Spin begins electrifying operations, eyeing carbon neutrality

The Ford-owned micromobility company said it will start using electric vans in its two largest markets, having achieved carbon neutrality in 2020 by using carbon offsets and supporting environmental projects. 

By Chris Teale • April 22, 2021

Washington Gov. Inslee rejects legislature's effort to set 100% EV goal for 2030

Gov. Jay Inslee, D, partially vetoed legislation requiring utilities to prepare for an all EV future, opposing the link between the 2030 goal and the implementation of a road usage charge program.

By Kavya Balaraman • Updated May 14, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainability

Companies are pursuing increasingly ambitous sustainability goals around clean energy, but integrating rising amounts of renewables, minimizing environmental impacts, and achieving carbon reduction targets can be challenging.

By Utility Dive staff

All-electric car and truck sales by 2035 would save $2.7 trillion, but will take smart policy to drive clean

Additional regulation to encourage rapid ground transportation electrification is needed for the U.S. to lead in electric vehicle technology innovation.

By Amanda Myers • April 19, 2021

As Biden targets 100% clean electricity, strategies emerge to reliably integrate rising renewables

A power system based on portfolios of increasingly cost-effective utility-scale and distributed renewables is emerging and driving new operational and market solutions to make it work reliably.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 19, 2021

Cleaner by the mile: Electric trucks can have outsized environmental and health benefits

According to forthcoming research from Texas A&M University, electrification of a small number of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles can lead to significant pollution reductions, the authors write.

By David Farnsworth, Camille Kadoch and Nancy Seidman • April 14, 2021

Tesla praises, ConEd opposes different New York EV bills

The state's largest utility opposes a proposal that would require utilities to create commercial tariffs for fast charging in an effort to boost fleet adoption.

By Robert Walton • April 9, 2021

States, utilities must ensure equitable investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, new report warns

The shift to electric transportation is beginning, and a new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy warns the benefits could be constrained to higher-income populations without the right policies.

By Robert Walton • April 7, 2021

FERC's opt-out rule has created a stalemate for distributed energy resources and demand response programs

FERC should eliminate the opt-out rule because it is a market barrier that has served no useful purpose in more than a decade, the author writes.

By Kenneth Schisler • April 6, 2021

EV charging setup would cost Schneider, NFI more than 10 times annual fuel savings: study

The Environmental Defense Fund called charging infrastructure "the greatest challenge of electrifying heavy-duty trucks."

By S.L. Fuller • April 6, 2021

Lime introduces its first e-moped fleet in Washington, DC

The company deployed an initial 100 vehicles in the city last week, with Lime CEO Wayne Ting citing the company's commitment to safety as the service's biggest differentiator. 

By Chris Teale • April 6, 2021

State of the Electric Utility 2021

The 8th annual State of the Electric Utility Survey Report provides a pulse on industry trends from nearly 500 utility professionals, many at the VP level and above, along with insight from a broad range of industry experts.

By Nami Sumida • April 1, 2021

State of the Electric Utility 2021: Gas doubts rise, DER focus wanes, and 5 other key takeaways

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, the energy transition is stronger than ever, the results of Utility Dive's 8th annual industry survey show.

By Larry Pearl • April 1, 2021

Zero-emission vehicles 'are coming very fast now,' says author of Congressionally-mandated report

Within 15 years, zero-emission vehicles will be the dominant type of vehicle sold, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

By Robert Walton • April 1, 2021

Hawaii groups push for demand-side measures, streamlined interconnection to manage coal plant closure

Regulators in the state are concerned that delays to a series of renewables projects could force Hawaiian Electric to rely on fossil fuel generation after an Oahu coal plant retires in 2022.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 29, 2021

California wildfires spur re-examination of regulatory barriers to widespread microgrids

Those seeking to build microgrids face long-standing barriers that appear in one form or another in virtually all 50 states, the author writes.

By Peter Asmus • March 25, 2021

New coalition calls on Biden admin to prioritize electrified transportation

CHARGE, a group of 37 organizations, is urging EV charging infrastructure be especially deployed in communities traditionally underserved by transportation or that have struggled with pollution burdens.

By Chris Teale • March 25, 2021

As EV economics improve, medium- and heavy-duty trucking may be 'next big frontier' for clean transportation

Heavy-duty trucks represent just 5% of vehicles on the road, but experts say they account for more than a quarter of overall U.S. transportation emissions.

By Robert Walton • March 25, 2021

Duke, other utilities see dollar signs in becoming EV experts

Prospects for EV adoption are compelling utilities to consider providing related services to fleet customers as a business opportunity, including using EVs as a distributed resource, in concert with solar and battery storage.

By Matthew Bandyk • March 24, 2021

FERC prevents states from blocking demand response in DER aggregations under Order 2222

Commissioner Mark Christie, who formerly served as a Virginia utility regulator, decried the move as a violation of states' rights, and argued that it could unnecessarily raise ratepayer costs.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 19, 2021

Amid rising rooftop solar battles, emerging net metering alternatives could shake up the sector

As distributed resource penetrations rise, a shift of costs to non-solar owners due to retail rate net energy metering is driving innovations in policy and rate design that can replace it.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 18, 2021

Hino's partnership with Cummins puts it on the fast track to EV production

Moving a timeline forward is a break from the norm, as delays hamper electric truck production at Tesla and Nikola.

By S.L. Fuller • March 18, 2021

Lion Electric: EVs save transport firms 80% on energy, 60% on repair costs compared to diesel

The OEM is building a battery manufacturing plant to bring down costs and electrify 14,000 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles per year.

By S.L. Fuller • March 17, 2021

How to unlock the potential of virtual power plants? Virtualize the grid.

We know from other sectors that tools exist to operate highly complex, distributed systems in an efficient and reliable manner. It's time we applied those lessons to the grid, the authors write.

By Astrid Atkinson, Varun Sivaram, and Richard L. Kauffman • March 11, 2021

DOE will spend billions on electric vehicle R&D in jobs fight with China, Granholm says

The U.S. Department of Energy's loan program is "open for business," said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. China has largely cornered the global battery market and she said the United States must catch up.

By Robert Walton • March 10, 2021

'A total mindshift': Utilities replace gas peakers, 'old school' demand response with flexible DERs

Utility-customer cooperation can balance renewables' variability with flexibility without using "blunt" demand response or natural gas.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2021