REGIONAL
$3B Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion Planned for Southeast
Kinder Morgan and Southern Natural Gas last week announced their proposed $3 billion natural gas expansion project called the South System Expansion 4 Project.
The project, which would deliver over a billion cubic feet of natural gas daily, would stretch nearly 300 miles across Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. The companies are splitting the cost.
Construction is expected to start in 2027.
More: WJCL
CALIFORNIA
Edison International Faces Shareholder Lawsuit over LA Wildfires
Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, has been sued for allegedly defrauding shareholders before the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires by assuring them it could shut down power lines to reduce the risk of catastrophic damage.
Shareholders said Edison made materially false and misleading statements for nearly four years before the fire by assuring its utility unit used a power shutoff program to “proactively de-energize power lines” to reduce wildfire risks during “extreme weather events.” The shareholders said reports claim Edison had not de-energized the lines, while lawsuits blamed the company’s equipment for starting the Eaton fire.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for shareholders.
More: Reuters
Lawmaker Proposes Law to Limit Rate Increases for Investor-owned Utilities
Sen. Aisha Wahab last week introduced a bill that would prohibit investor-owned utilities from proposing more than one rate increase per year.
The bill would also cap any rate increase to no more than the Consumer Price Index, which is a measure of the average change over time in the prices consumers generally pay for goods and services.
The Public Utilities Commission approved six rate increases for PG&E in 2024, which later announced it made a record $2.47 billion in profits.
More: KCRA
ILLINOIS
Madigan Convicted of Bribery Conspiracy
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan was convicted last week on 10 counts relating to a nearly decadelong bribery conspiracy involving ComEd.
The jury also convicted Madigan of a plot to install ex-Ald. Danny Solis on a state board in exchange for Solis’ help securing private business for Madigan’s law firm. However, the jury acquitted Madigan of attempted extortion and other crimes involving Solis and an apartment project, as well as failing to agree on finding Madigan guilty of a broad racketeering conspiracy.
The most serious counts carry a maximum of 20 years in prison for the 82-year-old. No sentencing hearing has been set.
More: Chicago Sun-Times
IOWA
House Advances Bills Aimed Against CO2 Pipelines
A House subcommittee last week advanced bills aimed at curtailing carbon sequestration pipelines.
One bill would allow landowners to seek declaratory judgment, or a legally binding explanation of their rights, from a district court if their property were subject to an eminent domain claim in an application before the Utilities Commission. Another bill would limit permits to liquified CO2 pipelines to 25 years and prohibit the UC from renewing those permits.
More: Iowa Capital Dispatch
MARYLAND
Constellation to Upgrade Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant
Constellation Energy last week said it will spend $100 million to upgrade equipment and electrical systems at its Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant.
The company is upgrading the plant with the hopes of renewing its operating licenses. The current licenses for its two reactors expire in 2034 and 2036. The upgrades are expected to increase production by 10%.
More: The Baltimore Banner
MICHIGAN
PSC Approves DTE’s Application for Cold Creek Solar Project
The Public Service Commission has approved DTE Electric’s application for its 100-MW Cold Creek Solar Park Project.
The project will provide power to Ford Motor Co. through DTE’s voluntary green pricing program.
Commercial operation is expected in late 2026.
More: WTVB
MINNESOTA
PUC Approves Xcel Gas Rate Increase
The Public Utilities Commission last week approved an 8.17% rate increase for Xcel Energy natural gas customers, effective July 1.
The PUC approved the deal between Xcel and officials, which was down from an original request of 9.6%. The increase will add about $4.20/month to the average household.
More: The Minnesota Star Tribune
PENNSYLVANIA
Senate Votes to Pull State from RGGI
The state Senate has passed a bill that would pull the state out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
The bill formally repeals Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI, ensuring that any decision to impose electricity taxes or emissions programs must go through the legislative process rather than being enacted unilaterally by the executive branch.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.
More: PA Senate Republicans
SOUTH CAROLINA
Santee Cooper OKs VC Summer Settlement
The Santee Cooper Board of Directors last week unanimously approved a settlement that will enable the company to raise rates for the second time this year to recover $550 million in costs it incurred during a nearly five-year freeze on its electric rates.
The increase is expected to start at about 3% ($5/month) for the average household and gradually decline to less than 2%. The collection period will last 14½ years starting in July.
The resolution follows years of negotiations with Central Electric Power Cooperative and lawyers who filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of ratepayers in 2017. The litigation followed the utility’s decision to abandon the expansion of the V.C. Summer nuclear plant after sinking billions of dollars into the doomed project.
More: The Post and Courier
