Want a more distributed and lower cost power system? Try this new planning tool

Vibrant Clean Energy offers system modeling to match today's granularity and breaks the barrier between bulk system and distribution system planning.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 28, 2021

Fleet tech forges ahead, for the waste sector, but some bide time on higher-stake EV investments

The pandemic strained finances for some waste and recycling collectors looking to upgrade their operations. But falling costs and ESG pressures could catalyze EV pilots, routing software adoption and more in 2021.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 27, 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

Biden plan to electrify federal fleet will boost EV market, but many questions remain, experts say

Market observers say the process could take a decade or longer. "For manufacturers, it obviously means a significant increase in demand," said Plug in America Executive Director Joel Levin.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 27, 2021

Rethinking the utility low-income approach

Utilities must broaden their approach and improve the ease of access to low-income programming to help improve energy affordability for all.

By AJ Brown, Senior Manager, Energy & Utilities, West Monroe & Brooke Scanlon, Senior Consultant, Energy & Utilities, West Monroe • Jan. 25, 2021

Fleet electrification can have 'outsized influence' on EV adoption, RMI analysis concludes

Fleet electrification will require a fundamental business restructuring for many organizations and if executed poorly "can be a series of very costly errors," according to a new report from Rocky Mountain Institute. 

By Robert Walton • Jan. 22, 2021

Honolulu's resilience officer outlines path to carbon neutrality

Chief Resilience Officer Matthew Gonser discussed Honolulu's first Climate Action Plan and the creative way local leaders tackled tough climate conversations with local residents. 

By Cailin Crowe • Jan. 22, 2021

With FERC Order 2222 compliance deadline 6 months away, many questions loom, analysts find

What DER aggregates will look like, how the new parties will interact with existing grid management, and what individual state roles might be are questions that will have to be decided in the near future.

By Leslie Nemo • Jan. 20, 2021

Hawaii finalizes utility regulation considered potential template for US power system transformation

Stakeholders agree the state's final performance-based regulation order includes opportunities and safeguards that can lead to a new regulatory paradigm.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 19, 2021

Colorado approves Xcel's $110M transportation electrification plan, with strong equity emphasis

Xcel's plan includes upfront $5,500 rebates for new EV purchases and $3,000 for used EVs for qualifying customers

By Robert Walton • Jan. 14, 2021

2021 Outlook: 10 power sector trends to watch

A new administration under a new party is one of many signs that 2021 will look different for policymakers, regulators, utilities and other stakeholders, but the continuation of some older trends is expected as well.

By Catherine Morehouse • Jan. 13, 2021

2021 Outlook: The future of electric vehicle charging is bidirectional — but the future isn’t here yet

Within a few years, cars may be able to power homes, participate in energy markets and help businesses lower power bills, experts say. 

By Robert Walton • Jan. 12, 2021

2021 Outlook: The DER boom continues, driving a ‘reimagining’ of the distribution system

The rise of distributed resources will require a renewed distribution system that gives utilities more visibility of what's going on at the customer level to cut costs and protect reliability. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 12, 2021

Microgrids are coming — will they increase inequities?

The resources must not be deployed mainly for the benefit of higher-wealth communities, the author writes.

By Ed Smeloff • Jan. 11, 2021

RMI details urgency of ride-hailing electrification

In an insight brief, the nonprofit listed technological capability, financial competitiveness and charging infrastructure as the three major barriers to TNC electrification.

By Kristin Musulin • Jan. 8, 2021

Lion Electric's journey to the NYSE, explained

Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are trendy, and they have been helping green truck companies go public.

By Jim Stinson • Jan. 6, 2021

Two barriers to utility and customer savings with flexible loads and how regulators can help

Utilities, regulators and load flexibility authorities say better distribution system control technologies and compensation are needed to increase the use of flexible customer-sited resources.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 6, 2021

Top Utility Trends of 2020

Amid significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the power sector's transition to a cleaner, more distributed future continues.

By Larry Pearl • Jan. 5, 2021

New England begins work on FERC Order 2222 compliance, but system impact is unclear

ISO New England has between 7 and 8 GW of distributed resources on its system and has begun to develop plans to allow greater participation of DER aggregators in regional wholesale power markets.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 4, 2021

The search for the next net metering policy takes center stage in California

California’s utilities and solar advocates agree a forward-looking successor tariff must use the state’s nation-leading rooftop solar penetration to address its increasingly dynamic system needs with storage.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 23, 2020

Northeast states, DC sign MOU to reduce transportation emissions

Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Washington, DC, are the first jurisdictions to implement the Transportation and Climate Initiative's cap-and-invest program.

By Kristin Musulin • Dec. 23, 2020

What Pete Buttigieg would bring to the Transportation Department

A $1 trillion infrastructure plan, including billions in funding for EV charging, that Buttigieg unveiled in January as part of his presidential campaign hints at what could be the agency's future priorities.

By S.L. Fuller • Dec. 16, 2020

Amazon subsidiary Zoox gives first look at its autonomous electric robotaxi

The company said the vehicle is built for "dense, urban environments" and can reach up to 75 miles per hour in both directions.

By Chris Teale • Dec. 16, 2020

Electric vehicle models expected to triple in 4 years as declining battery costs boost adoption

Electric vehicles are approaching cost parity with traditional gas-powered vehicles, but experts disagree on just how much further battery prices must drop.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 14, 2020

Regulator of the Year: Neil Chatterjee, FERC

It's hard to imagine an agency that has had more effect on the power sector this year than the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and it's impossible to divorce that impact from its now-former chairman: Neil Chatterjee.

By Utility Dive Team • Dec. 9, 2020

The Utility Dive Awards for 2020

The winners exemplified leadership in a time of crisis by working toward economic means of transitioning the power sector.

By Utility Dive Team • Dec. 9, 2020