News | Energy Bar Association

BRIEF CPUC reliability proposal skimps on demand response while doubling down on gas, parties say

Mar 22, 2021 12:00 PM

A recent proposal from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to bolster the state's grid during the summer months was criticized by a range of stakeholders, who argued at a meeting on Friday that the decision does not do enough to support demand response efforts, while doubling down on potential fossil fuel investments. The proposal, released in early March, is part of the agency's effort to avoid more rolling blackouts in the state.

Action Required: Set up your NEW EBA Portal account

Mar 17, 2021 12:00 PM

Did you hear about the NEW EBA Portal? The EBA Portal is a new association management system that will better serve members and friends and provide an enhanced user-friendly experience. Navigating your EBA account, our online store, and registering for events will now be easier and less time-consuming. Please follow the instructions below to login into your account on the new platform for the first time and create a new password.

Taking Charge: Commissioner Clements on FERCs make or break role amid the energy transition

Mar 16, 2021 12:00 PM

Allison Clements, the 10th female commissioner to serve as a Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner, began her first public meeting this December with a promise: that the "grave threat of climate change" would absolutely underlie her role, which oversees the certification of pipelines, and setting rules for a wide swath of the U.S. power sector. Her nomination and successive confirmation comes at a critical time for FERC.

Texas Senate passes bill requiring ERCOT to reprice multi-billion dollar market 'error'

Mar 16, 2021 08:50 AM

The Texas Senate passed a bill Monday that would force ERCOT to reprice the billions of dollars the grid operator overcharged during the outages in February. It now faces the House of Representatives. Texas' head utility regulator on Thursday doubled down on his refusal to reprice the $16 billion overcharge reported by the independent market monitor following last month's rolling outages.

Lawmakers Try Again For Overhaul Of Illinois Energy Policy

Mar 12, 2021 03:06 PM

The Clean Energy Jobs Act House Bill 804 focuses on carbon reduction, job creation and holding utilities accountable. State Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, and state Sen. Cristiana Castro, D-Elgin, have introduced a 900-page Illinois energy bill, the Clean Energy Jobs Act, House Bill 804, which has the potential to overhaul energy policy in Illinois.The bill focuses on carbon reduction, job creation and holding utilities accountable, Williams said.

Texas launches gas probe after historic blackouts

Mar 09, 2021 12:00 PM

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is widening his investigation of price spikes during a deadly winter storm last month to include a signature piece of the state's energy industry: natural gas. "These massive price increases impacted businesses and consumers alike and will have long term effects on Texas," Paxton said in a statement yesterday. "Hardworking Texans who pulled togethe

Agenda Now Online: EBA's 2021 Annual Meeting & Conference

Mar 03, 2021 12:00 PM

Early Bird registration is open for the Energy Bar Association's 2021 Annual Meeting & Conference, taking place on your desktop May 11-12, 2021. The agenda is now available online as well! Take advantage of early registration savings until April 15, 2021. EBA recently confirmed exciting new sessions for the 2021 Annual Meeting & Conference, including Former FERC Commissioners Perspective on President Biden's FERC.

Here’s why this new fracking ban in the Northeast is a big deal

Mar 03, 2021 06:15 AM

The Delaware River Basin, a 13,539-square-mile area bisected by a sparkling river that stretches from New York’s Catskill Mountains to the Delaware Bay, is officially closed to fracking. Last week, a little-known but powerful interstate commission called the Delaware River Basin Commission, or DRBC, voted 4-0 to make a 2010 de facto ban on fracking in the basin permanent.

DEEP DIVE Texas must increase ties to the national grid and DER to avoid another power catastrophe, analysts say

Mar 02, 2021 12:00 PM

Texans were left in the cold and dark this February, following extreme cold weather that had the Texas competitive energy market unable to prevent deadly power failures. Leaving behind its historic commitment to power system independence and joining the larger U.S. grid can relieve some of the consequences of extreme weather events Texas is likely to see again, many energy analysts in and out of Texas said.

Texas' head utility regulator resigns following legislative hearing on mass blackouts

Mar 02, 2021 12:00 PM

Texas' head utility regulator resigned Monday, two weeks after widespread outages afflicted the state following a record-breaking cold snap. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) Chair DeAnn Walker resigned effective immediately Monday afternoon. Her exit follows the resignation of several Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) board members, as well as her testimony at Texas Senate and House hearings, wherein she appeared not to know the full extent of her authority.