In an interview with The Wheeler Report, Phil Montgomery, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin discussed the challenges of the agency and the agencies move to more regional work.

On a 2-1 vote, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) decided to deny the application of Highland Wind Farm, LLC, for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to construct a 102.5 Megawatt Wind Electric Facility in the Towns of Forest and Cylon in St. Croix County.

The Energy Information Administration at the U.S. Dept. of Energy recently released an article discussing the projected cellulosic biofuel shortfall and its implications.

Since being selected as a Solar America City by the Energy Department in 2008, Milwaukee has continued to support the growth of its solar industry with the Milwaukee Power Pack pilot program and ongoing incentives for home and business owners. Last week, Energy.gov featured a weeklong blog series on Milwaukee’s solar strides.

• Learn how Milwaukee's solar pilot program and ongoing incentives are supporting local industry growth.
• Read an interview with the CEO of Helios Solar Works, Milwaukee’s first solar module manufacturing facility.
• See what a Milwaukee homeowner has to say about her experience with solar installation.
• Hear one Milwaukee solar installer reflect on his career in the field.
   

The EPA has proposed its 2013 volumetric requirements for four fuel categories that are part of the agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2) just a week after a federal court struck down one of its 2012 standards.

Since the 1960s regulations have dramatically altered the automotive industry. The Master Resource blog, which bills itself as a free-market energy blog, has an interesting post titled "Car Homogenization: What Have Regulations Wrought?" that explores some of the unintended consequences of safety and fuel efficiency regulations.

“Power Up!” an article in the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute’s December 2012 issue of its magazine, Wisconsin Interest, explores Wisconsin’s electric generation history and the state’s current status relative to other states in the MISO (the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operators) region.

Click here to read the full text of “Power Up!” by Michael Flaherty.
 

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) has released the final version of the state’s biennial Strategic Energy Assessment (SEA). The newly released SEA, “Energy 2018,” provides a glimpse of Wisconsin's anticipated energy supply and demand for the years 2012-2018.

This summer, in light of drought conditions affecting the country, Governors from several States requested a waiver of the national volume requirements for the renewable fuel standard program (RFS). The EPA recently denied the petition, citing a lack of evidence that would support a finding of severe “economic harm” which would warrant granting a waiver. The decision is based on economic analyses and modeling done in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy.

Although Wisconsin utilities are well on the way to meeting the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements, nationally and at the local level, there are still policy challenges still threaten renewable mandates.

All Wisconsin electric providers are in compliance with their Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements for 2011, according to a recent Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) order. In addition, the majority of Wisconsin utilities have already achieved the increased percentage of renewable energy that will be required by 2015 under the state’s RPS mandate.

Various news sources preview what Pres. Obama’s energy and environmental policy could look like in his second term.

EIA recently launched a new interactive web portal for state-level energy data and infrastructure overlays. The new web portal includes a profile analysis for each state and allows users to compare state rankings of energy consumption, production, and prices across fuels and sectors; customize energy maps; visualize state-level data with graphics and charts; and analyze key energy facts for each state.

A new report from National Economic Research Associates (NERA) prepared for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity find that EPA regulations could cost 1.5 million jobs over the next four years, with a quarter million of those job losses occurring in the Midwest.

The Obama administration finalized a program Friday to fast-track “solar energy zones” on public lands in six Western states.

The EPA has taken action to establish the amount of bio-diesel products required to be included in diesel fuel markets in 2013 under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA).

Through an editorial published in The Hill, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) has drawn the nation’s attention to the EPA’s new mandate requiring a minimum four-gallon purchase at service station pumps selling a new 15% blend of the fuel additive ethanol (E15) from the same hose and nozzle as the current 10% blend (E10).

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced it will begin reviewing a proposal to build what would be the nation's first floating wind farm.
DOI's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is proceeding with an assessment of Statoil North America's Hywind Maine project.

The proposed wind farm, located about 12 nautical miles off the coast in water about 500 feet deep, would have a 12-megawatt capacity from four wind turbines.

BOEM is seeking public comment on environmental issues related to the proposed leasing, construction, and operation activities in the offshore area.

This post was authored by GLLF staff attorney Emily Kelchen.
 

The Energy Department released a new report on August 14 highlighting strong growth in the U.S. wind energy market in 2011. According to the 2011 Wind Technologies Market Report, the United States remained one of the world’s largest and fastest growing wind markets in 2011.

Administrative agencies continuously promulgate new rules and often do so quickly. Tracking the various proposed rules can be time-intensive and complicated. The Foundation’s Regulatory Calendar includes the dates of important steps in the rulemaking process for various rules we are following at the state and federal level.