More Community Aggregators Come of Age, Get Rated

CA Current

• The Buzz January 15, 2021
  One of the avenues for helping secure power supplies during safety shutoffs and heat waves is a proceeding on clean microgrids. But a new California Public Utilities Commission decision makes little headway on advancing the microgrid market because of concerns about ratepayer costs and safety. Those concerns do little to appease low-income advocates who object […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Community Microgrid Advocates Left Waiting by CPUC January 15, 2021
  California is committed on paper to advancing private and public microgrids to protect communities from wildfire shutoffs, but a key step just taken by regulators favors projects advanced by the investor-owned utilities. A California Public Utilities Commission decision approved 4-0 on Jan. 14 makes way for the installation of 30 microgrids to power critical facilities—from […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Final Blackout Study Calls for More Reserves, Warns of Diablo & Pacific Line Risk January 14, 2021
  Details on the key causes of the mid-August blackouts are out, and consistent with an earlier analysis. They highlight market and planning flaws and a system thin on the cushion of extra power, or resource adequacy, the grid requires. The final analysis also points to an acute concern over two scenarios: a sudden loss of […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Federal Officials Seek to Weaken Desert Renewables Deal January 14, 2021
  The Trump Administration just poked one more, perhaps final finger in California’s eye by proposing changes to the complex, stakeholder-developed plan identifying suitable sites for wind and solar development on public lands in the state’s southeastern desert. The Jan. 13 amendments to the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan would open more lands to off-road vehicles, […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• News Roundup: SDG&E’s Power Costs Okayed, LA Power Cited for Methane Leak January 13, 2021
  Updated Jan. 14 The California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved San Diego Gas & Electric recovering from ratepayers $1.16 million for its 2021 projected power procurement costs, including for utility-owned generation, and greenhouse gas emissions. Presiding Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves rejected SDG&E’s proposed accounting change that would have put off a sizable amount of the […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Shorts January 13, 2021
  The Public Advocates Office announced it saved California ratepayers more than $3 billion in utility rates last year. “The impacts of COVID-19 and the increasing frequency of wildfires have made our advocacy that much more important for Californians,” Elizabeth Echols, Director of CalAdvocates, said Jan. 11. She stressed the need for affordable safe utility services–from […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• CPUC Orders Utilities to Line Up More Resources for Peak Summer Demand January 12, 2021
  To avoid rolling outages due to electricity supply shortages, state officials direct the three investor-owned utilities to line up additional resources by mid-February. The aim is to ensure peak demand and demand as the sun sets, known as net peak, are met this summer.   Under a Jan. 8 proposed decision by an administrative law […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Newsom Proposes $2.5B for Electric Transportation & Fire Mitigation January 12, 2021
  Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2021-22 budget proposes spending more than $1.5 billion to accelerate electric and other non-fossil fueled vehicles and charging stations, particularly in polluted poor communities. He also plans to direct another $1 billion to reduce wildfire risks in high threat areas—forests and communities.  Newsom’s proposal released Jan. 8 highlights significant exacerbation of climate […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• The Buzz January 8, 2021
  Three is not a charm for Pacific Gas & Electric. Its problematic 1,150 MW Unit 2 at its Diablo nuclear plant is down for a third time because of a new issue. The soonest it will be back online is the end of May. A quintet of community energy agencies receive solid credit ratings, which […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• New Problem at Diablo Nuclear Plant’s Unit 2 Causes 3rd Shut Down January 8, 2021
  Updated Jan. 8 at 2:30 PM Half of California’s sole remaining nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon, is offline for the third time in six months, and it’s not expected to be back in service before Memorial Day. The plant’s 1,150 megawatt Unit 2 went down Dec. 2. Both of the unit’s two unplanned outages earlier last […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy