Hawaiian Electric partners with Stem to help 250 public schools manage electric demand

Efficiency partnerships are likely to be crucial for HECO as it strives to meet the state's 100% renewable energy mandate by 2045.

By Gavin Bade • June 28, 2016

Survey: Global interest in efficiency at 'all-time high'

More than 70% of respondents in the 2016 Johnson Controls Energy Efficiency Indicator survey expect to boost efficiency investments within the next year.

By Robert Walton • June 28, 2016

California PUC issues revised self-generation rules favoring storage

The California Public Utilities Commission has revised the rules for its SGIP program.

By Peter Maloney • June 27, 2016

Austin Energy proposes doubling efficiency charge for residential customers

The Texas utility says commercial customers are shouldering too much of the efficiency program's burden.

By Robert Walton • June 23, 2016

USDA provides electrical co-op loans to bolster rural efficiency

The Rural Energy Savings Program allows cooperatives to offer low-interest loans for home and business efficiency improvements.

By Robert Walton • June 23, 2016

Solar plus storage: With SolarCity deal, Tesla aims to speed clean energy transition

Elon Musk wants to create an all-in-one sustainable energy company to shape a "non-weird future." Will shareholders let him?

By Gavin Bade • June 22, 2016

NextEra, AutoGrid partner on 2 new DR programs for PJM markets

The programs target commercial and industrial customers in the PJM markets and allow either manual or automated participation.  

By Robert Walton • June 22, 2016

How storage can help solve the distributed energy 'death spiral'

A new Navigant paper lays out three examples of how storage can facilitate the transition to a more distributed grid.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 21, 2016

Maine approves $42M annual budget for efficiency

The decision has some advocates believing the state left energy savings on the table.

By Robert Walton • June 15, 2016

CPUC approves extra demand response in wake of Aliso Canyon gas leak

The CPUC last week approved the 2017 demand response budgets for California's IOUs, along with special funding to address potential natural gas shortages in the SCE service area this summer. 

By Gavin Bade • June 15, 2016

Tendril rolls out mobile platform for energy customers

Duke Energy, Indiana Power and Michigan Power will all offer the platform to their customers.

By Robert Walton • June 14, 2016

Hawaii officials plan changes to struggling renewables program

The Green Energy Market Securitization program has awarded about 1% of its $150 million in funds so far. 

By Robert Walton • June 14, 2016

Opower hits 11 TWh in energy savings milestone

The demand response provider says it has saved customers more than $1 billion worldwide.

By Robert Walton • June 13, 2016

EnerNOC spins off industrial utility demand response unit

Energy efficiency provider CLEAResult wants to acquire the industrial utility services business unit of EnerNOC.

By Robert Walton • June 13, 2016

The Rural Utilities Service: How the USDA is building a clean energy future for rural America

The USDA's RUS has backed rural communities since the 1930s and now has billions to dole out for renewables and efficiency projects for underserved populations.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 10, 2016

Little less talk: With new revenue models, New York starts to put REV into action

The reforms to utility revenues in the Empire State could set the course for a new model of 21st century power providers.

By Gavin Bade • June 9, 2016

New PJM capacity rules challenge demand response aggregators

The new rules are meant to prevent a generation shortfall, but could hurt demand response's access to markets. 

By Robert Walton • June 8, 2016

Fannie Mae offers low cost financing option for solar, energy efficiency

Couched as a mortgage option, this low cost financing could be a gamechanger for how solar and energy efficiency upgrades are marketed. 

By Herman K. Trabish • June 8, 2016

Federal loans, grants help North Carolina rural electric co-ops boost energy efficiency

Programs offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture are enabling electric cooperatives in North Carolina to cut down rates by conserving energy through energy efficiency. 

By Robert Walton • June 7, 2016

APS rate case sparks concern beyond mandatory demand charge proposal

Along with a rate structure overhaul, the Arizona utility also wants to cut net metering credits to its avoided cost rate.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 7, 2016

Successful DR integration in wholesale markets depends on location

Reforming regulations and seizing business opportunities could also help grid operators and utilities integrate demand response, a new study found. 

By Robert Walton • June 1, 2016

Energy storage's role in decarbonization will depend on duration, cost cuts

For a clean grid, "storage is not a requisite if a diverse mix of flexible, low-carbon power sources is employed," according to a new study by Argonne Laboratory and MIT.

By Peter Maloney • May 31, 2016

Ameren supports Exelon's Illinois bill after changes to efficiency measures

Ameren Illinois is now supporting legislation to save Exelon's nuclear fleet, but environmentalists appear sharply opposed to the new efficiency targets the utility proposed.

By Robert Walton • May 31, 2016

SPP CEO: Regionalization, transmission help push renewables penetration near 50%

Southwest Power Pool CEO Nick Brown says he sees solar, storage and more footprint expansion coming in the next five years.

By Gavin Bade • May 26, 2016

Utility fund backs big data company AutoGrid in VC round

AutoGrid raises $20 million to deploy software designed to enable a variety of distributed resources.

By Peter Maloney • May 24, 2016