High electricity rates impede crucial but costly technology investments to manage rising DER levels: utilities

Utilities want distribution system technologies for more DER visibility and control. But advocates want a new national stakeholder dialogue about the timing of spending for DER integration.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 29, 2022

Biden administration makes $550M available for community-based clean energy projects

The funds must be used to implement energy efficiency and conservation strategies but can include a range of investments, from electric vehicle infrastructure to energy audits to building code development.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 23, 2022

House lawmakers, advocates want $5B to help Puerto Rico install rooftop solar, storage systems

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers in the House have called for an emergency supplemental spending bill to provide clean energy for underserved Puerto Rican households. 

By Robert Walton • Nov. 22, 2022

Utilities are spending more on low-income efficiency programs, but disparities remain: ACEEE

The group wants to see energy efficiency programs reach all eligible low-income households with comprehensive energy upgrades over the next 20 years.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 18, 2022

Texas moves ahead with expanded 80 MW distributed energy resource pilot designed to boost grid reliability

Initial discussions had considered a 10 MW limit on the pilot. “What it shows to me is that we're conservative in the way we think about how we ensure reliability,” said Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 4, 2022

Sunrun to develop 17-MW virtual power plant for Puerto Rico’s electric utility, connecting 7,000 homes

Sunrun says the virtual power plant will be the first large-scale distributed solar resource on the island and is expected to be operational in 2024.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 2, 2022

Electric utilities aren’t doing enough to address inequities in today’s power system, advocates say

How are companies, regulators, NGOs and others ensuring that the energy transition is equitable?

By Robert Walton • Oct. 28, 2022

Clean energy supply bottlenecks hit overburdened communities the hardest, utilities and advocates say

The Inflation Reduction Act and an equity focus should help reverse the trend, however.

By Elizabeth McCarthy • Oct. 27, 2022

The energy system is ‘inherently racist,’ advocates say. How are utilities responding to calls for greater equity?

Utility commitments to customer equity, energy affordability and equitable access to clean energy resources are becoming more common, but energy justice advocates say companies need to do more. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 26, 2022

New California load management standards, including retail rates that change hourly, are a ‘huge leap’: CEC

The new standards could reduce annual peak hour electricity use by 120 GWh, according to the California Energy Commission.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 19, 2022

Most, least energy-efficient states named in WalletHub analysis

The personal finance web site examined home and vehicle energy consumption data from the lower 48 states. California came in 6th.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 18, 2022

GM takes on Tesla, others; launches unit focused on energy storage, solar and vehicle-to-grid charging

General Motors hopes the new services will spur EV adoption while improving grid resiliency, it said as part of a broader business announcement Tuesday.

By Dan Zukowski • Oct. 11, 2022

Complex challenges call for complementary solutions

Today's grid challenges are often better addressed with strategic use of complementary technologies than with deployment of a single solution.

Oct. 10, 2022

Texas regulators deny Sierra Club petition to bolster energy efficiency, but say improvements needed

The proposal would have directed utilities to nearly double their peak demand goals over the next three years.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 7, 2022

97% of smart meters fail to provide promised customer benefits. Can $3B in new funding change that?

Interoperability standards can deliver “non-discriminatory access” to real-time data from new smart meters to fulfill promises of customer savings and other system benefits, energy managers say.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 5, 2022

Battery energy storage: the importance of energy management software

Today, the power industry is going through a renaissance driven by new cost-effective power solutions.

Oct. 3, 2022

How will residential solar + storage fare in a blackout? Berkeley Lab looks to historical data for insight.

In 70% of outage events, most homes with a 30-kWh storage system would have been able to maintain critical loads, researchers said.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 28, 2022

Understanding potential consequence from asset ignited wildfires: it’s more than just ignition modeling

Energy utilities across the United States are challenged with reducing wildfire risk and increasing their reliability as part of their on-going operations.

By David Buckley, COO, Technosylva • Sept. 19, 2022

3 steps to identifying best practices and efficiencies for gas utilities

Cost-reduction efforts often struggle because companies cannot easily compare operations and identify improvement opportunities across different LDCs or jurisdictions. The standardization of gas LDC processes can create significant value.

Sept. 19, 2022

New York launches review of $10B in clean energy programs, focusing on energy efficiency and electrification

The review is particularly focused on energy efficiency and electrification efforts to aid low-income utility customers, according to the Public Service Commission.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 16, 2022

Real-time pricing, new rates and enabling technologies target demand flexibility to ease California outages

Price signals linked to power market needs through smart technologies could make distributed energy resources that are aggregated and automated by third parties an answer to California reliability threats, industry observers said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 13, 2022

To decarbonize industry, DOE road map focuses on efficiency, electrification and low-carbon fuels

A $104 million funding opportunity for decarbonization technologies accompanied the Biden administration’s release of the comprehensive industrial strategy.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 8, 2022

Arup, startup are building smart city modeling tools to maximize energy efficiency

With Matidor, the partners seek to help civil engineers see the environmental impact and energy efficiency of what they’re developing in real time.

By Maria Rachal • Sept. 7, 2022

Slow adoption of smart thermostats in the US misses big potential energy savings: S&P

Inflation and concerns around extreme weather events are expected to help drive sales of the smart home technology this year, said analysts.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 31, 2022

Texas opens efficiency and demand response docket as NGO pushes for tougher utility targets, lower rewards

Texas utilities are exceeding their peak demand and energy savings targets, but those were last set a decade ago, say conservation advocates.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 26, 2022