Distributed Energy

Deep Dive

​From Maryland to California and beyond, rate design innovations are boosting the energy transition

Success with time-of-use rates can allow utilities to start integrating more variable and distributed generation, leading to more sophisticated time-varying rates that allow for higher penetrations of such generation.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 25, 2020

Climate progress in power, 5 other sectors too slow to limit global warming: report

The World Resources Institute and ClimateWorks said efforts to bolster electrification and renewable energy must accelerate, while deforestation and agricultural production raised red flags.

By Chris Teale • Nov. 23, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Trendline

Wholesale Markets

Wholesale market operators' drive to ensure reliability continues to clash with state decarbonization goals, but new proposals are emerging to better integrate emerging resources and share them across borders.

By Utility Dive staff

EV industry optimistic for expanded tax credits, other policy wins under 'car guy' Biden

Electric vehicle advocates are tracking several pieces of legislation they say could be passed under a Biden administration to boost transportation electrification efforts.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 20, 2020

Fleets lack motivation to invest in electric trucks

Many fleets are waiting for the market to mature, and unknowns make it difficult to calculate the total cost of ownership.

By S.L. Fuller • Nov. 19, 2020

New FERC Chair Danly cancels Chatterjee electric vehicle roundtable, nixes media briefings

The move to shut out press is a significant departure from previous commission chairs, according to former FERC staff, though some former and current FERC leaders defended his decision.

By Catherine Morehouse • Nov. 18, 2020

California begins to shape vehicle-grid integration strategy, considers using EVs during power shut-offs

A new proposed decision is the biggest tangible action that regulators have taken on vehicle-grid integration, one attorney said. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 17, 2020

Opinion

FERC Order 2222 should be a watershed moment — grid operators can help ensure that

The interconnected smart devices that help our homes and businesses save energy can become flexible resources for our grids, the authors write.

By Paul Hines and Allison Bates Wannop • Nov. 04, 2020

Deep Dive

Election 2020: Xcel Energy, municipalization advocates face off in Boulder

On Nov. 3, voters in the Colorado city must choose whether to trust Xcel’s commitments or the promise of a municipal utility.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 30, 2020

Deep Dive

Election 2020: Trump's FERC may need to shift course on clean energy, though Biden's road will not be easy

No matter what happens Nov. 3, the agency will have no choice but to address the industry's transition, even if it means backing away from some of its more controversial policies under the Trump administration, analysts say.

By Catherine Morehouse • Oct. 27, 2020

Battery constraints preventing ramp up of electric truck production, Tesla says

The Semi requires "five-ish times" more cells than a passenger vehicle, according to CEO Elon Musk, which makes it challenging to scale manufacturing of the Class 8 electric truck.

By S.L. Fuller • Oct. 27, 2020

Trump administration funds projects to more efficiently charge and deploy electric buses

MIT, Utah State University and the Chattanooga (TN) Regional Transportation Authority each received $1.75 million grants to improve transit systems using "innovative vehicle technologies."

By Chris Teale • Oct. 26, 2020

Deep Dive

As conflict rises over utility DER ownership, a Duke Florida program could offer a way forward

Regulators must decide how to separate regulated and private markets as both see ownership of rooftop and community solar.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 23, 2020

FERC landmark DER rule leaves open questions on grid operator implementation

A key question is whether grid operators and utilities try to open up market participation to DERs as much as possible, or whether they just do the bare minimum, a storage executive said.

By Catherine Morehouse • Oct. 22, 2020

Pennsylvania to be a testing ground for how utilities manage distributed energy

A settlement agreement would pave the way for PPL Corp. to conduct a pilot program with broad implications for questions of utility control over rooftop solar and behind-the-meter storage.

By Matthew Bandyk • Oct. 14, 2020

Illinois Commerce Commission launches new probe to resolve questions about Ameren's net metering claims

Ameren announced its intention to switch from full retail net metering for future residential solar customers due to market saturation, and solar installers claim the plan is worse for business than the pandemic shutdown.

By John Funk • Oct. 09, 2020

Sponsored by IBM

Winterize your grid with intelligent vegetation management and outage prediction

Utilities must factor winter weather into their year-round vegetation management plans.

Ameren rejects Illinois regulators' request, ends retail net metering for new residential solar customers

Ameren said the Illinois Commerce Commission's Oct. 1 "request" that it continue full net metering would lead the utility to violate its approved tariff.

By John Funk • Oct. 06, 2020

Illinois regulators move to preserve retail net metering rate, order audit of Ameren's bid to end it

Ameren Illinois says customer solar generation is about to reach 5% of peak demand on its system, allowing it to end retail net metering under state law.

By John Funk • UPDATED: Oct. 2, 2020 at 9:57 a.m.

Deep Dive

Demand response failed California 20 years ago; the state's recent outages may have redeemed it

The West's recent heatwaves put California power users in the dark but showed how flexible demand response, including distributed storage, can keep the lights on.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 28, 2020

'This will change the nature of load': what California's zero emission vehicle order means for the power sector

"I strongly suspect that the grid planners of the world are already looking to an all-electric vehicle future," said Morten Lund, a partner at Stoel Rives.

By Kavya Balaraman • Sept. 23, 2020

Tesla unveils new EV battery design, but Musk downplays vehicle-to-grid application

"Very few people would actually use vehicle-to-grid" capabilities, said the company's CEO. "I think it's going to be better for people's freedom of action to have a Powerwall and a car separate."

By Robert Walton • Sept. 23, 2020

Deep Dive

Politics disrupts San Diego's pursuit of an energy transition partner amid dissatisfaction with SDG&E

San Diego's 50-year-old franchise agreement with San Diego Gas and Electric expires in January, but city leaders can't agree on standards for the next provider, leaving bidders, including Berkshire Hathaway Energy, waiting.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 18, 2020

FERC lowers barriers to DERs in wholesale markets in rare Chatterjee-Glick consensus

The commission passed its long-awaited rule on distributed energy resource aggregations in a 2-1 vote two weeks after the departure of Commissioner Bernard McNamee.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 18, 2020

Solar market limits pandemic's ill effects, but states with strict restrictions see big installation drop

A solar market report for the second quarter of 2020 shows the sector's 'resilience' in the face of COVID-19 as it adapts to new realities, though challenges from the current pandemic remain.

By Thomas Gresham • Sept. 17, 2020

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 at 9:46 a.m.