Fitch warns utilities: Retail net metering could damage your creditworthiness

Net metering residential solar at the retail electricity rate could hurt the creditworthiness of investor-owned utilities.

By Krysti Shallenberger • July 21, 2016

Baltimore teams up with DOE in effort to make residential solar affordable

Even with creative financing from solar companies, rooftop systems can be out of reach for many residents.

By Peter Maloney • July 21, 2016

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

Montana wind developer says low PURPA rates could kill its project

The PSC recently set the tariff that would be paid to the Greycliff wind farm at $45.45/MWh.

By Peter Maloney • July 21, 2016

Atoms for green energy: What role should nuclear power play in decarbonization?

Heated rhetoric about who's to blame for recent nuclear closures masks serious questions about its role in the 21st century energy system.

By Gavin Bade • July 21, 2016

How aggregated DERs are becoming the new demand response

Grid operators are designing new markets and mechanisms to get reliability and flexibility from aggregated distributed energy resources. 

By Herman K. Trabish • July 20, 2016

White House rolls out plan to boost solar, efficiency access for low-income groups

The Clean Energy Savings for All Initiative aims to bring 1 GW of solar capacity to low- and moderate-income families by 2020.

By Robert Walton • July 20, 2016

SolarCity raises $345M to finance solar projects

The funding also aims to allay investor fears over the company's financial standing in spite of uncertainty surrounding a potential takeover by Tesla Motors. 

By Peter Maloney • July 19, 2016

Utility participation key to driving residential storage growth

A Navigant Consulting study said the global residential storage sector will be a 3,773 MW market by 2025. 

By Peter Maloney • July 19, 2016

Deepwater Wind proposes largest offshore wind farm in US

The 90 MW wind farm is proposed for a tract 30 miles off the New York coast. 

By Peter Maloney • July 18, 2016

RIP FITs: As US feed-in tariffs fade, adopting elements could spur solar growth

Feed-in tariffs worked well until renewable energy prices fell, but aspects of the incentive scheme could still drive growth in the C&I sector.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 18, 2016

California ISO generated 8 GW of solar, topping last year's record by 2 GW

For two brief periods in May, renewable resources generated more than half of the state's power. 

By Robert Walton • July 18, 2016

Arizona regulators approve APS demand management, efficiency programs

Approval will allow APS to develop strategies to integrate storage into their demand management programs.

By Peter Maloney • July 15, 2016

Evolution of REV: New York PSC Chair Audrey Zibelman says 2016 is the year of execution

Consumers can expect to see the early tangible benefits from REV by the end of 2018, Zibelman told Utility Dive.

By Krysti Shallenberger • July 15, 2016

How well do consumers understand rooftop solar economics?

A Federal Trade Commission workshop on competition and consumer protection in the DG solar power industry attracted a wide range of comments.

By Peter Maloney • July 14, 2016

Democratizing DERs: What role should utilities play in spreading clean energy to all?

Everyone knows the utility has some role to play in making distributed energy resources available to all customers. But no one seems to agree on what it is. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • July 14, 2016

Nevada clears net metering, retail choice measures for November ballot

The net metering proposal must yet withstand a legal challenge over whether the proposal qualifies as a referendum or an initiative that would have to go to the legislature before it could be put on the ballot.

By Peter Maloney • July 14, 2016

California Gov. Brown proposes extension of cap-and-trade program to 2050

The extension aims to help the state cut carbon emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2031. 

By Peter Maloney • July 14, 2016

Data storage provider sues NV Energy, Nevada PUC to exit Nevada Power service

The lawsuit alleges utility regulators were improperly influenced by General Counsel Carolyn Tanner, who resigned in the wake of the revelation she inappropriately commented on pending matters on Twitter while using a pseudonym. 

By Robert Walton • July 14, 2016

Utility clean energy rankings reveal 'unprecedented shift' in power sector paradigms

Even among renewable energy laggards, there's a growing consensus that wind and solar are at the center of the 21st century electricity system.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 13, 2016

PG&E, SolarCity partner for solar+storage, grid services pilot

Up to 150 customers in San Jose will receive smart inverters or battery storage systems, and SolarCity will get a chance to demonstrate its suite of grid services. 

By Robert Walton • July 13, 2016

'Universal access': How PSEG CEO Ralph Izzo aims to make efficiency, DERs available to all consumers

Izzo wants utilities to supply DER solutions to consumers not served in the current marketplace.

By Gavin Bade • July 12, 2016

Greens sue PJM, saying new capacity rules disadvantage renewables, demand response

Market rules that require resources to be available year-round could hurt clean energy sources, said a group of advocates including the Natural Resources Defense Council.

By Robert Walton • July 12, 2016

California PUC directs SDG&E to buy more renewables despite RPS compliance

The utility is compliant with current targets under the state's clean energy standard, but did not buy enough capacity in a recent renewable energy auction, regulators said. 

By Peter Maloney • July 11, 2016

Sonnen cuts battery system cost 40% to serve self-consumption market

Seeing an opportunity in changes to net metering policies, Sonnen has introduced a cheaper battery without backup power features.

By Peter Maloney • July 8, 2016

Solar developer FLS Energy wants rehearing on Montana PURPA rate suspension

FLS Energy said the decision, if standing as issued, would prevent their projects from going foward. 

By Peter Maloney • July 8, 2016