Midwestern utilities Xcel and Westar make big wind buys

Upper Midwest wind is now “competitive with new natural gas," an Xcel executive said. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 5, 2016

DERs in 2016: What experts expect for a booming sector

With the market for distributed energy resources set to blossom thanks to the extensions of vital tax credits, solar especially is primed to grow, experts predict. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 4, 2016

Low winter gas prices allow utilities to switch from coal to gas generation

Natural gas prices are almost half what they were a year ago, and that's creating an unusual wintertime opportunity for generators to switch away from coal.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 4, 2016

Final report due on Duke's NC coal ash ponds after draft labels most 'high priority'

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality must release a final assessment fo all 32 of Duke Energy's coal ash ponds by Dec. 31, and a draft report finds 27 would need to be closed by 2019.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 30, 2015

California's Salton Sea offers 1,800 MW of geothermal potential

A National Renewable Energy Laboratory study finds that the Salton Sea's potential geothermal baseload generation can serve California, Arizona and Nevada's renewables mandates. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 29, 2015

Puerto Rico electric utility reaches debt restructuring deal with creditors

 Puerto Rico's public utility finalized a deal to restructure its debt, cutting obligations by more than $600 million. 

By Gavin Bade • Dec. 28, 2015

Rocky Mountain Power seeks to shorten Utah PURPA contracts

Rocky Mountain Power, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway-owned PacifiCorp, says Utah's required 20-year contracts for PURPA qualified contracts is too long. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Dec. 28, 2015

DTE Energy's new solar contracts will triple Michigan solar

Solar developer Inovateus Solar and state’s biggest electricity provider join for two utility scale installations totalling 45 MW.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 23, 2015

Storage in 2016: Utility-scale, long-duration markets take the lead

Behind-the-meter storage grew by a factor of 16 in 2015, but next year expect to see front-of-the-meter applications continue to make up the lion's share of new deployments.

By Peter Maloney • Dec. 22, 2015

Editor's Picks: The biggest Utility Dive stories of 2015

2015 was a time of change like no other in the electric power sector. Here's a recap of the year as told by some of our most important stories. 

By Gavin Bade • Dec. 22, 2015

DOE to begin consent-based process for storing nuclear waste, officials say

Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz told Platts the agency will spearhead a "consent-based process" to find a location for spent nuclear waste.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 22, 2015

Obama vetoes measures to block Clean Power Plan

The president used a “pocket veto," returning the legislation back to Congress unsigned. 

By Robert Walton • Dec. 22, 2015

Iberdrola-UIL Holdings finalize merger, creating a new 'American energy giant'

The combined company will operate under the name Avangrid, and has begun trading on the New York Stock exchange under the symbol AGR.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 21, 2015

MISO: Clean Power Plan costs largely hinge on natural gas prices

Compliance could cost as little as $5.8 billion or exceed $100 billion, according to the grid operator, contingent on which strategy is chosen.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 21, 2015

Historic Los Angeles methane leak puts natural gas emissions under scrutiny

A massive natural gas leak in southern California raises questions over the electricity sector's increased utilization of the resource for power generation.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 21, 2015

After Paris, utilities look to deeper decarbonization

Power companies realize they will likely need to cut CO2 emissions more than current regulations demand, but how remains a challenge. 

By Gavin Bade • Dec. 18, 2015

Reserve margins are falling, but utilities will reliably meet demand, NERC says

The North American Reliability Corp.'s 10-year reliability assessment predicts 27 GW of coal retirements and increases to both renewable and gas-fired generation.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 18, 2015

New Mexico regulators approve plan to keep PNM's San Juan coal plant operating

The plan calls for more coal, alongside natural gas and a small amount of solar.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 17, 2015

Ohio's Echogen tapped for 10 MW supercritical CO2 coal demonstration plant

The Ohio-based company will partner with two others and the Electric Power Research Institute to develop the demonstration power plant using "supercritical" carbon dioxide that can provide power more efficiently than traditional power plants.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 17, 2015

Duke unveils first solar projects owned and operated by its regulated utilities

The 75 MW solar acquisition is driven by North Carolina’s 12.5% by 2021 renewables mandate. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 17, 2015

San Diego City Council approves 100% renewables by 2035 Climate Action Plan

The mandate is expected to cut city emissions 50% and grow the economy, lawmakers said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 17, 2015

El Paso pushes Texas regulators to scale back utility rate hike, reject new solar rate class

Under El Paso Electric's proposed increase, customers would see average monthly bill increase of more than $8 when new rates become effective in 2016.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 17, 2015

Texas wind sets new records as gas, coal, nuclear generation shares decline

Strong winds, new installed capacity and low gas prices are reshaping the ERCOT generation mix.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 16, 2015

Grand Rapids, Michigan to slash building energy use 50% by 2030

Grand Rapids, Michigan is the latest city to join the 2030 District movement, partnering real estate developers and public officials in a bid to reduce energy use and emissions. 

By Robert Walton • Dec. 16, 2015

Court ruling lets EPA enforce MATS rule despite Supreme Court rejection

The Enviornmental Protection Agency will be allowed to enforce the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards while it works to fix a flaw in the cost accounting of the regulation identified by the Supreme Court. 

By Gavin Bade • Dec. 15, 2015