NextEra seeing signs of wider renewable energy recovery, company leaders say

Solar panel and battery prices have begun to decline, and renewables stand to gain a third class of customers as the U.S. establishes a hydrogen industry, NextEra Energy CEO John Ketchum said.

By Emma Penrod • July 27, 2023

Fervo Energy sees ‘breakthrough’ in enhanced geothermal technology, opening path for firm, clean power

The successful use of fracking techniques at a project in Nevada expands the potential for geothermal across the West, according to Tim Latimer, Fervo CEO.

By Ethan Howland • July 21, 2023

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

Energy Northwest, X-energy sign joint development agreement for up to 12 small modular reactors

Energy Northwest expects to develop the 960 MW project at a site adjacent to the Columbia Generating Station and bring the first Xe-100 module online by 2030.

By Larry Pearl • July 20, 2023

AES Indiana plans 200-MW/800-MWh energy storage at retiring coal plant

The project would use existing interconnection rights. “As renewables proliferate, finding ideal interconnections is getting, and will continue to get, more difficult,” an AES official said.

By Ethan Howland • July 20, 2023

‘Waste-to-value’ development firm Nexus PMG targets biochar, energy following $50M infusion

Nexus PMG has raised its first major growth equity round from institutional backers. The funding will help grow its advisory business as well as subsidiaries Nexus W2V and Pathway Energy. 

By Jacob Wallace • July 13, 2023

DTE Electric agrees to speed Michigan coal plant retirements, renewable and energy storage buildout

DTE will add 3.8 GW of renewables and 780 MW of energy storage by 2030 under a settlement agreement released Wednesday.

By Ethan Howland • July 13, 2023

Evergy capital plan rises 64% in 4 years, reflecting surge in US utility spending: Kansas regulatory staff

S&P Global expects record-setting capital spending by utilities starting this year, partly in response to federal clean energy and infrastructure policy.

By Ethan Howland • July 12, 2023

New solar venture to invest up to $1.5B on domestic operation, beginning with Colorado factory

VSK Energy aims to develop a vertically integrated solar manufacturing operation in the U.S. to help reduce reliance on other countries for key components. 

By Megan Ruggles • July 7, 2023

Minnesota PUC approves Xcel’s plan to install a 10-MW/1,000-MWh Form Energy battery system

The utility company expects the long-duration energy storage project will be operating by the end of 2025. It will be paired with 710 MW of solar at the site of a coal-fired power plant that is being retired.

By Ethan Howland • July 7, 2023

Roughly $7B federal loan could offer PG&E ‘cheap money’ to upgrade electric grid in California

If approved, the loan would fund projects related to resiliency, building and vehicle electrification and distributed energy resources, according to a utility spokesperson. 

By Kavya Balaraman • July 6, 2023

Duke Energy in $364M deal to sell unregulated distributed generation business to ArcLight affiliate

Duke plans to use the proceeds from the sale to strengthen its balance sheet as it eyes $36 billion in spending on regulated assets over the next five years.

By Ethan Howland • July 5, 2023

$6.6B Mountain Valley Pipeline gets green light to finish construction

The much-delayed pipeline got permission from federal regulators to move ahead after years of legal challenges.

By Julie Strupp • July 5, 2023

AEP’s SWEPCO gets approval to buy 1 GW of wind, solar from Invenergy for $2.2B

Including tax credits, the projects are expected to save $1.38/MWh compared with business as usual.

By Ethan Howland • June 30, 2023

As Texas sweats, its electric grid has remained stable, in part due to renewables

The Public Utility Commission of Texas continues to develop a new dispatchable reliability reserve service and approved an 83% pay raise for the board of the state’s grid operator on June 29.

By Robert Walton • June 30, 2023

Energy workforce grew 3.8% last year; clean energy jobs increased in every state: DOE employment report

Clean energy technologies were the source of almost 87% of net new jobs in the power generation sector, according to the 2023 U.S. Energy and Employment Report.

By Robert Walton • June 29, 2023

Activist investor Elliott seeks new NRG Energy CEO, revamped company strategy

NRG said its board fully supports CEO Mauricio Gutierrez. “We are confident that our [strategic] plan will deliver substantial additional near- and long-term value,” a spokesperson said Tuesday.

By Ethan Howland • June 28, 2023

Arizona Public Service reaches settlement with ACC, will raise rates to recover Four Corners investment

The utility will also be allowed to earn a higher return on equity after a court determined regulators overstepped their authority in lowering the ROE to punish the utility for customer service issues. 

By Robert Walton • June 26, 2023

Utilities including AEP and Duke are unloading renewables, other assets

Duke is selling its 3.4-GW commercial renewable energy business for $2.8B while AEP is selling nearly 1.4 GW of wind and solar assets in a deal worth $1.5B, among other sales announced by utilities this year.

By Larry Pearl • June 23, 2023

NiSource to sell minority stake in NIPSCO to private equity firm Blackstone for $2.15B

The deal announced Tuesday is part of a trend that includes FirstEnergy and Duke Energy raising capital by sales to private equity investors.

By Ethan Howland • June 21, 2023

FERC approves PG&E plan to spin off 5.6 GW in advance of possible minority stake sale

“We've actually seen pretty robust inbound interest in the asset, and so we do expect a fairly competitive process,” Carolyn Burke, PG&E Corp. CFO, said.

By Ethan Howland • June 2, 2023

Constellation buys NRG Energy’s 44% ownership stake in Texas nuclear plant for $1.75B

The South Texas Project Electric Generating Station has the potential to operate for at least another 46 years “with the right policy support,” Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez said.

By Stephen Singer • Updated Nov. 2, 2023

Sustainability efforts are top of mind: Here’s how composite mats can help both the environment and a company’s bottom line

Composite mats are beneficial to both sustainability efforts and improving a company’s bottom line.

May 30, 2023

Eversource sells 50% stake in offshore wind lease to partner Ørsted as it seeks a buyer for 3 other sites

CEO Joe Nolan said Eversource remains “fully committed to being a catalyst to the region’s clean energy transition” as its regulated companies build facilities to transmit more than 9,000 MW of offshore wind generation.

By Stephen Singer • May 26, 2023

Nano Nuclear Technology to build fuel fabrication plant at Idaho National Lab

“It’s really a wonderful time to be involved in the nuclear space,” CEO James Walker said. “There's a lot going on out there.”

By Stephen Singer • May 17, 2023

Elliott Management urges leadership, operational changes at NRG after ‘meaningful underperformance’

The activist investment company projects that the changes it’s recommending to NRG Energy could create $5 billion in shareholder value.

By Diana DiGangi • May 16, 2023