Distributed Energy
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Photo illustration by Brian Tucker/Utility Dive; photograph by jhorrocks via Getty Images
Deep Dive'A total mindshift': Utilities replace gas peakers, 'old school' demand response with flexible DERs
Utility-customer cooperation can balance renewables' variability with flexibility without using "blunt" demand response or natural gas.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 08, 2021 -
Courtesy of FedEx
FedEx to convert parcel fleet to EVs by 2040, eyeing a carbon neutral future
The announcement is part of a broader $2 billion investment focused on clean energy, carbon removal and electrification.
By A.B. Brown • March 05, 2021 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Getty
TrendlineThe Utility Dive Outlook on 2021
The major trends driving the US power sector persisted in 2020, despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the recent changes in the White House and Congress, will likely get stronger in 2021.
By Utility Dive staff -
Courtesy of Volvo Lights
A growing appetite for EVs tasks the supply chain to scale
Vehicle manufacturers are investing in redundant suppliers and regional networks to keep up with the demand for electric vehicles and boost resiliency.
By Aaron Perryman • March 05, 2021 -
Permission granted by Automotus
Santa Monica, California, aims to create zero-emissions delivery zone playbook
The city and the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator's pilot seeks to support local climate goals while solving for curbside woes exacerbated by the pandemic's delivery surge.
By Cailin Crowe • March 04, 2021 -
Courtesy of Hyzon
Why transport buyers tell Hyzon hydrogen is a 'no-brainer'
The original equipment manufacturer is expanding its fuel-cell plant as the competition heats up between electric and fuel-cell trucks.
By Jim Stinson • March 04, 2021 -
Yujin Kim, Industry Dive
Facing an EV boom, AEP, Duke, 4 other utilities unveil plan for multi-regional charging network
The plan would provide electric vehicle drivers with a "seamless network" of direct current fast-charging stations, connecting major highways in the South, Midwest, Gulf and Central Plains regions.
By Robert Walton • March 03, 2021 -
Permission granted by Electric Avenue
OpinionElectric cars are not enough. It's time we invest in LEVs.
The increased attention placed on electric vehicles must not leave behind two- and three-wheeled light electric vehicles, Swiftmile CEO Colin Roche writes.
By Colin Roche • March 02, 2021 -
Deep Dive
Texas must increase ties to the national grid and DER to avoid another power catastrophe, analysts say
Planning for inter-regional transmission and distributed resources could do what ERCOT's competitive, energy-only market didn't – keep the heat and lights on, energy advisors say.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 02, 2021 -
Puget Sound Energy IRP dramatically increases DERs but sets conflict over gas
The debate over PSE's draft integrated resource plan is the latest example of a conflict over the degree to which natural gas will be needed to back up renewable energy.
By Matthew Bandyk • March 01, 2021 -
Courtesy of Nikola
Battery, semiconductor shortages disrupt Nikola's electric vehicle plans
Company founder Trevor Milton's exit and canceled deals made for a rocky end to 2020, but the CEO said Nikola is "back to execution mode."
By S.L. Fuller • March 01, 2021 -
The debate over EV charging at interstate rest stops
A truck stop operators group said allowing electric chargers is the "wrong signal" from Congress, while advocates tout the need to modernize Eisenhower-era rules and provide parking.
By Jim Stinson • March 01, 2021 -
Getty Images
USPS to continue purchasing gas vehicles, despite Biden all-electric pledge
The postal service says the procurement allows for flexibility, and hinted at the ability to "retrofit" some vehicles. But electric vehicle advocates say "this will lock USPS into an outdated technology for many years."
By Robert Walton • Feb. 25, 2021 -
Permission granted by Romeo Power
New year brings string of partnerships on waste fleet electrification
Romeo Power and XL Fleet are among those in the electric vehicle space that have recently gone public via SPACs and are linking up with waste specialists to gain a foothold in the sector.
By Maria Rachal • Feb. 23, 2021 -
Courtesy of Gatik
Gatik's autonomous, middle-mile box trucks go electric
The truck fully charges in under 1.5 hours, the firm said, and it's working with customers to set up charging stations at distribution hubs and vehicle depots.
By S.L. Fuller • Feb. 18, 2021 -
Yujin Kim, Industry Dive
Opinion
Questioning 'artificial' electrification
Should we hurry electrification through governmental actions with incentives and subsidies, or instead, allow the market by itself to determine the speed and magnitude of electrification, the author asks.
By Kenneth W. Costello • Feb. 17, 2021 -
Permission granted by NFI
Lessons from NFI's electric truck adoption
Transport firms don't have a long history with green tech, but they're taking notes on deployment and collaboration along the way.
By Amanda Loudin • Feb. 11, 2021 -
Grid operators to request extension on FERC Order 2222 compliance, regulator cites 'short' timeline
"FERC, when issuing Order 2222, left many of the most difficult challenges to be dealt with by the RTOs in their stakeholder process," said Ted Thomas, chair of the Arkansas Public Service Commission.
By Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 10, 2021 -
Carmakers in US to spend $250B on electrification by 2023, push for national standard, group says
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation plans to work with the Biden administration on a national electrification program to bring all automakers "under a unified set of common requirements."
By Robert Walton • Feb. 10, 2021 -
Ford bets $29B on leading the 'electric vehicle revolution'
CEO Jim Farley said on an earnings call that the automaker has more than doubled its commitment to spending on automation and electrification between now and 2025.
By Chris Teale • Feb. 09, 2021 -
Courtesy of Daimler
2021: When electric trucks trickle in
Political winds and consumer tastes favor a change in how trucks are fueled. The question is whether manufacturers, fleets and infrastructure are ready for the change.
By Jim Stinson • Feb. 08, 2021 -
Electric vehicles could be 'imperfect substitutes' for gas-powered cars, new study suggests
EVs are being used about half as much as non-EVs, according to the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute, meaning policymakers may be underestimating the costs of transportation electrification.
By Robert Walton • Feb. 08, 2021 -
EVs, turbines, solar panels pose circular economy dilemma: NIST workshop
Representatives from throughout the supply chain reflected on how batteries and electronics can find their place as greener solutions in the circular economy at a recent National Institute of Standards and Technology workshop.
By Megan Quinn • Feb. 04, 2021 -
As GM gives 'huge' boost to EVs, states vary in advancing supportive policies, reports find
Washington lawmakers are considering legislation to ban the sale of internal combustion light duty vehicles by 2030, and others are setting 2035 goals.
By Robert Walton • Feb. 03, 2021 -
Barton, Ben. (2017). "Downtown Houston" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
Houston, Uber and BP partner to aid EV transition for drivers
The trio will explore the deployment of BP's rapid charging electric vehicle stations throughout Houston, aiming to support the city's EV adoption goals and plans to create an equitable charging network.
By Cailin Crowe • Feb. 02, 2021 -
Tesla: Batteries better for long-haul EVs, hydrogen is 'just crazy'
CEO Elon Musk said the company does not have enough battery cells to put its Semi truck into full production.
By S.L. Fuller • Feb. 01, 2021
