The Latest
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All Texas coal plants report toxic ash contamination as federal rules in flux
High levels of arsenic, boron, cobalt, lithium and other contaminants were found in groundwater surrounding the Lone Star State's 16 coal plants.
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PodcastEPS Ep. 5: The Utility Dive team on power trends to watch in 2019
Renewables are competitive, states are poised to enact ambitious energy policies and the Trump administration is still mulling a plant bailout. Iulia Gheorghiu and Catherine Morehouse join EPS to lay out the top issues of 2019.
The Electric Power Show -
Texas regulators defer to legislature on utility ownership of energy storage
The state's market for energy storage is in limbo since regulators dismissed a request by AEP Texas last year to install two battery storage projects.
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EPA won't freeze fuel economy standards as Wheeler faces confirmation vote
News of EPA's policy shift came during a testy nomination hearing where the acting administrator faced pressure from activists and Democrat senators on climate change.
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FERC opens 3 pipeline rate probes as Chatterjee tables PJM political spending complaint
For the second month running, FERC declined to act on the highest-profile item on its meeting agenda, likely indicating disagreement among regulators.
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Trump signs bill streamlining advanced nuclear regs as Senate considers R&D funding
Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee grilled nuclear scientists about the impact of advanced nuclear reactors and the need to fund research for new manufacturing opportunities.
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OpinionThe Supreme Court should reject requests for a do-over on state clean energy programs
Ruling against zero emission credit programs for nuclear plants could jeopardize renewable energy credits, too, and threaten to overturn policies in nearly thirty states, according to Harvard's Ari Peskoe.
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2018 global clean energy spending falls 8% to $332B, offshore wind rises 14%: BNEF
While offshore wind attracted almost $26 billion in investment last year, the "most striking shifts" on spending were in the solar sector, with the cost of installing a megawatt of capacity dropping 12% last year.
Solar & Renewables -
Deep DiveUtilities see opportunity in Energy as a Service offerings
Innovative ways to finance energy efficiency could help smooth the way for new rate structures and cleaner energy.
Efficiency & Demand Response -
Florida Power & Light aims to install more solar panels than any regulated utility
The utility said Wednesday it wants to install 30 million solar panels by 2030, which could translate to 8 GW to 10 GW of capacity or more, according to some estimates.
Solar & Renewables -
New York Gov Cuomo moves to double solar, triple offshore wind capacity targets
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a slew of new goals on Tuesday as part of New York's "Green New Deal," which aims to move the state to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040.
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Maryland scales back EV charger program nearly 80%
The Maryland Public Service Commission approved the deployment of 5,000 EV chargers, a significant drop from the 24,000 envisioned in the original proposal.
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Deep Dive'Unlayering' peak demand could accelerate energy storage adoption
A new approach to the peaker-storage debate could help energy storage better meet peak demand and lower emissions.
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PGE demand response pilot offers $1/kWh incentive, targets 10X customer participation rate
Portland General Electric proposed the residential demand response program as part of its Smart Grid Test Bed project, which will also test opt-in approaches to direct load control programs offered with different rates.
Distributed Energy -
Global lithium-ion battery market expected to exceed $60B by 2024: report
The report tracks various li-ion chemistries, touting the batteries for their "better capacity, longer lifecycle, and improved efficiency when compared to available alternatives."
Energy Storage -
San Francisco considering municipal utility as PG&E prepares bankruptcy filing
The city government's retail water and power provider is planning for when PG&E files for Chapter 11 protections, "including possibility of acquiring or building electrical infrastructure assets."
UPDATED: Jan. 15, 2019 at 12:31 p.m.
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Opinion4 common missteps to derail a utility's digital transformation effort
There are compelling reasons for utilities to transform their operations and systems with digital technologies, which can produce significant gains in safety, reliability, customer satisfaction and regulatory compliance.
Distributed Energy -
Deep DiveTri-State members increasingly unsatisfied as the rise of distributed resources upends the G&T model
Given the increasing affordability of renewable energy, "the very reason G&Ts were created is less valid every day," Chris Riley, president of Guzman Energy, told Utility Dive.
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SCANA deliberately misled regulators overseeing nuclear project, South Carolina PSC concludes
The new finding will not impact Dominion's acquisition of SCANA, but could signal greater scrutiny down the line.
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Deep Dive2019 Power Sector Outlook: Top trends to watch
We talked to utilities, analysts and technology providers on what to expect in the year ahead for storage, solar, demand-side management and more.
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Lowering bills for low-income households with community solar: Partnering on regs, tech
A Minnesota-based non-profit applied its expertise to help shepherd an Energy Assistance provider's 100-kW project in southeast Vermont.
Solar & Renewables -
Oregon 10-year plan aims to reduce energy burden, improve efficiency
The plan focuses on low-income residents, particularly in rural areas, and includes more than $113 million in annual energy cost savings through projects across the state.
Efficiency & Demand Response -
PG&E to file for bankruptcy protection as California wildfire costs mount
The company that emerges from the Chapter 11 proceeding could look quite different from the large, investor-owned utility holding company that is the biggest player in California.
UPDATED: Jan. 14, 2019 at 12:39 p.m.
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Regulators order investigation of Vermont Gas pipeline, amid scrutiny after Massachusetts explosions
A 41-mile pipeline in Vermont has been operating for two years, but that could change following safety complaints from project opponents.
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JD Power: Customer satisfaction will hinge on how utilities manage TOU rates
In a look ahead for the industry, JD Power said 2019 will be a year when utilities focus on time-of-use rate structures, electric vehicles, new revenues and digital disruption.
Transmission & Distribution