How to Talk to Regulators
Why some proceedings blow up, while others reach consensus.
The core of a good regulatory proceeding is a conversation.
South Carolina
Reliable But Costly
Recent trends in distribution line undergrounding.
Utility distribution lines increasingly are going underground, but costs are still prohibitive for replacing existing overhead lines.
Duke Energy to Build a 750 MW Natural Gas Plant in South Carolina
Submitted by aburr on Tue, 2014-05-20 13:20Duke Energy Carolinas plans to build and operate a 750-MW natural gas-fired combined cycle plant at the existing Lee Steam Station site in Anderson County, S.C. The North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation will own 100 MW of the project. The decision to move forward with this project is part of a long-term plan to add new generation, modernize the fleet, maintain a diverse fuel portfolio, and manage customer costs while delivering a high-quality, reliable power supply.
Digest
ISO New England approves Northern Pass transmission project; Southern California Edison selects Quanta PAR to build Tehachapi transmission line segments; Pennsylvania PUC approves PPL $335 million grid project; Southern Company completes smart grid investments; U.S. Army Reserve contracts ConEdison Solutions for efficiency and maintenance support services; plus announcements and contracts involving Honeywell, Stor Generation, Salt River Project, Landis+Gyr, Abengoa, Constellation, and others.
SCE&G to Acquire Increased Share of Nuclear Units from Santee Cooper
Submitted by aburr on Mon, 2014-02-03 13:19South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) and Santee Cooper established an agreement for SCE&G to acquire from Santee Cooper a 5 percent ownership interest in the two new nuclear units which are currently under construction at V.C. Summer Station in Jenkinsville, S.C. Under the terms of the transaction, SCE&G will own 60 percent of the new nuclear units and Santee Cooper, 40 percent. The purchase price is anticipated to be approximately $500 million for the entire 5 percent interest based on current project cost.
Sound and Fury
How NIPSCO feels leaned on.
Northern Indiana Public Service, the MISO member sandwiched between PJM’s Ohio territory and its noncontiguous Chicago outpost, feels particularly aggrieved by the failure of the MISO-PJM Joint Operating Agreement, approved by FERC in 2004, to facilitate cross-border grid projects to relieve constraints along the ragged and interlaced seam that separates the two regions.
Cross-Border Bargaining
Interregional grid planning under FERC Order 1000.
Territorial fights emerge in the interregional transmission plans proposed for compliance with FERC Order 1000.
Build to Order
Engineers and constructors adapt to serve an industry in transition.
From gas pipelines to PV arrays, the nation’s contractors are seeing growth in utility infrastructure. Fortnightly talks with executives at engineering and construction firms to learn what kinds of projects are moving forward, where they’re located, and what lies over the horizon.
Peaceful Coexistence
Independent microgrids are coming. Will franchised utilities fight them or foster them?
Despite offering a range of benefits, microgrids are proving to be controversial—especially when non-utility owned microgrids seek to serve multiple customers. The biggest battles are taking place in the realm of public policy. But utilities that pursue collaboration rather than confrontation are finding interesting opportunities for profitable investment.