Unanimously

In an almost unprecedented show of bipartisanship in the currently divided Congress, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Wednesday unanimously adopted pipeline safety reauthorization legislation.

California regulators established privacy and security rules for smart grid elements such as smart meters. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously approved rules to prohibit utilities or others from using consumer data for purposes other than utility operations without individual written customer consent. Earlier at the CPUC meeting consumers complained about smart meters causing health problems, an issue that earlier in the year prompted the CPUC to start an opt-out program for consumers who do not want one of the new meters. That proceeding is now ongoing.

Despite a recommendation from its presiding members’ committee to approve the project, the California Energy Commission (CEC) on Thursday unanimously agreed to reopen the regulatory process for a long-standing proposal by Princeton, NJ-based NRG Energy Inc. to build a smaller natural gas-fired generation plant on part of its existing 100-acre coastal generation plant site in Carlsbad, CA.

The Texas Senate last Wednesday evening unanimously passed legislation to require disclosure of the contents of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluid, “breaking ground that no other state has done,” according to state Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay). However, a floor amendment could thwart the bill’s progress.

The Texas Senate Wednesday evening unanimously passed legislation to require disclosure of the contents of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluid, “breaking ground that no other state has done,” according to state Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay). However, a floor amendment could thwart the bill’s progress.

The Texas Senate Wednesday evening unanimously passed legislation to require disclosure of the contents of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluid, “breaking ground that no other state has done,” according to state Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay). However, a floor amendment could thwart the bill’s progress.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) on Wednesday unanimously approved two natural gas-fired electric generation plants that would add more than 800 MW to the state’s generation fleet, which is under pressure along the coast where 20 plants need to meet new once-through-cooling (OTC) rules later in this decade or shut down.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) last week unanimously (5-0) ordered Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) to face a show-cause hearing today (March 28) over what the regulators unequivocally have determined is the utility’s lack of compliance in ongoing state and federal investigations of the Sept. 9 natural gas transmission pipeline rupture in San Bruno, CA. Separately, PG&E and the CPUC staff have worked out a preliminary stipulated resolution to correct the situation on an accelerated basis.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Thursday unanimously (5-0) ordered Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) to face a show-cause hearing Monday over what the regulators unequivocally have determined is the utility’s lack of compliance in ongoing state and federal investigations of the Sept. 9 natural gas transmission pipeline rupture in San Bruno, CA. Separately, PG&E and the CPUC staff have worked out a stipulated resolution to correct the situation on an accelerated basis.