CA Current

CA Current

• The Buzz September 18, 2020
  Groundbreaking action by federal regulators requires grid operators to open their doors to aggregated power from energy storage, solar rooftops, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency. CAISO is ahead of the regional transmission operator pack, but the new rule is expected to ease the way for more clean distributed resources into its grid. The Federal Energy […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• FERC Clears Way for Small Energy Systems September 18, 2020
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted 2-1 to require grid operators to eliminate market barriers to aggregated rooftop solar, storage, energy efficiency and other clean energy resources on the distribution system. Transmission operators must rework their tariffs within nine months of the new rule’s implementation to include aggregated distributed resources as market participants in a […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• FERC Investigates California August Outages September 17, 2020
  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Neil Chatterjee announced Thursday that his agency is looking into what caused a shortage of electricity that led to rolling outages in California on Aug. 14 and 15. He said he is concerned about heat related events and wildfires. “Climate change is increasing the ferocity and number of weather events,” […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Fed Commodities Regulators Break the Mold with Call for Carbon Pricing September 17, 2020
  The climate crisis threatens the stability of the U.S. financial markets, warned commissioners appointed by the current president to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in a recent report. Although their report has not been approved by the full commission, Emilie Mazzacurati, founder/CEO of climate risk analyst 427, called it miraculous in the current political environment. […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Shorts September 17, 2020
  Companies and apartment owners in Santa Clara County can apply for “significant rebates” to cover equipment and installation costs of eligible electric vehicle chargers by mid-December, according to cities that provide power and community energy in the region. The City of Palo Alto Utilities, San José Clean Energy, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and Silicon Valley […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Why Did Two California Power Plants Go Offline When Needed? September 16, 2020
  Anticipation surrounds a multi-agency analysis of which power plants unexpectedly went offline and what failures may have precipitated the call for rolling power outages in California mid-August. Now the release of that analysis is delayed until October rather than later this month.  The California Independent System Operator, California Public Utilities Commission and California Energy Commission, […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Juice: Scrutiny of Demand Response Failures Needed September 16, 2020
  The analysis of the rolling blackouts is in the works but there was advanced warning of some serious systematic problems, making some mistakes avoidable. The joint agency root cause report of the mid-August blackouts may be underway, but some problems were just waiting to happen. California was clearly and inexcusably on a path to rely […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Rooftop Solar Compensation Under Review, Again September 15, 2020
  How much owners of rooftop solar reap for excess energy produced and the conditions attached have been battled in and outside California for several years. The Golden State has inconsistent solar policies, from providing $3 billion in subsidies under the decade-long Million Solar Roofs program that ended in 2017, to adding hefty charges to net […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• The Buzz September 11, 2020
  Northern San Diegans vigorously protest San Diego’s plan to upgrade and extend a big power line from San Marcos to Escondido. After listening to concerns about fire and financial dangers, as well as visual blight, the California Public Utilities Commission pulls the item from this week’s business meeting. In other news, the utility regulators learn […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy
• Northern San Diego County Residents Oppose New Overhead Line September 11, 2020
  Members of the public expressed strong concern about a proposal by San Diego Gas & Electric to modernize and extend a 12-mile 69 kV line through northern San Diego County, leading state regulators to delay a vote for construction that seemed sure to be approved. Several locals, many emotional, said the proposed overhead line running […]
  Elizabeth Mc Carthy