How new transmission can unlock 10 times more renewables for the Eastern U.S.

The Eastern Interconnect can handle 30% renewables within a decade, but hotly-contested power line construction will be key.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 27, 2016

Updated: Sunrun partners with LG for home batteries, but will continue using Tesla as well

Sunrun will add LG to its residential battery suppliers for the Brightbox, where it had used only Tesla batteries before.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 27, 2016

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

Michigan energy choice bill could see lame duck vote following Chamber endorsement

The bill would amend utility planning processes, modestly increase the renewables mandate, and place new rules on alternative energy suppliers. 

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 26, 2016

Zombie wind and solar? How repowering old facilities helps renewables keep cutting costs

Wind and solar take a lot of space, but most often old facilities can simply be replaced with newer, more efficient technologies

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 26, 2016

Southern's Powersecure contracts with Bloom for fuel cell + storage solution

Powersecure will purchase 50 MW of Bloom fuel cells to supply customers like the Home Depot with a new backup power option.

By Krysti Shallenberger • Oct. 26, 2016

BLM to host 5-state geothermal resource auction today

Almost 16,000 acres will be available, including a half dozen plots in Utah.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 26, 2016

How Walmart is leveraging DERs for its 100% renewable energy goal

The retail giant is already a rooftop solar leader and is now applying its massive market power to energy storage.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 25, 2016

Entergy, Exelon defend FitzPatrick nuclear plant deal against suit

Arguments against the state's nuclear subsidy are not at issue in the sale, they told FERC.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 25, 2016

AMS installs 3.65 MW of battery storage at California water agency

Water treatment facilities are prime targets for battery storage due to high electricity consumption and the opportunity to cut demand charges. 

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 24, 2016

Why Arizona's long-awaited value of solar schemes please no one

A year of hearings and a new recommended order leave the ACC right where it began — with utilities and solar at odds and an election looming.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 24, 2016

7 ways animals threaten the power grid

Even the littlest critters can cause major headaches for electric utilities.

By Krysti Shallenberger • Oct. 21, 2016

PG&E teams up with Green Charge for aggregated grid storage project

Green Charge will develop and aggregate energy storage systems in San Jose to evaluate how they can support the grid during periods of high electric demand.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 19, 2016

Time & place: How a new locational DER metric helps utilities defer grid investments

Central Hudson is using a simplified valuation scheme to deploy pilots and integrate distributed resources into utility planning.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 18, 2016

Amid IPO rumors, Sonnen secures $85M in equity capital

The German storage company announced a new round of funding as Bloomberg reported it is considering an IPO filing in the next two years.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 18, 2016

Report: Tesla needs $12.5B through 2018 to fund SolarCity deal

Shareholders will vote next month on the company's proposed acquisition of SolarCity.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 17, 2016

Great Plains, Westar strike merger settlement with Missouri PSC staff

Staff at the state regulatory agency agreed not to exert jurisdiction in exchange for a promise that Missouri power prices will not go up due to the merger. 

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 17, 2016

SolarReserve proposes 2 GW concentrated solar plant with storage in Nevada

The CSP project would be the second in the U.S. with molten salt energy storage and would sell power into the California market. 

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 17, 2016

Video: US Civil Rights chair Castro says utilities, EPA need to 'step up' coal ash safety

The head of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights sat down to talk about his 2016 enforcement report, focused on environmental justice and coal ash.

By Shalina Chatlani • Oct. 14, 2016

Big Sky solar: On the long, hard road to net metering reform in Montana

Years of legislative wrangling have achieved little lasting reform, but recent utility talks behind closed doors could point a way forward.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 13, 2016

Updated: Ohio regulators scale back FirstEnergy subsidy proposal

The decision comes after FERC blocked an earlier plan to cover costs at FirstEnergy's aging coal and nuclear plants. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 13, 2016

Solar split: How a new petition is dividing rooftop and utility-scale installers in SEIA

Rooftop installers want a bigger voice in the trade group, but leaders on both sides stress unity is still the priority. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 12, 2016

Siemens project to test heated rocks for large-scale, low-cost thermal energy storage

A new demonstration project in Germany will employ a 5 MW, 36 MWh storage facility attached to a steam turbine, with larger projects slated for 2019.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 12, 2016

Kansas settlement would allow Algonquin Power & Utilities to buy Empire District

The acquisition is the latest in a trend of Canadian companies showing interest in U.S. utilities. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 10, 2016

Stem connects Hawaii's largest behind-the-meter storage at theme park

Hawaii's plentiful solar generation and high electricity prices make storage especially appealing, but large BTM batteries are catching on in other states as well.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 10, 2016

Report: Fuel cell maker Bloom Energy quietly files IPO

The company reportedly filed a private IPO under a process sometimes used to attract interest for an acquisition. 

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 10, 2016