FERC launches proceeding to reform transmission policy

“This is the beginning of a very long process,” said Commissioner Mark Christie.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 16, 2021

DER advocates take on Alabama Power distributed solar program, challenge one of 'the worst' fees

"Alabama Power's discriminatory fees are likely the worst of any major utility, but they are not the only ones," Vote Solar said in support of the Southern Environmental Law Center's federal district court challenge.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 15, 2021

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

Clean electricity standard lands spot in $3.5 trillion Democratic-backed infrastructure deal

Efforts to pass a national standard that would require utilities across the country to slash emissions took a step forward Wednesday.

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 15, 2021

Senators clash over policy to increase FERC transmission siting authority

Proposed legislation could allow federal regulators to override state authority in siting transmission where demand and congestion are high. One Republican proposed eliminating it, sparking a Senate committee debate.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 15, 2021

Too few companies advocate for climate-friendly policies despite lofty goals: report

Only around 40% of the country's top 100 firms lobby for green legislation, according to sustainability nonprofit Ceres. We have "run out of time to waste," a spokesperson said.

By Chris Teale • July 14, 2021

ERCOT releases plan to boost reliability after blackouts, as report outlines gas, electric failures

Former PUCT officials called the plan "a good start," but said the state still needs to think about how it can improve demand response and energy efficiency programs.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 14, 2021

Western officials reckon with reliability challenges as heat and 'wildcard' wildfire threaten grid

Regulators will have to figure out which resources can be brought online "that can really take us off the edge," the head of the California Independent System Operator said. 

By Kavya Balaraman • July 13, 2021

'Doesn't make sense': Analysts pan omissions in MISO's first electrification impact analysis

MISO’s first electrification-focused planning study was a "good start" by accentuating uncertainties on the rate and pace of the transition, but missed what storage needs will be and what least-regrets solutions offer, experts said.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 13, 2021

Southern California Edison plans for 38,000 EV charging stations, in largest IOU effort of its kind

Southern California Edison wants tens of thousands of new EV charging stations across its service territory, as more and more electric vehicles hit the roads.

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 13, 2021

New York to test green hydrogen at Long Island power plant

The experiment is part of a research initiative by the power authority as the Empire State scrambles to reduce carbon emissions by 85% over the next three decades.

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 12, 2021

Fix Texas electricity — and hurry!

A report from former Texas regulators and staff offers 20 recommendations following the February outages. Nearly all apply to cold weather outages as well as the grid operator's generation shortfall and demand surprises in June.

By Alison Silverstein • July 12, 2021

As Chatterjee's tenure ends, FERC could be 'single most impactful agency' on climate: Rep. Casten

The question of who will fill Commissioner Neil Chatterjee's seat took on new urgency last week as the commissioner announced that July would, probably, be his last open meeting.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 12, 2021

PJM Board approves new MOPR plan in effort to placate states, FERC

The plan aims to accommodate state policies, mitigate buyer side market power and be a long-lasting, resilient solution, according to PJM officials.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 9, 2021

New England and the South shoulder the nation's highest energy costs, WalletHub survey finds

Consumers in New England and the Southeast face some of the highest energy costs in the country, potentially accelerating a shift towards solar and other distributed resource solutions.

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 8, 2021

Groups ask Congress for first-of-its-kind cost analysis of RTOs amid market expansion debate

Though markets were restructured in the early 2000s and some studies have pointed to their benefits, a more comprehensive cost analysis has never been done.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 8, 2021

Kentucky regulators deny utility request to recover EEI dues. A similar question sits before FERC.

The state's ruling comes as environmental and consumer groups ask federal regulators to require utilities and their trade groups to justify why trade dues should be charged to ratepayers.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 2, 2021

Groups protest PG&E plan to move away from diesel, as utility forecasts $7.4B in fire investments

Clean energy groups and ratepayer advocates say the utility's plan to reduce the use of temporary diesel generation during public safety power shut-offs through existing demand response programs doesn't go far enough.

By Kavya Balaraman • July 2, 2021

As utilities risk missing carbon reduction targets, analysts stress need for organizational change

Sierra Club and the Smart Electric Power Alliance published separate analyses on the shortcomings of utilities in their net zero emissions pledges, finding a common solution in new organizational approaches.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 1, 2021

'What in the world is happening with the weather': Western heat wave raises questions for grid planning

The heat wave showed that the region can face weather events outside of anything it has experienced in the past — "and a huge amount of utility planning is based on looking at our previous experience," one expert said. 

By Kavya Balaraman • July 1, 2021

Transmission developer files complaint with FERC against PJM's 'Catch-22' on merchant-owned transmission

Under PJM's market rules, merchant-developed transmission projects have to be evaluated in the generation interconnection queue, causing years of delay for the SOO Green HVDC Link.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 1, 2021

Oregon leaps past California and Washington as legislators pass bill to decarbonize power grid by 2040

Lawmakers passed a bill that could lead to the development of 2,765 MW of new renewables by 2030 by Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp, according to one analysis.   

By Kavya Balaraman • June 30, 2021

Biden administration, House Dems talk up need for interconnection reform

As extreme heat strains electricity grids, the Department of Energy calls for robust reform to boost reliability and clean energy development. 

By Jason Plautz • June 30, 2021

FERC's Glick names former ratepayer advocate to lead Office of Public Participation

Glick selected Elin Katz, former head of the Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel, to run FERC’s new division, which aims to increase public involvement in the agency’s decision-making.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated Oct. 13, 2021

Building a US clean manufacturing strategy to counter China and tackle climate change

The authors highlight four industries, including hydrogen production, that promise to become major export businesses as global markets for clean products grow.

By David Hart and Stefan Koester • June 29, 2021

South Carolina regulators OK a dramatically revamped Dominion IRP

The modified integrated resource plan calls for shuttering the company's coal-fired plants in the state within the decade while also relying more on renewable sources of power.

By Scott Van Voorhis • June 28, 2021