Imperial Approves Hoover Dam Contract

Imperial Irrigation District last week approved an agreement to secure an additional 3 MW of renewable energy from the Hoover Dam, bringing the reallocation total up to 10 MW for the next 50 years.

IID will pay an all-in rate of $27 to $29/MWh, compared with its all-in average ranging from $50 to $75/MWh. Delivery will begin Oct. 1, 2017, after the dam’s current contracts expire.

“This is an example of how IID is working to diversify its energy portfolio while, at the same time, investing in low-cost energy resources,” IID Board President Norma Sierra Galindo said. “It serves as an important reminder of the true nexus between water and power.”

More: Imperial Irrigation District

CONNECTICUT

State Building Energy Efficiency Program Apparently Stalled

A program established by the General Assembly in 2011 to increase energy efficiency in state buildings may be stalled, according to an Oct. 4 report issued by Acadia Center.

The “Lead by Example” (LBE) program was enacted with the goal of achieving a 20% reduction in energy use in state buildings by 2018.  LBE required the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to develop a plan achieving minimum energy savings targets by certain dates and to submit annual reports to the Energy & Technology Committee of the General Assembly regarding the status of implementation.

According to the Acadia Center, annual LBE status reports for 2013, 2014 and 2015 do not appear to have been submitted.

More: Acadia Center

Branford Expected to Approve Ordinance Banning Fracking Waste

Branford officials are expected to approve on Oct. 12 a proposed ordinance banning fracking waste from being used for any purpose within the town. The proposed ordinance does not affect transport of waste materials through Branford on Interstate 95.

If Branford approves the ordinance, it will be the fifth state municipality to enact such a regulation. The towns of Washington, Coventry, Mansfield and Portland also have banned fracking waste.

New proposed regulations addressing how the state will monitor the movement and usage of fracking waste are due between July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2018, according to the state’s Fracking Waste Moratorium.

More: New Haven Register

IDAHO

City Council Seeks Alternative To Second Transmission Line

The Ketchum City Council is seeking a renewable energy alternative to a second Idaho Power transmission line that is expected to cost ratepayers $30 million. The line was intended to address outages in the northern Wood River Valley if the existing transmission line fails.

The council voted last week to ask the state’s Public Utilities Commission to require Idaho Power to analyze the costs, benefits and reliability of an alternative project.

Members of the Ketchum Energy Advisory Committee “believe the $30 million proposed for the line is not the most efficient use of the funds,” Ketchum Planning Director Micah Austin said at last week’s council meeting.

More: Idaho Mountain Express

IOWA

Alliant Says ‘Sorry” for Higher-Than-Normal Bills

Alliant Energy has apologized to customers who were surprised by higher-than-normal bills, but stands by their accuracy.

Alliant installed a new software system that increased the number of checks it performs on customers’ monthly usage. When the system found usage that was a lot higher than in previous months, it sent estimated bills to customers.

The company said it has temporarily stopped disconnections for affected customers and that it will help them set up payment plans and waive late-payment fees.

More: The Des Moines Register

MASSACHUSETTS

Solar Farm Anticipated for Former Westover Air Base Land

The Chicopee City Council is expected to create a solar field on land outside Westover Air Reserve Base that once held about 128 homes.

Chicopee acquired the land in 2011. Last week, the council was asked to approve a 20- to 25-year lease with Con Edison Development, which was selected through a bidding process to design, construct and maintain a solar farm on the property.

The solar farm is expected to cut the base’s electric bill by 5%, or $100,000 a year.

More: MassLive

City-Funded Upgrades May Save Covanta Plant

Pittsfield’s city council will vote Tuesday on whether to spend $562,000 to upgrade Covanta’s waste-to-energy recycling facility to keep it open for at least four more years.

In July, Covanta announced plans to close the Pittsfield facility in March 2017, stating that high operating costs and the size of the plant made it unprofitable.

The money, which would come from Pittsfield’s economic development fund, would pay for a state-mandated recycling enclosure and upgrades to the facility’s fossil fuel boiler.

More: The Berkshire Eagle

NORTH CAROLINA

Hurricane Matthew Leaves Thousands Without Power

Hurricane Matthew has dissipated, but it left about 491,000 residents in the state without power in its wake as of Monday morning, according to the Department of Public Safety.

The figure, which includes about 310,000 Duke Energy customers, was as high as 600,000 on Sunday. Duke could not estimate how long it would take to restore service, but the prognosis is not good. “In some of the harder hit areas, we expect to have to rebuild portions of our system before we can restore power, and that takes time,” spokeswoman Meredith Archie said.

Duke has deployed about 5,600 workers to respond to outages and help with clean up, Archie said. Some communities on the state’s coast have been evacuated because of dangerous flooding.

More: The Associated Press; The News & Observer

OHIO

$8M Available for Clean Coal Research

The Development Services Agency is offering up to $8 million to advance research on cleaner, economical and greater use of the state’s coal and/or its combustion products.

The agency expects to issue eight to 10 awards for up to two years of research. Amounts will range from $3.5 million for full-scale projects to $100,000 for paper studies.

Proposals are due by the end of October to the Coal Development Office.

More: Columbus Business First