Get the News in Your Inbox
Wake up to breaking news that impacts you. Get our e-newsletter Public Power Current — published every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday — with exclusive news and features on federal policy, regional and state initiatives, and case studies from public power utilities across the country. All employees and board members of American Public Power Association member organizations can sign up.
Recently in Public Power Current
The Biden-Harris Administration on April 25 announced a final transmission permitting reform rule and a new commitment for up to $331 million aimed at adding more than 2,000 megawatts of additional grid capacity throughout the Western United States.
Electricity generation from units that primarily consume natural gas in the U.S. Lower 48 states has increased for all hours of the day since 2021, the Energy Information Administration said. Off-peak natural gas-fired generation rose about 22% between 2021 and 2023.
The nation’s electric grid and natural gas system largely operated without any major incidents during the January 2024 severe weather that swept Arctic air across much of North America, staff with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s most recent generator interconnection queue’s cumulative results highlight that renewable generation and storage continue to dominate new applications in the 15-state region. Preliminary results include 600 applications representing approximately 123 GW of new generation across the MISO footprint.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recently awarded Colorado Springs Utilities with a $5.2 million Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization grant.
CleanPowerSF’s Solar Inverter Replacement Program was recently recognized by the California Community Choice Association as one of nine outstanding member programs.
The Board of Directors for California public power utility Imperial Irrigation District approved a new set of board policies during its regular meeting on April 23 that will help guide the operational and strategic direction of the district. The new board policy replaces the Board of Directors Governance Manual adopted in 2007.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 25 finalized four rules affecting the power sector. The four rules cover GHG guidelines for existing coal-fired power plants and new source performance standards for stationary combustion turbines, mercury and air toxic standards residual risk and technology review, steam electric effluent limitation guidelines and coal combustion residual legacy impoundment and CCR management units.