Policy News

This Fall’s Policy Tracker reviews recent regulatory developments, notable legislative victories, state energy planning, takes a brief look at the Clean Power Plan’s projected benefits, and presents data from recent reports on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initative.

The region’s regulatory landscape has been abuzz with energy efficiency developments during summer 2015, and below we describe recent state proceedings of import:

After many years of successful yet limited energy efficiency programs, New Hampshire is taking concrete steps to ramp up its investments in energy efficiency, likely through the creation of an Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS).

With the EPA’s announcement of final rules under 111(d), we turn the page toward a cleaner, healthier, economically vibrant power sector.  At NEEP, we’re fortunate to operate within a region which has time and time again proven that energy efficiency can be the cornerstone to a more resilient, clean, reliable and affordable energy system.

This piece was originally posted on Advanced Energy Perspectives and is reposted in full with permission. 

In the last several months, Massachusetts has announced a $10 million storage initiative, issued an RFP for a study of storage’s potential in the state, and

Editor's Note: Subsequent to this article's publication, ConEdison's draft ETIP filing outlined performance incentives between five and ten percent of the their program portfolio, according to how cost-effectively savings are achieved within pre-set program budgets.

Somewhere at the intersection of technological innovations, policy debates, and utility regulation lies the subject of energy efficiency.  To help tackle such an interdisciplinary field, NEEP’s policy team was fortunate enough to welcome a fledgling engineer into our midst for an internship during the spring of 2015.

UPDATE: The Maryland Public Service Commission approved the merger by a 3-2 vote on May 15, 2015, as did the Delaware Public Service Commission on May 19, 2015.

The energy policy world was abuzz during early 2015 over the potential impact of a landmark proceeding at the New York State Public Service Commission.  Utilities, State Utility Commissions, consumer advocates, and others were awaiting a key order in New York State’s “Reforming the Energy Vision.”  On February 26, 2015, the New York State Public Service Commission delivered their long awaited order adopting a regulatory Policy Framework and Implementation Plan.