North America News

Latest news and developments from North America region

• PJM study pegs up to USD3.2 billion transmission investment for offshore wind

  October 21, 2021
  PJM Interconnection released the Phase 1 results of its offshore wind transmission study on October 19, 2021, which presents a framework for future transmission planning studies between PJM and states. The findings mention that it will cost USD2.2-3.2 billion to build sufficient onshore transmission in the PJM Interconnection region to meet states' offshore wind and renewable portfolio standard goals through 2035.

• Appalachian Power plans power grid improvements in Sullivan, Scott counties

  October 20, 2021
  Appalachian Power has planned modifications to the electric transmission system in Scott and Sullivan counties in Virginia and Tennessee respectively, through the Fort Robinson–Hill Transmission Line Rebuild Project. The goal of modernising this 50-year-old power line is to provide more reliable service to its customers and reduce the number of temporary outages they experience during line maintenance.

• GE Research and Prolec GE to install world's first flexible transformer in Mississippi

  October 20, 2021
  Cooperative Energy has teamed up with GE Research and Prolec GE to develop and install the world's first flexible large power transformer at its major substation in Columbia, Mississippi. This substation is part of a service network that serves power to over half a million consumers in Mississippi.

• PREPA seeks regulatory approval for renewable energy and energy storage tender

  October 20, 2021
  The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) has requested Puerto Rico Public Service Regulatory Commission's Energy Bureau for approval to issue its next request for proposals (RfP) for renewable energy and energy storage resources. This will be the second tranche of RfPs to be issued this year after Tranche 1 was issued in February 2021, which sought 1 GW of renewable capacity and 500 MW/2,000 MWh of energy storage. Tranche 2 would include the procurement of at least 500 MW of renewable generation capacity and at least 250 MW of four-hour energy storage capacity (1,000 MWh).

• Puerto Rico Energy Bureau authorises Luma Energy’s T&D investment

  October 19, 2021
  Puerto Rico’s Energy Bureau has authorised the construction of eight projects of Luma Energy—concessionaire for the operation and maintenance of the island’s transmission and distribution network.

• Quanta Services completes Blattner acquisition [free access]

  October 19, 2021
  Quanta Services Inc. announced that it has completed the acquisition of Blattner Holding Company (Blattner), one of the largest and leading utility-scale renewable energy infrastructure solutions providers in North America Blattner, based in Avon, Minnesota, provides front-end engineering, procurement, project management, and construction services for wind, solar, and energy storage and transmission projects.

• FERC receives numerous comments on transmission planning and cost allocation ANOPR

  October 18, 2021
  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has received several comments from diverse stakeholders on its advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANOPR) (RM21-17) for ‘Building for the Future through Electric Regional Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation, and Generation Interconnection’, which closed on October 20, 2021.

• Dane County court conditionally halts Cardinal–Hickory Creek line construction

  October 18, 2021
  A Dane County judge has temporarily halted the construction of the USD492 million Cardinal–Hickory Creek Transmission Line project on the condition that the opponents of the project pay a USD32 million bond to cover the costs of delay if the project eventually goes ahead.

• FirstEnergy Corp subsidiaries conduct transmission line inspections

  October 18, 2021
  Penn Power and West Penn Power, both FirstEnergy Corporation subsidiaries, recently conducted aerial inspections of nearly 1,000 miles (1,609 km) of 345 kV transmission lines in the greater Pittsburgh area in preparation for winter.

• AEP to hold public input sessions on Stuart Area Improvements Project

  October 13, 2021
  Appalachian Power is seeking public input on its Stuart Area Improvements Project, which aims to modernise the power grid that serves Patrick County (in Virginia) customers.

• SEEM receives FERC approval for new energy market platform

  October 13, 2021
  Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM) members won approval for their proposed trading platform from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on October 13, 2021, following a 2-2 commission decision. The new SEEM platform will enable sub-hourly bilateral trading, allowing players to buy and sell power close to the time the energy is consumed, utilising available unreserved transmission.

• FERC releases compliance report on reliability and cybersecurity standards

  October 12, 2021
  In its annual audit report on compliance with reliability and cybersecurity standards, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urges electric utilities to improve their incident recovery planning and conduct enhanced vulnerability assessments, as part of a package of voluntary recommendations from the FERC's Office of Electric Reliability and Office of Enforcement.

• CMP’s subsidiary prepares contingency plans for NECEC project [free access]

  October 12, 2021
  The USD1 billion New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC), which is being developed by Central Maine Power’s (CMP) special purpose vehicle NECEC LLC, is facing delays due to various challenges.

• 80 offshore wind transmission proposals for New Jersey under PJM review

  October 11, 2021
  PJM Interconnection has stated that it received 80 proposals for onshore and offshore transmission projects, which would assist New Jersey meet its goal of 7,500 MW of offshore wind generation by 2035. PJM solicited the proposals, which closed on September 17, 2021, under the state agreement approach, which allows states to use policy goals, rather than reliability or market criteria, as justification to expand transmission.

• EIPC’s white paper calls for more coordinated transmission to deal with renewables surge

  October 11, 2021
  In a white paper titled `Planning the Grid for a Renewable Future’, grid operators and planners from the Eastern Interconnection called for more transmission and cooperation to help fulfil renewable energy targets.

• Georgia PSC approves Georgia Power's BESS project

  October 8, 2021
  The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has given US power utility and subsidiary of Southern Company, Georgia Power, permission to build, own, and operate the Mossy Branch Battery Facility – a new battery energy storage system (BESS).

• FERC rejects Macquarie Energy LLC’s complaints against PacifiCorp

  October 6, 2021
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected a complaint filed by trading firm Macquarie Energy LLC against power supplier PacifiCorp in late 2020 regarding transmission service requests.

• FERC orders Duke Energy subsidiary to reimburse solar developer for upgrades

  October 5, 2021
  On October 1, 2021, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected Duke Energy Corporation's claim that it does not need to reimburse project developers for certain transmission upgrades.

• NJBPU announces NJ offshore wind transmission solicitation process

  October 5, 2021
  The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) outlined new details for its process to plan the transmission required to meet with the state's goal of adding 7,500 MW of offshore wind capacity by 2035.

• FERC, NERC propose new reliability standards following February 2021 event

  October 4, 2021
  A joint team composed of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Office of Electric Reliability and Enforcement and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) staff recently presented their findings and preliminary recommendations, developed as part of their ongoing joint inquiry into the February 2021 extreme cold weather event.