Sen. Murkowski teases prospects for storage as committee advances 22 energy bills

While the initiatives did not include energy storage-focused bills, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair said a second mark-up can be expected in September.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 17, 2019

State carbon free policies increasingly inclusive of nuclear, but resource needs federal boost

The poor economics of nuclear generation stymie investments in the private sector, making federal policy necessary.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 17, 2019

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

Colorado regulators cancel Black Hills Energy TOU pilot amid concerns for low-income customers

The PUC chairman suggested combining TOU with demand side management could better empower low income customers to take control of their bills.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 17, 2019

Ohio Senate approves amended $1B nuke subsidy bill

The bill would also raise nearly half billion dollars for some coal plants and $50 million for solar but nothing for wind or natural gas plants.

By John Funk • Updated July 18, 2019

Utilities need accelerated declassification to protect against cyber attacks: NERC CEO

With the potential for a cyberattack at an all-time high, NERC is urging the U.S. government to increase information sharing by rapidly declassifying information on potential threats.

By HJ Mai • July 16, 2019

77% of global cities will experience 'striking shift' in climate by 2050

Nearly a quarter of global cities will experience extreme climate conditions not currently found in any city, a new report in journal PLOS One found.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 15, 2019

New Mexico regulators attempt to bypass San Juan securitization, to PNM's surprise

The Public Regulation Commission on Wednesday moved to open the utility's abandonment case on its 847 MW coal plant, which stakeholders say is an attempt to bypass the state's Energy Transition Act.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 12, 2019

Pennsylvania regulators outline criteria for alternative rate proposals to support new tech

Several technologies are pushing the need for updated ratemaking principles, according to the Public Utility Commission, including rooftop solar, gas microturbines and combined heat and power projects.

By Robert Walton • July 12, 2019

California Gov. Newsom to sign $21B wildfire liability bill today

Critics say the plan to help utilities pay wildfire damage liabilities has been rushed through the state legislature.

By Robert Walton • July 12, 2019

Solar + wind + storage developers 'gearing up' as hybrid projects edge to market

A "wave" of new projects is coming to use wind, solar and battery storage in ways that will stabilize grids, increase efficiencies and lower power costs.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 9, 2019

Rural co-op transition to renewables impeded by coal financing obligations, NGOs find

Rural electric cooperatives face financial challenges for a clean energy transition due to their outstanding debt for coal plants, the Center for Rural Affairs and other groups concluded.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 8, 2019

EPA finds no need for coal ash liability assurances

Environmentalists oppose the ruling, saying that financial assurances set aside for potential coal ash disasters provide incentives for utilities to clean up the waste safely and quickly. 

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated July 8, 2019

The new kid on the block: CCAs face credit, other challenges to lead California's renewable energy growth

Community Choice Aggregators say they will use resource diversity, distributed energy resources and load management to lead California beyond its 2030 renewables goals.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 8, 2019

New York regulators assess potential for storage to replace peaking units in the state

A new report shows that at least 275 MW of peaking units, or about 6% of the total capacity in New York state, are potential candidates for replacement with six‐hour energy storage.

By HJ Mai • July 3, 2019

Ohio legislators wrangle over nuke subsidy bill as FES misses fuel supply target

Senate leaders have questioned the validity of a June 30 deadline for ordering nuclear fuel rod assemblies, which FES said was necessary to refuel the Davis-Besse nuclear plant next year.

By John Funk • July 2, 2019

Utilities press FERC to allow cloud-based storage to increase data security, reliability

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation is crafting a standard to enable utilities to use cloud-based solutions as opposed to onsite data servers.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 2, 2019

Chubb is first insurer to cut ties with coal, utilities say impact minimal

The coal industry received another blow as Chubb became the first big U.S. insurer to stop selling policies or investing in coal-related activities.

By HJ Mai • July 2, 2019

Diversifying the Northeast power mix: Is offshore wind + storage key to the region's reliability?

As more New England states roll out offshore wind mandates, bringing the technology to scale is a portfolio priority.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 2, 2019

Comparing America's grid operators on clean energy progress: PJM is headed for a climate disaster

The nation's largest grid operator is fueling a continued gas boom, despite growing data that such generation is perilous for the climate and unnecessary to serve customers, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

By Miles Farmer and Amanda Levin • July 2, 2019

Ohio Senate nuke subsidy bill drops clean air pretense, but keeps diminished renewable standard

The Energy and Public Utilities Committee of the Ohio Senate will hold a rare Saturday morning hearing this weekend, but has not yet announced when it will vote on its rewrite of House Bill 6.

By John Funk • June 28, 2019

Nuclear power industry heading toward smaller, cheaper, faster build designs: ClearPath

Advanced small modular reactors could be a game changer that helps the nuclear industry survive in the 21st century, according to the clean energy non-profit.

By HJ Mai • June 28, 2019

Hawaii launches phase 2 of rate modernization initiative, focused on revenue incentives

State regulators will continue to construct a portfolio of performance-based regulation tools for the state's investor-owned utilities.

By Robert Walton • June 28, 2019

Senate passes carbon capture infrastructure bill

The bipartisan USE IT Act was included in the National Defense Authorization Act and enables important pipeline infrastructure for carbon dioxide capture as well as investments in other technology research.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • June 28, 2019

Oregon approval of aggressive EV goals overshadowed by climate bill drama

Senate Bill 1044 requires that nine out of 10 new vehicles sold in Oregon be electric by 2035, but its passage has been overshadowed by the fight over broader climate legislation.

By Robert Walton • June 27, 2019

Senators target 50% national renewable energy standard by 2035, zero-carbon by 2050

The bill would set annual utility benchmark requirements starting in 2020 and allow states that already meet or exceed the federal standard to opt out.

By Catherine Morehouse • June 27, 2019