Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 2 signed 22 bills aimed at wildfire prevention, mitigation and response, reflecting recommendations of the Governor's Strike Force Report issued in June. Read MoreGov. Newsom Signs 22 Wildfire-Related Bills in Sacramento
Top Stories
- PG&E Tells Judge Its Equipment Sparked Nine Fires So Far This Year
- PG&E, SCE Object to Residual Central Buyer Proposal
- Divided FERC Approves Expanded CAISO Reliability Must-Run Authority
- New Mexico OKs Western Spirit Purchase; Court Denies Petition Against ETA
- ACC to Consult Public Health Experts on Next Draft of Disconnection Rules
- Trump Picks James Danly for FERC
The U.S. Trustee overseeing PG&E's bankruptcy proceeding is raising concerns about exorbitant fees charged by attorneys representing various parties in the reorganization process. Read MorePG&E Bankruptcy Legal Bills Hit $140 Million
Southern California Gas Co. on Oct. 3 said about 100 local governments have joined efforts by investor-owned utilities to keep natural gas alive in California's buildings. Meanwhile, the California Public Utilities Commission issued a statement intended to rebut "false and misleading" claims… Read MoreSoCal Gas Applauds Support for Natural Gas; CPUC Addresses 'Misleading' Claims
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for two natural gas-fired power plants in Yuba City, a working-class city with about 65,000 residents in the northern Central Valley. Read MoreA Tale of Two Natural Gas Plants
The first of October marked the beginning of a new water year that is kicking off with "significantly more water in storage" than in the prior water year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. Read MoreCalifornia Water Year Off to Good Start
Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison raised sharp objections to a proposal that would establish a central procurement entity to handle the state's resource-adequacy requirements, saying in Sept. 30 filings to the California Public Utilities Commission that the plan is un… Read MorePG&E, SCE Object to Residual Central Buyer Proposal
A protracted transfer of a hydroelectric project from Pacific Gas & Electric to the Nevada Irrigation District moved closer to happening with the release of a California Public Utilities Commission proposed decision Sept. 30. Read MorePG&E, NID Deer Creek Deal Inches Toward Closing With Proposed Terms
Energy agencies are hearing more requests to determine what will and will not count as a "zero-carbon energy resource" under one of the state's most pressing carbon-reduction measures, SB 100. Read MoreSB 100 Zero-Carbon Definition Still Up in the Air; Large Hydro Undecided
Offshore wind energy is gaining momentum in California and could bite into the solar and battery storage industries' market share in the coming decades, experts say. But at an Oct. 3 joint-agency public workshop at the California Public Utilities Commission, a CPUC staff member questioned wh… Read MoreOffshore Wind Energy Pushes Forward, but Some Regulators Remain Leery
Federal energy regulators approved an expansion of the California Independent System Operator's reliability must-run program, with one Democrat dissenting over what he said was a "carte blanche" for CAISO to enter into out-of-market contracts with generation resources without review. Read MoreDivided FERC Approves Expanded CAISO Reliability Must-Run Authority
New bidding rules for hydro resources in the Western Energy Imbalance Market will take effect this month, after federal energy regulators partially approved a proposal by the California Independent System Operator. Read MoreFERC Approves Bidding Rule Changes for EIM Hydro Units
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In the latest Energy West podcast, Clearing Up's Dan Catchpole and California Energy Markets' Jason Fordney talk about the California Independent System Operator's latest look at expanding its footprint, Southwest Power Pool's announcement that Markets+ is moving into development early, big rate-increase requests from two SoCal utilities, Puget Sound Energy's push to shut down its natural gas business, and more.
Jackie Flowers of Tacoma Public Utilities and Humaira Falkenberg of Pacific County PUD join co-hosts Karen Heim of the Public Power Council and Ahlmahz Negash of Tacoma Power for an all-female-cast episode to talk about workforces that are representative of our communities, in celebration of Women's History Month. You can find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and Substack.
We want to hear from you on energy issues and to share your thoughts with our readership. Read moreVoices From Behind the Meter
I want to commend you for writing what is simply the best article about the transmission issues in [Colorado's San Luis] Valley yet. Read moreKudos for CEM Transmission Story
Pacific Gas & Electric's equipment likely contributed to nine fires in 2019, two of which were caused by surrounding vegetation, the utility said in an Oct. 1 court filing. Read MorePG&E Tells Judge Its Equipment Sparked Nine Fires So Far This Year
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Teri Jackson is considering issuing a gag order in the Tubbs Fire case in order for "both sides to receive a fair trial." Read MoreJudge Considers Gag Order in Tubbs Fire Case, Splits Trial Into Two Phases
A newly released framework is designed to give low-income and underrepresented communities a voice in the ongoing discussions about building decarbonization and electrification taking place statewide. Read MoreNew Framework Designed to Ease Electrification for Vulnerable Communities
With the approval of two new power-purchase agreements by its board, announced Sept. 27, community choice aggregator East Bay Community Energy adds 550 MW of new renewable-energy generation and roughly 137.5 MW/390 MWh of energy storage to its expanding renewables portfolio. Read MoreEast Bay Community Energy Adds to Its Growing Renewables Portfolio
The California Independent System Operator is due to begin Phase 2 of its reliability coordinator services across a larger portion of the West on Nov. 1, having begun providing the service on July 1 (see CEM No. 1546). Read MoreCAISO to Begin Phase 2 of RC Services
The California Independent System Operator has proposed making permanent certain natural gas constraints it has in place in Southern California to deal with the reduced usability of the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility near Los Angeles. Read MoreCAISO Proposes Making Aliso Canyon Gas Constraints Permanent
PacifiCorp would close 16 of its 24 coal units, add nearly 7,000 MW of new renewable energy and build 400 miles of transmission line over the next decade to accelerate decarbonization of its system, according to its draft 2019 integrated resource plan. Read MorePacifiCorp Draft 2019 IRP Would Close Most Coal Units, Ramp Up Renewables
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission at its Oct. 2 meeting unanimously approved Public Service Company of New Mexico's purchase of the 140-mile, 345-kV-capacity Western Spirit transmission line from Pattern Development and the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority. The de… Read MoreNew Mexico OKs Western Spirit Purchase; Court Denies Petition Against ETA
Regulators and stakeholders discussed permanent rules limiting utility disconnections for nonpayment during extreme weather at a special meeting of the Arizona Corporation Commission Sept. 30. Read MoreACC to Consult Public Health Experts on Next Draft of Disconnection Rules
Three Arizona cities have adopted fire codes with specific provisions for battery energy storage systems at both residential and commercial sites following a fire and explosion at an Arizona Public Service battery facility in April that remains under investigation. Read MoreArizona Cities Adopt Battery Fire Codes; APS Investigates Explosion
James Danly, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's general counsel for the last two years, is President Donald Trump's choice to fill a FERC vacancy, the White House said Sept. 30. Read MoreTrump Picks James Danly for FERC