The California Public Utilities Commission authorized two affiliated energy utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Gas (SoCalGas), to increase their rates and charges over the four-year period 2012 to 2015. The approved increases are retroactive to 2012, with SDG&E authorized to raise its rates by $123.4 million compared to its 2012 revenue requirement, and with SoCalGas allowed to collect an additional $84.8 million in rates over 2012 levels.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) wasn’t required to undertake a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) with respect to the proposed expansion of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia, despite the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown in 2011. The court stated that most of the lessons learned from the Fukushima experience pertained to public safety matters, which it said were clearly distinguishable from the environmental issues that EIS procedures are intended to address.

NorthWestern Energy issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking energy supply resources to serve Montana customers beginning in 2014. NorthWestern Energy is seeking up to 100 MW of firm supply from Jan. 1, 2015 through Dec. 31, 2017 at Mid-C or on NorthWestern’s system and up to 300 MW of firm supply for the period of July 1, 2014 through Dec.

TC PipeLines (TCP) (the Partnership) entered into agreements to acquire an additional 45 percent interest in each of Gas Transmission Northwest LLC (GTN) and Bison Pipeline LLC (Bison) from TransCanada Corporation for an aggregate purchase price of $1.05 billion. The GTN pipeline system transports Western Canadian and Rocky Mountain natural gas for large utilities, producers and marketers in Washington, Oregon, Nevada and California.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) awarded a contract to Siemens to construct the federal government’s largest wind farm. The Pantex facility will consist of five 2.3-MW turbines on 1,500 acres of government-owned property east of the Pantex plant in Amarillo. Using an energy savings performance contract, Siemens will provide a turnkey wind farm system that includes a multi-year service, maintenance, and warranty agreement.

Georgia Power added 53.5 MW of new biomass capacity to the company's generation portfolio. The addition of the biomass capacity is made possible through a 20-year purchase power agreement (PPA) with Rollcast Energy, under which Georgia Power will receive all generation output of the newly completed Piedmont Green Power plant, located in Barnesville, Ga.

Eskom contracted Siemens Energy to supply the Sere wind power plant on the west coast of South Africa. The scope of supply includes the delivery and installation of 46 SWT-2.3-108 wind turbines on 115-meter towers. The deal also includes a five-year-service agreement. Installation is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2013, with startup expected during first half of 2014. 

SolarCity raised lease financing from Goldman Sachs to fund more than $500 million in solar power projects ­– an estimated 110 MW in generation capacity – for homeowners and businesses. The agreement was initiated in 2012 and expanded per its initial terms at the end of April. Solar City says the combined lease financing is the largest of its kind announced in the U.S. for homeowners’ rooftops. About 26 MW has already been deployed under the lease program. 

U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin officials commissioned the first U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) grid-tied microgrid integrating both renewable resources and energy storage at Fort Bliss, Texas. The project was funded by the DoD’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program. The Fort Bliss grid-tied microgrid is designed to reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy costs while providing the capability to operate independent of the electric utility grid when needed to provide energy security.

The Santa Clara City Library installed two new EV charging stations, supplied by ECOtality and Silicon Valley Power (SVP). Blink EV charging stations at the library will provide electricity at both Level 3 (480-volt DC fast charging) and Level 2 (208/240-volt AC charging) power levels, and will accept either credit cards or a ChargePass pre-paid card. The library EV charger project was primarily funded via a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant to ECOtality of San Francisco and it’s the nationwide EV Project.