Arizona Commissioner Tobin resigns, following frustrations with staff as 'sixth commissioner'

Commissioner Andy Tobin, who was tapped to lead the state Department of Administration, said state regulatory staff is setting the agenda as "the sixth commissioner" by delaying decisions on his proposals.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 31, 2019

Renewable energy prices keep falling: When do they bottom out?

Cost reductions for solar and wind technologies are set to continue until 2020 and beyond, according to a new report, but industry experts wonder how much more they can drop.

By HJ Mai • May 30, 2019

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

Ohio House approves nuclear, coal subsidies, ditches renewables mandate

The legislation headed to the state Senate scraps utility clean-energy requirements established in 2008 while raising $190 million annually to bail out two FirstEnergy Solutions nuclear plants.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 30, 2019

Connecticut House saves net metering, for now, but green groups want more

A bill passed May 28 prolongs net metering and pauses a 2018 law that threatened to end the tariffs by the end of this year, but does little else to further clean energy in the state, critics say.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 30, 2019

Santa Monica, CA passes $800M plan to go carbon neutral by 2050

The ambitious Climate Action & Adaptation Plan will force a "paradigm shift" in the city, said chief sustainability officer Dean Kubani. 

By Jason Plautz • May 29, 2019

Bloomberg to fund 'America's Pledge' report on US climate progress

The former NYC mayor will grant $2.3 million to the University of Maryland’s Center for Global Sustainability and the Rocky Mountain Institute for the study.

By Jason Plautz • May 28, 2019

Tri-State rebuffs Guzman Energy offer to replace 3 coal plants mostly with renewables

The power supplier for 43 rural electric co-ops is not interested in Guzman Energy's proposal to help rapidly decarbonize its system through a long-term power supply agreement.

By Robert Walton • Updated May 29, 2019

Hawaii adopts performance-based rate tools to accelerate clean energy transition

Regulators plan to issue another order in June, to develop new performance incentive mechanisms as part of an overhaul of traditional cost of service rates.

By Robert Walton • May 28, 2019

Securitization fever: Renewables advocates seize Wall Street's innovative way to end coal

New laws passed across the country allow customer-backed bonds to pay off stranded coal assets in favor of renewables, but utilities are hesitant.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 28, 2019

FPL starts building 750 MW of new solar on its way to 2 GW by 2020

The largest utility in Florida expects to increase its solar capacity by 60% this year, on its way to installing 30 million panels by 2030.

By Robert Walton • May 24, 2019

Murkowski questions need for renewables tax credits

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair questioned whether wind and solar technology could stand without the tax incentives that are phasing out or beginning to phase down at the end of the year.

By Robert Walton • May 22, 2019

Renewable energy ownership: A game plan for utilities

Utilities are pursuing models to compete with independent power producers for renewable ownership versus simply buying from them via power purchase agreements.

By Brian R. Murphy • May 22, 2019

Senators launch bipartisan initiative on long term solutions to expiring energy tax credits

Finance Committee task forces are expected to produce options by the end of June that can be enacted this year while clean energy advocates are pushing to also give storage access to tax credits.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 21, 2019

Want to know if California can make zero emissions by 2045? Here's what to watch

To reach a zero emissions economy, California needs to eliminate natural gas by regionalizing the Western grid and coordinating local and state system planning.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 21, 2019

Xcel to close 2 coal plants, add 3 GW solar in settlement to acquire Mankato gas plant

The settlement over the purchase of a 720 MW natural gas plant was reached before the utility released its 2020-2034 draft resource plan, which includes extending operation of the Monticello nuclear plant through 2040.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 20, 2019

New Hampshire Gov Sununu vetoes bill that would quintuple net metering cap

Legislators passed a bill in May to increase the cap from 1 MW to 5 MW and will now need to pass the bill by a two-thirds margin, again, to override the governor's veto.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated June 4, 2019

Solar, wind industries urge feds to smooth deployment kinks

Transmission, soft cost reductions and greater resource efficiency require federal investment to maximize technology growth, industry leaders told the House Subcommittee on Energy Wednesday.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 16, 2019

Florida approves TECO solar energy tariff, increasing access to green energy

As TECO works to develop the largest percentage of solar power of any Florida utility, its customers will be able to subscribe for a $0.063 per kWh charge to access 17.5 MW of solar.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 15, 2019

North Carolina approves Duke's first solar+storage residential microgrid

Regulators say the Hot Springs, North Carolina, project could give the state and utility a better understanding of how storage technologies can make the grid more reliable.

By Robert Walton • Updated May 22, 2019

'Solar access' bill limits community solar potential in Nevada, critics warn

The bill limits solar providers outside the state's monopoly utility NV Energy from developing programs and doesn't require bill savings for all participants.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated June 5, 2019

Carbon Disclosure Project recognizes 43 cities for climate, environment policies

Twenty-one American cities received "A" grades from the nonprofit, including Boston, Denver, New York City, San Francisco and Washington.

By Jason Plautz • May 15, 2019

Tech giants pressure Dominion for more storage, renewables, less gas in Virginia

The utility's latest IRP calls for new natural gas capacity due to the increased load expected from data centers, leading to complaints from Microsoft, Apple and other companies with green sustainability goals.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 14, 2019

Department of Energy to award $79M for bioenergy research and development

Projects relating to "urban and suburban wastes," "plastics in the circular carbon economy" and "rethink[ing] anaerobic digestion" are among multiple areas of interest for the new federal funding.

By Cody Ellis • May 13, 2019

How to protect California ratepayers, expand clean local energy and avoid bailing out PG&E

Divesting the utilities of their transmission assets to make them Distribution System Operators will benefit ratepayers and utilities.

By Craig Lewis • May 13, 2019

South Carolina unanimously passes solar bill to lift 2% net metering cap

The bill addresses a number of other solar development barriers as well, including PURPA and resource planning reform.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 10, 2019