California regulators approve PG&E, Energy Vault green hydrogen and battery microgrid

The microgrid’s planned use of green hydrogen fuel cells and batteries marks a departure from PG&E’s earlier practice of using diesel generators for backup power during outages.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 1, 2023

Why the energy transition demands an accounting and reporting transformation

The energy transition is about meeting customers' demands, especially for decarbonization and environmental sustainability.

May 1, 2023

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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

Pending Senate bill would require 30% transfer capacity between regions: Hickenlooper aide

Building those lines could produce a “stunning payoff,” Daniel Palken, an aide to Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said Thursday. “The technical term for this would be ‘a gold mine.’”

By Ethan Howland • April 28, 2023

Extreme weather risks should be considered in transmission planning, SPP concludes, after Elliott review

A review of the Southwest Power Pool’s response to Winter Storm Elliott in 2022 found room for improvement in areas of operations, transmission planning, communications and compliance.

By Robert Walton • April 28, 2023

Rep. Casten, ex-FERC chairs eye DERs, more power sector competition to achieve net zero goals

"We're not going to get to where we need to go with a zero-carbon electric grid unless we have distributed demand-side resources supporting what we need to do on the supply side,” said former FERC Chair Jon Wellinghoff.

By Diana DiGangi • April 27, 2023

Connecticut adopts performance-based regulation as Eversource raps investor environment

“You just don't get paid an automatic 9% whether you do good work or bad work,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “You get paid for doing good work.”

By Stephen Singer • April 27, 2023

Invenergy Transmission enters deal for up to 12,500 miles of advanced cable for transmission projects

“It's a clear indicator of how we're thinking past the development stage and to actually getting these built,” Invenergy’s Shashank Sane said. “They aren't just ideas anymore.”

By Ethan Howland • April 27, 2023

Congress should adopt 30% tax credit, streamlined permitting for regional transmission, clean grid group says

Permitting reform appears possible despite the divided Congress, Brett White, Pine Gate Renewables’ vice president for regulatory affairs, said Tuesday.

By Ethan Howland • April 26, 2023

Maine jury clears Avangrid’s 145-mile transmission line, reversing ballot vote that blocked project

Building clean-energy transmission lines won’t be possible with “this much of a fight for all involved,” said Amy Boyd of the Acadia Center.

By Stephen Singer • April 21, 2023

FERC approves CAISO, NYISO, utility plans for ambient line ratings to boost transmission capacity

“I’m looking forward to moving forward with opportunities to promote various kinds of grid-enhancing technologies, which are really no-brainers,” FERC Commissioner Allison Clements said.

By Ethan Howland • April 21, 2023

With looming EV load spikes, PG&E, Duke, other utilities adopt new rate design and cost recovery strategies

New dynamic time-varying rates and demand charge adjustments from California to the Carolinas could align customer usage with utility costs to make EVs a system benefit, rate design experts said

By Herman K. Trabish • April 18, 2023

FERC rejects Southwest Power Pool plan for utility self-funding of network upgrades

The self-funding proposal would create uncertainty for interconnection customers, possibly leading to canceled generating projects, the federal agency said Friday.

By Ethan Howland • April 17, 2023

NYISO: Transmission security margins sufficient for the state, but NYC faces reliability risks

“Potential heatwaves of various degrees pose risks throughout the next 10 years, especially in 2025,” NYISO said.

By Stephen Singer • April 17, 2023

Chinese supply chains for critical infrastructure threaten the US power grid

State and federal policymakers, utilities and other stakeholders must develop and implement effective strategies to secure supply chains while minimizing the financial impact on ratepayers.

By Brien J. Sheahan • April 14, 2023

US grid congestion costs soared to $13.3B in 2021, will likely grow until transmission capacity is built: report

Consumers and states should press for relatively inexpensive grid-enhancing technologies and other transmission investments to address “high and rising” congestion costs, said Grid Strategies President Rob Gramlich.

By Ethan Howland • April 14, 2023

Grid connections will remain a huge challenge for clean energy if FERC fails to meet this moment

To promote competition, interconnection reforms need standard processes and rules that leave little room for interpretation or discretion.

By Sean Gallagher • April 13, 2023

BLM clears way for $3B TransWest Express transmission project to start construction this year

The 732-mile project is designed to deliver 3,000 MW of wind generation from Wyoming to California and the Southwest.

By Ethan Howland • April 12, 2023

US grid interconnection backlog jumps 40%, with wait times expected to grow as IRA spurs more renewables

The good news, experts say, is there has been movement on short- and long-term solutions to interconnection backlogs.

By Emma Penrod • April 11, 2023

California’s grid operator calls for $9.3B in transmission investments over next decade

The state’s forecasted electricity needs have been rapidly increasing, accelerating the pace at which new transmission infrastructure needs to be developed.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 6, 2023

More than 2 dozen utilities, power groups back Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+ initiative

Signing on to the initial development phase, which includes establishing an independent governance structure, does not necessarily mean entities will participate in the market.

By Robert Walton • April 5, 2023

Texas regulators should consider a combination of metrics to establish reliability standard, stakeholders urge

Development of a grid reliability standard should “not be confined to a narrow set of traditional standards,” the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said.

By Robert Walton • April 4, 2023

DOE study highlights America’s transmission needs, but how do we accelerate buildout?

By providing FERC the authority to allocate costs to states according to benefits, Congress can help transmission lines avoid one of the most significant sources of delay.

By Michelle Solomon • March 31, 2023

Utilities: Improved transformer efficiency is important, but goal could threaten grid reliability

The Biden administration has proposed stricter energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers, but utilities face shortages of the grid components and say new rules could worsen the situation.

By Robert Walton • March 30, 2023

As California grid interconnection requests triple, analysts assess CAISO’s moves to handle the influx

The state’s current interconnection processes were designed around a cadence that won’t work as it moves towards much larger volumes of clean energy generation, experts say. 

By Kavya Balaraman • March 30, 2023

PG&E, SCE detail plans to spend more than $23B through 2025 to prevent wildfires in their footprints

The utilities plan to focus on installing more resilient infrastructure and transferring power lines underground, among other measures. 

By Kavya Balaraman • March 28, 2023