Renewables


  • Transmission towers are shown near solar panels from the 100-megawatt MGM Resorts Mega Solar Array after it was launched on June 28, 2021, in Dry Lake Valley, Nevada.
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    Ethan Miller via Getty Images
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    Democratic bill mandates FERC interconnection reforms to bring new resources online faster

    The bill would help bring new power supply online to address surging demand growth and increasing grid reliability concerns, according to the R Street Institute’s Devin Hartman.

    By April 18, 2024
  • Offshore wind turbines are seen standing in the ocean against a blue sky.
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    Fokkebok via Getty Images
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    Earlier derisking is key to offshore wind’s future in the US, Ørsted Americas CEO, others say

    But that will extend a project’s lead time, “which is difficult for federal and state policies if people are trying to get these projects deployed as fast as possible,”  Ørsted Americas CEO David Hardy said.

    By April 18, 2024
  • A picture of wind turbines in front of solar panels in Palm Springs, California. Explore the Trendline
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    Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images
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    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
  • Green hydrogen renewable energy production pipeline.
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    audioundwerbung via Getty Images
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    Constellation prepared to ‘visit with the courts’ about proposed hydrogen tax credit rules

    The company plans to apply for 45V tax credits even though their hydrogen would not qualify under draft IRS guidance, Executive Vice President Kathleen Barron said Wednesday at the BNEF Summit in New York City.

    By Emma Penrod • April 18, 2024
  • High voltage pylons with electric power lines transfering electricity from solar photovoltaic cells at sunrise.
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    Bilanol via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    FERC’s final regional transmission rule is coming soon. It has one shot to get it right.

    A strong rule will help spur the transmission lines necessary to meet America’s growing energy needs, while also setting the table for a future interregional rule to mitigate the effects of extreme weather.

    By Ray Long • April 18, 2024
  • Four buildings surrounded by dirt and construction.
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    Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group.

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    DOE cites cost, reliability concerns for new gas plants as it details how to meet surging power demand

    Rising electricity demand will require a “portfolio approach” of resources, including energy storage, hydropower, nuclear, grid-enhancing technologies and demand-side management, DOE said.

    By April 18, 2024
  • Rooftop solar panels at the Soleil Lofts apartment complex in Herriman, Utah
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    Permission granted by sonnen, Inc.
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    Deep Dive

    Tackling 3 key issues can help scale virtual power plants and spur a wave of benefits, analysts say

    Advanced operational software, communications standards and customer compensation are needed to scale VPP size and services, cut system and customer costs, and enhance reliability, key VPP players agree.

    By April 17, 2024
  • Georgia Power's Plant Bowen units during a period of inactivity.
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    The image by Sam Nash is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    Georgia Power receives approval to add 1.4 GW of natural gas generation

    Environmentalists are criticizing the Georgia Public Service Commission’s decision to approve the construction of new fossil fuel generation, citing cost and climate concerns.

    By April 17, 2024
  • Wind turbines spin over a field of canola, also called rapeseed, at a wind park on May 10, 2023 near Pinnow, Germany.
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    CIP acquires 1.3 GW of New York onshore wind projects

    Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners made the acquisition through its CI V fund, which has raised billions in capital commitments for greenfield renewable energy investments.

    By April 16, 2024
  • Inside the rise of groundwater-based geothermal heat pumps

    The technology, which is cost-effective across 75% of the U.S. landmass and ideal for space-constrained users, could eventually displace utility gas service, proponents say.

    By Brian Martucci • April 15, 2024
  • Aerial shot of solar panels with a single person in a hard hat working on top of panels
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    Eloi_Omella via Getty Images
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    DOE awards $27M for communities to plan a clean-energy future

    This is the first funding round for the Energy Future Grants initiative, which launched last year to help communities plan for transportation and building electrification, microgrids and solar projects.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • April 12, 2024
  • An aerial view of a solar power plant with many rows of solar photovoltaic panels.
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    Bilanol via Getty Images
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    Grid interconnection queues jumped 27%, to 2.6 TW, in 2023, led by solar, storage: DOE lab

    Solar, battery and wind projects make up 95% of the capacity in interconnection queues, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers said Wednesday.

    By April 11, 2024
  • An artistic rendering of a building which is transitioning from fossil fuel use to renewable sources like solar panels
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    Oliver de la Haye via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Regulators: Don’t panic and rush to gas amid cries we’re out of power

    Proposing new gas plants to serve growing demand does not occur in isolation. It is a decision that implicitly rejects alternatives as either infeasible, expensive or unconsidered.

    By Mike O’Boyle and Eric Gimon • April 11, 2024
  • Drone shot of a solar farm on the edge of Liberty, a small town in Randolph County, North Carolina.
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    halbergman via Getty Images
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    South Carolina advances bill that could spur gas power for Duke, Dominion utilities, hamper solar

    Renewable developers EnergyRe and Pine Gate Renewables urged lawmakers to require that utilities add about 8 GW of solar from approved integrated resource plans, with offramps.

    By April 9, 2024
  • Building and assembling a construction wind turbines farm by a crane
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    Olya Solodenko via Getty Images
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    Columbia Law report rebuts 33 ‘most pervasive false claims’ about solar, wind, EVs

    The report from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law rebuts common claims regarding renewable energy’s dependency on subsidies and its potential harms to people or wildlife.

    By April 8, 2024
  • Two people on a residential rooftop drilling solar panels in
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    These 8 nonprofits got $20B from the Biden administration for local clean energy financing. Now what?

    The “green bank” funds must be obligated by September amid efforts by Republican lawmakers to repeal the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • April 8, 2024
  • A field of solar panels in the California desert.
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    schwartstock via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Maximizing the value of IRA tax incentives while minimizing investment compliance risk

    The IRA is the single largest investment in clean energy in U.S. history, but industry will only benefit from the estimated $1.2 trillion in incentives if the tax credits can be successfully monetized.

    By Charles Dauber • April 8, 2024
  • Aerial view of blue photovoltaic solar panels mounted on industrial building roof for producing clean ecological electricity.
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    Bilanol via Getty Images
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    How solar manufacturers can leverage IRA clean energy tax credits

    More than 500 companies and 45,500 projects registered for clean energy tax credits under the law as of March 8.

    By Joelle Anselmo • April 4, 2024
  • A solar eclipse
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    George Frey via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Monday’s eclipse could cut US solar output by 40 GWh. Here’s how 5 grid operators are preparing.

    Grid operators are not expecting any reliability issues during the eclipse but say forecasting energy demand will be complicated. Monday “will not be a typical spring day,” MISO noted.

    By April 4, 2024
  • From Tarantula lookout overlooking downtown Honolulu
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    Gregory Zamell via Getty Images
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    Hawaiian Electric offers new incentives to customers with rooftop solar and battery storage

    The company says it is streamlining programs for rooftop solar users to help the state meet its clean energy goals, but some customers could see smaller financial benefits.

    By Patrick Cooley • April 3, 2024
  • Specialists walking across a solar power plant.
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    Felbaba Volodymyr via Getty Images
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    Goldman renewables spinoff MN8 Energy secures $325M investment

    MN8 has a solar fleet with a capacity of 3.2 GW, made up of more 875 projects in 28 states, and battery storage projects with a combined 270 MW of capacity.

    By Lamar Johnson • April 3, 2024
  • An engineer walks by solar panels with wind turbines in the background.
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    image via Getty Images
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    Biden administration awards $4B in clean energy manufacturing tax credits

    The money from the 48C credit spans 35 states and is part of a slate of tax incentives funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.

    By Kate Magill • April 3, 2024
  • High voltage transmission lines are seen against an orange sky in Texas.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Massachusetts commission recommends faster approvals of clean energy projects, infrastructure

    The commission suggested the state issue a single, consolidated permit for clean energy projects and limit deliberation to a maximum of 15 months.

    By April 3, 2024
  • Green hydrogen renewable energy production facility.
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    audioundwerbung via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Supporting strategic end uses is key to making hydrogen hubs the building blocks to scale

    We must deploy clean hydrogen strategically to decarbonize sectors of the economy that are hard to electrify and unlock its true potential to accelerate the phaseout of fossil fuels.

    By Cihang Yuan and Daniel Riley • April 3, 2024
  • Modern container battery energy storage power plant system rendering
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    Petmal via Getty Images
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    DOE to invest $22M to improve planning, permitting of renewable energy, storage projects

    The first round of funding, worth $10 million, will go to six state-based projects intended to provide training and technical resources to local governments evaluating large-scale renewable energy projects, DOE said.

    By Patrick Cooley • April 2, 2024
  • An overhead shot of the ocean shows overhead wind turbines, partially obscured by clouds.
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    Getty Images via Getty Images
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    CAISO proposes $6.1B transmission plan, mainly for offshore wind

    The California Independent System Operator’s transmission plan — with $4.1 billion open for competition — would also support wind and solar imports from Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming.

    By Updated April 2, 2024