Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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As US aims to boost clean energy supply chain, critical minerals gap largely human-caused, analysts say
There's no shortage of rare earth minerals needed to transition to a clean energy economy, experts say. The problem is getting them out of the ground — and out of China.
Emma Penrod • June 17, 2021 -
John Moore via Getty Images
Xcel's record-low-price procurement highlights benefits of all-source competitive solicitations
The utility's Colorado division showed how competitive bidding benefits customers if regulators protect the quality of the process.
Herman K. Trabish • June 01, 2021 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Record wildfire threats mean California must pick when and where to fight, utilities, analysts, CalFire agree
Utilities, public agencies and firefighters are preparing for the worst as the climate crisis-driven threat of deadly, destructive wildfires in California grows, but the biggest question remains unanswered.
Herman K. Trabish • May 27, 2021 -
fizkes via Getty Images
NRG push for sweeping retail market changes in Northeast meets Texas-sized obstacles
The reliability crisis in Texas, the state with one of the most competitive retail electricity markets, has created hurdles for a campaign to reinvent retail competition in Northeastern restructured states.
Matthew Bandyk • May 26, 2021 -
Kena Betancur via Getty Images
Elliott's proposed Duke split untimely, analysts say, as advocates warn of 'dangerous can of worms'
Analysts question why the proposal to split Duke Energy into three companies comes now, when the utility is on an upswing, while ratepayer advocates warn against Elliott Management's outsized role in the power sector.
Catherine Morehouse • May 20, 2021 -
Fotolia
'A terrible idea': Texas legislators fight over renewables' role in power crisis, aiming to avert a repeat
Texans may face future freezes if lawmakers blame renewables and fail to set winterization standards and create market-based reliability protections, analysts say.
Herman K. Trabish • May 17, 2021 -
Natacha Kiler
As utilities match CCAs on price, aggregators increase climate action, grow economies of scale to compete
With stranded costs and other charges keeping CCA bills and utility bills comparable, municipal and community aggregations are challenging utilities on renewables and climate targets to grow their customer base.
Herman K. Trabish • May 04, 2021 -
Retrieved from Twitter.
Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan meets power system needs but leaves room for political dealing
The Biden infrastructure spend would rapidly transition the U.S. power sector in ways utilities like, but Congress is expected to seek changes.
Herman K. Trabish • April 28, 2021 -
Getty
California's dilemma: How to control skyrocketing electric rates while building the grid of the future
New ideas include income-based rates, publicly-funded infrastructure, utility entrepreneurship, and customer-funded wildfire insurance.
Herman K. Trabish • April 26, 2021 -
Photo illustration by Brian Tucker/Utility Dive; photograph by thinkreaction via Getty Images
As Biden targets 100% clean electricity, strategies emerge to reliably integrate rising renewables
A power system based on portfolios of increasingly cost-effective utility-scale and distributed renewables is emerging and driving new operational and market solutions to make it work reliably.
Herman K. Trabish • April 19, 2021 -
State of the Electric Utility 2021: Gas doubts rise, DER focus wanes, and 5 other key takeaways
Despite the impacts of COVID-19, the energy transition is stronger than ever, the results of Utility Dive's 8th annual industry survey show.
Larry Pearl • April 01, 2021 -
California's last nuclear plant is poised to shut down. What happens next?
A large amount of carbon-free energy will come offline once the Diablo Canyon power plant retires, raising questions around how the state will replace it.
Kavya Balaraman • March 23, 2021 -
Amid rising rooftop solar battles, emerging net metering alternatives could shake up the sector
As distributed resource penetrations rise, a shift of costs to non-solar owners due to retail rate net energy metering is driving innovations in policy and rate design that can replace it.
Herman K. Trabish • March 18, 2021 -
Photo illustration by Brian Tucker/Utility Dive; photograph by jhorrocks via Getty Images
'A total mindshift': Utilities replace gas peakers, 'old school' demand response with flexible DERs
Utility-customer cooperation can balance renewables' variability with flexibility without using "blunt" demand response or natural gas.
Herman K. Trabish • March 08, 2021 -
Texas must increase ties to the national grid and DER to avoid another power catastrophe, analysts say
Planning for inter-regional transmission and distributed resources could do what ERCOT's competitive, energy-only market didn't – keep the heat and lights on, energy advisors say.
Herman K. Trabish • March 02, 2021 -
Danielle Ternes/Utility Dive
Possible hundreds of billions in US power sector securitizations spur ratepayer protection debate
Securitization can ease impacts of COVID-19 moratoria debt, stranded asset costs, and extreme weather losses, but bankers and regulators agree that customer costs need oversight.
Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 22, 2021 -
Danielle Ternes/Utility Dive
Power experts cite gas constraints as main cause of ERCOT outages, but system planning questions remain
"The fact that this was not wind's fault is not an argument that the wind system as we currently have it would have done better if it were a bigger part of the grid," said a professor of environmental engineering at Georgia Tech.
Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 18, 2021 -
Arizona showdown: Lawmakers face regulators in fight over zero-emissions mandate
Conservatives say the Arizona Corporation Commission's proposed zero-carbon mandate oversteps its constitutional authority while defenders say the legal debate is an excuse to impede the state's climate fight.
Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 10, 2021 -
Nuclear has another friend in Biden, but changes at the NRC could mean more scrutiny ahead
The president has voiced strong support for nuclear, but as a new NRC chair begins his tenure, the sector could face stricter regulations.
Matthew Bandyk • Feb. 01, 2021 -
'No compelling reason not to': Former FERC chairs, commissioners call for federal transmission overhaul
Nine former commissioners and chairs agree that now is the time for federal regulators to tackle interregional grid planning, following the release of a report.
Catherine Morehouse • Jan. 28, 2021 -
Want a more distributed and lower cost power system? Try this new planning tool
Vibrant Clean Energy offers system modeling to match today's granularity and breaks the barrier between bulk system and distribution system planning.
Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 28, 2021 -
Courtesy of Mack Trucks
Fleet tech forges ahead, for the waste sector, but some bide time on higher-stake EV investments
The pandemic strained finances for some waste and recycling collectors looking to upgrade their operations. But falling costs and ESG pressures could catalyze EV pilots, routing software adoption and more in 2021.
Maria Rachal • Jan. 27, 2021 -
Hawaii finalizes utility regulation considered potential template for US power system transformation
Stakeholders agree the state's final performance-based regulation order includes opportunities and safeguards that can lead to a new regulatory paradigm.
Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 19, 2021 -
2021 Outlook: Greening natural gas while planning for service reliability
Natural gas remains essential to the U.S. energy grid despite deep decarbonization targets, experts say, as utilities and generators pilot lower emission projects, while also looking to energy storage and other options.
Iulia Gheorghiu • Jan. 15, 2021 -
NPPD
2021 Outlook: Will hydrogen experience a breakthrough?
Industry analysts say 2021 could be the year U.S. policy on hydrogen catches up with the EU and China, but other key milestones could take longer.
Emma Penrod • Jan. 14, 2021
