News | Energy Bar Association

What FERC Order 2222-A Means for Microgrids and Energy Democracy

Apr 19, 2021 12:00 PM

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order No. 2222-A, released March 18, continues efforts by US regulators to remove barriers for aggregated distributed energy resources (DERs) in wholesale markets. And it may unlock new revenue streams for microgrids. That’s the word from Norman Bay, former chairman of FERC, who called the order “exciting to see.” Bay is now head of the energy regulatory and enforcement group for the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Biden budget, infrastructure plan would create standalone storage tax credit

Apr 13, 2021 12:00 PM

President Joe Biden's $1.52 trillion budget request for Fiscal Year 2022 includes a policy making standalone energy storage projects eligible for the federal investment tax credit (ITC), a move that advocates say will unleash new capital for renewable energy. The budget request also included new spending on storage as part of the administration's goal to decarbonize the energy sector by 2035.

WMZZFAGXGVDVLPVKOBQT3NTQSI — File photo shows Dallas residents who'd been without water for a week after February's winter storm toting buckets from a fire hydrant on Park Lane.

Texas new set of electricity regulators begins to take shape in wake of deep freeze, power outages

Apr 12, 2021 06:07 PM

A new set of Texas electricity regulators began to take shape Monday, as Gov. Greg Abbott nominated a finance expert to be the next chairman of the Public Utility Commission while his earlier choice of a PUC member moved toward Senate confirmation. The Republican governor put forward Peter Lake of Austin, who has spent more than five years as an Abbott appointee to the Texas Water Development Board, as his second commission pick in as many weeks.

Former NRC chair questions economic feasibility of new nuclear in US

Apr 12, 2021 12:00 PM

Without further aid from Congress and the White House, the prospects for the U.S. nuclear industry will dwindle in the face of cheaper resources that are getting built faster than new nuclear generators, according to a former Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Small modular reactor developers are eyeing the potential to replace retiring coal generation and take advantage of those facilities' interconnection sites. Excepting NuScale Power, which has advanced in permitting...

Transmission strategy takes shape as Congress, FERC press ahead with reforms

Apr 12, 2021 12:00 PM

A package of far-reaching reforms to expand the nation's high-voltage electric transmission system is coming into focus as congressional Democrats begin drafting legislation in line with U.S. President Joe Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure vision. The suite of policy proposals is largely centered on a new investment tax credit for regionally significant transmission lines and potentially two new grid-focused offices housed within the U.S. Department of Energy and the Federal Energy...

#EBA2021AM- Next Week!

Apr 07, 2021 12:00 PM

EBA is here to keep you on top of the changing energy policies, regulations, and technologies you need to stay relevant in this industry. Energy powerhouses from the industry, regulatory, and legal communities will be on hand for two half-days of policy discussions and training at the 2021 EBA Annual Meeting & Conference. The #EBA2021AM will bring you 12 sessions, MCLE credit hours, and an abundance of meaningful opportunities to connect with hundreds of your colleagues and the industry's...

#EBA2021AM: Register now to stay on top of new energy policies and technologies impacting the industry

Apr 07, 2021 12:00 PM

EBA is here to keep you on top of the changing energy policies, regulations, and technologies you need to stay relevant in this industry. Energy powerhouses from the industry, regulatory, and legal communities will be on hand for two half-days of policy discussions and training at the 2021 EBA Annual Meeting & Conference. The #EBA2021AM will bring you 12 sessions, MCLE credit hours, and an abundance of meaningful opportunities to connect with hundreds of your colleagues...

New York regulators have 'effectively accelerated' the state's storage market, report finds

Apr 06, 2021 12:00 PM

Programs and policies approved by New York regulators have "effectively accelerated" the state's energy storage market and helped it to deploy or contract for 1,186 MW of capacity, according to a new report from the Department of Public Service (DPS). The New York Public Service Commission in 2018 set a goal of deploying 3,000 MW of energy storage capacity by 2030, with an interim 2025 target of 1,500 MW.

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Can Offshore Wind Energy Deliver Power To Millions Of Americans?

Apr 01, 2021 12:00 PM

Offshore wind energy could deliver. And President Biden says that it could produce 30 gigawatts of electricity by 2030 — enough to power 10 million homes. Indeed, the political, technological, and environmental gales are converging. But the high costs and the concerns over marine ecology remain an impediment. As the United States charts its course to become carbon neutral by 2050, it must make massive investments...

State of the Electric Utility 2021: Gas doubts rise, DER focus wanes, and 5 other key takeaways

Apr 01, 2021 12:00 PM

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, the energy transition is stronger than ever, the results of Utility Dive's 8th annual State of the Electric Utility Survey Report show. The report, based on a survey completed near the end of 2020 by electric utility executives and professionals, covers trends in load, generation, non-baseload technologies and utility regulatory and business models, among other topics.