Michigan regulators make changes to state's choice program

The full impact of a local clearing requirement on the state's electricity choice market is not yet known.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 19, 2017

Solar insiders expect ITC harm finding, handing tariff decision to Trump

Sector leaders are confident the International Trade Commission will find that imported solar panels have hurt domestic manufacturers, but how the president will respond remains unclear. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 19, 2017

Storage gets boost as 100% renewables, grid expansion fail in California

The state isn't yet following Hawaii and its mandate to achieve a 100% renewable electric sector, but the Los Angeles area got an energy storage stimulus.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 19, 2017

Puget Sound Energy, stakeholders reach partial settlement over Colstrip cost recovery

The settlement could boost electric rates by 1%. But the Washington utility argued the increase in rates is necessary to recover costs tied with shuttering two units in the Colstrip power plant. 

By Robert Walton • Sept. 19, 2017

Connecticut Senate passes Millstone nuclear support bill

The bill would set up an annual 12,000 GWh clean energy procurement, contingent on an economic viability study of the nuclear facility.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 19, 2017

An inside look at using energy storage to integrate renewable resources

Soaking up solar power during the day and dispatching it in the evening is often cited as a renewable-enabling use for energy storage, but in practice it's often not so simple.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 18, 2017

FERC overrules New York permit denial for Millennium gas pipeline

The decision could signal that Trump's FERC appointees are more open to reversing state regulatory decisions on fossil fuel infrastructure. 

By Robert Walton • Sept. 18, 2017

SCE nuclear waste settlement highlights growing problem for shuttered plants

Southern California Edison will spend up to $4 million to explore the feasibility of finding an alternative storage site for spent fuel from the San Onofre nuclear plant.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 18, 2017

PJM task force heads into the next stage of capacity market redesign

The grid operator's capacity construct group will begin evaluating 10 proposals for market reforms this week.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 18, 2017

North Carolina regulators push back Atlantic Coast Pipeline decision

State regulators said the project's application lacked key information on how the pipeline's route would impact streams and wetlands. 

By Robert Walton • Sept. 18, 2017

Updated: EPA to reconsider portions of Obama-era coal ash rule

The agency granted a polluter petition to reconsider the rule, a move environmentalists call "a ploy to scrap the protections entirely."

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 15, 2017

Baseload compensation a high priority for FERC, Chatterjee tells Congress

Threats to reliability could cause federal regulators to change plant compensation, the acting FERC chair told House lawmakers in a hearing that also touched on climate change and renewables integration.  

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 15, 2017

Mountain Valley Pipeline faces new scrutiny, citizen lawsuits

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection wants to reevaluate the pipeline, and citizen groups are suing to block the use of eminent domain for a project they consider unnecessary.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 15, 2017

EPA delays rule limiting toxic metal discharges from coal plants

The rule limiting heavy metal discharges from coal plants into lakes and rivers had been set to go into effect in 2018, but will now be delayed two years.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 15, 2017

Virginia Supreme Court upholds utility rate freeze law

Utilities say the five-year freeze protects customers from Clean Power Plan compliance, but consumer advocates argue it allows power companies overcharge ratepayers without regulatory review. 

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 15, 2017

DOE awards $20M to commercialize new energy technologies

More than 50 projects at 12 national labs will receive funding to help them bridge the gap to commercial use. 

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 15, 2017

Alectra Utilities CEO: 'Someone's going to cannibalize our business — it may as well be us'

"Someone's going to eat our lunch. They're lining up to do it," CEO Brian Bentz told Utility Dive. Here's how the Canadian utility is moving aggressively into DERs.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 14, 2017

ERCOT: Natural gas composed 50% of August generation

Nuclear generation also rose to 9% of the state's resource mix, but was still well below its 11% mark in August 2016. 

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 14, 2017

Judge rejects lawsuit targeting mine operations, coal plant on Navajo land

Environmental groups previously filed a lawsuit aimed at shutting down the Navajo Mine and the Four Corners Power Plant in New Mexico.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 14, 2017

DOE expands SunShot program after hitting original cost goal 3 years early

The new program aims to cut utility-scale solar costs to $0.03/kWh and boost durability and lifetimes in panels. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Sept. 13, 2017

Illinois energy reform set to shape new solar business models for utilities

Rate-based returns on distributed resources could allow utilities to displace traditional investments and drive a community solar boom.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 13, 2017

Michigan advocates fear rollback of retail electric choice program

The Michigan Public Service Commission is considering requiring alternative suppliers to procure the electricity they sell from in-state generators.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2017

Federal court grants EPA stay on Utah regional haze decision

Last year, the EPA ordered Rocky Mountain Power to install pollution controls on two coal-fired power plants in Utah. The agency is now reconsidering that plan.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2017

EIA: Coal production increases will continue through 2018

Coal production in August was 8% higher than the same time in 2016. Year-over-year increases are expected this year and next.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2017

FERC evaluating enhanced baseload compensation, Chatterjee writes

The acting FERC chair would have told a cancelled House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing that his commission is evaluating "compensation for providing [reliability] services," Axios reports. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 12, 2017