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Avangrid and Puget Sound Energy Sign PPA, Including Upgrade and Life Extension, for Washington Wind Project

LCG, May 19, 2026--Avangrid, Inc., a member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced the signing of a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) for the 199.5-MW Big Horn I wind project in Klickitat County, Washington. This agreement represents the fourth PPA executed by the two companies for projects in the Pacific Northwest.

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DOE Acts to Ensure Key Coal-fired Power Plants Are Available in MISO to Supply Peak Summer Demands

LCG, May 18, 2026--The U.S. Secretary of Energy today issued an emergency order to address critical grid reliability issues in the Midwest anticipated this summer. The order is in effect beginning on May 19, 2026, through August 16, 2026. The emergency order directs the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), in coordination with Consumers Energy, to ensure that the J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant (Campbell Plant) in West Olive, Michigan shall take all steps necessary to remain available to operate and to minimize costs for the region.

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Industry News

California Capsule: Davis Eases Pollution Rules to Get Power

LCG, June 12, 2001California Gov. Gray Davis issued an executive order yesterday that will allow operators of the state's heaviest-polluting natural gas-fired power plants to run them at capacity this summer and build their emissions fines into the price they charge the state for electricity.

Even some baseload plants would be prevented from operating full time without the governor's order. At a news conference yesterday, state officials pointed out that the order will actually reduce pollution by reducing the need for businesses and institutions to use their backup diesel generators.

"If we don't get every last megawatt we can, we will see people turning to diesel more frequently," said Catherine Witherspoon of the California Air Resources Board.

Her observation was echoed by Kellan Fluckiger, one of Davis' army of energy advisors. "If you don't run these (power plants), you're either going to have outages or you're going to run something dirtier," he said.

Most of the plants affected by the order are "peaking facilities," plants that are permitted to run only a few hundred hours per year because they pollute so heavily.

State officials did not say how the added cost of electricity would be paid for, but it's safe to say that electric customers will get the bill in the end, probably through even higher rates.

FERC Expands El Paso Corp. Gas Price Probe
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission yesterday granted a request by the California Public Utilities Commission for more hearings into possible natural gas market manipulation by three subsidiaries of El Paso Corp.

The CPUC alleged that El Paso Pipeline, El Paso Merchant Energy-Gas and Mojave Pipeline Co. rigged contracts to boost gas prices during much of last year. The commission claimed the manipulation cost the state an extra $3.7 billion.

FERC had investigated similar allegation earlier this year and said in March that it found no evidence of so-called "affiliate abuse," and industry term for collusion between or among related firms.

In yesterday's order, FERC said "The commission now sets for hearing the issue of whether El Paso Pipeline and/or El Paso Merchant engaged in affiliate abuse or violated the affiliate standards in bidding for or awarding the El Paso contracts, including the transmission discount granted by Mojave."

Norma Dunn, an El Paso spokeswoman, said "The bottom line is that FERC had all the evidence before them (in March) when they made their initial decision that there was no affiliate abuse. And that evidence has not changed."

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