White House targets $38B to aid coal sector transition, but it's likely not enough, analysts say

Within three months, a federal interagency working group will begin a series of meetings to learn how the administration can best ensure "good-paying, union job-creating investments in priority Energy Communities."

By Emma Penrod • April 26, 2021

California's dilemma: How to control skyrocketing electric rates while building the grid of the future

New ideas include income-based rates, publicly-funded infrastructure, utility entrepreneurship, and customer-funded wildfire insurance.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 26, 2021

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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

Beyond solar and wind: 10 steps to meet President Biden's clean electricity target

As countries around the world commit to greater emissions reductions, it’s time for utilities and the electricity sector to buckle up for rapid decarbonization, says Grid Forward Executive Director Bryce Yonker.

By Bryce Yonker • April 26, 2021

Citigroup sees $2-4 trillion clean energy spending gap; analysts weigh private capital's ability to fix that

The rapid growth of renewables will help close that gap, an attorney said Wednesday during a webinar hosted by Our Energy Policy, but more consistent policies are needed to ensure carbon emissions are eliminated, panelists said.

By Emma Penrod • April 23, 2021

Power grid upgrades absent in Senate Republicans' $568B counter to Biden infrastructure proposal

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. Va., told reporters that Republicans were open to discussion on including broader climate policy, and that spending on roads and highways could include funds for EV infrastructure.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 23, 2021

PG&E gets initial approval to securitize $7.5B of wildfire costs, despite ratepayer impact concerns

"The only guarantee [here] is the ratepayers have to pay regardless. That’s the problem there in a nutshell," one ratepayer advocate said. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 23, 2021

Biden pledges to halve US carbon emissions by 2030, sending signal to businesses and world leaders

The United States will work to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% by 2030, relative to 2005 levels.

By Robert Walton • April 22, 2021

PG&E, other IOUs failed on 'obligation to promote safety' during 2019 power shut-offs, regulators say

The three utilities collectively shut off power to more than 2.1 million households, businesses and other customer accounts in late 2019.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 21, 2021

Democrats tested over boosting transmission, not pipelines, as bill directs FERC to improve regional planning

One political hurdle in transmission policy is how to heighten regulatory pressure on the pipeline sector while building electric transmission as efficiently as possible, said Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 20, 2021

Washington Gov. Inslee rejects legislature's effort to set 100% EV goal for 2030

Gov. Jay Inslee, D, partially vetoed legislation requiring utilities to prepare for an all EV future, opposing the link between the 2030 goal and the implementation of a road usage charge program.

By Kavya Balaraman • Updated May 14, 2021

Rural electric co-ops warn Congress a 2035 100% clean electricity target is 'overly ambitious'

In hundreds of meetings with federal lawmakers this week, representatives from rural electric cooperatives will press for debt reform and changes to how clean energy incentives are structured.

By Robert Walton • April 20, 2021

Equitable energy transition will require more than funding and job training, researchers say

Utilities, governments must take steps to ensure clean energy jobs provide stable, middle-class earnings, researchers say.

By Emma Penrod • April 19, 2021

All-electric car and truck sales by 2035 would save $2.7 trillion, but will take smart policy to drive clean

Additional regulation to encourage rapid ground transportation electrification is needed for the U.S. to lead in electric vehicle technology innovation.

By Amanda Myers • April 19, 2021

As Biden targets 100% clean electricity, strategies emerge to reliably integrate rising renewables

A power system based on portfolios of increasingly cost-effective utility-scale and distributed renewables is emerging and driving new operational and market solutions to make it work reliably.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 19, 2021

Glick, Chatterjee clash on RTO expansion incentive as FERC announces transmission initiatives

Commission staff projected that consumers will eventually save $350 million annually without the incentive, but Commissioner Neil Chatterjee called the move "short-sighted" and said it delays needed reforms.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • April 16, 2021

California puts PG&E under enhanced oversight due to wildfire prevention work lapses

The process involves additional reporting requirements and the possibility, down the line, of revoking PG&E's operational certificate.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 16, 2021

Gas is failing California. It's time to move on.

Even a state like California can waver in its progress towards clean energy if we let fear take over, the authors write.

By Nina Robertson, Katherine Ramsey and Shana Lazerow • April 16, 2021

Addressing misconceptions on the performance of the energy market in Texas

The solution to Texas' power market collapse earlier this year is not to tweak the markets but rather to create a reliability system operator to act as a central planner, the authors write.

By Hala Ballouz, Joel Mathias, Sean Meyn, Robert Moye, Joseph Warrington • April 15, 2021

Following California and Texas blackouts, experts see potential for energy storage and better grid planning

Regulators will need to deploy storage across multiple time spectrums, Steve Berberich, former president and CEO of the California Independent System Operator, said April 13 during the BNEF Summit. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 14, 2021

White House considers doubling Obama-era carbon reduction targets: BNEF

President Joe Biden could also announce a plan next week to reduce economy-wide carbon dioxide emissions by 50% in the next decade, according to BNEF.

By Robert Walton • April 14, 2021

Glick: FERC should tackle MOPR if PJM can't agree on update by December capacity auction

Commissioner James Danly introduced his own proposal for a state option to substitute preferred resources over those that clear in a capacity auction.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated April 16, 2021

Taking Charge: FERC Commissioner Christie on his 'across the board' respect for state authority

"The state regulators know much more about their own states than I did as a Virginia regulator and that I will as a FERC commissioner," said Commissioner Mark Christie in a wide-ranging interview with Utility Dive.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 13, 2021

PG&E, Apple, 300+ other companies urge Biden admin to set ambitious federal climate target

National Grid, GE and Microsoft also signed a letter calling for the U.S. to cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50% below 2005 levels.

By Cailin Crowe • April 13, 2021

White House announces CISA, national cyber directors

President Joe Biden on Monday nominated Jen Easterly, a managing director at Morgan Stanley, as the director of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.

By Samantha Schwartz • April 13, 2021

Former NRC chair questions economic feasibility of new nuclear in US

Former NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane acknowledges the progress of small modular reactor designs from NuScale Power to achieve permitting while flagging supply chain issues for the broader industry.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • April 12, 2021