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Photo illustration by Brian Tucker/Utility Dive; photograph by kunchainub via Getty Images
Tracking the impacts of coronavirus on the US power sector
July 13: Solar VC funding down 74% in H1 2020; Duke, AEP highlight significant risks from COVID-19 uncertainty; Brattle analysis finds electricity demand still lagging historical levels.
UPDATED: July 13, 2020 at 10:21 a.m. -
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2020). "Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2" [Microscope image]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/nihgov/49535193876/in/album-72157713108522106/.
Duke, AEP, FirstEnergy tell FERC future COVID-19 uncertainty presents 'significant risk'
Although utilities have not yet seen substantive threats to their capital, they insist to federal regulators that potential future hurdles will require "adequate and timely" cost recovery from states.
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Natural gas pipeline developers aim to differentiate from Atlantic Coast and avoid its fate
The Constitution Pipeline and Atlantic Coast Pipeline have been abandoned within months of each other, and natural gas developers are working to establish differences between themselves and the unsuccessful projects.
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Opinion
3 major policy trends to watch for in China's renewable energy market
National policies have laid a foundation for an open and competitive power market in China, the authors write.
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As COVID-19 surges, federal regulators worry about energy sector supply chain
The U.S. electric grid has held up reliably during the pandemic. But if the economic shutdown stretches months — or longer — regulators are worried about potential supply chain and reliability issues.
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Pennsylvania House OKs bill curbing state's ability to join RGGI in ongoing dispute with governor
The move comes as regulators released an analysis showing that limits on carbon dioxide and other power plant pollutants would produce significant economic and health benefits.
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California regulators consider proposal to incorporate climate planning into utility rate cases
The CPUC is the first regulator in the country evaluating the potential of climate change impact on utility planning, according to a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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Florida PSC approves utility demand-side management plans, despite staff, Walmart objections
Regulators rejected staff recommendations as well as objections from Walmart and other commercial and industrial users, saying utilities had complied with requests for more robust, updated demand-side management programs.
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Opinion
States are falling short on building decarbonization — Here's what regulators need to do
Programs and rules that are poorly suited for a transition from gas to electricity should be revisited, the authors write.
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Clean Energy Collective
Deloitte: Intermittent renewables pass COVID-19 grid reliability test
Through mid-June this year, wind and solar energy made up 12% of the total U.S. generation average, up from 10% in 2019, while distributed energy resources and storage is one of the "primary areas" for building new capacity over the midterm.
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DC Circuit pipeline ruling could prompt dramatic shift in FERC power sector actions, attorneys say
The ruling could have major consequences for stakeholders requesting a rehearing from the commission in the gas and electricity sectors.
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Getty
Enel ransomware attack highlights the value of a top-down security culture
A cybersecurity survey found more than half of respondents in the energy sector were impacted by ransomware in the past year. Enel Group was hit in June, but was able to quickly isolate and mitigate the attack.
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Coal retirements spur 8% drop in 2019 power sector carbon pollution after Duke, Vistra top 2018 emitters: Ceres
Vistra has already retired or announced the retirement of nine coal plants since 2018, a sign of how rapidly the power sector shifted last year
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Deep DiveMomentum grows for piloting Netflix-like fixed subscription rates, but not everyone's on board
For customers who want predictable bills, pairing automated smart distribution technologies with flat rates can resolve the overuse challenge of traditional fixed bills.
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Sunrun buys Vivint Solar for $3.2B
With the acquisition of the residential solar provider, to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2020, Sunrun seeks to consolidate costs and realize scale benefits, saving about $90 million annually.
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2020). "Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2" [Microscope image]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/nihgov/49535193876/in/album-72157713108522106/.
Regulators reject utility moves to recover revenue lost to COVID-19 as analysts, advocates see trend continuing
After swift dismissals in Indiana and Wisconsin, analysts say utilities' requests to raise rates could have a disproportionately negative impact on ratepayers, especially if load decreases become permanent.
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Yujin Kim/Utility Dive/Utility Dive
ColumnTaking Charge: Wisconsin's newest utility commissioner on the state's 'utility-scale changeover'
Wisconsin Public Service Commissioner Tyler Huebner spoke to Utility Dive about the state's transition from coal and toward a greener, more distributed grid.
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Duke, Dominion cancel $8B Atlantic Coast Pipeline
As the behind-schedule project is put to rest, Dominion announced the sale of its natural gas transmission and storage assets for nearly $10 billion to Berkshire Hathaway.
UPDATED: July 7, 2020 at 9:46 a.m. -
PG&E exits bankruptcy, but long-term wildfire risk could put it 'back in the soup'
The utility's near-term financial risk has been mitigated, "but they’ve got a huge amount of work to do to be financially successful again in the long run," according to a former regulator.
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Interior Department to streamline offshore wind permitting, nix unsolicited leasing
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management plans to issue proposed rules this month to deregulate offshore wind and facilitate more development, according to the Trump administration's Spring Regulatory Agenda.
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NERA counters broad opposition to FERC net metering petition, reveals utility-linked member
Attorneys for the New England Ratepayers Association have revealed one of its members — the president and founder of energy consulting firm Brant Energy, whose clients include National Grid, Eversource and DTE Energy.
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Quidnet leverages drilling tech to provide pumped hydro type storage at half the price
The Houston-based firm secured $10 million in Series B financing and a contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for a commercial demonstration of its technology.
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'Simple' or a 'Band-Aid'? ISO-NE leans toward Eversource/National Grid $49M solution for Mystic plant replacement
New England's grid operator chose the lowest-cost proposal, but one developer says that doesn't make it the most effective or efficient.
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Trump officials address prospects and challenges of California offshore wind development
A group of stakeholders have identified potential leasing areas off the West Coast that don't interfere with Department of Defense activities.
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Ruslan Dashinsky and tampatra via Getty Images
Hitachi completes acquisition of ABB power grid business, launches joint venture
The new entity will use Hitachi's artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to leverage data from ABB's grid operations while exploring opportunities in mobility, smart cities, energy storage and data centers.
