally, APS provided a chart on time-of-use charging, indicating that customers are responsive to their home TOU rates (with peak defined at 4:00 pm - 6:59 pm).
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In Florida, Florida Power & Light’s HVAC On-Bill (HOB) pilot has been approved by the Commission. The initiative allows the utility to gain load control over new and more efficient HVAC systems which are provided directly to customers (along with routine service and maintenance) on a fixed monthly charge, without any upfront payment. Below is an example of the cost recovery schedule, including the impact of Net Energy Conservation Cost Recovery (ECCR).
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In New Hampshire, an answer to the question: what is the cost of a storm event? Liberty Utilities (Granite State Electric) Corp. reports storm costs in its 2024 Annual Storm Fund Report. This report details expenses related to five pre-staging events and three storm events from 2024, as well as carry-over costs from a December 2023 event.
