Joe Biden at SPI: 'We are on the cusp of something huge'

In the first executive office visit to a solar conference, Vice President Joe Biden praised the renewable energy sector and took aim at its fossil fuel opponents.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 17, 2015

Competitive transmission firm GridLiance acquires lines in Oklahoma, Missouri

Formed last year as the country's first competitive transmission provider focused on the public power sector, GridLiance recently announced its first two acquisitions.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 16, 2015

Explore the Trendline➔

Grid Resiliency

Utilities and grid operators are facing increasing threats from climate change as well as cyber and physical attacks, and are deploying a variety of responses to meet the rising challenges.

By Utility Dive staff

New Hampshire opens regulatory discussion on grid modernization

New Hampshire regulators are seeking comments on how the state's power grid can be made more resiliant, flexible and incorporate more DERs.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 15, 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

Why microgrids need standards

In the C&I category, they can happen now, writes Powerit Solutions CEO Kevin Klustner.

By Kevin Klustner • Sept. 11, 2015

Brooklyn microgrid could supply residents with up to 10 MW

New York's hippest borough is at the forefront of microgrid development.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2015

PPL reaches rate settlement to fund $5B infrastructure plan

Customers will see their bills increase about $7.50/month, but the fixed fee portion will not rise.

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

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

Utilities spent $17B on the grid in 2013. So why has reliability gotten worse?

A new Berkeley Lab study finds that more money doesn't necessarily mean fewer, or shorter, outages.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 4, 2015

After multiple outages, CPUC orders SCE to do full inspection of Long Beach grid

Four outages in two months raise questions about the utility’s management of reliability.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 4, 2015

Puerto Rico's electric utility PREPA reaches deal with bondholders

PREPA has reached a deal to restructure more than $5 billion in bonds.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 3, 2015

Mass. utilities target TOU rates, DER integration in grid modernization filings

Similar to California and New York, utilities in Massachusetts are being asked to envision what the electric grid of the future will look like.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 2, 2015

CA regulators fine PG&E $50K for lax security in Metcalf substation burglary

Substations are critical assets for the grid, but regulators said PG&E wasn't protecting one properly when it was burglarized last year. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 2, 2015

MISO transmission plan includes more than 350 projects totaling $2.4B

It is the same amount as was proposed last year, but more would be spent on baseline reliability.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 2, 2015

Plans to join PacifiCorp with CAISO grid move closer to reality

A joint system would expand renewables use and reduce coal use across six Western states.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 1, 2015

Colorado regulators double list of interveners in Boulder muni proceeding

Despite some concern that the move will just mean delays, observers said transparency and oversight is key to Boulder's bid to take over portions of Xcel Energy's electric system.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 31, 2015

Kansas regulators grant Westar rate hike, but push off solar fee decision

Kansas regulators have approved a $78 million rate increase for Westar Energy, the largest utility in the state.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 28, 2015

Louisiana approve Entergy bid to merge 2 in-state utility subsidiaries

The combination of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana will produce a utility with more than $16 billion in assets.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 28, 2015

Is variable pricing the way out of Hawaii's solar wars?

Rates that vary with the grid’s needs may change customer behaviors, but will they settle the cost shift question?

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 27, 2015

SolarCity wants to help utilities plan better for distributed resources

The leading national solar installer has a new, innovative framework to modernize utilities’ interconnection, planning, procurement, and data sharing practices.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 27, 2015

How demand flexibility is about to transform electricity delivery

For utilties, when consumers use energy could become just as important to their bottom lines as if they generate it themselves.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 26, 2015

Navigant: Big opportunities for utilities to electrify ports for shipping use

The global market for shore power utility electricity revenue will exceed $330 million by 2024, according to a new report by Navigant.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 25, 2015

How Warren Buffett's bet on an Energy Imbalance Market in the West is paying off

NV Energy is in, Arizona Public Service and Puget Sound Energy are coming next year, and others want to know more.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 24, 2015

Southern Co. to buy gas distributor AGL Resources in $12B deal

The deal would create the second-largest utility in the nation by customer base, the companies say.

By Gavin Bade • Aug. 24, 2015