Energy utilities create roadmap for improving customer experience

Changing customer expectations, new technology and more competition are prompting energy utilities to make the customer experience a priority. 

June 21, 2022

California needs to triple historical decarbonization rates to meet 2030 carbon target, report finds

“The key takeaway is that California is leaving beneficial, earlier action on the table,” said Chris Busch, research director with Energy Innovation and primary author of the report. 

By Kavya Balaraman • June 17, 2022

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

FERC proposes ‘first-ready, first-served’ interconnection rules to help spur new generation, storage

The federal agency at its monthly meeting also proposed extreme weather grid reliability requirements and one-time reports from transmission providers on how they assess extreme weather.

By Ethan Howland • June 17, 2022

A third of Texas energy efficiency budgets could go to pay utility performance bonuses: Sierra Club

Efficiency goals mandated by the Texas legislature have not been updated in more than a decade and are too easy to meet, say conservation advocates.

By Robert Walton • June 17, 2022

West Virginia may boycott 6 finance firms over fossil-fuel lending stance

The state’s treasury is set to place BlackRock, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and U.S. Bank on a list blocking them from state contracts within 45 days, according to letters seen by Politico.

By Robin Bradley • June 16, 2022

President Biden's commitment to energy security needs certainty on natural gas

The Biden administration can keep its pledge to fund renewable energy development while also addressing the need for more natural gas today, the author writes.

By Richard D. Kauzlarich • June 16, 2022

Gensler sees limit to SEC rule on carbon emissions disclosure

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission would only require disclosure on carbon emissions across a supply chain from companies that have publicly committed to revealing such information, Chair Gary Gensler said.

By Jim Tyson • June 15, 2022

PJM proposes 'first-ready, first-served' interconnection review process, steps to clear backlog

PJM wouldn’t begin reviewing interconnection requests filed after Oct. 1, 2021, until 2026 under the proposal it filed Tuesday at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

By Ethan Howland • June 15, 2022

Arizona utility regulator proposes confidential infrastructure meetings with state's businesses community

Consumer advocates, however, say work done by the Arizona Corporation Commission should be open to the public “with very few exceptions.”

By Robert Walton • June 15, 2022

'Not backsliding on clean energy': Officials say California's proposed 5 GW reserve could be heavy on gas

The electricity reserve is a $5.2 billion proposal from state officials to ensure electric reliability at times when the grid is especially stressed.

By Kavya Balaraman • June 13, 2022

Washington regulatory staff pushes to fine PacifiCorp for omitting social cost of carbon in energy planning

“This shows that commission staff is taking utility implementation of this policy seriously,” said Lauren McCloy, policy director of the NW Energy Coalition.

By Kavya Balaraman • June 9, 2022

New York lawmakers abandon bill to grow renewables as state's grid operator warns margins tightening

Reliability margins on New York’s grid are shrinking, the Independent System Operator said, just days after state lawmakers halted work on a bill designed to grow renewables.

By Robert Walton • June 9, 2022

Massachusetts lawmakers consider ending retail electric choice for residential customers

Retail energy providers argue that an investigation of market competition by state regulators would be a better approach than rolling back customer choice through a broad clean energy bill.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated June 13, 2022

State utility regulators urge FERC to move up MISO's proposed 2030 start date for aggregated DERs

MISO may miss out on reliability and cost benefits by waiting to integrate groups of distributed resources, according to the Organization of MISO States.

By Ethan Howland • June 8, 2022

Biden invokes Defense Production Act to boost domestic manufacturing in clean energy, grid sectors

The White House also aims to spur up to 100 GW in solar purchases via federal, state and local joint procurement.

By Ethan Howland • June 7, 2022

Rethinking California distribution system operations and grid services markets for a high-DER future

California wants a cost-effective, reliable and equitable power system with well-compensated distributed resources to balance the bulk power system and meet local needs.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 7, 2022

Biden to pause solar tariffs for 2 years amid supply chain disruption from Commerce investigation

The legal standing of the recent executive order will depend on the administration establishing that the solar market was in an “emergency” situation, analysts said.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated June 29, 2022

FERC's acceptance of 2 capacity accreditation methods will complicate renewables development

The stakes are high: As more intermittent resources enter markets, the quantity procured and capacity payments will depend on each market’s specific capacity accreditation rules, the authors write.

By Joseph Cavicchi and Charles Wu • June 6, 2022

FERC expands environmental justice, equity considerations in agency decision-making, EJ counsel says

In addition to those facing natural gas infrastructure, environmental justice issues may arise in transmission siting and electricity rate cases, according to a top Federal Energy Regulatory Commission official.

By Ethan Howland • June 3, 2022

Minnesota, Iowa agencies support Alliant Energy-led complaint seeking lower ITC Midwest equity ratio

Lowering the transmission company’s equity ratio would save ratepayers $114 million over four years, according to the complaint.

By Ethan Howland • June 1, 2022

Financial Accounting Standards Board takes up environmental credits, carbon offsets

The U.S. standard setter's move to upgrade environmental credits to its technical agenda signals another new priority for FASB.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • May 31, 2022

'Dramatic shift' in utility regulations, better pilot designs needed to propel energy transition, DOE report finds

Electric industry players call for innovations in the way regulators handle pilots of new utility and private sector technologies and system operations in a new Department of Energy paper.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 31, 2022

MISO industrial customers petition FERC to avoid sky-high capacity charges if they cut electricity use

The proposal would help the Midcontinent Independent System Operator address a projected power supply shortfall this summer, according to a May 26 complaint filed with federal regulators.

By Ethan Howland • May 27, 2022

Biden taps FERC Chairman Glick for a second term, potentially providing consistency amid energy transition

FERC's natural gas review policies will likely be an issue during Chairman Richard Glick's confirmation process, former agency head Neil Chatterjee said.

By Ethan Howland • May 23, 2022

FERC commissioners respond to elevated power outage risks across two-thirds of US

Two commissioners pointed to the renewable energy shift as a key culprit in the "reliability crisis," while others called out extreme weather and drought.

By Ethan Howland • May 20, 2022