Jury orders Xcel to pay Colorado co-op $26.5M for extended outages at Comanche 3 coal plant

“This verdict will at least partly compensate CORE for damages caused by the systemic failures of Xcel,” said CORE Electric Cooperative CEO Jeff Baudier.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 27, 2023

New Mexico approves early closure agreement for Xcel’s coal-fired Tolk power plant

Under the agreement approved by New Mexico regulators, Xcel will only run Tolk “when it is economically beneficial for customers,” the Sierra Club said.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 25, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 Stories from Utility Dive

The U.S. clean energy transition is expected to accelerate in 2024 but faces question around transmission, financing, federal elections and other issues.

By Utility Dive staff

FERC directs NERC to draft reliability standards for wind, solar and storage

With inverter-based resources occasionally tripping offline, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Oct. 19 ordered that new reliability standards take effect by the end of the decade.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 20, 2023

Failing to expand the grid may be biggest threat to US energy transition: National Academies

A panel of experts urged FERC to “expeditiously” issue its pending transmission planning and cost allocation reforms and to make sure wholesale power markets can support a shift to 100% clean energy.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 19, 2023

PJM asks FERC to approve capacity market reforms in push to bolster grid reliability

The PJM Interconnection urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve its proposal by mid-December so changes could be put in place ahead of its upcoming capacity auction.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 17, 2023

FERC extends review of Vistra-Energy Harbor merger, delaying $6.3B deal’s potential close

The half-year extension announced Friday comes as the PJM Interconnection’s market monitor and others continue to raise concerns the deal would give Vistra the ability to unfairly influence power prices.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 16, 2023

Shining light on solar: Harnessing AI to measure its social impact

When we think of protests for new energy systems, our minds initially go to fossil fuels. Rarely do solar PV (Photovoltaic) arrays come to mind.

Oct. 16, 2023

Grid operators oppose FERC conference on valuing reliability benefits of batteries, generators

Supporters of a conference on capacity accreditation approaches for grid resources include Southern California Edison, Advanced Energy United and the Colorado Public Utilities Commission chair.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 3, 2023

PJM, 80 parties agree to trim Winter Storm Elliott penalties

The agreement resolves 15 complaints brought by Calpine, Energy Harbor, Talen Energy and others that could have become “mega-litigation” taking years to resolve, the parties said.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 2, 2023

Texas PUC begins work to attract advanced nuclear reactors, in and out of ERCOT market

“We have vertically integrated utilities in some parts of the state and they have a very attractive opportunity to participate in this space as well,” Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty said.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 2, 2023

PJM board calls for capacity market changes to bolster grid reliability, resource adequacy

The PJM Interconnection plans in mid-October to ask the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve revisions to its capacity market in time for its next auction.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 28, 2023

Moody’s hikes Southern, Georgia Power outlook to ‘positive’ on Vogtle progress

Georgia Power also issued a request for information as it potentially seeks at least 3.7 GW in power supplies, including storage, storage+renewables and thermal generation.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 27, 2023

Xcel Colorado proposes $15B plan to double renewables, add gas and energy storage capacity

The plan includes about 5,400 MW of solar and wind resources, more than 1,000 MW of energy storage and almost 630 MW of new gas-fired capacity.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 26, 2023

FERC to hike scrutiny of JPMorgan power sector actions after finding link to private equity firm IIF

J.P. Morgan Investment can make “virtually every major decision” for IIF, which owns El Paso Electric, nearly 5 GW of gas-fired capacity and other energy assets, FERC said last week.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 26, 2023

Record 13% of Eastern Interconnect capacity failed in Winter Storm Elliott: FERC, NERC

FERC commissioners called on Congress Thursday to name an agency for gas reliability oversight as commission and NERC staff issued cold-weather recommendations.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 22, 2023

Maryland officials press FERC to reject PJM directive to Exelon for $785M in transmission upgrades

The PJM Interconnection failed to consider energy storage and other options to handle Talen Energy’s plan to retire its Brandon Shores power plant, according to Maryland officials.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Sept. 21, 2023

Rising electrification requires a dramatic shift to integrated planning of DER, bulk resources: Xcel VP

Effective distribution system planning and merging analytic insights into comprehensive electricity planning both face barriers, analysts and stakeholders said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 20, 2023

Decarbonizing 8 industrial sectors could require more than $1 trillion capital investment: DOE

An increasingly clean electric power sector could help drop industrial emissions 15% by 2030, according to a report from the Department of Energy.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 20, 2023

Vistra plans to sell nearly 400 MW in PJM to ease market power fears from Energy Harbor deal

The plan to sell generating units in Ohio will accelerate the merger review process, the companies told federal regulators Monday. They plan to close the $6.3 billion deal by the end of the year.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 19, 2023

Xcel to supply United Power with excess energy after co-op’s exit from Tri-State

As Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association loses members over cost and sustainability concerns, departing utilities are working to secure alternative energy supplies.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 18, 2023

DOD taps X-energy to develop enhanced design for transportable micro nuclear reactor

The Department of Defense is continuing funding for X-energy to develop a reactor design that “is ready for licensing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for both commercial ventures and military resiliency.”

By Larry Pearl • Sept. 15, 2023

Emerging firm and peaking clean energy tech can slash carbon-free power costs: Google

Corporate clean-energy buyers can help commercialize emerging technologies like next-gen geothermal, carbon capture and storage, advanced nuclear, hydrogen and long-duration storage, Google said.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 15, 2023

MISO: 49 GW has received interconnection approval, but projects face major delays

The roughly two-year delays in building generation and storage come as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator faces looming capacity shortfalls.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 14, 2023

Holtec International formally launches process to restart Palisades nuclear power plant

“[A]lthough we see no real obstacles ahead, re-powering of a dormant plant such as Palisades would be a feat that has never been achieved before,” Holtec International CEO Kris Singh said.

By Larry Pearl • Updated Oct. 9, 2023

As Google, Meta eye clean energy buys, researchers find widely used strategy has scant carbon benefits

Compared with annual matching, 24/7 green power procurements can drive “significant” cuts in carbon emissions and spur emerging technologies like long duration storage, Princeton University researchers found.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Sept. 13, 2023