The meaning of an ‘optimal’ clean energy investment is changing as prices rise, analysts report

Inflation Reduction Act incentives and supply-demand imbalances have developers and off-takers recalculating the value of clean energy.

By Herman K. Trabish • 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

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

Bigger meals require better receipts: A call for coordinated greenhouse gas emissions tracking

States need to work together to create a consistent, transparent and ironclad greenhouse gas accounting system, writes Abigail Anthony, a commissioner with the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission.

By Abigail Anthony • July 12, 2023

How years of mismanagement and regulatory failures broke California’s utilities

There is a chronic misperception that Herculean efforts are required to overhaul utility infrastructure and set California back on the path of improvement. In fact, the solutions are much more basic than that.

By Jeffrey Conklin and Andrew Heath • July 11, 2023

How hourly tracking can prevent a ‘clean’ hydrogen boondoggle

Hourly matching is feasible, in use today and absolutely necessary for deploying clean hydrogen and building a clean grid.

By Ben Gerber and Killian Daly • July 10, 2023

State clean energy goals are ‘key driver’ for generation growth, but impact differs between regions: report

In Texas and the Midwest, renewables growth has “far outpaced RPS needs, driven by attractive wind energy economics,” says a Berkeley Lab report.

By Diana DiGangi • July 10, 2023

DC Circuit backs FERC decision in interconnection dispute between Hecate Energy, NYISO

The case centers on how detailed a grid operator’s tariff must be. A lack of clarity will delay renewable energy projects, according to Hecate Energy.

By Ethan Howland • July 10, 2023

From power to pharma, companies need better carbon emissions reporting

The key to progress is interoperability, or the ability to compare, share and use information across greenhouse gas accounting and reporting systems.

By Liv Watson and Marian Van Pelt • July 7, 2023

Tapping into DOE’s $250B of loan authority for projects that reinvest in US clean energy infrastructure

Potential projects include replacing retired infrastructure with nuclear energy or renewables with or without storage, retrofitting power plants, reconductoring transmission lines and more.

By Jigar Shah • July 6, 2023

Environmental advocates rally in support of EPA legacy coal ash rule

The groups urged the EPA to press forward with a proposed rule for certain legacy coal ash sites while pushing for further regulation.

By Jacob Wallace • July 6, 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

Republicans seek FERC conferences to assess grid effects of EPA’s proposed power plant carbon limits

“EPA clearly lacks the expertise to project accurately the impact of its rulemaking on electric reliability without deeply informed and engaged participation from FERC,” said Sens. John Barrasso and Shelley Moore Capito.

By Ethan Howland • July 5, 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

On EV policy, states are making ‘incremental progress, not transformational’: ACEEE

Most state transportation policies ”scored poorly on equity metrics,” according to a new assessment by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

By Robert Walton • June 29, 2023

Hawai’i looks to tackle equity considerations of siting energy infrastructure as part of new docket

The state has some of the highest electricity rates in the country, and regulators opened a docket in December focused on ensuring more equity in its energy landscape. 

By Kavya Balaraman • June 28, 2023

New Mexico PRC cuts number of open meetings, adds closed sessions

The Public Service Company of New Mexico says regulators have “set a reasonable schedule” and can add additional open meetings as needed.

By Robert Walton • June 27, 2023

Vistra-Energy Harbor deal poses market power risks, say Ohio rate payer advocate, PJM market monitor

“Vistra currently has market power in the PJM energy and capacity markets … and adding the Energy Harbor nuclear units to its fleet will increase the incentive to exercise market power,” PJM’s market monitor said.

By Ethan Howland • June 26, 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

Opponents chip away at clean energy policies

Renewable energy policy in the U.S. has faced threats recently from both sides of the political aisle.

June 26, 2023

To meet emerging clean heat targets, utilities need better gas consumption data

High-resolution data can help gas and dual-fuel utilities improve decarbonization planning, expand efficiency efforts, and unlock non-pipes alternatives through gas load management.

By Essie Snell • June 26, 2023

IRA implementation heats up as Treasury clarifies rules for billions in clean energy incentives

The Treasury Department has released proposed rules on everything from transferring tax credits to domestic component requirements to qualify for certain IRA incentives, with more rules to come.

By Larry Pearl • June 23, 2023

Renewable PPA prices rise, peak power prices expected to plunge: 2023 US power sector price trends

Electricity prices have likely peaked, federal agency data and projections show, but some parts of the U.S. power sector are continuing to see price increases.

By Larry Pearl • June 23, 2023

NRC authorizes first US high-assay low-enriched uranium enrichment plant critical for advanced reactors

The start up of HALEU operations in Ohio is a “significant step in establishing commercial production” in the U.S., said Jon Carmack, DOE’s deputy assistant secretary for nuclear fuel cycle and supply chain.

By Stephen Singer • June 22, 2023

Hydropower, America’s first renewable industry, could help achieve net zero — if Treasury allows it

Requiring energy producers to source electricity only from newly built clean power would negatively impact the United States’ ability to rapidly scale its clean hydrogen industry.

By Malcolm Woolf • June 21, 2023