As Biden targets 100% clean electricity, strategies emerge to reliably integrate rising renewables

A power system based on portfolios of increasingly cost-effective utility-scale and distributed renewables is emerging and driving new operational and market solutions to make it work reliably.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 19, 2021

Cleaner by the mile: Electric trucks can have outsized environmental and health benefits

According to forthcoming research from Texas A&M University, electrification of a small number of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles can lead to significant pollution reductions, the authors write.

By David Farnsworth, Camille Kadoch and Nancy Seidman • April 14, 2021

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

Tesla praises, ConEd opposes different New York EV bills

The state's largest utility opposes a proposal that would require utilities to create commercial tariffs for fast charging in an effort to boost fleet adoption.

By Robert Walton • April 9, 2021

Online map showcases construction-related careers in booming green sector

The tool was designed to help workers research jobs and advancement paths in the green building field.

By Jennifer Goodman • April 8, 2021

US building codes need a major retrofit to meet climate goals and spare consumers

The International Code Council, which recently rolled back local governments' say in energy efficiency regulations for buildings, needs to adapt to the times or step aside, writes Energy Innovation's Sara Baldwin.

By Sara Baldwin • April 7, 2021

FERC's opt-out rule has created a stalemate for distributed energy resources and demand response programs

FERC should eliminate the opt-out rule because it is a market barrier that has served no useful purpose in more than a decade, the author writes.

By Kenneth Schisler • April 6, 2021

EV charging setup would cost Schneider, NFI more than 10 times annual fuel savings: study

The Environmental Defense Fund called charging infrastructure "the greatest challenge of electrifying heavy-duty trucks."

By S.L. Fuller • April 6, 2021

Lime introduces its first e-moped fleet in Washington, DC

The company deployed an initial 100 vehicles in the city last week, with Lime CEO Wayne Ting citing the company's commitment to safety as the service's biggest differentiator. 

By Chris Teale • April 6, 2021

​DOE begins 'repairing damage' done by Trump to energy efficiency program, say advocates

The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed changes to its appliance efficiency rules, which it says are designed to ease the process of setting energy saving standards.

By Robert Walton • April 5, 2021

State of the Electric Utility 2021

The 8th annual State of the Electric Utility Survey Report provides a pulse on industry trends from nearly 500 utility professionals, many at the VP level and above, along with insight from a broad range of industry experts.

By Nami Sumida • April 1, 2021

State of the Electric Utility 2021: Gas doubts rise, DER focus wanes, and 5 other key takeaways

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, the energy transition is stronger than ever, the results of Utility Dive's 8th annual industry survey show.

By Larry Pearl • April 1, 2021

Hold on to your seats. FERC just hit the fast forward button on the clean energy transition.

The commission removed a major speed bump on the road to a clean energy future when it amended its landmark Order 2222 on March 18, the authors write.

By Allison Bates Wannop and Jon Wellinghoff • March 30, 2021

Hawaii groups push for demand-side measures, streamlined interconnection to manage coal plant closure

Regulators in the state are concerned that delays to a series of renewables projects could force Hawaiian Electric to rely on fossil fuel generation after an Oahu coal plant retires in 2022.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 29, 2021

Tacoma Power's first foray into demand response could support green fuels production

Tacoma Power wants to attract green hydrogen producers to its territory with a discounted electricity rate. In exchange, the utility may curtail its service up to 1,300 hours annually.

By Robert Walton • March 29, 2021

California authorizes summer reliability fixes despite concerns over backup diesel generation

“We’ve developed a number of programs and proposals, some we hope to never have to use,” CPUC President Marybel Batjer said Thursday. 

By Kavya Balaraman • March 26, 2021

New coalition calls on Biden admin to prioritize electrified transportation

CHARGE, a group of 37 organizations, is urging EV charging infrastructure be especially deployed in communities traditionally underserved by transportation or that have struggled with pollution burdens.

By Chris Teale • March 25, 2021

Cities face new roadblock in quest to decarbonize buildings

The International Code Council removed the rights of local governments to vote on energy-efficient building codes, a move with major implications for cities as they seek to dramatically reduce emissions. 

By Cailin Crowe • March 24, 2021

CPUC reliability proposal skimps on demand response while doubling down on gas, parties say

The proposal is a "crippling response" to demand response and distributed energy resources, one stakeholder told regulators on Friday. 

By Kavya Balaraman • March 22, 2021

FERC prevents states from blocking demand response in DER aggregations under Order 2222

Commissioner Mark Christie, who formerly served as a Virginia utility regulator, decried the move as a violation of states' rights, and argued that it could unnecessarily raise ratepayer costs.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 19, 2021

Hino's partnership with Cummins puts it on the fast track to EV production

Moving a timeline forward is a break from the norm, as delays hamper electric truck production at Tesla and Nikola.

By S.L. Fuller • March 18, 2021

Lion Electric: EVs save transport firms 80% on energy, 60% on repair costs compared to diesel

The OEM is building a battery manufacturing plant to bring down costs and electrify 14,000 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles per year.

By S.L. Fuller • March 17, 2021

States, California IOUs urge changes to Trump energy efficiency policies, but not everyone agrees

The U.S. Department of Energy requested comments on its rulemaking priorities, and received a range of responses. Appliance manufacturers are supportive of changes the Trump Administration made to some efficiency rules.

By Robert Walton • March 15, 2021

How to unlock the potential of virtual power plants? Virtualize the grid.

We know from other sectors that tools exist to operate highly complex, distributed systems in an efficient and reliable manner. It's time we applied those lessons to the grid, the authors write.

By Astrid Atkinson, Varun Sivaram, and Richard L. Kauffman • March 11, 2021

Global climate models may vastly overstate energy savings from efficiency measures, analysis finds

Economy-wide rebound effects "may erode more than half of the expected energy savings from improved energy efficiency," the analysis concludes.

By Robert Walton • March 9, 2021

California looks to demand-side fixes as 'a layer of insurance' to prevent rolling blackouts

Regulators are contemplating a new emergency load reduction program, tweaking rate plans to encourage customers to save energy, and modifying current demand response programs to increase participation.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 8, 2021