Distributed Energy

North American Energy Standards Board to work with DOE, national labs on distributed resource definitions

The goal is to set "standardized, technology-neutral grid service definitions that can benefit both wholesale and retail electric market interactions," according to the electric and gas industry forum.

By Robert Walton • May 20, 2022

California's 'affordability crisis' attracts innovative ratemaking and regulatory proposals

Double-digit year-on-year spikes in electricity rates are leading California regulators and stakeholders to search for ways to protect climate goals and rate affordability.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 19, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainability

Power companies are pursuing increasingly ambitous sustainability goals around clean energy, but integrating rising amounts of renewables, minimizing environmental impacts, and achieving carbon reduction targets can be challenging.

By Utility Dive staff

Gov. DeSantis vetoes rooftop solar bill, citing desire to not add to 'financial crunch' facing Floridians

Advocates logged over 15,000 phone calls, emails and postcards from residents asking the governor to veto the measure, which would have allowed utilities to increase customer bills.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated April 28, 2022

Texas regulators look to distributed resources, additional coal reserves, to boost reliability

Coal stockpiles may boost reliability, but Public Utilities Commissioner Lori Cobos questioned, "what are we ultimately going to have to pay for, a pile of coal? Or are we going to be asked to pay for a scrubber?"

By Robert Walton • April 22, 2022

New York approves transmission contracts to advance Clean Path NY, Champlain Hudson projects

The Public Service Commission also expanded a key development program for distributed solar in the state.

By Robert Walton • April 20, 2022

Reliability concerns drive need for energy market design reforms, but regions diverge in FERC proceeding

Filings from FERC proceedings show a one-size-fits-all reform can't sufficiently address regional market diversity, but federal guidelines can target growing uncertainties and costs from rising variable and distributed resource penetrations.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 11, 2022

To enhance reliability, Texas regulators will consider standardizing distribution system interconnections

The Public Utility Commission of Texas standardized transmission interconnection rules more than two decades ago and is now considering a similar move for distribution-level resources.

By Robert Walton • April 4, 2022

California approves $11.7M vehicle-to-grid pilots in PG&E footprint

The programs will support the build-out of bidirectional charging equipment, which regulators say can provide broader resiliency benefits.

By Kavya Balaraman • Updated May 6, 2022

New York adjusts standby, buyback rate methodologies, sweetening value proposition for NYC storage

"We expect that the rates that result from this methodology will have significantly reduced fixed charges that will improve the value for storage," Advanced Energy Economy's Danny Waggoner said.

By Robert Walton • March 24, 2022

Countering the duck curve: How microgrids and DERS can reduce demand spikes

Determine the best technology and investment timeline to diminish peak usage and deliver the best returns.

By Dr. Zack Pecenak, Lead Engineer at XENDEE; Dr. Michael Stadler, Chief Technology Officer at XENDEE; Muhammad Mansoor, University of California San Diego • March 21, 2022

Florida passes net metering bill that will gut rooftop solar, advocates say, as they call for a veto

The bill, widely supported by utilities, would "throttle" customer-owned solar in the state, according to distributed energy advocates.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 8, 2022

How to reform net energy metering the right way

Economist Ahmad Faruqui proposes a path for California's NEM reform that he says would realize the goals of utilities without sacrificing the state's rooftop solar market.

By Ahmad Faruqui • March 4, 2022

California's utilities are not out to kill rooftop solar

Existing residential solar has significantly contributed to California's decarbonization commitments, but going forward, the state should fulfill its future commitments in a more efficient, least-cost manner, the author writes. 

By Robert Borlick • March 2, 2022

Can DERMS save the world?

DERMS play a pivotal background role in helping to balance the grid, increasing efficiency and reliability for consumers and utilities while reducing their carbon footprint.

Feb. 28, 2022

Nevada tops new CUB state ranking on utility affordability, reliability, environmental responsibility

The ratepayer watchdog group aims to chart utility performance through the energy transition using state ranking reports.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 14, 2022

California's omission of community solar from distributed energy policies is shortsighted

Community solar can make moot the controversies surrounding behind-the-meter solar and enable new approaches that can maximize societal value for all Californians, the authors write.

By Anna Brockway and Duncan Callaway • Feb. 8, 2022

Distributed energy is poised to take center stage in 2022, but policymakers and regulators must step up

DERs participate in wholesale and retail markets today almost exclusively as emergency capacity. If this trend continues, it will limit the earnings potential of customers and the reliability of the grid, the author writes.

By Ben Hertz-Shargel • Feb. 4, 2022

PJM's plan to open markets to aggregated distributed energy resources seen as 'good first step'

Advanced energy trade groups are encouraged but still see barriers in the grid operator’s proposal for full market participation of aggregated DERs starting in 2026.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 3, 2022

California utilities' brazen plan to kill rooftop solar

California's proposed net metering update greatly exaggerates what rooftop solar owners should pay for use of the grid and ignores the environmental benefits that rooftop solar provides, the author writes.

By William Schulze • Feb. 1, 2022

Breakthroughs in generation and system integration are driving the utility of the future, analysts say

The new technologies will reverse the supply-demand equation and bring competitive procurement and a transaction platform to merge the bulk power and distribution systems.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 31, 2022

California regulators delay vote on NEM proposal 'until further notice'

Regulators plan to hold oral arguments on the controversial proposed decision before moving forward.

By Kavya Balaraman • Jan. 27, 2022

2022 Utility Dive Outlook

Utility Dive examines priorities, expectations and trends for three key subjects — FERC, rate design and renewable energy — along with a broader roundup of some of the U.S. power sector trends to watch in the year ahead.

Jan. 24, 2022

2022 Outlook: A new recognition is coming of rate design's critical role in the energy transition

More precise time-varying rates, technology-neutral rates for distributed energy resources, and new ways to use smart technologies could make for a cleaner, lower cost, more reliable power system, analysts said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 19, 2022

2022 Outlook: FERC expected to prioritize transmission, power markets and gas infrastructure

With a new Democratic majority, observers expect Chairman Glick will move quickly on an agenda that could facilitate the energy transition.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 19, 2022

2022 Outlook: Top US power sector trends to watch

The Biden administration entered 2022 with some key strengths and significant challenges to implementing its clean energy agenda, but states, companies and others are continuing to advance the energy transition.

By Kavya Balaraman, Ethan Howland, Robert Walton and Iulia Gheorghiu • Jan. 18, 2022