By William Opalka Massachusetts regulators have rejected fees National Grid sought to impose on small commercial and industrial customers that own distributed energy resources (15-155). In an order approved Sept. 30 that granted the utility a $101 million rate increase, the Department of Public Utilities rejected proposed monthly charges for...

Gov. Brown Signs Sweeping Energy Bill Brown Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill setting a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, which means that residents can expect to feel more of what Brown has called the “coercive power of government.” Businesses will likely face...

By William Opalka and Rory Sweeney The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative reported another lackluster carbon allowance auction last week, bolstering calls by Massachusetts and others for more aggressive cuts in the compact’s emission caps. But as the program conducts its triennial review of how it should operate in 2020 and...

By William Opalka Eversource Energy and National Grid have withdrawn their requests to bill electric ratepayers for natural gas capacity from the proposed Access Northeast pipeline project, bowing to a ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The filings made Monday for their four electric distribution companies followed the court’s...

By Michael Brooks and William Opalka Massachusetts’ highest court Wednesday struck down regulators’ plan to allow electric distribution companies to charge ratepayers for additional natural gas pipeline capacity, concluding that the legislature intended for electricity and gas utilities to be regulated separately (SJC-12051). The Department of Public Utilities issued the...

Public Policy, Market Efficiency Theme of PJM’s Grid 20/20 Public policy goals and market efficiency are the topics of PJM’s upcoming Grid 20/20 conference, to be held Aug. 18 in Audubon, Pa., the RTO announced. Panelists will explore how market rules can further public policy goals without distorting market principles.

By William Opalka and Rich Heidorn Jr. With only hours to go at the end of its session, the Massachusetts legislature Sunday night passed a major energy bill that boosts Canadian hydropower and offshore wind as sources to meet the state’s clean energy goals. Legislative negotiators worked through the weekend...

By Ted Caddell and Rich Heidorn Jr. NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Exelon’s Constellation Energy Resources unit is buying Consolidated Edison’s retail energy business as it continues its efforts to hedge against falling wholesale power prices. Constellation’s purchase of the retail division of ConEdison Solutions will give it another 560,000 residential, commercial...

Electricity Price Plunge Continues in ISO-NE ISO-NE said that prices and consumption remained low throughout New England in June. The six-state region’s average real-time, monthly wholesale power price during June was $21.24/MWh, up 8.3% from June 2015’s average price of $19.61/MWh, but lower than May’s $21.29, which held the record...

By William Opalka MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — New England states are moving ahead with their own greenhouse gas reduction programs while EPA’s Clean Power Plan remains in legal limbo. At the Northeast Energy and Commerce Association Annual Environmental Conference on Wednesday, panelists said that the nine-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative remains...