Project of the Year: Soleil Lofts solar+storage development

The virtual power plant outside of Salt Lake City underscores the role of utility involvement in emerging grid products.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 9, 2019

Despite changes, commissioners see traditional utility system dominating over next decade: NARUC

U.S. utility commissioners agree that traditional fossil fuel generation will be an important aspect of grid reliability over the next decade, according to a NARUC survey.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Nov. 26, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

AI in the Power Sector

Artificial intelligence is uniquely positioned to impact the electricity industry from both ends: as the technology driving large load demand growth and as a tool with the potential to make the power system more efficient. 

By Utility Dive staff

FERC is on the right track with resilience. Republicans can help by upholding conservative principles

Republicans in Congress and the administration should affirm local control, while ensuring a high threshold to justify the government favoring any one energy resource or generation technology over another, the author writes.

By Charles Hernick • Nov. 25, 2019

Maximizing the value of your green power programs

Well-designed green power programs provide many benefits to utilities. Be sure you extract the full value from your program.

By Amanda Mortlock, VP, Utility Partnerships, 3Degrees • Nov. 20, 2019

House clean energy tax bill sees broad industry support, but Senate path uncertain

The draft legislative package, introduced Nov. 19, adds energy storage and offshore wind, while extending solar and electric vehicle tax credits.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Nov. 20, 2019

Don't minimize the resilience role of microgrids. They're key to mitigating wildfire and PSPS risk

Community Microgrids are stacked with local renewables and staged for resilience, providing communities a trifecta of economic, environmental and resilience benefits, writes Clean Coalition's Craig Lewis.

By Craig Lewis • Nov. 18, 2019

How intelligent DERMS controls at multiple levels maximize the impact of energy storage

In a three-part series, learn how Austin Energy and Doosan GridTech are maximizing the value of integrated storage and DERs through the DOE-funded Austin SHINES program. 

Nov. 18, 2019

EV-specific rates are the gateway to direct load management, SEPA report finds

A new report from the Smart Electric Power Alliance illustrates the effectiveness of time-varying rates for electric vehicles, including steps utilities can take to boost enrollment.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 14, 2019

How does AI improve grid performance? No one fully understands and that's limiting its use

Machine learning's greatest impact will be helping algorithms understand "how the voltage here affects the voltage there," which will enable "optimizing grid operations like dispatching battery storage," one industry executive said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 14, 2019

As Oregon lags behind on its EV goals, PGE makes TOU rates optional to expand access

State regulators are pushing utilities to move quickly in order to boost electric vehicle adoption.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 11, 2019

Sacramento utility's plan could block addition of new community solar, storage to local grid

SMUD’s shared solar proposal misses the point and could set a damaging precedent for other utilities and energy providers throughout California, according to Vote Solar's Ed Smeloff.

By Ed Smeloff • Nov. 11, 2019

In the 'cat and mouse game' of utility cyberattacks, AI and machine learning show promise, limits

"There is so much low hanging fruit in utility system challenges that can be addressed by advanced data analytic strategies that AI and machine learning are not the place to start," a cybersecurity expert said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 7, 2019

Tesla, Walmart settle lawsuit over fires; solar panels to remain in place

Walmart and Tesla have settled a lawsuit in which the big box retailer alleged the company's solar panel installations caught fire and caused millions in damages.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 6, 2019

Congressional Policy Tracker: Everything you need to know from carbon capture to wind energy

Renewable energy developers are lobbying for tax credit extensions while Republican leaders seek bipartisan research-focused solutions to support advanced nuclear, carbon capture and energy storage.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated Dec. 2, 2019

US power grid attack points surge with proliferating DERs: A hacker 'will eventually get in'

Critical infrastructure protection standards are essential — but they're also just a starting point, say experts focused on maintaining a reliable electric grid.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 4, 2019

Alliant Energy to add 1 GW of solar in Wisconsin by end of 2023

The utility teased out plans for its coal generation fleet in its clean energy plan, issued Oct. 31, and will release more information in early 2020.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Nov. 1, 2019

California may be a climate leader, but it could be a century behind on its carbon goals: study

Renewables are driving carbon out of the power sector, but economic expansion has led to much less progress in reducing emissions from the transportation, building and industrial sectors, the nonprofit Next 10 found.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 29, 2019

Puerto Rico grid modernization plan tops $20B

The plan, which the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority sketched out over the summer, includes installing almost 1.4 GW of solar generation and 920 MW of battery storage.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 29, 2019

Adding renewables and storage in LA is hard. Clean Power Alliance wants to change that.

Community choice aggregators like Clean Power Alliance are looking for local energy resources, but that has proven difficult in congested metropolitan areas where space is very expensive, such as Los Angeles County.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 25, 2019

Microgrids alone cannot eliminate wildfire risk

Fully self-contained microgrids are not economic today, given all the ways in which they can serve as grid assets, so Edison Electric Institute warns against relying on them as an alternative to de-energizing power lines.

By Scott Aaronson • Oct. 25, 2019

Utilities' failure to plan for DER surge promises missed opportunities, increased costs, analysts say

Utilities can use skyrocketing customer-owned DER to balance rising penetrations of variable renewables on their systems, if they take on the big work of distribution system planning.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 24, 2019

DTE, Consumers Energy push back on Michigan legislators' plan to rewrite 2016 energy law

The 2016 statute "created needless challenges and roadblocks for the solar industry," according to one lawmaker, but Consumers says newly proposed legislation would unfairly create subsidies for private solar ownership.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 23, 2019

Carbon-free – are we at a tipping point?

Julia Hamm reflects on 20 years with SEPA and the ways in which the sector and organization have changed.

By Julia Hamm, President SEPA • Oct. 21, 2019

EV charging promises a demand response bonanza for utilities, if they can handle it

Aggregated flexible load of high EV penetrations will be lucrative in demand response markets, but for now smaller EV demand gives utilities management practice.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 18, 2019

New York adopts utility-ESCO cybersecurity standards, rejects insurance requirements

Regulators established minimum requirements for third parties to access customer data through utility IT systems, but rejected a proposal to require a $5 million insurance policy for damages that could arise from a cybersecurity breach.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 18, 2019