Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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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 maintain, as utilities and generators pilot lower emission projects.
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 -
2021 Outlook: 10 power sector trends to watch
A new administration under a new party is one of many signs that 2021 will look different for policymakers, regulators, utilities and other stakeholders, but the continuation of some older trends is expected as well.
Catherine Morehouse • Jan. 13, 2021 -
Permission granted by Fermata Energy
2021 Outlook: The future of electric vehicle charging is bidirectional — but the future isn't here yet
Within a few years, cars may be able to power homes, participate in energy markets and help businesses lower power bills, experts say.
Robert Walton • Jan. 12, 2021 -
2021 Outlook: The DER boom continues, driving a 'reimagining' of the distribution system
The rise of distributed resources will require a renewed distribution system that gives utilities more visibility of what's going on at the customer level to cut costs and protect reliability.
Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 12, 2021 -
Two barriers to utility and customer savings with flexible loads and how regulators can help
Utilities, regulators and load flexibility authorities say better distribution system control technologies and compensation are needed to increase the use of flexible customer-sited resources.
Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 06, 2021 -
Want to know how to pick an energy market? Watch the Mountain West power providers
Xcel Colorado just joined California’s imbalance market, SPP will offer imbalance services, and researchers have proposed a Colorado-centric system. But what do power providers want?
Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 04, 2021 -
The search for the next net metering policy takes center stage in California
California’s utilities and solar advocates agree a forward-looking successor tariff must use the state’s nation-leading rooftop solar penetration to address its increasingly dynamic system needs with storage.
Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 23, 2020 -
APS's plan for closing coal plants could be a gamechanger, analysts say, but who will pay?
The company's current rate case includes $144.45 million for communities impacted by its proposed coal closures, the biggest-ever such U.S. utility commitment, but customers would pay over 80% of the plan.
Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 18, 2020 -
Trio of New England decisions could help or hurt renewables as ISO-NE, NEPOOL face off at FERC
Some clean energy advocates say one of the decisions could make it more difficult to develop energy storage pojects in the region.
Robert Walton • Dec. 16, 2020 -
Getty
No 'green halo' for renewables: First Solar, Veolia, others tackle wind and solar environmental impacts
From the toxics and wastewater in manufacturing to the difficulty of recycling PV panels and turbine blades, solar and wind in particular create impacts the industries are trying to reduce.
Lynn Freehill-Maye • Dec. 14, 2020 -
Kendall Davis/Utility Dive
Utility customers owe up to $40B in COVID-19 debt, but who will pay it?
Shutoff moratoria have provided a reprieve for some on 2020 power bills, but still-mounting debt needs forgiveness or securitization, analysts say.
Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 03, 2020 -
Photo illustration by Brian Tucker/Utility Dive; photograph by tommaso79 via Getty Images
From Maryland to California and beyond, rate design innovations are boosting the energy transition
Success with time-of-use rates can allow utilities to start integrating more variable and distributed generation, leading to more sophisticated time-varying rates that allow for the further expansion of such generation.
Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 25, 2020 -
Danielle Ternes/Utility Dive
Why capital markets are continuing to finance utilities facing rising flood and other climate change impacts
In a sample of 18 utility disclosures on climate risks analyzed by Utility Dive, 13 stated flooding and heavy storms were a short-to-mid term threat.
Iulia Gheorghiu • Nov. 20, 2020 -
Danielle Ternes/Utility Dive
Wildfires pushed PG&E into bankruptcy. Should other utilities be worried?
Catastrophic wildfires, which can lead to billions of dollars in damages, present a unique financial risk that the utility sector will want to get ahead of, experts say.
Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 19, 2020 -
Adeline Kon/Utility Dive
To batteries and beyond: The storage technologies poised to play a key role in the energy transition
At least 33 U.S. utilities are aiming to become carbon-free or reach net-zero emissions by 2050. These are some of the technologies that could help them get there.
Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 17, 2020 -
MOPR reconsidered: Competitive generators move away from FERC's PJM order, toward carbon pricing
Though competitive suppliers initiated the complaint that led to the Minimum Offer Price Rule expansion, they are now pivoting toward more markets-based mechanisms, largely in response to state threats to exit the markets altogether.
Catherine Morehouse • Nov. 13, 2020 -
Transmission troubles? A solution could be lying along rail lines and next generation highways
Multiple studies show the need for interregional transmission is growing and proposals to streamline siting will help, but cost allocation remains a barrier.
Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 12, 2020 -
Could COVID-19 provide a windfall to utilities from shifting demand? Report says yes, but it's complicated
The global pandemic's impact on energy consumption is still being investigated, but a Tufts University researcher expects utilities could benefit financially. Edison Electric Institute disputes the report's conclusions.
Robert Walton • Nov. 10, 2020 -
Elizabeth Regan, Industry Dive
'The days of FERC being referred to as an obscure agency are over': Chatterjee reflects on chairmanship
In interviews with Utility Dive before and after his chairmanship was cut short, Neil Chatterjee reflects on his time as chair — his proudest moments and regrets.
Catherine Morehouse • Nov. 09, 2020 -
Danielle Ternes/Utility Dive
5 ballot initiatives poised to propel states, cities to 100% clean energy
At the local level, as in previous elections, energy is less prone to partisan politics in 2020.
Catherine Morehouse • Nov. 05, 2020 -
Danielle Ternes/Utility Dive
Ballot billions: Behind the efforts to fund and finance climate action
In a year that virtually depleted municipal budgets, ballot-derived tax and funding measures can be crucial to support city-level climate action. Outside of these measures, how else can cities secure cash?
Kristin Musulin, Chris Teale and Cailin Crowe • Oct. 30, 2020 -
Photo illustration by Danielle Ternes/Utility Dive; photograph by Svanblar and Luka Banda via Getty Images
Election 2020: Xcel Energy, municipalization advocates face off in Boulder
On Nov. 3, voters in the Colorado city must choose whether to trust Xcel’s commitments or the promise of a municipal utility.
Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 30, 2020 -
Photo illustration by Danielle Ternes/Utility Dive; photograph by Svanblar and Luka Banda via Getty Images
Election 2020: States accelerated renewables under Trump. Could a Biden win slow that?
The bipartisan push in favor of more renewable energy deployment at the state level could evaporate under a Biden administration that may lean toward federal mandates, experts say.
Emma Penrod • Oct. 29, 2020 -
Photo illustration by Danielle Ternes/Utility Dive; photograph by Svanblar and Luka Banda via Getty Images
Election 2020: For DOE, staffing, renewables spending, transparency at stake Nov. 3, analysts say
A Biden administration could refocus the U.S. Department of Energy on clean energy, transparency and environmental justice. Under Trump, expect more of the same push for deregulation.
Robert Walton • Oct. 28, 2020
