Princeton’s Zero Lab has it wrong on corporate renewable energy procurement and emissions

The authors disagree with Zero Lab’s core conclusion that any procurement strategy other than hourly matching will have “zero or near-zero long-run impact on system-level CO2 emissions.”

By Jake Oster, Rob Threlkeld, Chad Reed and Hannah Hunt • Oct. 25, 2023

AI can play a game-changing role in the clean energy transformation

People need to be trained on how and when to use AI. Just because you can use AI to solve a problem doesn’t mean you should.

By Jeremy Renshaw • Oct. 24, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

The Energy Transition to Renewables

New policy and business actions are giving a significant boost to renewable energy in the U.S., but opposition is growing and grid interconnection, permitting, labor and other challenges remain.

By Utility Dive staff

Invenergy’s 5-GW Grain Belt transmission project faces continued opposition at FERC

The Missouri Landowners Association wants Invenergy to re-apply for Grain Belt’s negotiated rate authority, a move that could delay the financing and construction plans for the $7 billion project.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Oct. 24, 2023

FERC directs NERC to draft reliability standards for wind, solar and storage

With inverter-based resources occasionally tripping offline, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Oct. 19 ordered that new reliability standards take effect by the end of the decade.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 20, 2023

Let’s get hydrogen right from the start: We need a tax credit that is practical and workable

DOE’s recent hydrogen hub awards represent tens of thousands of clean energy jobs across the U.S., which could be at risk if upcoming tax credit guidance limits the ability to scale hydrogen quickly.

By Katrina Fritz • Oct. 19, 2023

Failing to expand the grid may be biggest threat to US energy transition: National Academies

A panel of experts urged FERC to “expeditiously” issue its pending transmission planning and cost allocation reforms and to make sure wholesale power markets can support a shift to 100% clean energy.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 19, 2023

Investments in PJM-area power plants hurt private equity funds’ performance: report

Poor returns could prompt disinvestment in a market where private capital has played a critical role, an analyst says, but that may not be a bad thing for the energy transition.

By Emma Penrod • Oct. 19, 2023

DOE announces ‘largest-ever investment in America’s grid,’ giving $3.5B across 44 states

The first round of funding under the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program will boost U.S. renewable capacity by more than 10% within this decade, said DOE officials.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 19, 2023

Utilities, charging companies battle over EV fast chargers, slowing deployment amid massive needs

State and federal policies are driving utilities and EV charger providers to transform U.S. transportation. They have found common ground in some areas but cannot agree on the utility role in fast charging deployment.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 18, 2023

Electric grids could be the ‘weak link’ of clean energy transition, IEA warns

A new report from the International Energy Agency urges grid developers and operators to look to digital solutions to enable grid flexibility through energy storage and demand response.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 18, 2023

PJM asks FERC to approve capacity market reforms in push to bolster grid reliability

The PJM Interconnection urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve its proposal by mid-December so changes could be put in place ahead of its upcoming capacity auction.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 17, 2023

Reworking the grid to accommodate offshore wind is a matter of ‘extreme urgency’: Ørsted exec

The limited points of interconnection on the Atlantic coast make collaborative and creative planning a necessity, said Ørsted’s Head of Electricity Policy Lopa Parikh.

By Diana DiGangi • Oct. 12, 2023

2024 US power sector conferences to watch

Start planning for this year’s events, which will cover the clean energy transition, state and federal energy policy and more.

By Larry Pearl • Updated Feb. 16, 2024

California Gov. Newsom signs climate disclosure bills but worries about ‘overall financial impact’

The two bills would require large companies to disclose their supply chain emissions and report on climate-related financial risks, but the governor raised concerns about the deadlines and the cost to businesses.

By Zoya Mirza • Oct. 11, 2023

No more delays or excuses: California must build clean energy now to replace fossil fuels

We need Gov. Newsom to sign SB 619 so that 2023 is the last year state agencies can point to insufficient clean energy generation as a reason for delaying the closure of outdated fossil fuel plants.

By Ed Smeloff • Oct. 6, 2023

DOE provides $22M to drive smart manufacturing for small- and medium-size facilities

The money will go towards 12 state-run programs to make smart manufacturing tech and high-grade computing more accessible to small businesses. 

By Kate Magill • Oct. 5, 2023

California legislation would require greenhouse gas emission, climate financial risk disclosures

The bills, which await approval from Gov. Gavin Newsom, echo some requirements of the SEC’s proposed climate risk disclosures for public companies.

By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 5, 2023

Battery storage failures highlight reliability challenges of inverter-based resources: report

The analysis is the latest data point in the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s investigation of IBRs tripping offline or reducing output in response to grid disturbances.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 4, 2023

NRC issues preliminary language for licensing and oversight of fusion energy systems

The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, signed by President Trump in 2019, directs the NRC to establish a regulatory framework for fusion reactors by Dec. 31, 2027.

By Larry Pearl • Oct. 4, 2023

FERC in Focus: Would 2 empty seats in 2024 be so bad?

A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staffer is the leading nominee for one empty seat, but questions about timing — and about Commissioner James Danly’s seat — remain.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 4, 2023

PJM ‘Catch-22’ blocks large-scale residential demand response, hurts grid reliability: CPower

Utilities don’t give curtailment service providers smart meter data they need to aggregate thousands of residential demand response customers, CPower said.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 3, 2023

Grid operators oppose FERC conference on valuing reliability benefits of batteries, generators

Supporters of a conference on capacity accreditation approaches for grid resources include Southern California Edison, Advanced Energy United and the Colorado Public Utilities Commission chair.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 3, 2023

PJM, 80 parties agree to trim Winter Storm Elliott penalties

The agreement resolves 15 complaints brought by Calpine, Energy Harbor, Talen Energy and others that could have become “mega-litigation” taking years to resolve, the parties said.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 2, 2023

Texas PUC begins work to attract advanced nuclear reactors, in and out of ERCOT market

“We have vertically integrated utilities in some parts of the state and they have a very attractive opportunity to participate in this space as well,” Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty said.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 2, 2023

FERC must review local transmission planned by AEP, Duke, other Ohio utilities: complaint

Ohio utilities have added nearly $6.5 billion in PJM-approved “supplemental projects” since 2017 without oversight of their need, prudence and cost-effectiveness, the Ohio ratepayer advocate said Thursday.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Sept. 29, 2023