EnviroPolitics Blog

Minnesota BPU’s rejection of Xcel rate increase could jeopardize the uility’s investment in electric-vehicle charging stations

Xcel Energy said it will reconsider significant investments in Minnesota after state regulators on Thursday approved a three-year rate increase that was much less than what the the state’s largest utility wanted. The utility filed a petition late Thursday asking the PUC to withdraw its $330 million Clean Transportation Portfolio proposal. The centerpiece of that plan would have Xcel building and owning 730 electric vehicle fast chargers in Minnesota, which would make the state home to the largest utility-owned charging system in the country.

By Mike Hughlett Minnesota Star Tribune, JUNE 1, 2023 — 6:12PM

The Minnesota Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved the $306 million — or 9% — increase, which also was less than the state Department of Commerce and an administrative law judge recommended. Xcel was most recently asking for $440 million over three years.

Xcel “is still getting an increase in rates, and they need that to provide reliable and efficient service,” PUC Chair Katie Sieben said in an interview after the vote. “I wasn’t convinced they needed as big an increase as they were proposing. The commission struck a good balance.”

In a statement, Xcel said it was “extremely disappointed with the commission’s decision, which will limit our ability to continue to lead the clean energy transition for our customers.”

Xcel said it will ask the PUC to reconsider its rate decision. The PUC usually rejects such reconsideration petitions, and petitioners then often take their beef to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Read the full story here

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Fast-moving N.J. wildfire expands to 5,000 acres

Multiple roads are closed, the Timberline Campground has been evacuated, and six homes are threatened

A view of what the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has dubbed the Allen Road Wildfire in Bass River State Forest on Thursday.New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

By Frank Kummer, Philadelphia Inquirer

A fire that raced through Bass River State Forest in New Jersey’s Pinelands region had burned 5,000 acres as of Thursday evening, making it the largest wildfire of the year so far.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said it is working to contain the fire burning in the area of Allen Road in Ocean County. As of 6 p.m. Thursday, firefighters had contained 50% of the blaze, which began Wednesday night.

Relaed news:
Fast-moving N.J. wildfire expands to 3,100 acres
Wildfire season is starting earlierin New Jersey

Multiple roads are closed and the Timberline Campground has been evacuated. Local fire companies are also responding.

The Batona Trail, a 53-mile path through the Pine Barrens, is closed as it crosses through Bass River State Forest.

Although the risk of fire is listed as moderate Thursday, it is prime wildfire season and May was unusually dry. Officials said a backfiring operation, or a fire set intentionally along the fire line, helped in the containment.

It marks the second major wildfire this year.

Read the full story here

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Weehawken, NJ Lawyer Arrested In Boston Rape Cases

*New Jersey FBI agents and Boston police descended on the Estuary building in Weehawken on Tuesday in search of Matthew Nilo, 35. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)*

By Caren Lissner, Patch Staff

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A Hudson County attorney arrested at his waterfront home Tuesday stands accused of a series of Boston rapes committed more than a decade ago.

Matthew Nilo, 35, waived his right to extradition proceedings in a Hudson County courtroom on Thursday, and will be transported back to Massachusetts, a source said.

Nilo, who lives on the Weehawken waterfront, was charged with aggravated rape, kidnapping, and other charges linked to the 2007 and 2008 attacks, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

Nilo was a student at the time, living in Boston’s North End, and the crimes were committed in the Charlestown neighborhood, The Globe story states.

A LinkedIn profile for Nilo shows that he graduated from law school in San Francisco. At the time of the alleged crimes, he was a psychology major at the University of Wisconsin.

Investigators tracked the crimes to Nilo using complex DNA technology that was not available at the time of the rapes, multiple news outlets reported.

Now, they are looking for a connection to other unsolved crimes.

Read the full story here

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Environmental bills in NJ Senate committee on June 8, 2023

The following bills will be considered by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee on Thursday, June 8, 2023, at 10:00 AM in Committee Room 6, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ.

The committee will meet to hear testimony from invited speakers on steps that the State can take to modernize the electrical grid and prepare for the interconnection of more renewable energy resources.

The following bills will be considered:

S2708 (Zwicker) – Requires DEP to consider potential impacts on natural resources when classifying dams according to hazard potential.

S3255 (Diegnan/Oroho) – Increases the percentage of reclaimed asphalt pavement that can be used for local road projects.

S3914 (Smith) – Requires electric public utilities to submit new tariffs for commercial customers for BPU approval; regulates non-volumetric electricity fees charged to operators of fast-charging electric vehicle chargers.

FOR DISCUSSION ONLY:

S3177 (Greenstein/Smith) – “Protecting Against Forever Chemicals Act”; establishes requirements, prohibitions, and programs for the regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

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How the debt ceiling deal compromises on the environment

A deal to raise the country’s debt limit also includes changes to a bedrock environmental law and approves a controversial natural gas pipeline.

By Jeff Brady, National Public Radio

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

OK. The House is voting today on a deal to raise the country’s debt ceiling. The Senate is expected to vote in the coming days. We are going to focus now on another element of that legislation because the deal also includes changes to a bedrock environmental law and approves a controversial natural gas pipeline. Jeff Brady from our climate desk is here. Hey, Jeff.

JEFF BRADY, BYLINE: Hi there.

KELLY: Hi. So this natural gas pipeline, the Mountain Valley pipeline, how did this end up in debt ceiling legislation?

BRADY: The short answer is compromise. With Republicans holding a narrow majority in the House and Democrats a narrow majority in the Senate, including approval for this Mountain Valley pipeline gives fossil fuel allies something they can claim as a victory. And that increases the number of lawmakers voting for the debt ceiling increase.

Debt Deal Includes a Green Light for a Contentious Pipeline (NY Times)

KELLY: Aha.

BRADY: Yeah. West Virginia’s delegation wanted this, including a key Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin. This pipeline would transport natural gas from West Virginia about 300 miles south to North Carolina. The project has faced opposition from activists because it would be a contributor to climate change. And there have been court challenges from local landowner and environmental groups. Jean Su is with the Center for Biological Diversity, and she still hopes this provision will be removed before a final vote.

Read the full story here

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EPA to revise incinerator emission standards following a lawsuit

Exterior of the U.S. EPA headquarters with two flags flying

By Jacob Wallace, Editor, Waste Dive

By the end of this year, the EPA will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking for emissions standards related to municipal solid waste incinerators under the terms of a draft consent decree reached with environmental groups. The decree was submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on May 23.

Groups, including Earthjustice, the Sierra Club, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice and Ironbound Community Corp., sued the EPA in January 2022 over its alleged failure under the Clean Air Act to revisit the rules every five years. The decree would require EPA to finalize a new rule by November 30, 2024.

Environmental groups hope the draft decree could tighten federal emissions standards for 68 MSW incinerators, leading to tighter regulations for nine pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, dioxins, and nitrous oxides. The suit is part of a broader effort by environmental groups who say the EPA is behind the times in regulating several categories of waste incinerators, including MSW and medical waste.

Read the full story here

If you liked this post you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.

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