Generation

Murkowski 'not giving up' on Senate clean energy bill vote before the end of 2020

Despite a potentially more difficult path for the legislative package following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chair is determined to see her bill get a vote by the end of this year.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 23, 2020

Maine regulators OK state's largest renewables solicitation with 482 MW solar, but skip storage

Spurred by recent legislation, the procurement will add 546 MW of resources, representing about 10% of the state's load.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 23, 2020

Trump veto of House clean energy bill likely as Ginsburg replacement fight complicates Senate bill's path

Members of Congress were hoping to see movement on energy bills by the end of the year, but between the White House's intent to veto and a battle over the now-vacant Supreme Court seat, a path forward is less certain.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 22, 2020

Deep Dive

Politics disrupts San Diego's pursuit of an energy transition partner amid dissatisfaction with SDG&E

San Diego's 50-year-old franchise agreement with San Diego Gas and Electric expires in January, but city leaders can't agree on standards for the next provider, leaving bidders, including Berkshire Hathaway Energy, waiting.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 18, 2020

FERC lowers barriers to DERs in wholesale markets in rare Chatterjee-Glick consensus

The commission passed its long-awaited rule on distributed energy resource aggregations in a 2-1 vote two weeks after the departure of Commissioner Bernard McNamee.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 18, 2020

Nation's first freshwater windfarm all but approved as Ohio siting board removes 'poison pill'

The Ohio Power Siting Board unanimously voted yesterday to remove language that would require offshore turbines to shut down overnight eight months of the year to protect migrating birds and bats.

By John Funk • Sept. 18, 2020

Sponsored by Burns & McDonnell

Lessons from Disruption: Navigating the Pandemic and Beyond

Welcome to "Lessons from Disruption: Navigating the Pandemic and Beyond," a podcast series dedicated to further understanding how the utility industry can overcome the several challenges brought out by COVID-19 with technology and smart planning. 

By Utility Dive's Brand Studio • Sept. 18, 2020

How to participate in the 2020 Utility Dive Awards

Industry Dive is gearing up for the 2020 Dive Awards. We want to hear your ideas on the executives, utilities and policymakers that stood out.

By Utility Dive Editors • Sept. 17, 2020

Senators press FERC nominees on California blackouts, baseload compensation, climate role

Republican senators questioned whether California's higher levels of renewable resources led to last month's blackouts, and Democrats pushed the nominees on how the commission should consider climate change in its deliberations.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 17, 2020

In contentious vote, Pennsylvania takes formal step towards joining regional cap and trade market

In a meeting punctuated by profanity and debate over the legitimacy of the process, the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board voted 13-6 to advance a formal rulemaking for the state to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 16, 2020

FERC reverses 40 years of PURPA precedent in ruling on small solar definition, punts on storage question

The commission upended precedent that found a facility's net solar capacity must be no larger than the 80 MW threshold.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 14, 2020

House to probe US lag on leveraging clean energy for COVID-19 recovery, consider bipartisan energy bill

As the U.S. diverges from other countries in its efforts to marry economic recovery with climate policy, a House subcommittee is planning to hold a hearing on efforts in the EU and elsewhere.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 11, 2020

Deep Dive

For nuclear plants operating on thin margins, growing climate risks prompt tough choices

Climate change creates a number of problems for nuclear power plants that some academics say the industry needs to address soon.

By Matthew Bandyk • Sept. 10, 2020

FERC rejection of NYISO renewables plan could prompt state-managed capacity market, advocates say

The commission's lone Democrat dissented, saying FERC has "perverted" the New York ISO's buyer-side market power mitigation rules to slow the state's clean energy transition.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 10, 2020

California scrambles to prevent rolling blackouts amid heat wave, with DOE assist on gas plant dispatch

The DOE's order allowing additional dispatch from three natural gas plants if needed served as a "wake-up call" to pursue alternatives to maintain reliability, according to one expert.

By Kavya Balaraman • Sept. 09, 2020

FERC details carbon pricing conference as groups blast renewables, consumer and women exclusions

Of the 30 panelists scheduled to participate at the upcoming conference, the majority are energy companies, academics and grid operator representatives. Only three women are on the agenda.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 09, 2020

Dominion files to keep Virginia's North Anna nuclear plant operating 80 years

The request to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission follows a trend of utilities seeking to keep nuclear plants online for decades longer than originally licensed.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 08, 2020

Taking Charge: Decisionmakers shaping the future of the power sector

Utility Dive turns to the CEO of Fluence to discuss the role of storage in high renewable energy integration, and more.

By Utility Dive Editors • Sept. 04, 2020

Following rolling blackouts, California utilities highlight reliability concerns in integrated resource plans

Pacific Gas & Electric wants regulators to conduct a “robust reliability analysis” during this IRP cycle.

By Kavya Balaraman • Sept. 03, 2020

Deep Dive

FERC summit highlights reliability concerns for renewables + storage, but has California found a solution?

In a day-long FERC conference on renewables+storage hybrids earlier this summer, system operators focused on reliability while advocates described new opportunities.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 03, 2020

Duke IRP includes scenarios to reduce carbon emissions 70% by 2030

One 70% reduction scenario would not add any more natural gas, and another would add 2,650 MW of offshore wind by 2030. But its base case scenarios continue gas buildout into the 2030s.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 02, 2020

EPA finalizes changes to coal ash, wastewater limits expected to save industry $140M annually

A group representing 163 utilities and three major U.S. utility trade groups had pressed EPA to update requirements issued during the Obama Administration, saying compliance costs for a number of rules were "staggering."

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 02, 2020

NuScale small modular reactor design becomes first to get NRC safety approval

With the safety review complete, the company plans to move forward with a 12-module plant at Idaho National Laboratory.

By Guy Burdick • Sept. 01, 2020

Illinois officials call Exelon plan to close 4 GW of nuclear a 'threat' to secure more subsidies

The utility blamed federal regulators' 2019 rule that raised the price for state-subsidized resources bidding into the PJM Interconnection, but a spokesperson for Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Exelon's "primary purpose is to dramatically increase those subsidies on behalf of their shareholders."

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 28, 2020

Senate Democrats reveal climate plan that could 'almost entirely' define clean energy policy under Biden admin

The report calls on Congress to spend at least 2% of annual U.S. gross domestic product on climate actions and require federal regulators to ensure publicly-traded companies disclose climate risks, among other measures.

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 27, 2020