Delmarva Proposes Four-Year Rate Plan
Delmarva Power filed a proposed four-year rate plan with the Public Service Commission that would add $2.40 a month to average customer bills. Rather than the company seeking reimbursement for past expenses, the “forward-looking” plan would create a budget for future spending.
More: WHYY; Delaware State News
INDIANA
Lawmakers Eye Modular Reactors
No proposal is on the table, but a General Assembly committee started examining pros and cons of small modular reactors.
More: nwitimes.com
KENTUCKY
Ky. Power OK’d to Buy 50% of Mitchell Plant
AEP subsidiary Kentucky Power won Public Service Commission approval for the utility’s purchase of half of the 780-MW Mitchell plant from sister company Ohio Power. Meanwhile AEP unit Appalachian Power awaits West Virginia approval to buy the other half.
More: The Intelligencer
MICHIGAN
ITC Activates Thumb Loop Phase 1
ITC Holdings Corp. put the first phase of its Thumb Loop, a 62-mile 345 kV line between Tuscola County and Huron County, into service. It said the rest of the 140-mile project is on schedule for completion in 2015. Designed to deliver wind power from the Thumb region, the project will have a capacity of about 5,000 MW.
More: CBS Detroit
Utility Wind Contracts Draw Criticism
Critics say a lack of competition and transparency in utility wind power contracts utilities leaves the public ignorant of whether the deals are good for ratepayers.
More: Midwest Energy News
NEW JERSEY
BPU Seeks Input on Auction Changes
The Board of Public Utilities is taking a survey on whether to carve renewable energy out of the auction for basic generation service as a report shows ratepayers have paid $388 million for the clean energy program.
More: NJSpotlight
OHIO
Blame Makes Rounds in Ormet Shutdown
Ohio officials traded blame after Ormet said it will shut down its aluminum manufacturing plant because the Public Service Commission approved an electricity rate break smaller than the company had sought. About 750 jobs will be lost.
More: News and Sentinel
PENNSYLVANIA
Brown Takes Seat on PUC
Former state Senate aide Gladys Brown was sworn in to the Public Utility Commission after unanimous Senate confirmation. Brown has served since 1991 as counsel to the Senate Democratic Leader, where she worked on many major utility issues.
More: Pa. PUC
VIRGINIA
Dominion Signs Offshore-Wind Lease
Dominion Virginia Power signed the lease and sent the government a check on 113,000 offshore acres intended for wind power development. The utility won the lease with a $1.6 million bid. (See Will an Old Utility Learn New Tricks?)
More: Richmond Times-Dispatch
WEST VIRGINIA
FE Accepts WV Terms
FirstEnergy agreed to West Virginia’s terms for approval of the company’s proposed generation asset transfer. The company’s Mon Power unit will own the Harrison Power Station and use local coal. Average customer bills will drop by about $1.50 per month. A citizen group said it would challenge the transfer approval.
More: The State Journal
