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Kinder Morgan Inc. Abandons Master Limited Partnership Structure in Consolidation of Three Subsidiaries

 September 11, 2014

On August 10, 2014, Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) announced that it plans to acquire all the outstanding equity securities of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP, Kinder Morgan Management LLC, and El Paso Pipeline Partners LP in a deal valued at more than $70 billion. The combined entity will further Kinder Morgan’s reign as the largest energy infrastructure company in North America and the third largest energy company overall, with an estimated enterprise value of about $140 billion. The Kinder Morgan subsidiaries collectively own an interest in or operate approximately 80,000 miles of pipelines and 180 terminals currently. Its pipelines transport natural gas, gasoline, crude oil, CO2 and other products, and its terminals store petroleum products and chemicals and handle such products as ethanol, coal, petroleum coke, and steel.


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Generation from Nonhydro Renewables Expected to Eclipse Hydropower in 2014

 September 5, 2014

For decades, hydropower has been the dominant renewable energy resource. In 2004, hydropower accounted for three times the generation of all nonhydro renewable generation combined (i.e., wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, landfill gas, and municipal solid waste). With recent robust growth in wind and solar, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects 2014 will be the first year that annual nonhydro renewable generation exceeds annual hydropower generation.


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NRG Energy Announces Controls, Conversion, and Closure for Illinois Coal Plants

 August 27, 2014

On August 7, 2014, NRG Energy (NRG) announced a plan to reduce pollution exposure posed by four Illinois coal-fired plants that were acquired during the purchase of Edison Mission in April 2014. The plan is a combination of investment in environmental controls, conversion of coal to natural gas, and the outright retirement of a coal unit.


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Arizona Public Service Seeks Permission to Enter Rooftop Solar Business

 August 18, 2014

On July 28, 2014, Arizona Public Service (APS) filed a proposal with the Arizona Corporation Commission to implement a utility-owned rate-based residential distributed solar program. Under this program, the utility would install approximately 3,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) systems ranging from 4 to 8 kW on residential customer rooftops. In return, participating customers would receive a $30 per month bill credit for “renting” roof space.


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Proposed LNG Export Policy Changes and H.R. 6

 July 30, 2014

Under a new proposal, the Department of Energy (DOE) would discontinue granting conditional approvals until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (or other agency) issued a final environmental review.


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Corporations Outline Buyers’ Principles to Increase Renewable Energy Procurement

 July 24, 2014

Sixty percent of the largest U.S. businesses have set goals to reduce carbon emissions or increase their use of renewable energy. In most cases, these companies are forced to meet their renewable energy requirements through on-site generation, power purchase agreements, or acquisition of renewable energy certificates because of the lack of options provided by their local utility. In response, a group of major U.S. corporations has issued a set of “buyers’ principles” aimed at improving access to a broader range of options for lower cost renewable energy resources.


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North Dakota Regulators to Enforce Gas-Flaring Rules

 July 11, 2014

The North Dakota Industrial Commission announced that it will begin to enforce regulations that reduce flaring of natural gas produced as a byproduct at oil wells. The state is currently burning significant quantities of natural gas because of inadequate pipeline and processing infrastructure.


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ScottMadden Partners with ACORE to Explore Utility Business Models

 June 30, 2014

The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) released a new report titled, “Evolving Business Models for Renewable Energy: 2014 Industry Review.” The member-authored publication explores key issues and provides recommendations related to evolving utility business models through the integration of renewable energy. A contribution from ScottMadden provides an overview of current utilities’ responses to distributed generation and a course of action for the future.


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Setback for Demand Response in Organized Markets

 June 23, 2014

On May 23, 2014, demand response (DR) resources received a significant setback when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court issued a decision vacating and remanding the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Order No. 745. The order, which was issued in 2012, expanded the role of DR in energy markets controlled by Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs). The premise of the order was to establish a framework to compensate DR when called upon to replace more expensive generation.


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Massachusetts Stakeholders Agree to Net-Metering Reform

 June 20, 2014

Earlier this week, stakeholders in Massachusetts endorsed a compromise agreement to reform the state net-metering policy. Net-metering policies provide credits at full retail rate for excess generation provided to the grid. The agreement will remove a cap on the number of net-metered customers currently limiting the solar market in return for a minimum charge for all electric customers which will help utilities collect for fixed delivery costs.


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EPA Proposes Rule to Reduce CO2 Intensity from Existing Fossil Fuel Plants

 June 16, 2014

On June 2, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a new rule under section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act that would lower CO2 intensity from fossil-fuel generators by 2030. Instead of a single requirement, the “Clean Power Plan” outlines state-specific carbon intensity requirements (lbs CO2/MWh). If all states meet the requirements, the EPA estimates CO2 emissions from the power sector will decline 30% from 2005 levels.


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ACEEE Report Finds Carbon Strategies Could include Significant Energy Efficiency

 June 9, 2014

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently examined the impact of states adopting four common energy efficiency policies. The four strategies have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector by 26% and electricity demand by 25% relative to 2012. In addition, the strategies could also increase national gross domestic product by $17.2 billion in 2030.


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