Distributed Energy

Rocky Mountain Power's distributed battery grid management system puts Utah 'years ahead' of California

The program, which currently only supports sonnen batteries, encourages existing Utah solar customers to add energy storage that provides greater grid management capabilities for the utility.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 14, 2021

Extending Dominion's Millstone nuclear plant a 'critical' part of path to zero carbon, Connecticut finds

Connecticut's new Integrated Resources Plan finds the state's decarbonization goals are achievable.  But it will require the expanded use of energy storage and demand management and continued reliance on nuclear energy.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 11, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Utility Business Model Reform

Utilities and regulators around the country are exploring new business models, from updated rate structures to performance-based regulation, in order to meet evolving policy and business priorities.

By Utility Dive staff

As California's solar net metering battle goes to regulators, a focus on reliability may be the best answer

The reliability value of solar plus storage in ensuring resource adequacy might be the key to solar's future, according to Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies Executive Director V. John White.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 01, 2021

How the Resilient Energy Subscription market mechanism will help finance community microgrids

The Clean Coalition is working with a Pacific Northwest utility to implement the approach, which could be followed as a standard for financing community microgrids around the country, the author writes.

By Craig Lewis • Sept. 22, 2021

New York nearly doubles goal for distributed solar installations on success of existing incentives

Building on the success of its NY-Sun program, the state will aim to install at least 10 GW of distributed solar energy by 2030, after previously setting a goal of 6 GW by 2025.

By Emma Penrod • Sept. 21, 2021

Advancing the energy transition requires an honest discussion of costs, outages and land, analysts say

Customers will tolerate the power system transformation's problems and challenges if they understand stakeholders will be "careful about the transition," one analyst said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 20, 2021

DOE funds $25M consortium to develop grid-scale inverters, standards

Decarbonized energy systems could use large-scale inverters to drive the grid. A new federally-funded consortium aims to develop the technology by 2035.

By Emma Penrod • Sept. 08, 2021

Tesla plan to sell electricity in Texas would cut out the 'middleman'

The company's move to leverage its solar and storage buildout could make it a unique player in Texas' electricity market, one analyst said.

By Jason Plautz • Sept. 01, 2021

Residential electric panels represent a nearly $100B 'roadblock' to full electrification, report finds

Up to 48 million U.S. homes may require electric panel upgrades in order to charge electric vehicles or switch away from appliances now running on natural gas or other fossil fuels, according to research from Pecan Street.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 31, 2021

As PNW utilities contemplate building decarbonization, affordability concerns linger

Decarbonization experts say all-electric new construction is more economic, but Puget Sound Energy sees a continuing need for natural gas in the near term. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 25, 2021

Electrifying 97% of the federal fleet by 2030 could save billions: report

More than $1 billion in savings would come over the lifetime of light-duty vehicles and buses if the federal government fleet switched to EVs, a new Atlas Public Policy report finds.

By Jason Plautz • Aug. 23, 2021

California brainstorms approaches to a high-DER grid of the future

Multiple groups that commented on a sweeping new rulemaking at the California Public Utilities Commission urged regulators to prioritize affordability.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 20, 2021

The disintermediation red herring: How utilities can learn to embrace and profit from DER

Utilities that understand what tools customers value and make it easier for customers to access them can turn disruption into advantage, the authors write.

By Samir Succar and Val Jensen • Aug. 19, 2021

Energy Department grants Nikola $2M to study autonomous hydrogen refueling

Hydrogen may have better range than batteries, but electric infrastructure is already built in the U.S. — and it's everywhere.

By Jim Stinson • Aug. 18, 2021

DOE planning public-private partnerships to develop new battery chemistries, supply chains for EVs

Battery cost and availability are key bottlenecks for electric vehicle adoption, but the federal government and private sector are confident about the next decade of technology developments.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 13, 2021

'An enormous lift': Biden's goal of 50% EV sales by 2030 will test supply chains, utilities, experts say

Utilities say they can meet the anticipated growth in electricity demand for charging, but right now "there is in no way, shape or form the availability of the raw materials to produce these vehicles" in the U.S., some analysts warn.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 10, 2021

[Podcast] Ensuring Grid Resilience in a Time of Change

This 3-part podcast series provides you with expert insights into the questions and topics utilities need to address to properly harden their systems for a future full of change.

By Utility Dive's studioID • Aug. 09, 2021

DHL Express orders 12 electric aircraft in step toward zero-emission logistics

The company will use the electric aircraft for regional feeder routes starting in the U.S., primarily for the Southeast and West Coast.

By Max Garland • Aug. 09, 2021

120 EV charging stations to be installed at California apartment complexes through state partnership

Backed by state funding, the initiative with platform EVmatch could entice lower-income renters to purchase an electric vehicle.

By Danielle McLean • Aug. 09, 2021

Kansas City streetlight-mounted EV charger pilot aims for equity, accessibility

Most EV charging happens at home overnight, but not for those without garages. The Missouri city's federally funded charging project meets residents where they are and is helping to guide others through uncharted territory.

By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 04, 2021

The US power sector is halfway to net zero emissions, but it gets harder now, analysts say

Renewables led the power sector's recent energy transition, but breakthroughs are needed to take the transportation, building and industrial sectors to net zero emissions by mid-century.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 04, 2021

AES, Google moonshot factory, to partner on grid virtualization platform

The companies will work together on technology that could eventually give a real-time virtualization of the grid as it integrates renewables and distributed resources. 

By Jason Plautz • Aug. 04, 2021

Tesla works with suppliers to source alternative chips for EVs amid semiconductor shortage

The approach helped the automaker produce and deliver 200,000 electric vehicles in Q2, but it warned the workaround could be difficult to sustain.

By Max Garland • Aug. 02, 2021

Despite limited participation, advocates see potential for Northeast transportation cap-and-invest plan

Only four of the over a dozen original participants in the Transportation and Climate Initiative signed on to a final program to cut transportation emissions. Backers say there's still a bright future.

By Jason Plautz • Aug. 02, 2021

Milton fraud charges deal another blow to electric truck maker Nikola's reputation

Federal authorities' indictment of the original equipment manufacturer's founder is unlikely to test the market's faith in electric trucks.

By Jim Stinson • July 30, 2021