COLORADO
PUC Investigates Xcel over Power Outage Complaints
The Public Utilities Commission last week discussed how to move forward with its investigation of Xcel Energy over the numerous complaints about power outages.
Erin O’Neill, deputy director of fixed utilities for the commission, said there are a lot of unanswered questions about what is causing the outages and how Xcel is responding.
More: CPR News
IOWA
Republicans, Sierra Club File Lawsuits Against Summit Pipeline Decision
A group of nearly 40 lawmakers comprising the Republican Legislative Intervenors for Justice, along with the Sierra Club’s state chapter, last week said they plan to ask federal and state courts to rule that the Utilities Commission acted illegally and unconstitutionally in its approval of Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline.
The pipeline “prioritizes corporate interests in tax credits over the safety, property rights and well-being of Iowa’s citizens,” according to a statement from the lawmakers.
The Utilities Commission approved the application in June, under the conditions that Summit submitted documentation of various regulating requirements and an insurance policy. The $8 billion pipeline project would connect to 57 ethanol plants and stretch across Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota.
More: Iowa Capital Dispatch; Radio Iowa
KENTUCKY
Beshear Names Stacy to PSC
Gov. Andy Beshear last week named John Will Stacy, a state representative from 1993 to 2015, to the Public Service Commission.
Stacy was House majority whip serving alongside then-House Speaker Greg Stumbo and then-House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, who is now a senior adviser to Beshear.
Stacy replaces Kent Chandler, the former chair, after he resigned in June.
More: Kentucky Lantern
MONTANA
PSC to Investigate NorthWestern Energy Committee
The Public Service Commission last week voted to open an investigation into NorthWestern Energy’s Electric Technical Advisory Committee.
This summer, three renewable energy groups raised questions about whether NorthWestern was legally running the committee, which makes recommendations about resource planning for the future. The groups said NorthWestern was closing its meetings to the public without adequate justification and hadn’t chosen members who represent broad interests.
The investigation will allow the PSC to collect information and materials about the committee and post it on its public portal.
More: Daily Montanan
NEW YORK
Vestas Secures Empire Wind 1 Project Order
Vestas last week announced it has secured an 810 MW offshore order from Equinor to power the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project.
The order includes 54 V236-15.0 MW turbines and marks the company’s first U.S. order for an offshore platform and this type of turbine.
Turbine delivery is expected to begin in 2026 with completion scheduled for 2027.
More: North American Windpower
NORTH CAROLINA
UC Staff Recommends Reducing VEPCO’s Proposed Rate Hike
Utilities Commission staff last week recommended a $28.6 million rate increase for Virginia Electric and Power Co. (VEPCO), about half of what the company originally requested.
The recommended increase is premised on a 9.60% ROE, which is 15 points below the utility’s currently authorized ROE. It is also significantly below the 10.60% ROE requested by VEPCO.
VEPCO has initially asked for a $56.6 million increase.
More: S&P Global
OHIO
FirstEnergy to Pay $100M in HB 6 Settlement with SEC
FirstEnergy last week agreed to pay a $100 million fine to settle civil fraud charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission related to the House Bill 6 nuclear power plant bailout scandal.
The utility’s former CEO, Charles Jones, will still face charges from the SEC, which is accusing him of misleading investors after former House Speaker Larry Householder was arrested in the $60 million bribery case in 2020.
The SEC fine is significantly higher than FirstEnergy’s $20 million settlement with state prosecutors made a month ago.
More: Statehouse News Bureau
VIRGINIA
Appalachian Power Requests Reduction to Net-metering Pay Rate
Appalachian Power on Aug. 30 submitted a request to the State Corporation Commission for a 70% reduction in its net-metering pay rate.
Appalachian Power is currently paying participants 16 cents/kWh for the excess power they generate, and wants to grandfather them for 25 years, while offering new participants 4 cents/kWh. For a customer who needs about 1,000 kW and generates 1,057 kW through their panels, the change would result in a monthly bill increase from $7.96 to $66.95.
The commission is expected to review the request over the next 12 months.
More: Virginia Mercury
Fairfax County to Regulate Data Center Construction
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last week voted 8-2 to put new restrictions on data centers and where they can be located.
Where the centers are built has been controversial in many parts of the state, including Loudoun and Prince William counties. While Fairfax County has about 3 million square feet of data centers, Loudoun County has more than 30 million.
The new regulations were passed after a four-hour public hearing.
More: DC News Now
TEXAS
Golden Pass LNG Requests Extension from FERC
Golden Pass LNG on Aug. 28 requested a three-year extension from FERC to finish construction of its facility near Sabine Pass.
The requested extension would give Golden Pass until Nov. 30, 2029, to finish the project. The request comes after Golden Pass LNG’s lead construction contractor, Zachry Holdings, was ordered to exit the project in July in an “efficient and cooperative manner” by a bankruptcy judge.
Golden Pass has already been issued one extension by FERC on Dec. 11, 2019, until Nov. 30, 2026.
More: Houston Chronicle