A $300,000 penalty against Kentucky Utilities Co. caught some attention in headlines this week, as Warren Buffett's big solar buy and Vermont's smart meter research also worked their ways Utility Dive's most popular news reads of the week.

Find out what you need to know about those three stories and PG&E's plans for the new year at the links below:

• Kentucky utility to pay penalty and upgrade emissions control system—State regulators announced the ruling and will impose the penalty after a 30-day public comment period.
• Warren Buffett’s MidAmerican Energy Holdings spends $2B on Calif. solar projects—The Antelope Valley projects are slated to become the world's largest for photovoltaic tech.
• Massachusetts attorney general to fight storm fine appeals—The AG's office will defend the fines issued by state regulators against three electric utilities.
• Vermont officials want an expert to study smart meter concerns—Meter opponents believe federal standards are lacking and would like to see an independent evaluations of the technology.
• PG&E blames higher rates on grid modernization and renewables—The utility expects to continue increasing rates throughout the year.

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