News | Energy Bar Association

Google calls for more RTOs, designs 'intelligent platform' to meet 24/7 clean energy goal

Dec 09, 2020 04:16 PM

Technology will play a central role in achieving Google's most ambitious — and final — renewable energy target, Riles said. But access to wholesale energy markets, he said, is also critical. Demand for Google's services grows each year, Riles said, and that in turn is driving the company's energy consumption, which he said exceeded 12 terawatt-hours in 2019 and is expected to continue to grow.

Regulator of the Year: Neil Chatterjee, FERC

Dec 09, 2020 04:14 PM

It's hard to imagine any regulatory body that has had more influence on the U.S. power sector this year than the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and it's impossible to divorce that impact from its now-former chairman: Neil Chatterjee.

Next Administration Could Mean New Safety Regulations For Coal Mines

Dec 07, 2020 01:19 PM

The transition from a Trump administration that dismantled regulations across the federal government to a Biden administration that has signaled a greater emphasis on occupational safety and the environment may finally mean new action on a toxic form of dust in coal mines.

Senate confirms bipartisan pairing to FERC

Dec 07, 2020 01:17 PM

Confirming Clements and Christie gives the energy industry a sigh of relief after years of turnover on the commission. Clements will serve on the commission until 2024 and Christie until 2025. Glick is thought to be the favorite to chair FERC, based in part on his longer tenure at the commission. If appointed to the chair, he has said he would prioritize transmission policy, reassessing the wholesale capacity markets, and lowering market barriers for clean energy technologies.

Solar Industry Prioritizes Tax Credit Extension, Trade Policy for Biden Administration

Nov 17, 2020 09:33 AM

Extending the federal Investment Tax Credit is the top priority for the Solar Energy Industries Association as it heads into four years of a Joe Biden presidency. In a Tuesday call with reporters, SEIA President Abigail Ross Hopper likened ranking the group's prime concerns to picking a favorite child. But broadening the solar industry's key federal tax credit will provide the most measurable relief as it weathers the economic difficulties of the pandemic, she said.

FERC's carbon pricing statement draws criticism, cautious support

Nov 17, 2020 09:32 AM

A draft policy statement issued last month by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission encouraging carbon pricing rules in wholesale power markets has generated mixed feedback. Merchant generators and some industry trade groups urged the agency to move forward with the proposed guidelines for accommodating state-set carbon pricing in wholesale power markets, while environmental groups and the states themselves signaled skepticism and, in some cases, outright opposition.

Trump administration issues strategic framework to direct federal hydrogen research

Nov 16, 2020 09:29 AM

The U.S. has lagged behind its peers in Europe and Asia with respect to hydrogen research and deployment, said Dajani, who is spearheading her firm's hydrogen practice in New York and London. DOE's new report "is definitely something that is welcomed," Dajani said. "It's a step in the right direction, and I think we will see more of these initiatives" when Biden assumes the presidency.

California regulators race to implement demand response, other measures to avert 2021 blackouts

Nov 16, 2020 09:28 AM

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) initiated rolling blackouts that affected hundreds of thousands of customers this summer after a record-breaking heatwave swept across the Western U.S., leading to a spike in energy demand. The operator simultaneously faced other issues including thermal and natural gas plants becoming less efficient or going offline, declining production of behind-the-meter renewables and large-scale solar and the lack of available imports, the CPUC noted in it

Larger, vertically-integrated utilities better prepared to face cyber threats, says Moody's

Moody's is digging into the growing threat faced by utilities, and says its Wednesday analysis is the "first of a series of cyber themed research reports" it will release as security plays a growing role in assessing company financials.

US ELECTIONS: Biden declared winner of presidential race, faces challenges to energy agenda

Successfully navigating a winding, bumpy and chaotic electoral journey, Democrat Joe Biden has been declared winner of the 2020 race to the White House. But the rough going is far from over. Stakes are high not just for Biden, but for US energy and commodities sectors as a new president would bring a decidedly different approach to shaping energy, climate and trade policy. Among other things, Biden has vowed to make a swift pivot to clean energy.