The Virginia State Corporation Commission has approved a new pilot program for a "Standby Generation Control System" proposed by Virginia Electric and Power Co. The system would allow the utility to dispatch customer-owned generators at periods of system peak demand.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved a 2.43 percent rate increase in the price cap for Central Maine Power Co. (CMP). It also issued findings governing the flow-through to ratepayers of savings earned by restructuring contracts with qualifying cogeneration facilities (QFs).
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has once again refused to grant "blanket approval" of an investment program for natural gas vehicle (NGV) refueling stations proposed by Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G).
While setting rates for Union Gas Ltd., a natural gas local distribution company (LDC), the Ontario Energy Board has found the company's demand-side management (DSM) plan deficient, and required shareholders to pay for any required remedies. The Board added, however, that denial of the DSM budget would be contrary to the public interest.
It said that the plan as presented was "essentially a marketing plan" for supplying energy efficiency goods and services (em one that fell short of DSM guidelines.
The Michigan Court of Appeals has directed the Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC) to expand its deregulation of telecommunications markets in compliance with a 1991 state law revamping telecommunications. It said that the PSC had defined too broadly which types of services should remain regulated under the 1991 law, the Michigan Telecommunications Act (MTAct).
Mirroring an earlier opinion by a federal district court, the Indiana Court of Appeals has struck down a state law that allowed regulators to offer special rate treatment and construction project preapproval to utilities that develop clean air compliance plans that would maximize the use of high-sulfur coal mined in the state. The court remanded the case to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and agreed with a prior finding by the U.S. District Court (S.D.
Indiana has enacted a new statute giving authority to state regulators to approve flexible regulation for energy utilities.
A number of major environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, have filed a joint comment with three utilities (em Public Service Electric and Gas Co., Atlantic Electric Co., and The United Illuminating Co. (em concerning the FERC's environmental impact statement (EIS) in its open-access electric transmission Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR).
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved a settlement involving Transwestern Pipeline Co. (TP) that puts both the pipeline and its customers at risk for relinquished pipeline capacity, and ties future rate increase to inflation. The settlement puts TP and its customers at risk for the 457 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/day) of capacity that Southern California Gas Co. (SCG) will give up starting November 1, 1996. Firm customers will provide a short-term subsidy through a cost-sharing formula for the first five years.