CA Current

The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power is preparing to kick off a community solar program early next year that could involve installing up to 5 MW of photovoltaic panels within its distribution system to serve up to 6,600 customers. In other developments, the muni’s board heard that installing 100 MW of battery storage […]

Carbon dioxide present in raw biogas has been successfully turned into burnable methane in a process that can be powered by renewable electricity. “This groundbreaking innovation holds the potential to simplify storing renewable electricity in the form of zero-carbon renewable natural gas that can be used for home heating, water heaters, or clean trucks to […]

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agrees to rules increasing transparency on above market payments grid operators make to uneconomic resources, and getting interconnection agreements in gear. They also open the door to input on their problematic natural gas pipeline permitting process. In addition to shining a light on “uplift” payments for resources that can’t recover […]

The Assembly Utilities & Energy Committee voted to move two controversial measures forward April 18 setting procurement mandates for geothermal and biomass energy and to preserve a tariff that offers some municipal governments and others favorable rate treatment when they have solar systems. Lawmakers okayed the bills despite warnings they would raise the cost of […]

Updated April 19. A group of Los Angeles County homeowners filed a class-action lawsuit earlier this month alleging that Renovate America and Renew Financial, which contract with Los Angeles County to operate the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing program, failed to offer basic consumer protections. The suit claims that PACE loans provided by the […]

Federal energy regulators are considering complaints that Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison evaded federal transmission planning standards to pump up their charges. The dispute comes at the same time that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission told Congress this week that grid operators like the California Independent System Operator need to do a […]

Solar panels and solar water heaters gleam on every fourth or fifth house as I drive along the road to Kahului from Lahaina on Maui after passing a bank of wind turbines spinning in the ever constant Trade Winds. In O’ahu the view is much the same, with massive banks of solar panels visible everywhere, […]

Federal energy regulators ranked the security of the nation’s electric grid, dams, and oil and gas pipelines as the number one priority for the energy industry during an April 17 House Energy & Commerce Energy Subcommittee hearing. Cyberattacks on the grid and other energy facilities “are constant,” Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Kevin McIntyre told […]

Consideration of a ballot measure to mandate that San Diego Gas & Electric serve only green energy to the City of San Diego if it wants a renewed franchise agreement was sent back to go. Leading gubernatorial Republican candidates challenge the recently enacted gas tax hike and the bullet train. Democratic governor hopefuls want to […]

A ballot measure that would mandate that San Diego Gas & Electric provide the City of San Diego 100 percent renewable energy, as part of a renewed franchise agreement, was sent back to the drawing board by the City Council’s Environmental Committee. The four-member committee April 12 asked the council’s Rules Committee, which initially forwarded […]

The Natural Resources Agency was urged to alter its climate adaptation work to focus less on fighting climate-driven disasters, such as wildfires, and more on helping prevent climate change impacts, during an April 11 Senate Environmental Quality Committee hearing. “We know we have dead trees and poor soil management in forests,” said Committee Chair Bob […]

The California Energy Commission approved “drought-proofing” a desert power plant and modifying efficiency regulations for portable electric spas and battery chargers. It also okayed a handful of multi-million-dollar grants and loans at its April 11 business meeting. The Commission approved changes to the conditions of certification for soil and water resources for the 830 MW […]

Gov. Jerry Brown is myopically focused on advancing electric and other zero emission cars. He proposes a big funding increase for electric automobile infrastructure at the expense of other valuable clean energy programs in his 2018-19 state budget plan now under debate. The proposed spending increase for electric cars comes out of the hide of […]

As part of an energy crisis settlement finalized in 2012, NRG agreed to fund $100 million worth of EV chargers and charging stations through California. NRG subsidiary eVgo has been installing the charging stations. Los Angeles-based eVgo has installed the required 200 fast charging stations in major metropolitan areas, according to a status report filed […]

As the June gubernatorial primary nears, the large field of candidates is drilling down on transportation, green jobs, climate change and the environment. Leading Republicans challenge the recently enacted gas tax hike and the bullet train. Democrats largely pledge to build on what Gov. Jerry Brown has done with some twists. San Francisco Mayor Gavin […]

The California grid operator outlined its proposal to become a western reliability coordinator, replacing Peak Reliability, starting the fall of 2019. The California Independent System Operator initially announced its plan Jan. 3 in response to the expected departure of Mountain West Transmission Group from Peak Reliability and the resulting rise in Peak’s services costs. Becoming […]

I am exploring how to make a granny flat my wife and I plan to build all-electric. We want to eliminate emissions from burning natural gas and take advantage of our solar rooftop. Part of the plan may include upsizing our solar system to cover the additional square footage we’ll add. So with a few […]

Clashing recipes to determine how much community choice organizations must pay the private utilities for their stranded power purchase contracts land in the California Public Utilities Commission’s kitchen. The launch of California’s expected biggest community choice program is not fully baked. The Clean Power Alliance of Southern California’s June debut is limited to two cities […]

Clashing proposals on revising or replacing the California Public Utilities Commission’s controversial power charge indifference adjustment were submitted to regulators April 2. This cost adjustment method determines how much community choice organizations must pay the private utilities for their stranded power purchase contracts. Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas […]

What’s destined to become the largest community choice aggregation program in the state is scaling back its launch of service to businesses to just two cities and the unincorporated areas of one county, leaving its rollout to 28 other communities until 2019. In a written report to the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California’s board […]