How to participate in the 2020 Utility Dive Awards

Industry Dive is gearing up for the 2020 Dive Awards. We want to hear your ideas on the executives, utilities and policymakers that stood out.

By Utility Dive Editors • Updated Sept. 28, 2020

Transition to EVs could save $72B in health costs: American Lung Association

Widespread EV adoption and the resulting emission reductions could prevent more than 6,000 premature deaths in 2050, according to the organization.

By Chris Teale • Sept. 16, 2020

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

Avoiding blackouts in California through load flexibility

With load flexibility, everyone wins since demand is being controlled voluntarily only during those hours when supply shortages exist, virtually eliminating the need for involuntarily cutting off power, the authors write.

By Ryan Hledik and Ahmad Faruqui • Sept. 14, 2020

California proposes $41M Shell grant for hydrogen fuel cell EV infrastructure

Shell said it has partners in Toyota and Honda, which have agreed to expand fuel-cell electric vehicle sales in the state to support the stations.

By Jim Stinson • Sept. 14, 2020

67% of low-income households face high energy burden: ACEEE

About one-quarter of all U.S. households face a high energy burden, with low-income households and communities of color spending disproportionately more of their income on energy costs. 

By Katie Pyzyk • Sept. 11, 2020

Nikola, GM sign supply agreement for Class 8 fuel-cell systems, overriding previous partnership

The new memorandum of understanding does not include a GM equity stake in Nikola or the development of the Badger pickup truck.

By Jim Stinson • Updated Dec. 1, 2020

Are microgrids the answer to California's grid woes?

To make microgrids viable, a greater level of control and orchestration for distributed storage assets is needed.

By Andy Tang, Vice President - Energy Storage and Optimization, Wärtsilä • Sept. 9, 2020

Uber expands EV platform to 1,400 new cities

The company is striving for 100% of its rides to take place in zero-emission vehicles, public transit and micromobility.

By Kristin Musulin • Updated Jan. 13, 2021

Electric vehicle battery sustainability is a must to meet climate ambitions

Better governance of the extraction of EV minerals is essential to the future of mineral-producing countries, the electric vehicle industry and transportation globally, the authors write.

By Ethan N. Elkind and Patrick R. P. Heller • Sept. 8, 2020

Electric trucks are gaining ground over natural gas in the waste industry

Natural gas-powered vehicles have been the industry's preferred form of alternative fuel for years, but while investments continue, 2020 is shaping up to be the year that electric breaks through.

By Lori Lovely • Sept. 2, 2020

As utility collaboration with charging companies rises, emerging differences could impede EV growth

To accelerate EV charging infrastructure deployment, former competitors are working together, but new questions threaten to lead to dissension.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 31, 2020

Supercharge vegetation management and outage prediction with artificial intelligence

Good data and smart algorithms can help utilities get ahead of the problem.

Aug. 31, 2020

Navistar, In-Charge team up to help fleets deploy EVs

Electric trucks come with a learning curve. Fleets will have questions about maintaining the equipment and overcoming operational challenges.

By Jim Stinson • Aug. 28, 2020

Wasatch Group, sonnen plan 24 MW, 60 MWh virtual power plants in California for $130M

The companies are beginning the first of seven retrofit projects in September in a Fresno apartment community, planning to add 3,000 batteries and solar power to homes.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Aug. 27, 2020

NACFE: 6 places with the most potential for regional-haul electric trucks

The regions met three key criteria: freight demand in an area where air quality is of concern; adequate support regarding infrastructure and incentives; and electricity pricing. 

By Jim Stinson • Aug. 27, 2020

Delaware transit agency to power electric buses with solar array

The Delaware Transit Corporation will install the 60,000-square-foot array at its facility in Dover, where it will power the facility and charge electric buses.

By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 27, 2020

Ensuring DER inclusion in capacity markets may require a rethink of resource adequacy

The growth of customer-owned resources is forcing system operators and aggregators to see their value as reliability tools and rethink the concept of resource adequacy.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 24, 2020

5 technologies propelling the energy transition

Utility Dive's latest series focused on electric sector innovations that could strengthen the grid, increase reliability and expand clean energy.

By Utility Dive Editors • Aug. 24, 2020

California regulators plan post-mortem to examine cause of rolling blackouts

Capacity shortfalls and a heavy reliance on imports played a role, not the state's broader transition to renewable energy, regulators said in a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 21, 2020

California power outages underscore challenge of maintaining reliability during climate change, the energy transition

An in-depth review of the proximate and structural causes of California's issues is needed to chart a new path forward, the authors write.

By Alex Gilbert and Morgan Bazilian • Aug. 19, 2020

Performance incentive mechanisms can support broad policy goals, RMI finds

The report is an essential read for regulators that are developing performance incentive mechanisms, according to Mike O’Boyle, director of electricity policy at Energy Innovation.

By Guy Burdick • Aug. 18, 2020

Propelling the transition: The battle for control of virtual power plants is just beginning

As virtual power plants develop, there is a growing debate about the degree to which the future of distributed energy management will be controlled by large utilities or third-party aggregators.

By Matthew Bandyk • Aug. 18, 2020

The business case for sustainable urban transport

With such a strong business case and demonstrable ROI to speak for investments in sustainable transport, governments have a moral obligation to act.

By Meagan Crawford • Aug. 14, 2020

Waste giant Republic Services and Nikola cancel major electric truck order

Plans to develop at least 2,500 new electric refuse vehicles, the industry's largest order by far, are being reversed due to "longer than expected development time, and unexpected costs."

By Cole Rosengren • Updated Dec. 23, 2020

FERC staff to Congress: HV transmission essential to reducing carbon, deploying renewables

One of the largest opportunities for high voltage transmission is colocation, though barriers include restrictions set by the Federal Highway Administration and state transportation agencies, analysts say.

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 10, 2020