By William Opalka The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has ruled that electric distribution companies can sign contracts for natural gas capacity and pass the costs on to electric ratepayers (15-37). Proponents of building gas infrastructure to supply electric generation have argued that the increasing reliance on natural gas requires...

By William Opalka Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said last week that long-term contracts for hydropower are the quickest and most cost-effective way for the state to reduce rising energy costs and reach greenhouse gas reduction goals. The first-term Republican testified before the legislature’s Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy...

Entergy Gets PSC Approval for 20-Year PPA with NextEra Solar The Public Service Commission has approved Entergy Arkansas’ request to enter into a 20-year power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy, which is building an 81-MW solar plant near Stuttgart. The facility, which will cover more than 400 acres, will be the...

RGGI Allowances Clear at $6.02 The nine Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative last week said the 29th auction of CO2 allowances on Wednesday sold at a clearing price of $6.02. The price is 23% higher than the clearing price from a year ago. Proceeds for...

By William Opalka When the Clean Power Plan was released last year, New York’s grid operator was concerned with its impact despite the state’s membership in a regional carbon trading regime. Reliance on coal generation had threated reliability, in the view of NYISO, so changes needed to be made, even...

Superior Court Directs Suit Against Delmarva to PSC A class-action challenge to Delmarva Power and Light will be heard by the Public Service Commission after a Superior Court judge ruled that the court doesn’t have jurisdiction. William Whipple III filed the case against the state’s largest utility, arguing that its Bloom...

Fuel-Cell Plant Headed to Siting Council A principal in the Middletown company that wants to build a 63.3-MW fuel-cell power plant in Beacon Falls says the project’s plan will be submitted to the Connecticut Siting Council by the end of month. The Beacon Falls Energy Park, which was announced in...

Personal finance website WalletHub has released a study that ranks the states and D.C. based on the average monthly cost of energy, with breakdowns by electricity, natural gas, vehicle fuel and home heating oil. D.C. ranked lowest overall, followed by Colorado and Washington state. Connecticut, Wyoming and Massachusetts had the...

By William Opalka Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has commissioned a study to assess New England’s natural gas supplies and other energy needs. The study, which is being funded by the Boston-based Barr Foundation, will identify options to address electric reliability needs through 2030. Economic consulting firm Analysis Group has...

New Law Shields Regulators’ Communications The General Assembly has exempted from public review some communications among members of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. The legislature approved a bill exempting communications that occur between scheduled meetings after the regulatory agency said its communications were hampered by requests citing the Freedom of Information...