State regulators approve Westar, Great Plains Energy $15B merger

Kansas and Missouri regulators approved the deal after the companies removed a $4.9 billion acquisition premium that Great Plains proposed to pay for Westar.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 29, 2018

South Carolina regulators reject rehearing for controversial SCE&G solar rates

The utility's most recent avoided cost calculations lower the rates paid to PURPA projects to $0/kW-year.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 29, 2018

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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

Trump abandons plan to sell off BPA power assets

The White House plan to sell off four federal power authorities, floated in its last two budget proposals, was opposed by electric co-op and municipal utility groups.

By Gavin Bade • May 29, 2018

New Hampshire denies rehearing on Northern Pass line rejection

A state siting board refused to revisit its rejection of the high-profile transmission project. Massachusettes will likely look to other projects to meet its clean energy goals.

By Gavin Bade • May 24, 2018

New Jersey regulators approve PSE&G's $1.9B gas system modernization plan

Urgency played a role in the decision to replace about 900 miles of pipelines, which were prone to leaks.

By Robert Walton • May 23, 2018

13 projects from the leading edge of the utility transformation

One nonprofit's invite-only policy forums provide utility stakeholders a "safe space" to work out contentious proceedings and advance ambitious projects.

By Gavin Bade • May 23, 2018

Maine eyes lower ratepayer costs from increased electric integration with Canada

Central Maine Power was recently selected by Massachusetts to build a transmission line to deliver hydroelectric power from Quebec through Maine into the New England grid.

By Robert Walton • May 22, 2018

Getting paid to charge a battery is an attractive but limited opportunity, analysts say

While Tesla's Australian energy storage facility apparently made a windfall from negative prices, analysts say such prices are too rare to be reliable. 

By Peter Maloney • May 22, 2018

Last year's weather, wildfires heighten utilities' storm hardening efforts

Utilities are taking measures to address those physical threats, but the number of outages has been slowly creeping up, as has the number of people affected. 

By Peter Maloney • May 21, 2018

NextEra to buy Gulf Power, gas assets from Southern for $6.5B

NextEra has long wanted more regulated utility assets but failed to close two high-profile acquisitions in recent years. 

By Gavin Bade • May 21, 2018

Federal government halts linework on Puerto Rico's grid

FEMA has ended the restoration portion of its mission to repair Puerto Rico's grid two weeks ahead of the official start of hurricane season.

By Robert Walton • May 21, 2018

California utilities, solar developers advocate dialogue on new solar mandate

The state's public utilities commission will reconsider net metering tariffs in the next two years.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 20, 2018

Divided FERC restricts climate impacts in pipeline reviews

FERC will now only consider emissions associated with a specific proposed pipeline, rather than a broader approach to factor in a project's impact on production and consumption of natural gas.

By Gavin Bade • May 18, 2018

Hawaii Electric improvising with microgrids as lava stalls resiliency efforts

The utility operator on Hawaii's big island is "handling the situation as well as anyone could," according to the state's PUC.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 18, 2018

ERCOT prices spike as Texas heads into a tightly-balanced summer

The grid operator for most of Texas says it has sufficient resources to meet the summer's anticipated peak demand, so long as the weather remains normal.

By Robert Walton • May 18, 2018

Federal court blocks Atlantic Coast Pipeline construction in at least some areas

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not properly guard against endangered species impacts when it signed off on the project. Dominion said it plans to move forward as scheduled.

By Robert Walton • May 16, 2018

Utilities join grid recovery initiative to stockpile transmission equipment

Grid Assurance has lined up six major utilities, including American Electric Power and two Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiaries, to its initiative to speed recovery in case of cyber or physical grid attack.

By Robert Walton • May 16, 2018

Full reconstruction of Puerto Rico's grid could take a decade, says lead contractor

Heading into the 2018 storm season, Puerto Rico's grid remains vulnerable. While some of the system has been hardened, much was simply rebuilt to its original form.

By Robert Walton • May 16, 2018

High values are blowing in offshore winds; policymakers may need more

In some locations, energy, capacity and REC prices could give offshore wind the edge over onshore wind, but policymakers need to see economic benefits.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 15, 2018

TVA rate change draws concern new fixed fee will hurt poor

The board of the Tennessee Valley Authority has approved a new wholesale fixed rate fee that works out to about $0.005/kWh.

By Robert Walton • May 14, 2018

South Australia's grid service costs slashed 90% by Tesla battery

New data shows the 100 MW / 129 MWh battery has already taken over 55% of the state's frequency control ancillary services.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 14, 2018

Massachusetts rejects smart meter rollout for 'weaknesses in the business case'

Regulators approved some grid-facing modernization benefits, but ordered utilities back to the drawing board on automated metering infrastructure.

By Robert Walton • May 14, 2018

GE to buy Alstom out of joint ventures for $3.1B

The three joint ventures, which focused on renewables, nuclear and the grid, were developed in 2015 when GE purchased Alstom's energy business.

By Robert Walton • May 10, 2018

House committee advances bipartisan grid cybersecurity bills

The House Energy and Commerce Committee issued voice votes to report three bipartisan cybersecurity bills favorably to the House.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 10, 2018

California to require rooftop solar for new homes

The state is the first to mandate that new homes be built using advanced energy efficiency measures and rooftop solar, starting in 2020.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 9, 2018