COLORADO
United Power to Leave Tri-State G&T
United Power announced it will cut ties with Tri-State Generation and Transmission, effective May 1.
The departure follows years of conflicts between the cooperative and Tri-State over the power supplier’s rates, what critics considered an overreliance on coal and restrictions on how much power members could independently generate.
United Power must pay $627 million to end its contract early.
More: Greeley Tribune
ILLINOIS
Wind Power Takes Dip, Could be Lessened by Climate Change
The amount of electricity generated from wind power — the state’s biggest source of renewable energy — took a 6% dip from last year. Meanwhile, natural gas-generated electricity had a 43% jump in 2023, government data showed.
A pressure system in Canada was a big reason wind power decreased, as shifting wind directions affected how much power the state’s turbines generated.
Scientists have been trying to understand how much climate change is affecting wind speed. Global warming affects wind and different regions are likely to experience it differently. Scientists hope to better understand how these shifts affect the Midwest, which has an abundance of wind farms.
More: Inside Climate News
MAINE
Gov. Mills Vetoes Bill Requiring Clean Energy Developers to Work with Unions
Gov. Janet Mills (D) on April 26 vetoed a bill requiring that companies leasing state land for clean energy projects work with unions.
The bill was aimed at the offshore wind power terminal and manufacturing facility the Mills administration aims to build in Searsport. Mills said she vetoed the bill because it contained ambiguous language and was too far-reaching, saying it was unclear whether it applied only to construction work or extended to all types of clean energy projects.
More: Portland Press-Herald
MASSACHUSETTS
Bourne Tidal Turbine Test Site Awarded FERC License
The Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative (MRECo) on April 26 was awarded an eight-year pilot license by FERC to test marine renewable energy generating tidal turbines at the Bourne Tidal Test Site.
The license will allow MRECo to manage tidal turbine testing in the Cape Cod Canal’s ocean waters. The testing includes turbine efficiency, generation capacity, durability and potential environmental effects.
More: Renewable Energy Magazine
NORTH DAKOTA
McLean County Rejects Wind Farm Permit
The McLean County Commission on April 18 unanimously voted to deny a preliminary project area permit for what would be the state’s largest wind farm.
Residents’ concerns about the project’s potential impacts to roads, farming operations, a local airport and wildlife were cited by the commission as reasons for denying the permit. The permit was just the first regulatory approval needed for the 94-turbine, 30,000-acre project.
More: The Bismarck Tribune
OHIO
Bill Seeks to Expand on Political Transparency
A bill introduced in the House Government Oversight Committee would ban public utilities from recouping their costs for political expenditures from customers, require companies to report their political expenditures and fine companies that don’t follow the rules.
The fines would be placed in a fund for those needing assistance with their utility bills.
More: WOSU
PENNSYLVANIA
Gov. Shapiro Commits to Purchasing Half of Agencies’ Power from Solar
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) on April 22 announced that half of all power used by 16 state agencies will soon be solar generated.
Through the Pennsylvania Project to Utilize Light and Solar Energy (PA Pulse) initiative, the state has committed to purchasing half of its electricity from 10 in-state solar arrays. Shapiro says the state will purchase 361,000 MWh through a 15-year fixed price agreement.
More: WHTM
TEXAS
PUC OK Rules for Natural Gas Incentive Program
The Public Utility Commission on April 25 cleared one of the final hurdles for the Texas Energy Fund, a $10 billion voter-approved program crafted during 2023′s legislative session, by establishing rules allowing companies to be reimbursed an estimated 10% of the cost to build eligible natural gas power plants completed before June 1, 2026.
The commission will begin accepting applications for the loan program in June. The program will remain open until the end of 2025. The PUC will open applications for the completion reimbursement program Jan. 1, 2025. Eligible power plants must have a capacity of at least 100 MW.
More: The Dallas Morning News
VIRGINIA
Hecate Secures Permit for 150-MW Solar Project
The Cumberland County Board on April 24 granted renewables developer Hecate Energy a permit to build a 150-MW solar park.
The solar farm will be installed across nearly 1,000 acres and is set to be complete in 2030. It will be capable of generating more than 300,000 MWh annually.
More: Renewables Now
