Chasing the Uncatchable
Why trying to fix mandatory capacity markets is like trying to win a game of Whack-A-Mole (Parts I & II)
FERC has little to show for more than a decade of tinkering with mandatory capacity markets.
New England
FERC Chasing the Uncatchable
Trying to fix mandatory capacity markets like trying to win at Whack-A-Mole, Part II
The proposals do not mandate participation in mandatory auction markets, much less try to set artificial floors on seller bids.
SunEdison to Sell 333 MW of Wind to Terra Nova Renewable Partners
Submitted by aburr on Wed, 2016-01-06 15:43SunEdison agreed to sell 333 MW of wind-power assets to Terra Nova Renewable Partners for $209 million. The two acquired projects are the 185-MW Bingham wind farm and 148-MW Oakfield wind farm, both located in Maine. Construction on Oakfield Wind was completed fall 2015 and it is now online and operating as the largest wind project in New England.
Smart Gas Investment
As a bridge to a low-carbon future, natural gas can’t – and shouldn’t – meet every need.
Some describe natural gas generation as the “Swiss army knife” of technologies, as it can meet a variety of electric system needs. Yet while a Swiss army knife can prove handy, we don’t often use it when we have access to a well-equipped toolbox. It can introduce unnecessary costs and unacceptable risks.
Gas Pipelines for New England
A consumer model that compounds public benefits.
Natural gas used for electric generation is running headfirst into the lack of sufficient pipeline capacity. The magnitude of these changes demands a fresh look at business practices, especially in New England, which is suffering while neighboring regions benefit from the Marcellus Shale bonanza.
Exelon Generation to Develop 195 MW of New Electric Capacity in Medway, MA
Submitted by aburr on Thu, 2015-02-12 13:38Exelon Generation will add 195 MW of electric generation capacity to help meet future energy needs in New England. Two new generation units will be built as an expansion to Exelon's existing generating facility in Medway, MA. The units will operate primarily during times of peak energy demand. Both units will run mainly on natural gas, but will have the ability to run on ultra-low-sulfur distillate fuel oil as a backup, ensuring fuel diversity and reliability.
Public Power Road Show
Sue Kelly’s ‘world tour’ brings APPA home.
There’s no one in the energy industry – and I mean absolutely no one – who is more on-message than Sue Kelly, now winding up her first year as CEO of the American Public Power Association.
Planning vs. Partiality
A case study from PJM on competitive procurement of regional transmission under FERC Order 1000.
What happens to FERC Order 1000, and its vaunted quest for fairness and transparency, when regional grid planners ask for competitive bids to solve a pressing transmission need, but then modify some of the project proposals, unilaterally, in an honest effort to improve them?
Constitution Pipeline Receives FERC Approval to Construct Project
Submitted by aburr on Thu, 2014-12-04 13:46FERC issued an order approving construction of Constitution Pipeline’s proposed pipeline to increase natural gas supply to New York and New England markets, subject to certain conditions that will ensure the protection of natural resources. FERC on Dec. 2, 2014 issued its certificate of public convenience and necessity for the 124-mile Constitution Pipeline.
Risk Holds Sway
Interest rates not always controlling for return on equity.
(November 2014) Our annual survey of rates of return on common equity authorized by state public utility commissions in recent rate cases for electric and gas retail distribution utilities.