News | Energy Bar Association

Bipartisan $1T Senate infrastructure bill focuses on nuclear, carbon capture, transmission

Aug 03, 2021 12:00 PM

A bipartisan group of senators on Sunday unveiled its nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill, formalized into text following a 67-32 consensus to advance the legislation. The vote to advance the bill included the support of 17 Republicans. The approximately 2,700-page bill would invest billions of dollars in transmission and grid infrastructure, new advanced nuclear plants as well as current nuclear facilities, electric vehicle infrastructure, carbon capture and other clean energy resources.

Illinois law makes it tougher for HOAs to block homeowners solar projects

Aug 03, 2021 12:00 PM

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the law last week, prohibiting homeowner associations from banning solar on specific parts of a home or enforcing restrictions that would reduce an installation’s output by more than 10%. A new Illinois law expands protections for homeowners seeking to install solar and facing opposition from their homeowners associations, including by prohibiting HOAs from banning solar on specific parts of a home and banning restrictions that reduce an installation’s output by...

Massachusetts grants focus on equity in offshore wind workforce development

Aug 03, 2021 12:00 PM

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has awarded $1.6 million in grants to eight offshore wind workforce training programs aimed at reducing specific obstacles for people of color and low-income people. A Massachusetts clean energy agency has awarded $1.6 million in grants to eight offshore wind workforce training programs, each of which targets a specific obstacle that might prevent people of color and low-income people from pursuing jobs in the burgeoning industry.

Report details blistering pace of renewables needed for net-zero

Aug 03, 2021 06:19 AM

Replacing the U.S. grid’s fossil fuel foundation with clean energy in three decades will require societal transformations on an equally daunting scale, a new report by an Australian energy and engineering company concludes. “[I]t won’t be enough to incrementally improve traditional infrastructure delivery processes: we need to change the processes themselves," the report by Worley Ltd. says. "Businesses and governments need to find solutions to address every area of the process.

Illinois lawmakers call for action to help preserve Byron Nuclear Plant

Aug 02, 2021 03:14 PM

A group of lawmakers, including two from the Stateline, are calling for action to be taken to help save two nuclear plants, including Byron's. State Senator Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) along with Deputy House Republican Leader Tom Demmer (R-Dixon), House Republican Conference Chair Leader David Welter (R-Morris) and Deputy Senate Republican Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) issued a joint statement Monday. Part of the statement talks about lawmakers coming back to the table to negotiate a deal...

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Special report: Regulatory roadmap can facilitate approval process for offshore wind projects

Aug 02, 2021 12:00 PM

Developers need to be familiar with laws and regulations administered by at least 13 different agencies. The Biden administration is making a significant push for the development of offshore wind energy, an effort that in many ways bolsters and complements what has been happening at the state level, particularly in the northeastern United States. The goal here is to describe the regulatory framework governing offshore federal wind leases, and provide some insight to the inter-agency and...

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Best Market in the World Faces Uncertain Future

Jul 29, 2021 12:00 PM

ERCOT Stakeholders Debate Texas Grid’s Future at EBA Summit Peter Cramton, ERCOT board member for more than five years and board vice chair for 15 days, spoke wistfully of his tenure, which ended shortly after Winter Storm Uri brought the grid to its knees. “I still believe ERCOT is the best market in the world,” he said earlier this month during a symposium on Texas’ energy system sponsored by the Energy Bar Association (EBA) and the University of Texas School of Law.

California PUC unveils draft plan for 'forward-thinking' distributed energy policy

Jul 27, 2021 12:00 PM

California utility regulators last week issued a draft distributed energy resources (DER) action plan, intended to create a roadmap to roll out "forward-thinking" policy amid expected increases in DER deployments across the state. The plan is split into four tracks, which include creating more effective retail rate and demand response structures; ensuring that utility infrastructure planning can maximize the value of DERs that are connected to the grid;integrating DERs into wholesale markets...

A Rhode Island utility successfully lobbied to increase solar net metering

Jul 27, 2021 12:00 PM

As larger utilities seek to limit payments for customer-generated solar power, the ratepayer-owned Block Island Power Company convinced state legislators this session to remove a previous cap on its net metering program. A small Rhode Island utility this year did something virtually unheard of in its industry: It lobbied for permission to buy more solar power from its customers.

EU State aid: Commission approves 30.5 billion euro French scheme to support renewable energy

Jul 27, 2021 12:00 PM

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a French aid scheme to support renewable electricity production. The measure will help France achieve its renewable energy targets without unduly distorting competition and will contribute to the European objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “This aid measure will stimulate development of key renewable energy sources, and support...