NV Energy wrestles with solar boom as state net metering cap looms

A new assessment shows the state's net metering cap could be reached sooner than anticipated. 

By Herman K. Trabish • July 17, 2015

Second ballot initiative emerges to challenge Florida's solar choice measure

The group behind the new proposal says it supports solar, but would not allow for third party sales.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 17, 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

New software offerings help utilities boost community solar programs

Competition is heating up in the software-as-a-service field for shared solar.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 16, 2015

District of Columbia will get 35% of its power from wind with record Iberdrola deal

The nation's capital will purchase the entire output of Iberdrola’s South Chestnut 46-MW wind farm in southwestern Pennsylvania.

By Robert Walton • July 16, 2015

Alabama Power seeks up to 500 MW of solar power

Over a six-year stretch, the utility wants to pursue a series of projects up to 80 MW each, for a total of up to 500 MW of renewable genration.

By Robert Walton • July 16, 2015

How rate design can save utilities from the solar death spiral

TOU and RT rates can decrease revenue losses from solar, but can also hamper solar adoption.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 15, 2015

Federal appeals court upholds Colorado renewable energy standard

Law requiring 30% renewables does not violate Constitution’s commerce clause, the court found.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 15, 2015

How DOE is remaking itself to help utilities modernize the grid

Now's the time for utilities to take advantage of new partnership and research opportunities, the agency says.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 14, 2015

California struggles with gas capacity in summer heat

High temperatures and supply constraints led to CAISO issuing a call for urgent conservation earlier this month. 

By Gavin Bade • July 14, 2015

Iberdrola breaks ground on first large wind farm in Southeast US

The 208 MW wind farm shows how new turbine technology is opeining new and unexpeted areas to wind development. 

By Herman K. Trabish • July 14, 2015

TEP asks regulators to expand rooftop solar offerings, add community solar product

New solar programs would be added to the utility’s rate base and paid for through customer bills, if regulators approve.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 13, 2015

Clean Energy Collective lands deal for CPS Energy's first community solar

CEC is building the first two community solar projects in Texas.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 13, 2015

Senate committee expected to consider wind tax credits

Backers of the solar and wind investment tax credit say it wasn't intended to be permanent, but is still needed.

By Robert Walton • July 13, 2015

Diary of a Grid Defector: How an energy reporter is going off the grid

In the first of a new monthly series, Robert Walton explores what life is like at the edge of the electric system, and how the revolution in distributed energy technologies is changing it.

By Robert Walton • July 10, 2015

CA utilities want distributed generation to count towards renewables mandate

SCE says not including distributed renewables “picks winners and losers,” and will drive up customer costs.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 10, 2015

Inside Minnesota's disputed community solar deal

No one seems completely happy about the deal to limit the size of community solar arrays, but the market is set to expand anyway.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 9, 2015

NV Energy buys utility-scale solar at record low price under 4 cents/kWh

Just last week, Austin Energy reported the cheapest solar buy ever, but that record didn't last long.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 9, 2015

Boulder files with regulators to acquire Xcel assets in bid to form municipal utility

The application, filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, focuses only on serving customers in the city and does not seek to take over any generation assets.

By Robert Walton • July 9, 2015

How the REV initiative is changing the way New York utilities do business

The investor-owned utilities in New York have proposed more than a dozen demonstration projects, but the biggest innovation may be in how they are embracing the need to create alternative revenue streams and change the way they do business.

By Robert Walton • July 9, 2015

How the global fuel mix will transform itself over the next 25 years

The world is moving toward a new kind of power sector with renewables at the backbone of the grid.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 8, 2015

President Obama announces plans to make solar more accessible to middle, low-income customers

A new 300 MW target for federally subsidized housing, a new community solar partnership, and independent solar commitments are all part of the President's announcements.

By Gavin Bade • July 7, 2015

New York solar grew over 300% between 2011 and 2014

Between 2011 and 2014, New York's solar capacity tripled, quadrupled or quintupled in every region of the state other than Long Island, according to officials.

By Robert Walton • July 7, 2015

How California's biggest utilities plan to integrate distributed resources

New plans filed with state regulators show where DERs should go and how much they are worth to utilities.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 7, 2015

Appalachian Power plans to expand renewables, cut coal use in IRP

Within a decade and a half, coal will make up just over half of the utility's generation mix according to its Integrated Resources Plan, filed with Virginia regulators last week.

By Robert Walton • July 7, 2015

Michigan Senate bills would keep electric choice, eliminate renewable & efficiency mandates

A proposal would maintain the state's 10% energy choice law, but with added restrictions to ensure alternative suppliers maintain adequate capacity.

By Robert Walton • July 7, 2015