U.S. solar industry built a record 7.3 GW of new capacity in 2015

Residential solar grew 66% and the utility-scale sector notched its largest build ever as solar added more new capacity than natural gas. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 22, 2016

SolarCity moves away from its MyPower solar loan product

The company says it has a new, less complicated way for homeowners to finance solar ownership.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 19, 2016

Explore the Trendline➔

Distributed Energy Resource Growth

Distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar, battery storage and electric vehicles, are experiencing significant growth in the U.S. as the power sector evolves to a cleaner, less centralized future.

By Utility Dive staff

Arizona rural utility proposes demand charge, more fees on rooftop solar users

UniSource Energy Services wants a lower net metering credit and impose a mandatory demand charge on solar customer customers to help recover fixed costs. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 19, 2016

Is a national high voltage transmission system the cheapest way to cut emissions?

NOAA researchers say a national plan to efficiently connect clean energy resources to demand centers can cut power sector GHGs 80% with no electricity price bump.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 19, 2016

Beyond net metering: How location can help put a value on DERs

Finding the precise locational value of distributed energy resources is key to ongoing and future value-of-solar proceedings, a report said. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 18, 2016

Mississippi lawmakers push legislation to end PSC oversight of electric cooperatives

Bills in each chamber of the state legislature would put ratemaking and spending in the hands of co-op boards.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 18, 2016

SolarCity selects Tesla batteries for Kauai solar+storage project

SolarCity, as widely expected, picked Tesla to suppy the batteries for its Kauai solar-plus-storage project, which it says will be the first fully-dispatchable solar PV project in the nation.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 18, 2016

Avista Utilities asks Washington state regulators to approve electric vehicle charger pilot

If it goes well, the pilot program could kick off a utility-backed effort to make more EV charging infrastructure available in Washington. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 17, 2016

How utility executives see the future of the electricity business

Here are some of the key findings from Utility Dive's third annual State of the Electric Utility report.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 16, 2016

SoCal Edison to invest up to $2.5B to integrate DERs over 5-year span

Integrating distributed energy resources into the distribution network is not going to be cheap. Southern California Edison is preparing to spend up to $2.5 billion, including $500 million on new software, to prepare its grid for DERs over a five-year span.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 12, 2016

Sunverge Energy to roll out solar management system

Sunverge Energy says its next generation solar integration system will be available this summer.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 11, 2016

DistribuTECH 2016: Increasingly at home with DERs, utilities shift focus to controlling them on the grid

The big question for utilities in 2016 isn’t whether they will be able to integrate DERs — it’s how they will be able to manage them all on the grid.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 11, 2016

Schneider Electric to build microgrid at Massachusetts HQ

Schneider said it is focused on developing a new microgrid business model that does not require any capital investment of its own.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 11, 2016

How Arizona Public Service is preparing for the grid of the future

New offerings point to the need for a unified control systems to manage DERs on the grid.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 10, 2016

Ex-regulator: NextEra's energy vision for Hawaii isn't good enough

Former Arizona Corporation Commission Chairwoman Kristin Mayes said NextEra Energy failed to show "strong tangible conditions attached to the deal." 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 10, 2016

How Austin Energy is looking to manage solar-plus-storage on its grid

Austin Energy has been awarded a $4.3 million grant to implement a DERMS system aimed at integrating solar power into its grid.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 9, 2016

How Tucson Electric Power's CEO wants to grow DERs in Arizona

As solar deployment spreads, TEP seeks rate design reforms and aims for a full suite of utility-owned DERs.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 9, 2016

EIA: Solar capacity hits 20,000 MW, with almost half in California

California continues to be the leader in the U.S. solar market, owning more than half of the nation's utility-scale solar capacity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 8, 2016

California ISO approves proposals to bolster storage and demand response

The California ISO has approved several proposals aimed at further integrating distributed energy resources into the states's wholesale power market.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 4, 2016

'The future grid': How one DOE program is pushing the boundaries of aggregated DERs

ARPA-E is funding research aimed at fuller aggregation and coordination of distributed resources on the grid through its NODES project. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 4, 2016

Kauai co-op integrates over 70% solar, 90% renewables four times in January

With fast-ramping diesel, hydro and biomass making up the balance, KIUC got up to 77% solar in its power mix in January.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 4, 2016

NARUC opposes King-Reid solar net metering amendment to federal energy bill

The association representing state utility regulators issued a letter in opposition to an amendment proposed by Senator Angus King and Minority Leader Harry Reid. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 3, 2016

Tesla CEO Musk: New version of Powerwall is coming in summer 2016

The announcement came during a question-and-answer session with the Tesla chief last week in Paris.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 2, 2016

Should utilities be afraid of Sonnen's new community storage offering?

Community energy storage in the U.S. could ramp up with German storage developer Sonnen's entry into the market.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 2, 2016

CA regulators approve $45M SDG&E electric vehicle charger rollout

SDG&E joins SoCalEdison in the electric vehicle infrastructure space as California pushes toward its goal to have 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 1, 2016