Transmission & Distribution: Page 51
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PG&E noteholders propose injecting $29.2B in utility in exchange for majority stake
Pacific Gas & Electric's period of exclusivity comes to an end today, but the utility asked for a two-month extension to be the only party that can propose a plan for reorganization due to recent progress.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 26, 2019 -
Bipartisan support for resiliency grows as natural disasters worsen
Leaders at all levels of government recognize that the "ludicrous" status quo of infrastructure investment cannot continue.
By Chris Teale • Sept. 26, 2019 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Mario Tama / Staff via Getty Images
TrendlineGrid 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 -
California proposes eliminating simplified energy resource plans, but SCE says more is needed
Southern California Edison says it supports a stronger IRP process, but cautioned that eliminating alternative plans would require regulators to adjust greenhouse gas planning targets and demand forecasts.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 25, 2019 -
California proposes IOUs collect $900M annually for wildfire fund, with one major hurdle for PG&E
The $21 billion fund would be seeded by both shareholders and ratepayers, but Pacific Gas & Electric would need to exit bankruptcy to access the money.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 25, 2019 -
Deep Dive
California wants a carbon-free economy by 2045: Can floating offshore wind help it get there?
New technology could bring ocean wind when there is no sun to recharge depleted batteries.
By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 25, 2019 -
Getty
Phishing campaign continues to target utilities, evolves attack techniques
Security firm Proofpoint has identified 17 utilities targeted from April 5 through Aug. 29, employing previously unknown techniques and with later phishing attempts using updated macros intended to obscure their purpose.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 24, 2019 -
Getty Images
PG&E blasts $24B fire compensation plan as it risks losing control of reorganization
Wildfire victims teamed up with bondholders to propose a new plan in addition to the utility's proposed $17.9 billion settlement for fire claims.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 23, 2019 -
CAISO to develop regional day-ahead market for renewables after participant push
The initiative is expected to build on the California ISO's Western Energy Imbalance Market, which allows utilities to balance their load and optimize renewable energy use in real time.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 23, 2019 -
Getty Images
Deep DiveNortheastern utilities aim to 'crush and flatten' system peaks as DERs boost grid efficiency
DER providers and utilities have found shared market interests in New England, leading to cooperative BYOD programs that provide a range of benefits for customers and the power system.
By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 23, 2019 -
Ex-Tesla exec wants to increase utility control of DERs, and has a smart panel to do it
The new electric panel combines smart metering capabilities with remote control of energy use in residences, while easing installation of solar, energy storage and EV chargers.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 20, 2019 -
FERC oversight battle heats up as Colorado regulators blast Tri-State petition
The state's Public Utility Commission has taken steps to regulate Tri-State's electric resource planning, and worries the utility views federal regulation as an escape hatch for its coal-heavy generation mix.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 19, 2019 -
PJM, parties reach 'agreement in principle' over $160M GreenHat FTR default
The grid operator has agreed to pay two trading firms a total of $12.5 million under the proposed agreement filed with FERC Wednesday.
By Robert Walton • Updated Oct. 15, 2019 -
PG&E reaches $11B insurance settlement over wildfire claims
Pacific Gas & Electric announced it reached a settlement with insurers related to the 2017 Northern California wildfires and 2018 Camp Fire. The $11 billion settlement is significantly lower than the $20 billion insurers say they were owed.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2019 -
New England grid operator sees potential for year-round power constraints
Despite a tight supply-demand balance, ISO-NE said it expects to operate a reliable and affordable electric grid through transmission investments and a reliance on energy efficiency.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2019 -
Michigan urges MISO, PJM to improve regional reliability after Consumers compressor station fire
In a letter to the grid operators, the state's governor and head regulator called for quicker interconnection processes to improve regional resource diversity and a reexamination of demand response capabilities.
By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 12, 2019 -
Santee Cooper forecasts coal phaseout, 1 GW new solar as base case for potential sale
The state-owned utility prepared the forecast at the direction of South Carolina legislators who are considering selling the company to pay off debt from the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2019 -
Tri-State joins suite of new participants in Southwest, California energy imbalance markets
The California ISO and Southwest Power Pool each recently announced new members. SPP's Western Energy Imbalance Service market is expected to begin operations in 2021.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2019 -
Deep Dive
As utilities scramble to manage explosive DER growth, is power grid autonomy a solution?
The U.S. electric grid could face hundreds of millions of distributed resource deployments in the near future. But optimizing these data points may exceed human ability.
By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 11, 2019 -
Opinion
PJM policy to add $5.7B cost to capacity market? We don't think so
The consulting firm Grid Strategies recently found significant cost impacts from PJM's proposed minimum offer price rule. The heads of PJM Power Providers Group and the Electric Power Supply Association dispute that.
By Glen Thomas and Todd A. Snitchler • Sept. 9, 2019 -
San Francisco offers PG&E $2.5B for city's grid
The city's offer is part of a plan to develop a municipal provider and came three days before the bankrupt utility is expected to propose a path to solvency.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 9, 2019 -
SDG&E looks to raise minimum bill 400%, citing solar-driven cost shift
The utility says more than $400 million in costs to maintain the grid are annually shifted from solar to non-solar residential households in its territory.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 9, 2019 -
PG&E bankruptcy plan includes $14B equity commitments, no liability estimates: Bloomberg
Pacific Gas & Electric plans to file its restructuring plan with the bankruptcy court by Monday, though the amount of its liability — estimated at $30 billion — will be tallied by another court.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 6, 2019 -
Boulder's plan to condemn Xcel assets, form municipal utility faces new setback
The court granted Xcel Energy’s motion to dismiss the city's condemnation filing. Boulder officials say they knew this was a possibility, and see a way forward.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 6, 2019 -
Ryan McKnight, FERC
FERC chairman to Congress: 'Make energy policy boring again'
Neil Chatterjee says Congress, not regulatory agencies, should be making major energy policy decision and wants to see broad legislation, including an overhaul of PURPA.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 5, 2019 -
Outages begin to mount as Dorian slams into US
South Carolina Electric & Gas reported more than 128,000 customers without power Thursday morning, with Hurricane Dorian now a Category 3 storm located 70 miles south-southeast of Charleston.
By Robert Walton • Updated Sept. 5, 2019
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