APS, SolarCity to Air TV Ads to Support Favored ACC Candidates

The fight between the parent company of Arizona Public Service and rooftop solar company SolarCity to elect their favored political candidates to the state Corporation Commission continues, as both are spending big to air advertising on television.

Pinnacle West Capital, which owns APS, is planning to spend $1 million through a newly formed political committee to get three Republicans elected to the five-member commission. SolarCity has spent about $1.4 million supporting one Republican and two Democrats, according to financial disclosures.

It is widely believed that APS spent $3.2 million in 2014 to help elect the present all-Republican commission — an allegation that APS has neither confirmed nor denied. The FBI confirmed in June that it is investigating APS and a former regulator for issues involving the 2014 elections.

More: The Arizona Republic

CONNECTICUT

State Ends Effort to Increase Natural Gas Capacity Following Neighboring Court Decisions

State officials announced last week that they are abandoning their effort to increase natural gas capacity through an upgrade to existing transmission pipelines owned by Spectra Energy.

The decision came after courts in Massachusetts and New Hampshire ruled that the cost of upgrading pipelines could not be passed along to ratepayers in those states.

“If you can’t spread the cost across the entire region, it doesn’t make any sense to continue on,” said Dennis Schain, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

More: New Haven Register

ILLINOIS

Proposed Bill Asks Ratepayers for Up to $265M to Save Nuclear Plants

Exelon may be shuttering two of the state’s six nuclear plants beginning in 2017 unless ratepayers statewide pay up to $265 million per year to save them.

Representatives of the power giant and its subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison, are seeking to pass a bill in the Legislature’s November fall veto session that would save the Clinton plant from closure in 2017 and the Quad Cities plant from closure in 2018.

A draft version of the bill — which proposes the state’s most far-reaching energy policy changes since deregulation in 1997 — also would tap ratepayers to fund new wind farms, solar installations, programs to cut power consumption and other items.

More: Crain’s Chicago Business

MICHIGAN

Senate Could Vote in Two Weeks On Compromise Energy Bill

State senators could vote in two weeks on a compromise bill requiring state utilities to generate at least 15% of their electricity from renewable energy sources through 2012 — a 5% increase over what the law presently requires.

Additionally, the bill sets a goal that utilities achieve 35% of their power from a combination of renewable sources and energy efficiency savings by 2030. It also allows alternative energy suppliers to offer competing plans when utilities propose to build new power plants.

The bill ends a logjam between Republicans, who favor letting the market dictate utilities’ choices, and Democrats and environmental groups, who believe utilities will not pursue sources such as wind or solar without a statutory requirement.

More: Crain’s Detroit Business

MISSISSIPPI

NEP Solar Plant Lawsuit Against Aberdeen Postponed

A lawsuit over a solar plant that was to be built in Aberdeen has been postponed for 30 days to allow plaintiff National Energy Partners to retain new attorneys.

In December 2012, NEP signed a contract with Aberdeen to build a solar power system and sell electricity to the city over a 25-year period. In September 2014, NEP was assigned the rights for the project. Then-Mayor Cecil Belle subsequently canceled the contract when little progress was made over the next 12 months.

NEP argues that the contract required Aberdeen to make any complaints in writing and allow it time to correct any problems. The city argues that the contract — although signed by Belle — is invalid because the city board did not formally approve it.

More: Mississippi Business Journal

NORTH DAKOTA

Montana-Dakota Utilities Requests 6.6% Rate Increase

Montana-Dakota Utilities has filed a request with state regulators for a rate increase of $13.4 million per year, which amounts to 6.6%.

MDU also asked the state Public Service Commission to implement within 60 days of its filing an interim rate increase, which would be subject to refund if the final authorized increase is less than the interim.

The utility cited increased investments in facilities, depreciation, operation and maintenance expenses and taxes as the reasons for the proposed increase.

More: Bowman County Pioneer

OHIO

Report: Clean Energy Policies Good for Job Growth, Consumers

Two national environmental groups issued a report last week forecasting that the state would gain tens of thousands of jobs and consumers would reap millions in savings if the state increases its support for clean energy policies.

The report, issued by the Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund, came at a time when some Republican lawmakers are seeking to extend a two-year freeze on the state’s clean energy standards, which are scheduled to be lifted at the end of this year.

The report forecasts that by 2030 state support for clean energy policies would create an increase in jobs ranging from 82,300 to 136,000 and a reduction in consumers’ electricity bills ranging from $28.8 million to $50.9 million per year.

More: The Columbus Dispatch

RHODE ISLAND

Utilidata, National Grid Strike Deal to Expand EE Technology

Technology company Utilidata has announced an agreement with National Grid for a statewide expansion of its energy-efficiency pilot program.

Utilidata has developed technology that lowers the voltage of electricity from substations to distribution lines. In 2013, Utilidata and National Grid signed a $500,000 deal for installation of the technology on its lines in Smithfield.

For this new agreement, the state Public Utilities Commission will need to approve the cost of equipment before National Grid can spend money, said David Graves, utility spokesman. The projected cost will be included in public documents when National Grid files its capital-expenses budget anticipated in late November, Graves said.

More: Providence Journal

SOUTH DAKOTA

PUC Schedules Hearing on Wind Power Price Dispute

The state Public Utilities Commission has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for April 11-14 to determine what price NorthWestern Energy should pay for electricity from three of Juhl Energy’s wind farms.

Under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, NorthWestern must purchase the electricity — but the companies sharply disagree as to the purchase price, which is supposed to be equal to what the NorthWestern would pay for the power through its own generation or bought from another source. Juhl calculated $60.70/MWh, while NorthWestern calculated $24.35/MWh.

The commission is willing to pay up to $38,000 to an outside consultant to assist with the pricing analysis.

More: Rapid City Journal

VERMONT

Governor Candidates Differ on Where They’ll Go for Energy

Both major candidates for governor say they want to achieve the state’s goals of meeting 90% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2050 — but differ sharply on where they won’t go for energy.

Republican Phil Scott said during a televised debate that he would veto any bill calling for a tax on carbon-based fuels. He also does not want to see more wind power turbines on the state’s mountaintops.

Democrat Sue Minter said during the debate that she would not rule out a carbon tax to reduce emissions if other Northeastern states joined in. She does not want more fossil fuel pipelines, but she has said a new technology for “decarbonized natural gas” under development by a California utility could possibly change her position.

More: The Associated Press