Record wind generation pushes ERCOT prices into negative territory

Texas wind generation spiked over the weekend and bled into Monday, combinging with lower demand to force prices into negative territory.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 15, 2015

SPI 2015: Tax credit sunset preoccupies a fast-maturing industry

Growing pains hit solar industry as a rift appears over the fight for the extension of a vital federal tax credit.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 15, 2015

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

CA lawmakers pass bill to bolster efficiency, mandate 50% renewables by 2030

The mandate, originally proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown, now heads to his desk for a signature. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 14, 2015

SoCalEdison & SolarCity partner to study aggregated distributed resources

The pilot project will study 50 homes equipped with solar, storage, controllable thermostats, and smart inverters.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 14, 2015

Southern's renewables push continues with 151 MW wind buy

Southern Power, the company's unregulated power developer, now has more than 20 renewables projects on the books. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 11, 2015

Renewables opponents make late-session push to freeze North Carolina RPS

Fossil fuel advocates say the mandate is costing residents, but recent studies have found any bill increases based on renewables have been small. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 11, 2015

Report: Despite green claims, Rocky Mountain Power undermining renewables in Utah

Environmental group HEAL Utah says the utility's green programs don't deliver and the company is making renewable power more expensive.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2015

Why the installed price of distributed solar keeps dropping

Module prices are flat, but the industry is increasingly effective at cutting soft costs, a new Berkeley Lab report finds.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 10, 2015

SunEdison expands partnership with Dominion Resources on solar assets

SunEdison and Dominion are now partnered on two Utah solar arrays with a combined capacity of 685 MW.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 10, 2015

Hawaii co-op, SolarCity ink deal for dispatchable power from solar-storage project

The goal is to use the power, which can be stored in a 52 MWh battery, for peak shaving purposes in the evenings. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 10, 2015

Luminant buys 116 MW of solar from SunEdison at market-competitive price

The PPA is the biggest solar contract signed by a merchant generator to date.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 10, 2015

CA climate & renewables bill set to pass after Dems strip petrol provisions

Lawmakers were forced to alter an aggressive climate change bill in order to move past objections from the petroleum and auto industries.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 10, 2015

CPS Energy gets 1,200 applications for its rooftop solar program in first 48 hours

The program will place solar panels on a customer roof at no charge, in exchange for bill credits.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 10, 2015

Growing NY wind power spurs proposal for transmission line under Lake Champlain

Anbaric and National Grid had want to construct a 60-mile, $600 million transmission line to bring wind energy from New York to Vermont.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 9, 2015

Community solar catching on in Maine with 10 projects announced in a year

Maine's first community solar facility was constructed last fall, and another 10 are already in development.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 9, 2015

Wyoming wind held back by transmission backlog, avian deaths

Builders in limbo on 5,100 MW-plus of potential while bickering over tax credits, regulations continues

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 9, 2015

Minn. community solar deal leads to scaled back contracts for big consumers

Caps on the size of community solar gardens has led some contracts to be renegotiated, the Star Tribune reports.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 9, 2015

Solar face-off taking shape in Michigan as new bill would expand net metering

The new proposal would expand the state's net metering program, allow for the development of community solar gardens and set the fair value price for projects up to 500KW.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 8, 2015

CA industry group pegs value of solar-plus-storage at 25 cents/kWh

The California Energy Storage Alliance wants a special role for energy storage in state regulatory policy as it moves toward 50% renewable generation.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 8, 2015

Over 40 Hawaii lawmakers call for study of public utility as alternative to NextEra deal

Opposition to the NextEra merger appears to be growing among state and county lawmakers.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 8, 2015

Colorado commits $1.2M for low income community shared solar projects

Grant comes as Xcel Energy RFP pushes private community solar developers out of residential market 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 8, 2015

Alabama Power's plan for 500 MW of renewables approved by regulators

Many see the decision as a significant shift in the attitudes of Southeast utilities and regulators toward renewables in their region. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 3, 2015

Florida solar advocates, utility backers face off in court over TPO ballot proposals

Lawyers for solar advocates say the language qualifies for the 2016 ballot, and utility lawyers argue it misleads.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 3, 2015

Community solar investors could qualify for federal tax credits, IRS ruling indicates

The Internal Revenue Service has given the first indication that a 30% tax credit usually reserved for individual projects can also apply to ownership in shared solar farms.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 3, 2015

After changes, Palen CSP project will be trough, not tower, and will include storage

Abengoa SA has proposed to change the technology used at its Palen solar project in response to challenges to its solar tower plan.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 2, 2015