Duke's Brunswick nuclear plant declares low-level emergency as floodwaters block access

Federal rules require a utility to declare an "unusual event" when access to a plant is impeded, but NRC officials say public safety was never at risk.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 18, 2018

Hurricane Florence triggers coal ash spill, cuts power to millions

Hundreds of thousands of customers remain without power in the Carolinas and Virginia after the storm dropped record-breaking rain on the region this weekend. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 17, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

Electricity Supply and Demand

After nearly two decades of flat demand, U.S. electricity consumption reached an all-time high in 2024 and is expected to continue rising. This trendline brings together the best of Utility Dive’s coverage of emerging trends in supply and demand and the decisions being made today that will impact the power system for years to come. 

By Utility Dive staff

University of California system commits to 100% clean energy by 2025

As more universities are committing to clean energy goals, the UC seeks to promote its climate action leadership among campuses and within the state.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 17, 2018

Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente add to boom in corporate renewable PPAs

As companies reach for emissions-free operations, renewable energy power purchase agreements are on the rise.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 14, 2018

Vogtle nuke faces new vote as muni lawsuit puts construction at risk

As costs escalate for the two new nuclear units at the Georgia plant, a municipal utility in Florida is looking to exit a power purchase agreement and the plant's owners are fighting back.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 14, 2018

Amid steady battery growth, Fluence sets sights on market share, transmission assets

Having proven itself on utility-scale projects, the company eyes behind-the-meter projects on the commercial-industrial side and opportunities at the "center of the grid."

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 14, 2018

House boosts advanced nuclear, passing Senate-approved bill

The legislation would create a National Reactor Innovation Center, combining national lab and Department of Energy expertise to help speed advanced nuclear reactors to market.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 14, 2018

Nudged by FERC, federal appeals court upholds Illinois nuclear subsidies

The decision is a blow for fossil fuel generators and adds to a growing body of case law concerning the boundary between state and federal jurisdictions in the power sector. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 14, 2018

Duke shuts down Brunswick nuclear plant ahead of Hurricane Florence

The utility says it expects up to 3 million power outages as a result of the massive storm and has 20,000 workers ready for the recovery effort.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2018

Arsenic pollution from Dominion coal plant did not violate CWA, appeals court rules

Dominion's Chesapeake coal plant does not qualify as a "point source" under the Clean Water Act because arsenic it seeped diffusely from it into navigable waters, the court wrote. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 13, 2018

AltaGas to sell 3 California gas plants to private equity firm

A subsidiary of Avenue Capital will purchase the plants for $300 million.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2018

FERC, NERC open inquiry into winter load event that stressed Midwest grids

The inquiry could take on special significance given FERC's open grid resilience proceeding and the looming threat of a coal and nuclear bailout from the White House. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 13, 2018

Outages, coal plant flooding top concerns as utilities brace for Hurricane Florence

Environmental groups are afraid flooding could release toxic coal ash, but utilities say their bigger worry involves cooling ponds at regional power plants. 

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 12, 2018

Washington judge allows PacifiCorp to keep coal study under wraps

The utility has faced pressure from the Sierra Club to publicly reveal an assessment of its coal resources, which PacifiCorp completed last year for Oregon regulators.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 12, 2018

McIntyre again defends FERC chief of staff amid political influence concerns

The FERC chairman said his chief of staff is "highly qualified" despite his comments that were widely interpreted as a statement that FERC is working with the White House on a bailout for coal and nuclear generators. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 12, 2018

Southern environmental groups sue TVA over new rates, grid charge

The five groups allege the utility's proposed rate structure discourages distributed energy adoption in order to maximize profits. 

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 11, 2018

Developers see value in California offshore wind development

Following market growth and big contract price drops along the East Coast, offshore wind developers are taking on floating foundations and the Navy on the West Coast. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 10, 2018

Duke 15-year plans lean heavy on gas to replace coal

Two-thirds of Duke's new capacity through 2033 will be from gas-fired power plants if regulators approve two resource plans submitted by the utility last week. 

By Robert Walton • Sept. 10, 2018

Bipartisan senators seek to revive nuclear energy investment

The ambitious agenda of the new bill includes items the Department of Energy could enforce to support the development of advanced nuclear reactors.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 10, 2018

Texas municipality mothballs 470 MW of coal for the winter

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas will have slightly lower capacity in the fall, in part due to the temporary shuttering of a 470 MW coal unit which officials plan to bring online when energy prices are higher. 

By Robert Walton • Sept. 7, 2018

Ex-GOP FERC chair on coal bailout: 'This too shall pass'

"I just hate that everybody's wasting time worrying about this [stuff]," former Chairman Pat Wood III said of the Trump administration's plan to bail out coal and nuclear generators.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 7, 2018

California ISO board approves measures to propel energy storage, DERs

CAISO's Board of Directors approved changes to how behind-the-meter energy storage resources participate in the ISO and measures to facilitate the use of demand response resources in the wholesale market.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 7, 2018

NextEra aims to reduce CO2 emissions rate 65% by 2021

Claiming one of the lowest emissions profiles of electric companies in North America, NextEra Energy announced a target to lower its rate of emissions 13% beyond reductions achieved since 2001.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 7, 2018

Co-op solar boom raises questions about coal in utility power mixes

A new report by the Rocky Mountain Institute indicates that Tri-State G&T could save its customers $600 million through 2030 by including more renewables in its energy mix, despite its current coal investments.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 6, 2018

Unexpected outages, intense heat behind ISO-NE Labor Day price spike

Real-time prices in New England topped $2600/MWh in the late afternoon Monday, causing the grid operator to access emergency reserves and import power from neighboring regions.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 6, 2018