Generation
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Deep Dive
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.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • Jan. 15, 2021 -
To bolster green economy, New York will build nation's largest offshore wind program
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state has selected Equinor Wind US to develop two projects more than 20 miles off the coast of Long Island, which will combine for 2,490 MW.
By Robert Walton • Jan. 15, 2021 -
Fotolia
California releases final root cause analysis of August rolling blackouts
Renewables and storage advocates said the report shows California should invest more aggressively in long-term energy storage, to ensure power from intermittent resources, such as solar, can be available during peak hours.
By Catherine Morehouse • Jan. 15, 2021 -
Minnesota Power to pursue 100% carbon-free energy by 2050, nix coal by 2035
The utility's commitment means that no more coal-fired plants will operate in the state past 2035.
By Catherine Morehouse • Jan. 14, 2021 -
Deep Dive
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.
By Catherine Morehouse • Jan. 13, 2021 -
Deep Dive
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.
By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 12, 2021 -
Renewables, storage stocks soar as Democrat-led Congress improves environment for green investments
In response to favorable investment conditions, renewables and energy storage companies' stocks — including Sunrun, Tesla, Bloom Energy, Eos Energy and First Solar — have seen significant gains lately.
By Catherine Morehouse • Jan. 08, 2021 -
Democrats to take Senate majority after Georgia victories. Here's how it could impact the power sector.
Analysts and stakeholders say the implications of a Democrat-majority Senate could be consequential for renewables and electric vehicle deployment, as well as broader carbon reduction policies.
By Catherine Morehouse • Jan. 07, 2021 -
Pixino
EPA finalizes science rule expected to have limited effect on power sector, but NGOs still see threat
Legal experts say that because the rule is procedural, and not subject to the Congressional Review Act, the Biden administration can "kill it" easily.
By Catherine Morehouse • Jan. 06, 2021 -
Photo illustration by Brian Tucker/Utility Dive; photograph by Petmal via Getty Images
Top Utility Trends of 2020
Amid significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the power sector's transition to a cleaner, more distributed future continues.
By Larry Pearl • Jan. 05, 2021 -
Deep Dive
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.
By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 23, 2020 -
Courtesy of Dominion Energy
Dominion files plans with federal regulators for 2.6 GW offshore wind project, largest in US to date
The filing with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management follows Dominion's construction of the first offshore wind turbines approved by regulators in federal waters.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • Dec. 22, 2020 -
Federal stimulus includes wind, solar tax credit extensions, adds first US offshore wind tax credit
The legislative package will also reduce the costs of short-term, long-term, seasonal, and transportation energy storage technologies through a $1.08 billion investment over five years.
By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 22, 2020 -
Xcel to accelerate Hayden coal plant closure as 3 other Colorado plants get reprieve
In November, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission indicated it would accelerate the shutdowns, but subsequently expressed concerns about the "feasibility of the transitions if the closure dates are moved up."
By Robert Walton • UPDATED: Jan. 5, 2021 at 9:56 a.m. -
Retrieved from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
FERC's Clements: 'Grave threat' of climate change will 'underlie my approach as a commissioner'
Regulators are obligated to ensure just and reasonable rates and avoid unfair discrimination, but the factors that influence those decisions "have become significantly more numerous and complex" over the past few decades, she said.
By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 18, 2020 -
Novo Nordisk
Rising renewables penetration is a threat to grid reliability in some regions, NERC concludes
Areas of Texas, California and the Midwest are most at risk as conventional generation continues to retire, according to the annual reliability assessment.
By Robert Walton • Dec. 18, 2020 -
Deep Dive
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.
By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 18, 2020 -
Fotolia
Pacific Northwest poised to test 100% renewables as utilities weigh gas vs. storage
The Northwest has perhaps the best starting point of any region in the country to go to 100% renewable energy, but a delicate balance between the costs of storage and the costs of natural gas may determine the feasibility of that goal.
By Matthew Bandyk • Dec. 17, 2020 -
Deep Dive
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.
By Robert Walton • Dec. 16, 2020 -
Adeline Kon/Utility Dive
Utility interest in hydrogen 'beyond staggering': GE
"You may not see it publicly yet, but we've talked with customers, and privately they've shared to us that when they make their next filing, [hydrogen] will be part of their filing," GE executive Jeffrey Goldmeer said in an interview.
By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 16, 2020 -
Duke won't foot its up to $9B coal ash cleanup bill, but shareholders could still absorb half, court rules
The court found the commission erred in its rejection of an "equitable sharing" proposal that would split the cost of cleanup between ratepayers and shareholders — and not allow the utility to profit from it.
By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 15, 2020 -
South Carolina directs Dominion to model early coal fleet retirement, pre-2026 additions of solar and storage
State regulators ordered the utility to analyze early coal plant closures amid considerations to retrofit its Williams and Wateree plants, as well as adding demand side management and clean energy resources.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • UPDATED: Jan. 5, 2021 at 9:33 a.m. -
Duke, Dominion, Southern file SEEM proposal with state regulators, plan to file with FERC by end of year
The energy exchange proposal comes in the midst of proposals in North and South Carolina to open up the region to more competition.
By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 11, 2020 -
Maryland, Illinois may pursue legislative MOPR exit, despite new FERC nearing
"We wish that a new FERC could just simply wave its wand and get rid of the MOPR," said Illinois' consumer advocate. But "we can't wait for a new FERC to solve the mess that the previous FERC created."
By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 11, 2020 -
Courtesy of Veolia
GE announces first US wind turbine blade recycling program with Veolia
The blades were the only part of the turbines not getting recycled, and will now be shredded to replace raw materials currently used for cement manufacturing, resulting in lower CO2 emissions.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • Dec. 09, 2020
