Utah mulls 84% cut to solar export credit as review of RMP's net metering replacement plan begins

Solar advocates decry Utah's proposed alternative to net metering as "one of the worst rates in the country" and complain it will eliminate thousands of jobs in the midst of a recession.

By Emma Penrod • Oct. 1, 2020

Vistra to retire 6.8 GW coal, blaming 'irreparably dysfunctional MISO market'

The company plans to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, will retire all its Midwest coal by 2027 or sooner, and add almost 1,000 MW of solar by the end of 2022.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 30, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

The Energy Transition to Renewables

New policy and business actions are giving a significant boost to renewable energy in the U.S., but opposition is growing and grid interconnection, permitting, labor and other challenges remain.

By Utility Dive staff

Ameren pledges net zero carbon by 2050, 3.1 GW new renewables by 2030, keeping coal into 2040s

Pending negotiations over securitization legislation in Missouri could encourage the utility to retire its coal assets faster, according to stakeholders.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 29, 2020

NYISO highlights case for carbon pricing days before highly-anticipated FERC conference

The grid operator hopes the Sept. 30 conference will convince federal regulators that the mechanism is the most efficient way for regulated markets to support state decarbonization goals.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 29, 2020

Utility carbon reduction actions lag net zero targets, but there's time to catch up, Deloitte finds

One industry observer said current utility resource plans rely on "magical thinking" with their focus on unproven technologies and continued use of gas, but companies have plenty of time to close the gap, according to Deloitte.

By Thomas Gresham • Sept. 28, 2020

P3s hold the key to a clean energy future post-COVID

Making progress on climate is still within our grasp, but the critical first step is to recognize the benefits of collaboration, and then to reach across the aisle. 

By Bill Prindle • Sept. 25, 2020

Michigan vows to go carbon neutral by 2050, increase oversight of utility resource plans

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D, signed an executive order on Wednesday setting the most ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal in the Midwest.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated Sept. 24, 2020

Murkowski 'not giving up' on Senate clean energy bill vote before the end of 2020

Despite a potentially more difficult path for the legislative package following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chair is determined to see her bill get a vote by the end of this year.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 23, 2020

12 major cities pledge fossil fuel divestment

The C40 Cities-backed declaration "sends a huge signal to the marketplace" that governments are prioritizing a green COVID-19 recovery, said New York City climate advisor Dan Zarrilli.

By Kristin Musulin • Sept. 23, 2020

Maine regulators OK state's largest renewables solicitation with 482 MW solar, but skip storage

Spurred by recent legislation, the procurement will add 546 MW of resources, representing about 10% of the state's load.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 23, 2020

House passes massive clean energy bill amid Trump veto threat, Senate uncertainty

The House passed its Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act on Thursday, though the White House earlier this week indicated the president was likely to veto the bill, despite support in the Senate.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated Sept. 24, 2020

Clean energy should prioritize creating equitable partnerships

It has remained an uncomfortable industry fact that racism and a history of exclusion have produced the unequal distribution of benefits we see today, the author writes.

By Lavannya Pulluveetil Barrera • Sept. 22, 2020

FERC lowers barriers to DERs in wholesale markets in rare Chatterjee-Glick consensus

The commission passed its long-awaited rule on distributed energy resource aggregations in a 2-1 vote two weeks after the departure of Commissioner Bernard McNamee.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 18, 2020

Nation's first freshwater windfarm all but approved as Ohio siting board removes 'poison pill'

The Ohio Power Siting Board unanimously voted to remove language that would require offshore turbines to shut down overnight eight months of the year to protect migrating birds and bats.

By John Funk • Sept. 18, 2020

Hawaiian Electric asks regulators to approve nearly 2 GWh storage, 300 MW solar contracts

One project will "help facilitate the retirement of the last coal plant in Hawaii," said its developer.

By Guy Burdick • Sept. 18, 2020

New York issues final rules to speed development of large renewable energy projects

The regulations would accelerate the development of large-scale solar and wind projects, but the renewable industry is expected to take issue with some requirements.

By Robert Walton • Updated March 4, 2021

Lessons from Disruption: Navigating the Pandemic and Beyond

Welcome to "Lessons from Disruption: Navigating the Pandemic and Beyond," a podcast series dedicated to further understanding how the utility industry can overcome the several challenges brought out by COVID-19 with technology and smart planning. 

By Utility Dive's Brand Studio • Sept. 18, 2020

Solar market limits pandemic's ill effects, but states with strict restrictions see big installation drop

A solar market report for the second quarter of 2020 shows the sector's 'resilience' in the face of COVID-19 as it adapts to new realities, though challenges from the current pandemic remain.

By Thomas Gresham • Sept. 17, 2020

How to participate in the 2020 Utility Dive Awards

Industry Dive is gearing up for the 2020 Dive Awards. We want to hear your ideas on the executives, utilities and policymakers that stood out.

By Utility Dive Editors • Updated Sept. 28, 2020

Duke-solar industry breakthrough settlement aims to end rooftop solar cost shift debates

A collaboration among Vote Solar, Sunrun, Southeastern environmental advocates and Duke Energy has produced a rate design that could be a new paradigm for pairing and growing rooftop solar and demand response.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 16, 2020

2 years in the making, Google unveils plan to achieve 24/7 clean energy by 2030

Google plans to eliminate carbon emissions by ensuring its operations are powered by renewable energy, but the initiative will likely be a work in progress for some time.

By Emma Penrod • Sept. 15, 2020

SPP, MISO launch joint transmission study to address renewables interconnection challenges

Wind and solar advocates say addressing interconnection challenges along the seams of regional grids could allow development of thousands of megawatts of clean energy.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 15, 2020

7 investment priorities for a green COVID-19 recovery: report

The Coalition for Urban Transitions analyzed how the allocation of stimulus funding across a number of environmental sectors can aid the international COVID-19 response.

By Kristin Musulin • Sept. 14, 2020

'Aggressive' federal aid would push US to net zero emissions by 2050: report

America's Pledge released its fourth-annual U.S. climate analysis, finding to its "great surprise" that the pandemic is not slowing climate progress.

By Cailin Crowe • Sept. 14, 2020

FERC reverses 40 years of PURPA precedent in ruling on small solar definition, punts on storage question

The commission upended precedent that found a facility's net solar capacity must be no larger than the 80 MW threshold.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 14, 2020