By Jason Fordney Western U.S. utilities procured three times more wind capacity in 2003-2014 than planned, showing there is a limited relationship between electricity resource planning and procurement, according to a new Department of Energy study. Actual and planned nameplate capacity additions by resource and contract type for 12 load-serving...

By Steve Huntoon We all follow Elon. (He’s ubiquitous.) Tesla buys — or bails out — SolarCity to create an even grander vision of integrating electric cars, solar panels and batteries. Huntoon Next will be Tesla/SolarCity buying SpaceX so the integrated electric cars, solar panels and batteries can be transported...

By Rich Heidorn Jr. Three public interest groups say they were shut out of last week’s FERC technical conference on tensions between state energy policies and wholesale markets (AD17-11) and called on the commission to improve the transparency of RTOs. In a letter to the commission, Public Citizen, the Public...

WASHINGTON — Last week’s FERC technical conference focused on tensions between state clean energy policies and RTO/ISO markets in the East. Yet witness after witness cited California to make their points — often in a context unflattering to the Golden State. Stoddard | © RTO Insider Exelon cited the closing...

By Rich Heidorn Jr. WASHINGTON — ISO-NE presented its proposal for a two-tiered capacity auction at last week’s FERC technical conference, saying it would incorporate state-mandated renewable generation while preventing oversupply and addressing objections to a regional carbon tax. The RTO released a 33-page description of the Competitive Auctions with...

By Rich Heidorn Jr. WASHINGTON — More than 50 stakeholders from PJM, NYISO and ISO-NE made their cases to FERC last week on how to resolve the increasing conflicts between state energy policies and wholesale markets. Many of those who testified also had appeared at the commission’s September 2013 technical...

By Michael Kuser and Rich Heidorn Jr. WASHINGTON — If the economists who testified at FERC’s technical conference last week agreed on nothing else, it is that a carbon adder is the simplest way for the power markets to value emission-free generation. New York is going to try and translate...

By Rich Heidorn Jr. WASHINGTON — The minimum offer price rule came up frequently at last week’s FERC technical conference exploring tensions between state clean energy policies and RTO/ISO markets in the East, with some witnesses calling for its expansion and others seeking its relaxation or abolition. Erwin | ©...

By Rory D. Sweeney WASHINGTON — If anyone thought FERC dragging state and RTO stakeholders here for a technical conference might jolt everyone on the PJM playground into playing nice with each other, Robert Erwin of the Maryland Public Service Commission quickly disabused the standing-room-only crowd of that notion. Erwin...

By Rich Heidorn Jr. and Michael Kuser WASHINGTON — RTO capacity markets are in serious danger from state renewable procurements and subsidies for nuclear plants, speakers told FERC on Monday. Bentz | © RTO Insider Jeffrey W. Bentz, director of analysis for the New England States Committee on Electricity, said...