Utility leaders hail clean energy tax incentives as House sends historic climate bill to Biden’s desk

The bill's 15% minimum corporate tax could ding some investor-owned utilities, however.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 15, 2022

FERC commissioners press financial giant Vanguard over possible efforts to influence utility power portfolios

“Should a company like Vanguard seek to influence the management and operation of utilities’ generation portfolio, for example, this could have a significant impact on the rates consumers pay for electrical service,” the commissioners said.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 12, 2022

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

US generating capacity additions expected to double in H2 to 29.4 GW, led by solar and wind: EIA

While solar leads the projected utility-scale additions for 2022 at 17.8 GW, that number is down 3.7 GW since the beginning of the year due to supply chain disruptions, an ongoing tariff investigation and other factors.

By Larry Pearl • Aug. 9, 2022

NRC authorizes Southern Nuclear to begin operation of Vogtle Unit 3

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision follows it issuing the first design certification for a small modular reactor and comes as Congress considers billions of dollars in financial incentives for existing nuclear plants.

By Larry Pearl • Aug. 4, 2022

NextEra’s ‘game-changing’ Real Zero emissions goal spurs questions about hydrogen, demand-side management

NextEra, the world’s biggest IOU by market cap, wants a “real” reduction of all carbon emissions by FPL, its regulated subsidiary, with solar, batteries and green hydrogen, but it will go without much help from the demand side.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 3, 2022

Reserve margin may need to rise to 300% by 2040 as more renewables added to grid: ISO New England

A scenario where reliability criteria are met using only solar, wind and storage would challenge the transmission system and require “an outsized amount of land or offshore areas” for wind and solar farms, ISO-NE found.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 2, 2022

FERC, NERC urge North American Energy Standards Board to help boost gas-electric coordination

NAESB announced plans last year to support improved coordination between the natural gas and electricity markets, but that initiative has made little progress.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 2, 2022

NRC to certify NuScale small modular reactor design for use in the US

The first small modular nuclear reactor design to be approved in the U.S. is expected to go online at an Energy Department laboratory in Idaho in 2029.

By Larry Pearl • Aug. 1, 2022

‘The clock is ticking’: PG&E exploring possibility of keeping Diablo Canyo open to boost reliability: CEO

State regulators in 2018 approved a settlement to close the plant, but some experts are now questioning whether it should be shut down.

By Kavya Balaraman • July 29, 2022

RNG producer Vanguard Renewables CEO on $700M sale to BlackRock, digester expansion

Neil Smith, who joined Vanguard after leading an energy company during a similar period of expansion, breaks down what the sale means for the company’s efforts to launch dozens of RNG-producing facilities.

By Cole Rosengren • July 27, 2022

Western RTO could add up to $79.2 billion to regional economy, report finds

The report, commissioned by Advanced Energy Economy, found that every individual Western state, as well as the region as a whole, would see economic benefits from an RTO.

By Kavya Balaraman • July 27, 2022

NextEra plan for 200 MW solar, 75 MW storage at shuttered nuclear plant approved by Iowa regulators

An Alliant Energy utility plans to buy the project and recently increased a proposed cost cap for it by 23% because of supply chain and solar market disruptions.

By Ethan Howland • July 27, 2022

US becomes world's largest LNG exporter amid Ukraine war-driven demand, rising gas and power prices

The growth in U.S. liquefied natural gas exports has raised some concern that it may be driving up domestic gas and electricity prices.

By Robert Walton • July 26, 2022

Massachusetts passes 'landmark' climate bill to decarbonize multiple sectors, add 5.6 GW offshore wind

The wide-ranging bill supports the decarbonization of the state’s building and transportation sectors, scrapping language that would have blocked residential retail energy choice.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 22, 2022

State regulators approve Georgia Power's plans to retire all coal plants by 2028 except for Plant Bowen

The state’s Public Service Commission voted to decide the retirement of the remaining two units at Plant Bowen, totaling nearly 1,600 MW, in the utility’s 2025 IRP proceeding.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 22, 2022

In move to expand renewable natural gas, BlackRock fund buys Vanguard Renewables

The Massachusetts-based company, known for farm-based projects, aspires to have 100 anaerobic digesters by 2026. This new investment comes as renewable natural gas projects are increasingly popular.

By Cole Rosengren • July 21, 2022

'Batteries aren't going to do it': NERC's Moura calls for gas investment to maintain reliability

Key metrics tracking outages and unserved energy demand spiked in 2021, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp.

By Robert Walton • July 21, 2022

WAPA approves interconnection request for ConnectGen's 504-MW Wyoming wind project

ConnectGen aims to bring the Rail Tie wind farm’s first phase online late next year, with a second phase starting operations a year later.

By Ethan Howland • July 20, 2022

Texas heat wave could mean big payday for Vistra in ERCOT market: Morgan Stanley

Vistra could see an additional $10 million in earnings for each hour the Texas grid operates at its peak pricing of $5,000/MWh, Morgan Stanley analysts estimate.

By Robert Walton • July 19, 2022

No near-term credit quality risks for US public power, cooperative utilities from potential blackouts: Fitch

Customers of public utilities should still anticipate rate increases, the ratings agency said.

By Robert Walton • July 18, 2022

Puerto Rico's electricity rates have nearly doubled since 2020: IEEFA

A recently approved plan to overhaul the island’s electric grid will do little to reduce costs, according to the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis.

By Robert Walton • July 18, 2022

Energy storage 101: how energy storage works

Without energy storage, electricity must be produced and consumed exactly at the same time.

July 18, 2022

Texas expands industrial demand response program as grid goes to the brink of rolling outages

The state’s Emergency Response Service was deployed on Wednesday to reduce grid stress and a “substantial” portion of its budget was used, regulators said.

By Robert Walton • July 15, 2022

Carbon capture projects, regional CO2 pipeline design to get $2.6B in DOE funding proposal

The funding would support four carbon capture and storage projects at coal- and gas-fired power plants, plus two at industrial facilities.

By Ethan Howland • July 14, 2022

Bay staters are choosing clean energy. Why are lawmakers favoring utility monopolies?

Now is the time to expand choice, not to shut down a market that is saving ratepayers money while enabling a transition to a clean energy future, the author writes.

By Christopher Ercoli • July 14, 2022