Generation: Page 2

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

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

Opinion

Utility regulators wake up to the long-term risks of gas

Regulators are open to changing the status quo and pushing for building electrification, writes Rocky Mountain Institute Principal Mike Henchen.

By Mike Henchen • Dec. 09, 2020

Dive Awards

Executive of the Year: Ben Fowke, Xcel Energy

Fowke, who also chairs utility trade group Edison Electric Institute, has kept Xcel committed to a pathway for eliminating carbon emissions, stakeholders say.

By Utility Dive Team • Dec. 09, 2020

Dive Awards

Regulator of the Year: Neil Chatterjee, FERC

It's hard to imagine an agency that has had more effect on the power sector this year than the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and it's impossible to divorce that impact from its now-former chairman: Neil Chatterjee.

By Utility Dive Team • Dec. 09, 2020

Dive Awards

The Utility Dive Awards for 2020

The winners exemplified leadership in a time of crisis by working toward economic means of transitioning the power sector.

By Utility Dive Team • Dec. 09, 2020

Dive Awards

Utility of the Year: NextEra Energy

NextEra Energy is investing in green hydrogen, solar energy and grid resilience, even as the company's effort to expand via M&A have come up dry.

By Utility Dive Team • Dec. 09, 2020

'Very small silver lining' of COVID-19? An extra 2.5 years to reduce power sector emissions: report

BloombergNEF's New Energy Outlook shows the gas sector will never fully recover from the economic downturn in 2020.  

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Dec. 08, 2020

Are utilities legally required to plan for climate change? 'The devil is in the details.'

Utilities could be on the hook for damages related to climate change, according to a new report from the Environmental Defense Fund. 

By Robert Walton • Dec. 08, 2020

Illinois rejects Ameren move to abandon full retail net metering for new home solar arrays

The Illinois Commerce Commission is giving Ameren 21 days to restore its net metering tariff and give rebates to customers who have installed solar since Oct. 2. 

By John Funk • Dec. 07, 2020

Court rejects Trump challenge of DTE agreement to retire 3 coal plants

After Sierra Club reached a settlement requiring a more stringent response to Clean Air Act violations from the utility, the Environmental Protection Agency accused the group of encroaching on its authority.

By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 07, 2020

EPA proposes Texas be allowed to operate its own coal ash management program

If approved, Texas would be the third state to run or partially run its own permitting program for coal ash management, part of the Trump Administration's efforts to give states more leeway on environmental enforcement.

By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 07, 2020

San Jose, Oakland join growing list of California cities to ban natural gas construction

These measures add to more than 40 California cities that have updated building electrification codes — yet a "controversial exemption" in San Jose could turn the tide.

By Kristin Musulin • Dec. 04, 2020

Vineyard Wind hits pause on offshore wind federal permitting after selecting GE as turbine provider

The developer tapped GE Renewable Energy for its 13 MW Haliade-X turbines, after having filed in its construction and operations plan that its 800 MW project would consist of up to 100 turbines ranging from 8 MW to 10 MW.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Dec. 03, 2020

Taking Charge: Rep. Sean Casten on being the energy 'nerd' in Congress and prioritizing science over politics

"We have a PhD-level problem. And Congress is at a 6th grade reading level," Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., said of working on clean energy policy on Capitol Hill.

By Catherine Morehouse • Nov. 30, 2020

Deep Dive

​From Maryland to California and beyond, rate design innovations are boosting the energy transition

Success with time-of-use rates can allow utilities to start integrating more variable and distributed generation, leading to more sophisticated time-varying rates that allow for the further expansion of such generation.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 25, 2020

Design updates, financial shakeup prompt utilities to rethink structure of NuScale's $6.1B SMR project

A number of Western municipal utilities are trying to avoid getting locked into a first-of-a-kind nuclear project if its costs continue to go up.

By Matthew Bandyk • Nov. 25, 2020

Tri-State, other Colorado utilities may need to shut coal plants earlier than planned to meet state emissions goals

The preliminary decision to accelerate the closure of coal plants is consistent with the national picture and likely to continue, environmentalists say. Regulators are still mulling whether Xcel should shut one of its plants early.

By Robert Walton • UPDATED: Dec. 4, 2020 at 10:51 a.m.

NERC: Pandemic, regional fuel shortages threaten winter grid operations in California, New England

Grid operators must prepare to mitigate potential fuel shortages in the colder months while prioritizing worker safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 23, 2020

Deep Dive

Why capital markets are continuing to finance utilities facing rising flood and other climate change impacts

In a sample of 18 utility disclosures on climate risks analyzed by Utility Dive, 13 stated flooding and heavy storms were a short-to-mid term threat.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Nov. 20, 2020

NYISO, others blast gas generators' proposed fix to alleged price distortions in capacity market

Two gas generators are asking FERC to raise the floor price for state-subsidized resources in New York's capacity market, similar to the commission's ruling in the PJM Interconnection.

By Catherine Morehouse • Nov. 20, 2020

FERC proposes transmission rating reform, upholds PURPA, ISO-NE orders

Line ratings are considered a "tool stuck in limbo" by transmission experts that could help renewables waiting in long interconnection queues connect to the grid, while improving the overall efficiency of transmission lines.

By Catherine Morehouse • Nov. 20, 2020