CALENDAR

CA Current

• SoCal Edison Takes Heat Over Power Shutoffs January 27, 2021
  State officials excoriated Southern California Edison Tuesday over its extensive power shutoffs last year, including over Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday, awarding it the Hall of Shame prize for 2020. That honor was previously reserved for Pacific Gas & Electric. PG&E was raked over the coals by regulators and politicians for the harm and disruption […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Shorts January 27, 2021
  Marin Clean Energy is being served by a new 160 MW solar project covering 1,200 acres in Fresno, it announced Jan. 27. This Little Bear project consists of four solar facilities and went online last month. It is owned by Longroad and two Danish pension funds, PKA and PenSam. The output of the facility is under […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• State Electricity Demand Projected to Remain Flat January 27, 2021
  In its latest forecast for the coming decade, the California Energy Commission projects statewide demand won’t return to 2019 levels before 2023. The combination of layoffs and work from home have reduced commercial and industrial electrical load. That lower demand is expected to endure even accounting for projected increases in zero emission vehicles, expected to […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Energy Commission Hesitates on Large Diesel Array; Okays More Bans on Nat Gas January 26, 2021
  In a sign of possible increasing scrutiny of new diesel backup generators, the California Energy Commission postponed a vote on whether the Sequoia Data Center project in Santa Clara should be allowed to install 54 diesel-fired units without a state license. The postponement of the exemption for the 99 MW diesel backup project comes just […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• The Buzz January 22, 2021
  Slashing emissions from dirty diesel backup systems, the use of which is growing, is the focus of energy and air quality regulators. Diesel generation is widely used because it is cheap, accessible, and established. Panelists at a joint agency workshop tout alternative technologies fueled by gas, more so when supplied with renewable gas or green […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Looming Diesel Concerns Drives Quest for Backup Alternatives January 22, 2021
  A potential air quality crisis in the state best known for pollution regulation pushed the California Energy Commission into a full day forum Thursday on alternatives to diesel generators. The use of backup generators has soared in California with the growing frequency of preventive power outages during climate-exacerbated fire conditions. That includes large diesel projects […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Notable New Appointments by Biden Administration, Including New FERC Chair January 21, 2021
  On his second day in office, President Joe Biden named Rich Glick chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “I am honored that President Biden has shown the confidence in me to lead the agency at this critical moment in time,” Chair Glick said Jan. 21. Until mid-December, Glick was the sole Democrat member on […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Roundup: Power Shutoffs in Winter, San Diego Community Energy to Launch Soon January 20, 2021
  Updated Jan. 21 Highly unusual winds for this time of year prompted preventive power shutoffs and warnings to more than 300,000 utility customers early this week, nearly all in Southern California Edison territory. About 78,546 SCE customers across six counties had their power cut by Tuesday afternoon. Most were in Los Angeles, Riverside and Ventura […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Bill Provides Backing for Microgrids in Struggling Communities January 20, 2021
  A proposed bill in the state Senate would address the growing gap in who is able to set up microgrids in California by providing support to communities seeking energy resilience. SB 99 by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) creates a statewide grant and technical assistance program to help local governments increase installations of clean community microgrids […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Five Fed Energy Regulators at the Helm January 19, 2021
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s first meeting of 2021 was the first time in many months that it operated with a full five-member board. The last time there was a full commission was August 2018. “A little bit of normality is creeping back in,” James Danley, FERC chair, said at the start of the Jan. […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy