Fleets lack motivation to invest in electric trucks

Many fleets are waiting for the market to mature, and unknowns make it difficult to calculate the total cost of ownership.

By S.L. Fuller • Nov. 19, 2020

Energy efficiency advocates see $1.1T in savings potential with Biden directing DOE

Under a Joe Biden presidency, efficiency advocates say the U.S. Department of Energy could move swiftly to strengthen appliance standards.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 18, 2020

California begins to shape vehicle-grid integration strategy, considers using EVs during power shut-offs

A proposed decision to create a framework is the biggest tangible action that regulators have taken on vehicle-grid integration, an attorney said ahead of CPUC approval.  

By Kavya Balaraman • Updated Dec. 21, 2020

Mayors unveil $60B plan to support Midwest energy transition

The 'Marshall Plan for Middle America' aims to address the Ohio Valley region's projected 100,000 job losses triggered by a shift away from fossil fuels.

By Chris Teale • Nov. 16, 2020

PECO: Billions of investment at risk with Pennsylvania court's rejection of smart meter mandate

Exelon subsidiary PECO Energy installed more than a million smart meters in Pennsylvania, but a court's decision could allow customers to have them removed.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 13, 2020

Tesla rival Nikola says Biden administration bodes well for its business model

The electric vehicle manufacturer's outward optimism hasn't camouflaged its troubles. Net losses are up, and the uncertain GM deal looms large.

By S.L. Fuller • Nov. 12, 2020

As EV infrastructure expands, researchers show charging stations vulnerable to low-cost hacking

The Southwest Research Institute was able to perform three manipulations to the most common EV charging equipment: limiting charge rates, blocking a vehicle from charging, and overcharging its battery.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 11, 2020

14 states, advocacy groups sue DOE over failure to update 25 appliance efficiency standards

Washington, D.C., and New York City join a slew of plaintiffs that claim consumers missed out on $580 billion in savings while the U.S. Department of Energy does not review and update energy efficiency appliance standards.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 10, 2020

SoCalGas merits $255M fine for opposing efficiency standards with customer funds: ratepayer advocate

The Public Advocates Office said the utility has been involved in a "concerted effort" to undermine the state's energy efficiency goals.

By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 9, 2020

FERC Order 2222 should be a watershed moment — grid operators can help ensure that

The interconnected smart devices that help our homes and businesses save energy can become flexible resources for our grids, the authors write.

By Paul Hines and Allison Bates Wannop • Nov. 4, 2020

Voltus vies to unleash thousands of MWs of demand response capacity in challenge to MISO restrictions

Clean energy advocates say allowing demand response participation in wholesale markets will increase competition, reduce customer costs and help regional transmission operators better manage the grid.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 4, 2020

Election 2020: Xcel Energy, municipalization advocates face off in Boulder

On Nov. 3, voters in the Colorado city must choose whether to trust Xcel’s commitments or the promise of a municipal utility.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 30, 2020

Battery constraints preventing ramp up of electric truck production, Tesla says

The Semi requires "five-ish times" more cells than a passenger vehicle, according to CEO Elon Musk, which makes it challenging to scale manufacturing of the Class 8 electric truck.

By S.L. Fuller • Oct. 27, 2020

Trump administration funds projects to more efficiently charge and deploy electric buses

MIT, Utah State University and the Chattanooga (TN) Regional Transportation Authority each received $1.75 million grants to improve transit systems using "innovative vehicle technologies."

By Chris Teale • Oct. 26, 2020

Volvo wins $21.7M in grants to deploy electric trucks in California

Fleets will receive the trucks starting in 2021 and will be able to operate them for at least a year as the company collects data. 

By S.L. Fuller • Oct. 21, 2020

DOE campaign drives $95M in annual building energy cost savings

The campaign, facilitated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, unlocked what is reportedly the world's largest dataset of building energy analytics and value propositions.

By Cailin Crowe • Oct. 20, 2020

Honda, GM-led group develops global blockchain standard for EV grid integration

The initiative could pave the way for an expansion of the vehicle electrification market, but must support innovation in a manner that benefits entire communities and not just the wealthy few, according to one expert. 

By Thomas Gresham • Oct. 19, 2020

Kenworth to produce its first Class 8 battery-electric truck in 2021

Manufacturers are pushing forward on electric, heavy-duty trucks even as one study shows the pandemic might drop EV sales by 17%.

By Jim Stinson • Oct. 16, 2020

Amazon tests electric last-mile vans for consumer deliveries

Electrification is key to Amazon's Climate Pledge to reach net-zero carbon in its own operations by 2040.

By Emma Cosgrove • Updated Feb. 4, 2021

Electric vehicle firms partner to ramp up charging station access, reliability

EV Connect joined three of its industry peers for its Partner Program, designed to increase station reliability and help chargers avoid maintenance issues.

By Chris Teale • Oct. 14, 2020

Demand response works: It's time to 'shimmy' over and unleash Flexiwatts

California needs to focus on implementing policies that will unlock innovation in the market and provide financial incentives to deploy flexible devices equitably and at scale to enable the future of load management, the author writes. 

By Lillian Mirviss • Oct. 13, 2020

FERC's Glick blasts fellow commissioners for intruding on New York's resource mix decisions

FERC voted 2-1 last week to remove an offer exemption for some demand response resources in the New York ISO capacity market, which some experts say will reduce the competitiveness of those resources.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 12, 2020

Elected officials urge automakers to support cleaner cars

The Clean Cars Declaration, signed by more than 200 elected officials, called on manufacturers to drop their support for the Trump administration’s rollback of clean car standards.

By Chris Teale • Oct. 9, 2020

California has a renewables curtailment problem. Can your Google and Facebook activity help?

A new study proposes data center processing loads be shifted to match wind and solar supply, but the issue will require a mix of solutions, including advances in energy storage, analysts said.

By Lynn Freehill-Maye • Oct. 8, 2020

Heat storm and insufficient planning caused August rolling blackouts, California regulators say

"[I]t is our responsibility and intent to plan for such events, which are becoming increasingly common in a world rapidly being impacted by climate change," regulators said in their preliminary analysis.

By Kavya Balaraman • Oct. 8, 2020