Deep Dive: Page 7
Industry insights from our journalists
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California's Aliso Canyon review could offer key lessons on transition from natural gas, analysts say
The state's consideration of whether to wean itself from one of its largest natural gas storage facilities could be a model, regardless of its success.
Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 10, 2021 -
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The US power sector is halfway to net zero emissions, but it gets harder now, analysts say
Renewables led the power sector's recent energy transition, but breakthroughs are needed to take the transportation, building and industrial sectors to net zero emissions by mid-century.
Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 4, 2021 -
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Gridlock in transmission queues spotlights need for FERC action on planning
FERC is calling for stakeholder input to address the backlog in transmission queues holding 70% of the renewables needed for Biden's policy goals.
Herman K. Trabish • July 19, 2021 -
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'Doesn't make sense': Analysts pan omissions in MISO's first electrification impact analysis
MISO’s first electrification-focused planning study was a "good start" by accentuating uncertainties on the rate and pace of the transition, but missed what storage needs will be and what least-regrets solutions offer, experts said.
Herman K. Trabish • July 13, 2021 -
Adeline Kon/Utility Dive
As the US begins to craft a hydrogen strategy, Europe's experience could offer valuable lessons
Green hydrogen advocates are looking across the Atlantic for inspiration on the technologies, policies and strategies that could develop the domestic market.
Kavya Balaraman • July 6, 2021 -
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From green to gold: 5 ways CFOs can gain from climate risk disclosure
CFOs confronting growing pressure to disclose climate change risks can find in their analysis opportunities to improve capital allocation and risk management.
Jim Tyson • July 6, 2021 -
Brian Tucker/Utility Dive
As utilities risk missing carbon reduction targets, analysts stress need for organizational change
Sierra Club and the Smart Electric Power Alliance published separate analyses on the shortcomings of utilities in their net zero emissions pledges, finding a common solution in new organizational approaches.
Herman K. Trabish • July 1, 2021 -
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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 -
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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 1, 2021 -
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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 -
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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 -
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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 -
'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 -
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 4, 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 -
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 1, 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 8, 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 2, 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
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