Generation
The Lafayette, La., City Council on March 5 cleared a path for Lafayette Utilities System to build a new natural gas-fired power plant.
The City and County of San Francisco on July 27 submitted a petition with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) seeking a formal determination of the value of investor-owned Pacific Gas & Electric’s local electric infrastructure, the next step in San Francisco’s efforts to acquire the utility’s city-based electric facilities and complete the city’s transition to public power.
Reliability
Thanks to rapid clean energy deployment, expansion of battery storage, and strategic efforts to build up emergency reserves, California heads into summer with more resources to meet electricity demand, including the extreme heat conditions experienced in recent years, but California energy leaders are remaining vigilant about ongoing risks.
The American Public Power Association concludes our second three-part newsletter by highlighting public power systems that demonstrate a commitment to local communities, ongoing innovation, and resiliency
Electricity Markets
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in December accepted changes to the California Independent System Operator’s tariff that will enable it to launch a Western day-ahead electricity market.
Rich Wallen, General Manager and CEO of Washington State’s Grant County PUD, recently warned of the negative consequences that could result from the removal of the Lower Snake River Dams in testimony he gave at a House hearing that examined proposed hydropower licensing changes.
Electricity Markets
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Jan. 30 conditionally accepted a proposal submitted by the PJM Interconnection to refine and improve PJM’s risk modeling framework.
Community Engagement
Celebrate the different reasons and processes through which public power utilities have come into existence across three eras: early electrification, after the development of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and in the 21st Century – and how each promotes staying community owned.
Bills and Rates
The Guam Public Utilities Commission has approved the Guam Power Authority’s petition to reduce a fuel recovery charge by 20.3%, effective February 1, 2025.
Energy Storage
Independent power producer Broad Reach Power plans to build 15 utility-scale battery storage plants totaling 150 megawatts (MW) in areas near Houston and Odessa, Texas.