The Latest
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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.
Generation -
SponsoredHow a leading US utility is using digital to solidify its relationship with customers
Utilities must transform the customer experience by proactively addressing their desire to access the utility through innovative tools, systems, and processes.
Technology -
North Carolina lifts limits on Duke residential efficiency program
As part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, Duke is expanding its efficiency programs and expects cumulative energy savings to grow to 22,000 GWh by 2030.
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Boring Company previews Los Angeles plan: $1 rides on all-electric underground pods
Elon Musk’s underground ambitions to defeat what he calls "soul-sucking traffic" are sky-high.
Technology -
San Francisco to fully electrify bus fleet by 2035
Mayor Mark Farrell announced last month a goal to zero out the city’s net emissions by 2050. Transportation reportedly makes up 46%.
Efficiency & Demand Response -
Deep DiveCybersecurity and the distributed grid: A double-edged sword
As the Internet of Things merges with grid edge technology, experts say the power sector is both more vulnerable and more secure.
Distributed Energy -
DTE, Consumers pledge 50% clean energy, heading off ballot initiative
The Michigan utilities say they will reach most of the 2030 goal through efficiency initiatives, but at least 25% of the result will come from renewable energy.
Generation -
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.
Transmission & Distribution -
Deep DiveCalifornia regulators see signs of a new energy crisis — can they prevent it?
As the state's customer choice movement expands, energy sector stakeholders continue to struggle with what CPUC President Michael Picker calls "scar tissue" from the 2000-2001 energy crisis.
Generation -
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.
Transmission & Distribution -
Deep DiveLast 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.
Generation -
Wind power poised for record year, despite initial tax law concerns
Clarity on tax policy and countdown to expiration of the production tax credit are combining to drive a significant increase in the U.S. wind power project pipeline.
Generation -
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.
Generation -
Utilities join with Tesla to sue EPA over fuel standard rollback
The D.C. Circuit case filed earlier this month is another indication that utilities are beginning to lean into the fight over electric vehicles.
Distributed Energy -
FERC chair restarts PURPA review, pledging 'open mind'
Federal energy regulators also approved a new pipeline proposal and reviewed summer reliability conditions at their May open meeting.
Generation -
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.
Transmission & Distribution -
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.
Transmission & Distribution -
Deep Dive5 ways the utility industry can mitigate cyber incidents
Companies in the utility sector are beginning to prioritize cybersecurity in the same way that they focus on worker safety.
Technology -
Public power utilities face growing risk from renewables shift, says Moody's
Credit risks for utilities with a higher share of coal power in their generating mix, such as municipal utilities, center on the potential for stranded assets.
Solar & Renewables -
Illinois can do without Vistra coal plants, greens claim
Shutting eight plants in Southern Illinois and replacing them with other options could save up to $14 billion, says a new report by Vibrant Clean Energy for NRDC and Sierra Club.
Generation -
APS: Controversial RFP does not violate Arizona gas moratorium
Reliability concerns about energy storage prompted Arizona Public Service to limit its role in a pending contract request, executives said.
Generation -
New York proposes strict carbon emission limits for existing power plants
The rule is expected to allow New York to achieve one of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's signature energy pledges — to phase out coal entirely by 2020 while still maintaining reliable and affordable power.
Generation -
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.
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Deep DiveFull 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.
Transmission & Distribution -
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.
Transmission & Distribution