Energy & Water

The Texas Pulic Utilities Chair joins the refrain calling for reduced elecrtric rates base don the federal income tax savings.

3 things to know:

• The PUC Chair calls for rate case in light of federal tax savings
• The PUC will take the matter up on 2/15
• PUC has asked all utilities to track their rates under current system & under the tax cut

Quote from PUC CHair Walker: “People today are paying something that they shouldn’t be, in my mind,” 

Houston Chronicle | PUC chairman raises concerns about CenterPoint’s rates

What entity conducted the study? Salt River Project in Arizona + the  Electric Power Research Institute

What were the parameters of the Study? 100 EV drivers charging habits were studied by  installing Fleetcarma data loggers in their vehicles

What did the study show?

• time-of-use (TOU) rates were effective at helping push those loads off peak
• TOU rates will allow the electric provider to meet customer demand without needing to add power plants
• The utility is concerned whether the TOU will withstanding increased scale, backed by concerns that new EV drivers may not be “as sophisticated”

What’s the game plan for the provider? outreach programs for new EV drivers

Electric Light & Power | Salt River Project provides results of electric vehicles study

Utility Dive | Time-of-use rates can manage EV charging, new report says 

Why did a Pennsylvania Republican State Representative took on transmission line agents? Constituents say line agents were pressuring land owners

What bad acts by line agents triggered constituent unrest?

• Agents said they would  “call the sheriff’s office and arrest residents who did not sign letters”
• Agents were seeking pre-condemnation access before the transmission line project was approved by the requisite state agency
• Agents gave land owners a letter that misrepresented state eminent domain laws

York Dispatch | State rep takes on power line agents who pressured residents

Add the Texas Railroad Commission to list of regulators wanting gas utilities to pass along federal tax benefits to ratepayers.

RRC Chair Craddick’s statement:

• “We will look at the effect on gas rates to guarantee companies share their savings with their customers, allowing Texans to keep more of their paycheck as (the new tax law) intended,”

RRC spokesperson statements:

• “I can just tell you without question that (Texas gas utility customers) will see the impact of it at some point soon,”
• “We want to make sure that (gas utility) companies have a directive from this agency to set aside the cost-savings for the purpose of giving those dollars saved back to the consumer” one way or another

Statesman | Texas regulators want gas utility customers to see tax-cut savings

Refreshing your informed:intel recollection on January 16, 2018:

Texas Attorney General Paxton is joining the chorus to pass along federal tax savings by lower utility rates. Here’s what you need to know:

• General Paxton joins 17 other states in asking FERC to allow for lower utility rates
• FERC must take action to ” adjust the public utilities’ revenue requirements to reflect this federal corporate income tax reduction”
• The FERC revenue change would bring lower rates faster than an after-the-fact “true-up” 

Southeast Texas Record | Paxton part of coalition asking Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reduce utility rates

Refreshing your informed:intel recollection, on January 11, 2018: 

Where: New York

What are regulators doing to lower utility rates? At the behest of the Governor, regulators are analyzing how much utility companies will save from the federal tax cuts and transfering that savings to lower utility rates

How much of a savings is esgtimated? $80 million statewide savings, translating to a 2% reduction in utility bills.

Albany Times Union | PSC, Cuomo want Trump utility tax cuts to benefit ratepayers

Background: 

• A 2018 study by  Environmental Working Group found 37 small Texas water utilities violate federal standards for radium
• A 2016 study that founf 34 rural Texas drinking water systems violatr arsenic standards
• A 2016 study found that 53 of the 100 community water systems with the most violations are int Texas

2 Reasons we got here:

• Lack of resources for small water utilities
• A skeptism of federal water standards

Tyler Morning Telegraph | Why are Texas’ smaller utilities not cleaning up drinking water?

The business entity behind the LIVE ELECTRIC campaign: Rocky Mountain Power

Goals of the LIVE ELECTRIC campaign: 

•  incentivize the move toward electric vehicles
• by installing new DC fast-charging stations 
• to support 50,000 more electric cars on Utah roads in the next 10 years

The benefit to ride share: improved accessibility for EV ride share drivers

Rocky Mountain Power’s partners in LIVE ELECTRIC:b

•  Department of Energy
• Utah Clean Cities
• State of Utah
• Local community partners

http://www.liveelectric.org

NASDAQ Global News Wire | Rocky Mountain Power, Summit County and Salt Lake City Partner With Uber and Lyft to Reduce Emissions

New Hampshire Legislature is considering House Bill 1226 (2018) that exempts from drought restrictions private wells.

What supporters say:

• This is basic Property Rights
• This is the legal tradition for riparian rights
• If opponents want to stop private wells from use during drought, then private wells should be reimbursed for the property rights loss

What opponents say:

• private wells still draw down water reserves 

Concord Monitor | Homes with private wells would be exempt from drought restrictions

Texas Attorney General Paxton is joining the chorus to pass along federal tax savings by lower utility rates. Here’s what you need to know:

• General Paxton joins 17 other states in asking FERC to allow for lower utility rates
• FERC must take action to ” adjust the public utilities’ revenue requirements to reflect this federal corporate income tax reduction”
• The FERC revenue change would bring lower rates faster than an after-the-fact “true-up” 

Southeast Texas Record | Paxton part of coalition asking Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reduce utility rates

refreshing your informed:intel recollection, on January 11, 2018: 

Where: New York

What are regulators doing to lower utility rates? At the behest of the Governor, regulators are analyzing how much utility companies will save from the federal tax cuts and transfering that savings to lower utility rates

How much of a savings is esgtimated? $80 million statewide savings, translating to a 2% reduction in utility bills.

Albany Times Union | PSC, Cuomo want Trump utility tax cuts to benefit ratepayers

Virginia’s HB 1294 requires a natural gas company to post a performance bond, a water quality impact bond, to be accessed for a pipeline project that damages water quality.

Roanoke Times | Roanoke, Blacksburg Democrats roll out pipeline-related bills

Virginia’s HB 1188 will: 

• Require independent water quality tests before pipeline operations begin
• Provides for annual groundwater testing
• Prohibits pipeline leaks
• Requires daily checks of pipeline operations
• Establishes financial penalties for gas leaks

Roanoke Times | Roanoke, Blacksburg Democrats roll out pipeline-related bills

Virginia’s HB 1187 (SB 324) will:

• Prohibit the surveying of land until a a public use certification has been issued
• Requires notification to landowners about surveying timelines and locations
• $500/day damages to landwoners if surveyers fail to meet the bill’s standards

Roanoke Times | Roanoke, Blacksburg Democrats roll out pipeline-related bills

• State remediation required if per- and polyfluoroalkyl levels that meet or exceed 70 parts per trillion
• Applies to both commercial and residential drinking water
• New regulatory standards backed by Governor
• This new standard mirrors the EPA guidelines

What was the catalyst for the new standards:

• legacy pollution from a former chemical dumping site that’s impacting at least 14 communities
• A December 2017 supplmental spending bill that provides $23.2 million in state money for clean up

The Detroit News | Michigan sets limit for chemical contaminants in water

New Hampshire’s HB 485 (2018 Session), calls for clean drinking water by:

• Not calling for a set level of PFCs
• Allowing for rule making by Department of Environmental Services
• Addresses drinking water that is surface water (HB 1590 New Hampshire 2018) , public drinking water systems  (HB 1618 New Hampshire) & bottle water (HB 1632 New Hampshire 2018)
• HB 1766 (2018 New Hampshire) adds in checking for arsenic levels

New Hampshire Public Radio | N.H. Legislature To Take Up Several Bills On Water Contamination, Health Hazards 

Where: New York

What are regulators doing to lower utility rates? At the behest of the Governor, regulators are analyzing how much utility companies will save from the federal tax cuts and transfering that savings to lower utility rates

How much of a savings is esgtimated? $80 million statewide savings, translating to a 2% reduction in utility bills.

Albany Times Union | PSC, Cuomo want Trump utility tax cuts to benefit ratepayers 

• Consumer Facing products compete with Utilities. 
  • ​CEO: Adrian Tuck, CEO of Tendril
  • 4 Ways retailers can smartly react:
    •  All-digital offerings
    • Laser-focused data analytics
    • DERs bundled with smart home applications
    • Advanced software that manages supply risk and reduces customer turnover.
• EVs
  • ​C-Suite: AEE Matt Stanberry, vice president of market development
  • What to watch: Utility Commissions opening an EV docket
    • Michigan did it already
• Millenials
  • ​CEO: Patty Durand, CEO of Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative
  • 10 energy hot topics that Millenials want:
    • energy usage reports
    • app-based savings suggestions
    • prepaid billing
    • energy usage tracking
    • community solar
    • electric vehicles
    • energy storage
    • smart appliances
    • smart home
    • utilities that invest heavily in smart grid infrastructure upgrades and renewable energy generation 
• Residential Customers Control More Energy
  • ​CEO: Sue Kelly, CEO of American Public Power Association
  • electricity consumption could increase due to new uses such as transportation & heating
• DER aggregation picks up the pace- even more
  • CEO: Jon Wellinghoff, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
  • DERs will provide more transmission services
  • The benefit of DER aggregation: additional revenue opportunities during other hours of the year when the need is not there

Utility Dive | Predictions 2018: Customer engagement, smart energy platforms key DR trends this year

Trains are leading the way to transport fuel to meet Mexico’s demand.

3 Advantages to trains:

• Train tracks already exist
• Building pipelines take time to acquire land and build
• Purchasing additional trains is quick and gives trains a 3-5 year head start

Kallanish Energy | Rail wins race to supply Mexico with U.S. fuel

Florida Legislature is considering HB 1133 would make solar and energy storage the go-to solution for disaster recovery by:

• Offsets emergency facilities’ power needs
• Lessens the need for diesel generators
• Aims to improve security after disasters

Florida HB 1133 (2018) 

Utility Dive | Florida lawmaker proposes to study solar+storage for grid recovery

Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission proposes new rules for flow lines after a gas line explosion in 2017.

5 Key points from the proposed rules:

• Flow lines that are permanently taken out of service must be disconnected, drained and sealed at both ends
• Any above-ground portion of the flow lines must be removed
• Energy companies may remove the lines
• Required disclosure of flow line locations by energy companies
• Adds requirements for designing, installing, testing and documenting flow lines

AP | Colorado debates new gas line rules after fatal explosion

State: New York

2 limits on eminent domain: In the statutes that grant electric transmission lines and electric generators eminent domain authority, Assembly Bill 5463  prohibits eminent domain authority to be used for:

• cannot build or expand a line that extends outside the US
• cannot build or expand lines to conenct to electric generation outside the US

AB5463 (2018 NY)

New York Transportation Corporation Code Section 11

Where: An undisclosed power plant in the Middle East

What was the hackers way into the system? a workstation running Triconex, a safety system developed by Schneider Electric

What did hackers do? Attempted to reprogram the control system, triggering a plant shutdown

Reuters | Hackers halt plant operations in watershed cyber attack

A Professor at the GRID Institute at the  University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering spells out 3 reasons to invest in grid infrastructure:

• infrastructure is aging
  • Look to the Atlanta airport blackout to see the decay of the grid is a larger problem than hackers
• our economy  is critically reliant on a reliable supply of electricity
• today’s demands on the grid, see solar uploading energy, forces the grid to operate in a way for which it was never intended

The solution:

• smaller regional “microgrids,”  that will offer a method of building greater resiliency, reliability, and security in our power infrastructure +
• A national high voltage direct current (HVDC) system

The Hill | A vulnerable power grid: Let’s invest in critical national infrastructure

A 3 way Republican primary in HD-54 (Cosper) has one candidate making comment about water policy.

Challenger Republican Larry Smith, described as “a firebrand with a history of being loose with his words on the election trail” says:

• Water rights is 1 of 2 key issues for him (the other is property taxes)
• He favors simplifying water control in rural areas for farmers and landowners

Kileen Daily Herald | A glance at Texas District 54 candidates

AT&T began testing high speed intenet delivery over power lines.

The first 2 tests are occuring in the State of Georgia and a non-U.S. location.

Reuters | AT&T begins testing high-speed internet over power lines

New Jersey is considering S3470 & S3471 that would rest the ability to build EV cganging stations with cities rather than energy companies.

What reasons do supporters have for wanting cities to be repsonsible for EV charging station planning?

• EV charging stations should exist in all parts of NJ, not just prosperous areas
• Universal service is essenbtial to EV charging station growth

Concern raised during the debate include:

• Giving energy companies the ability to trigger underserved provisions of existing law when operating an EV station in an underserved area

NJ Spotlight | DEBATE OVER EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE STARTS TO POWER UP

The California PUC adopted rules to avert wildfires that require transmission line companies to:

• increase the “clearances between vegetation and power lines” in high-risk zones

The rules also give transmission line companies new authority to:

• disconnect customers who refuse to allow crews to come onto their property to remove trees that pose a fire risk

Australia’s Woodside Energy is the first in the world to install  a microgrid with a 1MW lithium-ion PowerStore Battery energy storage system on an offshore platform.

Bonjour, Gulf Coast- oil platforms await energy sotrage systems.

Offshore Engineer | Woodside, ABB plan offshore battery first

Who Conducted The Study: The University of Michigan’s Urban Energy Justice Lab 

Show me how utility savings benefit the wealthy? 

• For every kilowatt-hour efficiency programs saved for low-income residents, up to 22 kilowatt-hours were saved for higher-income customers

Where’s the legislative/regulatory issue in all this?  Michigan’s Energy Waste Reduction requires that utilities seek “the most cost-effective programs which will benefit all Michigan residents and businesses.” But, the policy doesn’t account for the fact that low-income programs generally cost a lot more per-kilowatt-hour savings
 

What’s the hook from the study? That utilities underspent on low-income electric programs by around $74 million

What 3 factors increase KW costs for low income residents?

• outreach can be more challenging
• customers often aren’t asked to contribute as much money
• housing conditions can increase the cost of improvements.

Midwest Energy News| In Michigan, study shows utility energy savings mostly benefit wealthier customers

Louisiana’s Water Resources Commission has established a group to study the feasibility of selling water to Texas.

2 Policy issues for Texas Buying Water:

• Is the water price affordable?
• Is it reliable future source of water?

How does Louisiana’s action fit into Texas water policy? Texas passed legislation to create an interstate water commission to search for states willing to sell water

The Future Policy Issue for interstate water sale to Texas: pipeline infrastructure- how does Texas move the water from its borders to the cities that need the water supply?

Texas Public Radio | Louisiana To Study Interstate Water Sales To Parched Texas Communities

• Tulsa began aggressive flood planning began in 1984
• Tulsa’s flood plan accounts for urban growth 
• Development plans must include a network of drainage systems, creating green spaces that double as flood basins
• Tulsa adopted strict rules, stricter than the national standards, on where and how homes and buildings are constructed
• Tulsa paid for the program, that incudes buying flood zone properties, with a  fee to utility bills
  • The utility fee is offset by cheaper flood insurance prices because of the city’s strict flood plan

NPR | How Tulsa Became A Model For Preventing Floods

The power company: Gulf Power Customer Data Breach is estimated to impact 22,000 customers.

The Hack:  Attacked bill payment centers that accept checks for various bill payments.

The legislative issue: Data Security policy issues for energy companies are 3 fold:

• security of the the grid  +
• security of customer data +
• security of business data

3WEARTV | Data breach could impact 22K Gulf Power customers

Midway, Kentucky,  has a new EV Charging Station. Midway has a population of 1500.

So, how did this quaint commuity end up as a location of an EV charging station?

• Location, location, Location.  Midway is near I-64 and is near Frankfort, Louisville and Lexington
• Community support.  The community looks forward to the potential for economic growth
• Installed by Kentucky Utilities

Lexington Herald Leader | Electric cars sales are soaring. And now this small Kentucky city can charge them.

The 10th Circuit said NO, a utility cannot condemn tribal lands.

The utilities say- the 10th Circuit ruling “threatens the national power grid by effectively blocking Congress’ authorization of condemnation of allotted tribal lands”

What could this mean for Texas? The tribal lands between the Permian Basin and the border could impact pipelines and transmission lines for growth related to Mexico deregulation.

Eminent Domain and Real Estate Evaluation | Fox Rothschild | SCOTUS Asked To Hear Tribal Land Condemnation Case

A December 1 order by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires:

• states to not block energy efficiency from competing in regional electricity markets
• there’s an exception for projects that are approved

3 Reasons Supporters Say the Order is crucial:

• critical for maintaining free and open competition
• permits all technologies competing on price and performance
• allows  the best electric power services be delivered at the most reasonable cost to businesses and households

Utility Dive | States can’t bar efficiency technologies from wholesale electricity markets, FERC rules

Illinois Legislature enacted the Future Energy Jobs Act along with a requirement that 25% of the state’s power green by 2025 which has led to job growth by:

• Building the 1st community solar project in the state
• Attracted outside investors for projects that not-for-profit entities can’t individually afford
• “onslaught of renewable energy development will create construction, engineering and other positions that directly or indirectly support new installations”

Journal Star | One year later, Illinois energy jobs law bearing fruit

The transmission line: Transource Independent Energy Connection Project

The visitor’s bureau: The Franklin County Visitors Bureau (Pennsylvania)

The opposition to the transmission line: 

•  long-term and far-reaching negative impact on the entire tourism industry of Franklin County for perpetuity
• distinctly uninviting and counter to what attracts visitors to the beauty of the county’s open spaces
• Ag tourism is the backbone of the county’s fall tourism market

WITF | Franklin County Visitors Bureau opposes Transource power line

Pennsylvania is the only state that does not tax drilling.

5 Facts about oil and gas in Pennsylvania:

• 1st state to drill for oil in the 1850s
• 2nd-leading producer of natural gas
• Industry has spent $60M to oppose a severance tax
• It has an impact fee on drillers that generated $173 million last year
• The severance tax is a big campaign issue

Governing | The Only Oil-and-Gas State Not Taxing Drilling

Which state has 0MW privately developed community solar? California

Which is the top state for privately developed community solar? Massachusetts

3 Reasons Massachusetts is in the lead?

• overall rate of compensation in Massachusetts is much higher
• compensation in Massachusetts is easily understood and stable
• the Massachusetts regulations are “manageable and rational.”

Utility Dive | A tale of 2 states: Massachusetts and California provide different lessons on growing community solar 

Top 3 states for grid modernization:

• California
• Illinois
• Texas

3 Takeaways from the new Grid Modernization Index:

• California ended up on top because of its:
  • rapid acceleration to non-carbon energy sources is pushing California’s grid to modernize more quickly than any other state to accommodate higher penetrations of solar, energy storage and other demand-side resources
• Illinois gets kudos for its  Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) and participation in the Illinois Commerce Commission’s (ICC) NextGrid initiative
• Texas grid modernized because of its  booming solar and wind markets

PV Magazine | California, Illinois and Texas lead grid modernization efforts

How to best protect an electric grid from hackers brought to you by the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory:

• Information sharing. Voluntary information-sharing program among industry and the government to protect the entire grid system
• Use the Data. Analyzing the collective data to  alert utilities of potential vulnerabilities
• Improve situational awareness. develop an integrated, real-time view of utilities’ cyber risks
• Use Tehcnology to Protect Technology. enable a shift from digital signatures and encryption to a “keyless” solution

Tri City Herald | PNNL protecting electric grid from cyberattack

Colorado farmers supported a tax on farmers to promote water conservation.

What 3 things happened after the farmers were taxed for water use?

• Agriculture water pumping fell by 30%
• Farms did not close up shop
• Aquifers are recharging by a reduction in groundwater pumping by farmers

Texas Public Radio | To Save Their Water Supply, Colorado Farmers Taxed Themselves

According to Utility Dive the answer to whether utilities need rate design for EV charging stations are:

• YES for  investor-owned utilities
• YES if utilities or sttes have policies to put more EVs on the road 

3 Reasons why  proactive rate design necessary for EV charging stations?

• to harness the flexibility of charging stations for grid services
• to target when customers charge the vehicles (hello marketing!)
• to avoid overloading the grid during peak demand

Utility Dive | Do utilities need rate design for electric vehicle charging?

Pipeline infrastructure has reduced flaring in the Permian Basin.

What is an estimate of the flared gas in the Permian Basin? 

• 9% of produced gas
• that is 45.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas
• and that is enough to provide electricty for 2.5 years for all the Permian Basin Counties

Dallas Morning News | Natural gas wasted by Permian Basin drillers could fuel a few Texas counties for over 2 years 

Remember the wave energy project in Europe? Well, the The Department of Energy is spending up to $40 million to build a wave energy test facility on the Oregon Coast.

Which entities are partnering? US Department of Energy + Oregon State University

What type of contractors will they need? contractors that can connect the project  to the power grid by underwater cables

What’s the energy potential from the ocean? 10% according to the  Oregon Wave Energy Trust

Texas Public Radio |  Oceans May Host Next Wave Of Renewable Energy

Background: In 2012 Governor Jerry Brown executive order to require energy efficient new buildings. 

The new California state building standard: “zero net energy” projects

The new report found an increase of: adds 17 to 29% to the projected cost of some new buildings

Report recommendation: A cost-benefit analysis before proceeding with zero net energy projects.

The Houston Chronicle editorial ” MUD Morass” lays out the following 2 problems with municipal utility districts:

• TRANSPARENCY. MUD ballot propositions are announced in “secret and concealed in silence by special districts”‘
  • 10 special districts in Harris County asked for  $826 million worth of bonds on the November 2017 ballot
• BAD ACTORS. Examples of utility district practices:
  •  Mount Houston Road MUD  lacked even a basic website to explain the ballot proposition & MUD refused to release phone numbers for its board of directors
  • Crosby MUD board of directors president refused questions about the bond proposition and referred people to the Crosby D.A.
  • The Woodlands’ neighborhood Timarron Lakes MUD “failed to warn that their property existed in the flood pool behind the Barker Reservoir.”
  • Cinco Ranch MUD president lives 20 miles away and didn’t go near the MUD during Harvey flooding

Where:  Ohio  PUC

The net metering cap for residential customers:  120% annual energy use

Additional regulatory changes by Ohio’s PUC will: reduce net metering credits for residential customers by 30+%

2 Policy Goals of the Ohio PUC:

• establish consistent, state-wide parameters for net metering
• foster a competitive marketplace for innovative products and services

OHIO PUC November 8 2017 Net Metering Rules 

Utility Dive | Ohio regulators trim credits, limit system size in new net metering update

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed HB 118 (2017) to tablize the state’s solar renewable energy credits.

Why was this bill necessary? The state’s solar renewable energy credits had a depressed value from being able to be purchased from out of state to meet renewables goals, but the credits could not be sold outside Pennsylvania. This created a glut of solar energy

The bill’s goals:

•  balance the solar energy market in PA
• grandfather in  systems already certified

PV Magazine | Pennsylvania requires solar SRECs to come from within the state

Utility Dive | New Pennsylvania bill requires solar credits to come from in-state

The city of Barrie has received fiscal support from the Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA) Board of Management to support Electric Vehicle Charging Stations throughout the city.

The Chamber of Commerce fiscal support is in the form of a “sponsorship/partnership for the hydro operational costs”

The pro-business support of EV stations:

• potential economic benefit for businesses
• EV stations require consumers to stay in the area for a longer time than a traditional gas station

Barrie Today | Downtown Barrie BIA offers to help pay for EV stations

In 2017 Florida Legislature passed legislation to create a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee.

The kicker in the legislation: the project cannot use eminent domain becuase it requires land to be purchased from “willing sellers.”

TC Palm | Lake Okeechobee reservoir: Willing sellers contact SFWMD to offer more land

A city in Ohio is refusing to agree to easements for a proposed pipeline. 

How far is the city willing to go? 

• The city rejected a $146,000 offer for the easements over city lands and right of ways
• The city is making its case in federal court for an alternate route through less populated areas

What is the city’s policy argument? it is protecting the economic future. A study says the pipeline will cause the city to lose millions in economic development.

ABC News | Ohio city refuses to give up fight against gas pipeline

The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center quarterly report tallies solar policy actions.

The most common utility proposal: a separate Distributed Generation (DG) customer class but without a rate increase or rate change.

Why? 2 OPTIONS:

• The new rate class would test regulators
• The new rate class sets the stage for later rate changes

Is there regulatory or legislative precedent? Yes:

• Montana & North Carolina have new laws that allow separate rate class as part of a comprehensive DG proceeding
• Kansas Corporation Commission approved a separate solar rate class

How do these porposals compare historically:

• solar policy change requests have increases 21% for Q3 2017
• the largest portion of these solar policy requests relate to residential fixed charge and minimum bill increases

Utility Dive | In new trend, utilities propose separate rate classes for solar customers without rate increase

 Protect Our Power, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen the reliability and resilience of the U.S. electric grid, supports a 4 part policy plan to strengthen grid security that includes:

• Independent, thorough and candid assessment of exactly where improvements and upgrades are needed, in order of priority
• Development of a collective national plan based on the independent assessment and codified by Congress, with oversight from the federal regulatory agencies
• Regulatory reform, including the “development of improved, uniform standards for the North American bulk power system that rise to the level of detail and rigor required to meet the threats we face” ; 
• Public and private funding mechanisms like  tax-exempt government bonds

The Hill Op-Ed | Escalating threats to infrastructure confirm our need to harden the electric grid

A district court in Ohio has followed in the footsteps of Texas nad Pennsylvania to issue the first decision in OH to allow at well costs to be born by royalty owner.

Contractual language that includes “at the well” provisions” has been interpreted by courts in Texas and Pennsylvania to  “allow[s] energy companies to assign costs to royalty holders.”

Lutz v Chesapeake Appalachia, U.S. District Court, Northeast District of Ohio, Eastern Division, No. 4:09-cv2256.

Reuters | Court decision settles long-standing Ohio energy royalty dispute

Michigan Public Utility Commission is working on building a EV charing station program.

3 Steps the Utility Regulator Took to make it happen:

• Solicited input from experts
• Solicited input from stakeholders like:
  • utilities
  • automakers
  • charging equipment companies
  • environmental groups
• 5 Regulatory policy questions MI wants to answer:
  • how to encourage charging during periods when rates are lower
  • impact on the electrical grid
  • where charging stations should be located
  • how to educate customers
  • the role of public utilities

Detroit Free Press | Got ideas for electric vehicle charging projects in Michigan? 

Duke Energy Florida settlement agreement was approved by the Florida Public Service Commission and includes:

• $6 billion investment over 4 years
• smart meters
• grid modernization projects
• optional billing programs
• 700 MW of solar power facilities over the next four years
• installation of more than 500 EV charging stations
• up to 50 MW of energy storage under a pilot battery storage program
• residential rate will be $123.88 per 1,000 kWh
  • includes a reduction of $4.65 per 1,000 kWh as a settlement benefit
• commercial & industrial customer bills  will increase approximately 1% to 3% from 2019-2021

Next Gen Transportation News | Fla. Utility to Add 500 EV Charging Stations Under Settlement Agreement 

Vermont Legislators have imposed noise standards on wind energy projects.

Supports of wind energy say: the noise restrictions will chill wind energy in Vermont

Legislators say: the goal is to prevent sound from disturbing neighbors’ health and sleep

The Noise Limits:

• Large wind projects limited to 42 dBA during the day and 39 dBA at night
  • Noise is measured 100 feet from the residence of a homeowner who isn’t participating in the project
• Small and medium wind projects would be limited to 42 dBA
• The new Vermont wind energy noise limits are not the lowest in the country 

Burlington Free Press | Lawmakers approve tighter sound rules on wind power

The report is by: Bay Area News Group

What is the causal link between transmission line mapping and wildfires? California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is investigating whether a utility’s equipment caused the fire

What’s the background on transmission line mapping in California? Transmission line mapping was sparked by a 2007 San Diego Fire and required by the California Public Utility Commission in 2008. The project has been delayed and has not been completed.

Mercury News | PG&E helped stall effort to map risky power lines prone to wildfires

Amazon launched a wind farm in Snyder TX on October 20th. 

Amazon’s Snyder TX windfarm details details:

•  1,000,000+ MWh of clean energy
• 100 turbines
• 300 feet tall turbines with a rotor diameter more than twice the wingspan of a Boeing 787

Amazon’s foray into renewables throughout the US:

• 18 wind and solar installations
• 35 more in the works
• Goal is to power 330,000 homes annually & support 100s of jobs

Amazon Press Release | Amazon Launches Biggest Wind Farm Yet – Company’s Renewable Energy Projects Will Together Generate Enough Clean Energy to Power More Than 330,000 Homes

• Cost of EV Chargers.
  • ​ Will regulators/legislators allow utilities to rate-base infrastructure costs?
  • Will regulators/legislators permit a shift in costs from private installers and owners onto the general rate base?
  • Can investments be recovered through performance-based regulations?
  • How to incentivize investments by rewarding social benefits without exposing ratepayers to undue risk?
  • Will regulators and utilities adopt the free and open-source Open Charge Point Protocol to support interoperable information exchange for transactions and charger operations?

Forbes | Five Ways Utilities Can Gain From Building Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure 

The Pipeline Capacity Battle: Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is reviewing whether a pipeline is artificially constraining capacity.

What triggered the MA A.G. review of the pipeline? Environmental Defense Fund

What do opponents of the review say? That state regulators are not properly equipped for this review, it is more properly a review for FERC

Utility Dive | Massachusetts AG reviewing report on Eversource, Avangrid constraining pipelines

State: Ohio

The nuclear subsidy bill would be funded with:

• A $2.50 monthly fee on residential customers
• A fee of the lesser of 55 the monthly bill opr $3500 for commercial customers

The revisions in bill version #2:

• lower fees (above)
• shorter subsidy length. 12 years, instead of 16 years

Ohio HB 381 (2017)

Utility Dive | New Ohio bill reintroduces nuclear subsidy program as DOE pushes cost recovery NOPR

The Oil Company: Shell

The Charging Station Company: NewMotion that has more than 30,000 private charging stations and 50,000 public stations throughout Europe

Bloomberg New Energy Finance analysists predict by 2040 1/3 of cars worldwide will be EV that reduces oil need sby 8 million barrels per day.

The Hill | Oil giant Shell buys leading operator of electric vehicle charging stations

Oklahoma legislators are considering selling water from Northeastern Oklahoma to either Western Oklahoma or Texas.

What 2 issues are arising over the potential legislative approval of the water sale?

• There is no way to guarantee how much water can be sold
• Pipelines will have to be constructed to move the water to the buyer

Tulsa Public Radio | Lawmakers Discuss Selling Oklahoma Water

The Grid Innovation Caucus: Congressional. Chairs are Robert E. Latta (R- OH) & Jerry McNerney (D- CA)

Why does grid security matter? Grid Security is fundamental to National Security & Clean Energy future

What bipartisan goals are there for grid security in legislative action?

• Encourage and enable innovative advancements that improve security & reliability of the energy grid
  • Like encouraging new partnerships between companies whose cutting-edge technologies complement and enhance electric companies’ efforts.
• Requires that legislators actively engage with industry leaders
• Requires that consumers  consumers have  more customer choice, enhanced integration of all energy sources, & improved reliability and security

Does the Grid Innovation Caucus have Partners? Yes:

• Edison Electric Institute
• National Electrical Manufacturers Association
• GridWise Alliance
• + they hosted the House Grid Innovation Expo

Utility Dive | Op-Ed the Grid Innovation Caucus | A bipartisan view on modernizing the US electric grid

PHI Group, Inc. and AQuarius Power, Inc. , a Texas Company, to exclusively sublicense, sell, build, own and/or operate the AQuarius wave energy systems in Eastern Europe and the European Region.

What do I need to know about wave energy?

• Land-based wave energy system using a combination of gravity and “buoyancy” (the interaction between air and water) to produce power
• The power from wave based energy can generate electricity and / or produce potable water.
• It is a baseload zero carbon footprint
• Potential to instal virtually anywhere
• cost effective (operating cost is comparably low as hydroelectric systems.)
• can be built turn-key within 6 months of obtaining permits
• operating life of over 60 years
• clean, scalable, reliable, and extremely flexible. 

Business Insider | PHI Group and AQuarius Power Provide Breakthrough Land-based Wave Energy Technology to EuropeFirst system to be built in Romania in coming months

Oklahoma’s Alliance of Energy producers called on the Oklahoma Legislature to retore a 7% tax rate on oil and natural gas production.

Why is industry asking to be taxed? To help fix the OKlahoma budget deficit

The Ada News | Speaker calls for restoring 7 percent tax rate for oil and gas production

• 63% of utility executives believe “their country faces at least a moderate risk of electricity supply interruption from a cyber attack on electric distribution grids in the next 5 years”
• If you look at North American utility executives its 76%
• 57% of world wide utility executives say power disruptions from hacks is the most serious concern
  • 53% say employee/consumer safety is the most serious concern
  • 43% say destruction of physical assets is the most serious concern
• 77% of utility executives say the Internet of Things is a great threat to utility safety
• Utilities executives in Europe and Asia think hackers are the greatest cyber threat, while North American utility executives say its cyber threats from foreign governments

Electric Light & Power | Cyber attacks could bring down power grid, many utilities think

Farmer in Iowa opines 6 reasons wind farms are a nuisance:

• Wind Farms are LOUD. Wind lobby in Iowa wants to increase the noise level to 45 and 60 dBA from the current level of 25dBA
• Wind Farms Create pressure wakes and turbulance impacting humans and animals.
• Wind Farms shadows impact crops.
• Wind Farms decrease farming efficiency and complicate farming.
• Wind turbine blades fall off at a rate of 1 per 61 turbines. Danger. Danger. 
• Wind turbines kill birds.

Wallaces Farmer | Industrial wind farms a horrible nuisance

State: North Dakota

What happened with this land to trigger this bill? The landowners say that the state took their oil and gas mineral rights from property acquired by the federal government for the construction of the Garrison Dam. The State Supreme Court agreed.

What was the Legislative fix? To except mineral rights from land transactions by the state as it relates to the dam project

The Bill: North Dakota SB 2134 (2017)

Bismark Tribune via Dickinson Press | Family ‘elated’ over ND Supreme Court ruling in mineral dispute

A House Companion to the Senate’s, Securing Energy Infrastructure Act of 2017 by Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Senator James E. Risch (R-ID), has been filed by Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02) and Congressman John R. Carter (TX-31). The legislation will:

• “establishes a two-year pilot program to study covered entities and identify new classes of security vulnerabilities and research and test technology – like analog devices – that could be used to isolate the most critical systems of covered entities from cyber-attacks
• develops a working group to evaluate the technology solutions proposed and develop a national cyber-informed strategy to isolate the energy grid from attacks
• requires the Secretary of Energy to submit a report to Congress describing the results of the program, assessing the feasibility of the techniques considered, and outlining the results of the working group’s evaluations.”

Congressman Rup[ersberger | RUPPERSBERGER INTRODUCES HOUSE COMPANION TO SENATE ENERGY GRID SECURITY MEASURE

The 28 utilities: Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois, American Transmission Company LLC, Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc., six Duke Energy utilities, Duquesne Light Company, East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Entergy Corporation, Florida Power and Light Company, ITC Midwest, ITC Transmission, METC, Santee Cooper, and South Carolina Electric & Gas Company.

What is RESTORE?  Regional Equipment Sharing for Transmission Outage Restoration – was founded in 2016 by Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities, PPL Electric Utilities, Tennessee Valley Authority and Southern Company.

What is the Goal of RESTORE?

• address the threats outlined earlier this year in the Department of Energy’s Strategic Transformer Reserve Report
• Utility cooperation
• Increase ability to call on additional resources among utilities

Utility Dive | 28 utilities join RESTORE program to boost grid resilience, reliability

The 5th circuit is chiming in on whether Texas delegation of eminent domain authority to a pipeline is a violation of the constitution.

The 5th circuit’s opinion- Probably Constitutional.

Why just probably Constitutiona? Because the ruling related to an injunction not the issue of constitutionality itself. 

Boerschig v. Trans-Pecos Pipeline, L.L.C. , No.  16-50931 (Oct. 3, 2017)

Reuters | 5th Circuit rebuffs Texas rancher’s challenge to pipeline

How is eminent domain bringing together “gun toting conservatives” & “liberal envrionmentalists”? Eminent Domain use for pipelines

Tell me where this is happening…? In Virgina & North Carolina with opposition to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which is set to bring natural gas from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio to electric power plants in Virginia and North Carolina

(it also happened in Keystone XL)

Duke University  | The Chronicle | They’ll be singing Kumbaya

Arizona  Public Service is going to start using reverse demand response.

What is reverse demand response?

• Its definitely not load shifting.  “Reverse demand response is very different than load shifting.”
• It definitely is flexible & open to ” all non-residential dispatchable loads with at least 30 kW of demand.”
  • the key phrasing: specific to dispatchable non-essential load
• it means free energy for the customer and Load serving entities can make money by having more load

Utility Dive  | Arizona utility will use ‘reverse demand response’ to avoid renewables curtailment

South Carolina State Attorney General calls the law that permits a utility to recoup costs for a failed nuclear development “constitutionally suspect.”

What specifically did the A.G. Opinion say about the law? “portions of the Base Load Review Act are constitutionally suspect. The Act fails to strike the constitutionally required balance between investors and ratepayers. It also denies ratepayers procedural due process”

How much is the utility charging customers each month related to the failed nuclear facility? According to the Charlotte Business Journal $37 Million per month

Utility Dive | South Carolina AG: SCANA should not charge customers for failed Summer nuke

A lawsuit in Colorado asks for personhood status for the Colorado River Ecosystem.

A river can have person legal person status? The lawsuit aligns the personhood status to the same afforded to ships, an ecclesiastic corporations or a standard commercial corporations.

Is this legallay weird?

•  Personhood was also used in the majority opinion for Citizens United for campaign finance
• Recent rulings in Ecuador, Colombia, India and some U.S. municipalities which have recognized that rivers, glaciers and other ecosystems may be treated as legal persons

Courthouse News | Environmentalists Seek Personhood for Colorado River Ecosystem

• Texas natural gas has a market
• Texas based operators can help Mexico access its resources more efficiently
• Demand for oil, gas and refined products is growing quickly in Mexico

Tyler Morning Telegraph | Editorial: Texas benefits from Mexico’s energy sector reforms

Carlos Rubenstein et. al. write that  water markets have been suppressed in 3 manners:

• Conflicting interests by Groundwater Conservation Districts
• Regulations by Groundwater Conservation Districts
• Legislative requirements that devalue water such as the “junior water rights provision” when it comes to interbasin transfers

​The solution: new omnibus water bill to reform state regulations
 

​The Gilmer Mirror |  Carlos Rubinstein of RSAH2O, Herman Settemeyer  of RSAH2O, &  Megan Ingram of Armstrong Center for Energy & the Enviro |  Texas Water Past Present and FutureTexas Water Past Present and Future

San Francisco and Oakland are suing Bay Area-based Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Shell and BP.

What do the cities want? Billions in compensation for the public nuisance created by past and future flooding, coastal erosion and property damage resulting from climate change.

Are there more local governments involved? Yes, the California counties of Marin and San Mateo & the San Diego County city of Imperial Beach

Have similar lawsuits happened before? Yes, in 2008 the Alaskan village of Kivalina filed a similar suit & the federal court found federal clean air rules trumped the nuisance claims raised by the local governments.

How are these California lawsuits different from the Alaska lawsuit that failed? The California suits are filed in state court and not federal court.

San Francisco Chronicle | San Francisco, Oakland sue major oil companies over rising seas

Driving a EV in Wyoming? Need a charge? Wyoming Department of Transportation is making it easier by including charging stations on its publicly available & accessible 511 map.

Equipment World | Wyoming maps out sites for alternative vehicle fueling

Duke Energy is spoending $30 Million to install 2 install battery storage in North Carolina.

The battery storage projects in the company’s regulated market are said to be “the first large-scale energy storage projects built by its regulated utility business.”

The 2 projects:

• 9 MW lithium-ion battery system at a Duke substation in the Rock Hill community
  • will be used to provide energy support to the grid by supplying frequency regulation
• 4 MW li-ion battery system and is considering a solar facility in Hot Springs, NC

Utility Dive | Duke to build its first utility-scale regulated battery storage projects

California’s Governor Jerry Brown has proposed water tunnels to move water from the wet areas of the state to Los Angeles, where the populations resides. There have been obstacles, lots of obstacles. Let’s look at 3 of the obstacles:

• Federal Government. Part of the tunnel system will be built by a federal water project, the federal Central Valley Project. The feds have different ideas and requirements for fudning and buiulding.
• Taxpayer support to pay for the tunnels is nonexistent.
• Local Water Districts are not on board. Its said the Westlands Water District, a major farm irrigator in the San Joaquin Valley, stunned California’s water community by being opposed to paying for the benefits the tunnel may bring its farmers.

Sacramento Bee | What’s next for Brown’s Delta tunnels now that a big chunk of funding has disappeared?

Arizona Public Service Co.

•  Demand-Side Management Implementation Plan includes:
  • incentives for smart thermostats, electric school buses, electric vehicle (and bus) charging infrastructure, energy storage and water heater timers
  • handful of EV pilot programs
    • EV charging network for non-residential customers that would allow APS to own and operate the equipment while establishing a demand response structure
    • provide electric buses and charging infrastructure free for selected schools
  • a “reverse” demand response pilot project for customers with loads of 30 kW or more
    • to mitigate for negative pricing events caused by solar generation and the steep ramping that occurs as solar power declines

Southern California Edison

• electric vehicle pilot programs
  • combining mid-range commercial and heavy duty electric vehicles and testing rate designs

Utility Dive | How utility pilot programs are driving renewable energy integration

Texas Lt. Governor Patrick appointed Larry Taylor and Lois Kolkhorst to the Joint Interim Committee to Study a Coastal Barrier System.

Co-chair designation was given to Larry Taylor.

LT. GOVERNOR PATRICK ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS TO JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE TO STUDY A COASTAL BARRIER SYSTEM

The Department of Energy announced this week $50M to “support early stage research and development of next-generation tools and technologies to further improve the resilience of the Nation’s critical energy infrastructure, including the electric grid and oil and natural gas infrastructure”

That’s a lot of words, where is the money going?

• 7 Resilient Distribution Systems projects via DOE’s Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium
  • includes microgrids
  • includes scalable regional grid technology
• 20 cybersecurity projects that will enhance the reliability and resilience of the Nation’s electric grid and oil and natural gas infrastructure
  • includes identifying energy delivery system equipment inadvertently exposed to the public internet to reduce the cybersecurity risk 
  • includes adaptability to survive cybersecurity incidents

If desalination sounds new and fancy, the Department of Energy has funding for you for newer and fancier- solar desalination.

Department of Energy announced a funding oipportunity announcement to fund:

• Low cost solar thermal heat;
• Innovative thermal desalination techniques;
• Solar thermal integrated desalination; and
• Solar thermal desalination analysis.

Department Of Energy | Notice of Intent to Issue Solar Desalination

Tennessee created the Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council in 2008 with the goal of being neutral on renewable technologies.

So, how is the Switzerland of renewable programs working?

• It has membership of more than 100 city and county mayors and businesses
• Holds free forums throughout the state to educate members on grants and other opportunities available
• If a city swipes right on a renewable presentation, then University of Tennessee provides technical assistance
•  Presenttions are fast tracked with businesses given  15-minute presentation slots
• Its been successful program for small and rural commubnities who do not have the infrastructure to roll out renewable projects

Governing | How Tennessee’s Taken the Politics Out of Renewable Energy

Bill Peacock of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, in The Hill, offers 3 reasons to eliminate renewable energy subsidies:

• Renewables increase costs & decrease reliability.” U.S. Department of Energy report on electricity markets and reliability makes it clear that renewable energy subsidies are contributing significantly to the increasing cost—and the decreasing reliability—of the national electric grid.”
• Energy Poverty. Unless we eliminate renewable energy subsidies we’re living in energy poverty.
  • energy poverty is defined as “a sharply reduced standard of living caused by high energy costs”
• Renewable Subsidies Cost Too Much. 
  • In Texas from 2006-2015 renewable subsidies were $13 Billion.
  • Federal extension of Production Tax Credit in 2014 was $13 billion too.
  • There’s a 3rd cost to traditional sources of energy

Bonus feature: The piece adds in Texas being the only state that has a energy-only market

The Hill | Bill Peacock | Eliminating renewable energy subsidies is key to increasing prosperity

If generation is Lex Luther of  the DOE Grid Study, then transmission is Superman.

• Investments in transmission keep increasing
• There’s a working understanding that a ‘“robust and flexible” system is needed “to accommodate drastic changes in flows and dispatch” from variable renewables and to integrate plug-in electric vehicle and battery technologies.”
• We can learn from regional transmission successes to address interoperability

Utility Dive | Transmission: The unsung hero of the DOE grid reliability study

A review of grid security by Symatec reveals that since 2015 hackers have been trying to gain access to the energy sector.

What new technology targets are hackers after?  the hackers are looking for expanded access to operational systems & are taking screenshots of all systems in use to outline their function

How did hackers gained access through malware and phishing?  employees of 

• power generation
• transmission and
• distribution companies 

were all targeted with phishing attacks and malware from false Adobe updates.

The Hill | Sophisticated hacking campaign has targeted energy sector since 2015

SC Media  | Dragonfly APT group may be prepping to sabotage U.S. power facilities, report warns

The state: Idaho

The energy company: Franklin Energy

What did Frankin Energy want from Idaho’s Utility Regulator? 20 year contracts for 4 energy storage facilities charged by solar power with the capacity of 2.5 MW.

What did Idaho’s energy regulator decide? Contracts, yes, but only for 2 year terms.

Utility Dive | Idaho PUC says storage projects only eligible for 2-year PURPA contract

Hurricane Harvey exposed the need for energy security legislation by:

• highlighting that we must ensure our energy resources are safe, secure and plentiful
• allowing states to leverage federal resources, knowledge, and expertise to build stronger partnerships with public and private stakeholders to guarantee a better energy future

The Hill | Opinion by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) | In Harvey’s wake, energy security legislation needed now more than ever

How did retailers open and remain open during Hurricane Harvey? Microgrids.

 How does the microgrid work when normal utility operations are unavailable?

• Natural gas powered
• Provide electrical reliability to supply the energy needs of an entire store when the usual utility power is not available

Business Wire | Enchanted Rock / Texas Microgrid Powers H-E-B Retailer takes steps to ensure stores remain open when utility grid goes down

San Antonio Business Journal | H-E-B considers adding microgrid technology to San Antonio-area stores

The 5 states adding carbon costs to utility planning guidelines in various formats. Here’swaht we know:

• California is working to include carbon costs in its comprehensive energy and climate programs
• Colorado imposed a regulatory requirement that utilities use carbon costs in resource planning
• Minnesota raised its cost of carbon standards
• New York affirmed the carbon costs through its zero-emission credits
• Illinois incorporated carbon costs in a ZEC calculation & it is withstanding court challenge

Utility Dive | Carbon calculus: More states are adding carbon costs to utility planning guidelines

What happened at the Jersey Shore? New Jersey Board of Public Utilities last week launched a stakeholder process to study what happens to electric distribution in the state if the sales of EVs skyrocket

New Jersey Board of Public Utilties President believes policies should be adaptive and flexible.

What we need to know about the report from this stakeholder group?

• 180days and we’ll see a draft report
• the report will specifically include  stakeholder input
• the report will offer recommendations on:
  • potential EV infrastructure policies
  • any tariff revisions
  •  policy updates needed to address EV charging infrastructure

Utility Dive | New Jersey regulators to study impacts of widespread EV adoption

“U.S Energy Dominance Starts in Texas” a report by Texas Oil & Gas Association says that the Port of Corpus Christi is the largest exporter of crude in the U.S. due to:

• Proximity to Eagle Ford and Permian Basin
• New pipelines that feed the Port from infrastructure investments

The levels of sweet crude exports at the Port of Corpus Christi in 2017, 1st Quarter:

• 22 million barrels of crude oil for export
• that’s 30%of crude oil exports in the United States

San Antonio Business Journal | Port Corpus Christi top crude oil exporter in United States