End of the 'gas rush?' Renewables, storage reaching cost parity, report finds

Portfolios of clean energy and batteries will soon be cost effective, according to a new RMI study, but $110 billion in planned natural gas investments could slow adoption.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 11, 2018

National Grid settlement curbs rate increase, ups grid mod in Rhode Island

The agreement is part of Rhode Island's power sector transformation and calls for investments in electric vehicle infrastructure, energy storage and advanced metering.

By Robert Walton • June 11, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

Distributed Energy Resource Growth

Distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar, battery storage and electric vehicles, are experiencing significant growth in the U.S. as the power sector evolves to a cleaner, less centralized future.

By Utility Dive staff

New solar industry initiatives could open business-utility collaborations

A 2017 spike in commercial and industrial solar growth will not last, but industry efforts to educate property owners and offer better financing could be good for businesses and utilities.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 7, 2018

Grid mod policy actions jump 75%, with storage playing a central role

While the number of actions rose significantly from Q1 2017 to Q1 2018, they remained within the same set of 37 states, according to the latest edition of 50 States of Grid Modernization.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 5, 2018

California, New York, New Jersey see nearly $1.3B in new EV funding

The California PUC's approval of $738 million in utility electrification proposals represents the largest investment in charging infrastructure by a state to date, analysts said.

By Robert Walton • June 1, 2018

NERC: Texas, California will face tight markets this summer

Texas is facing a generation shortfall, due in part to plant retirements, and California is facing a limit on natural gas output due to Aliso Canyon storage facility constraints.

By Robert Walton • May 31, 2018

N.J. sets 'aggressive' 2 GW storage target by 2030

Part of a broader recently-enacted law, the policy makes New Jersey the fifth state to set an energy storage goal.

By Peter Maloney • May 29, 2018

Minnesota overhauls interconnection standards to streamline clean energy

The standards are the great equalizer in clean energy markets, and remain a key building block to support a strong foundation for continued clean energy growth, writes IREC Counsel Sky Stanfield.

By Sky Stanfield • May 25, 2018

New Jersey Gov. Murphy signs bills creating zero emission credits for nuclear

The plan is to move the state toward 100% clean energy with nuclear power as an essential part of the mix.

By Peter Maloney • May 24, 2018

Utility trade groups press EPA to embrace EVs in fuel standard rewrite

Major utility trade groups EEI, NRECA and APPA joined with automakers to press the agency to include electric vehicles as a compliance option in any revision to fuel economy standards.

By Gavin Bade • May 23, 2018

EV charging could significantly reduce storage needs, DOE lab finds

Electric vehicles could play a major role in balancing the grid by soaking up excess solar generation during the middle of the day, according to analysts at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

By Robert Walton • May 22, 2018

What are utilities doing about the growing need for grid security?

Utility Dive takes an in-depth look at how utilities are addressing cybersecurity on a distributed grid, hardening against natural disasters and training utility workers.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 22, 2018

Cybersecurity and the distributed grid: A double-edged sword

As the Internet of Things merges with grid edge technology, experts say the power sector is both more vulnerable and more secure.

By Robert Walton • May 21, 2018

Federal government halts linework on Puerto Rico's grid

FEMA has ended the restoration portion of its mission to repair Puerto Rico's grid two weeks ahead of the official start of hurricane season.

By Robert Walton • May 21, 2018

California utilities, solar developers advocate dialogue on new solar mandate

The state's public utilities commission will reconsider net metering tariffs in the next two years.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 20, 2018

Hawaii Electric improvising with microgrids as lava stalls resiliency efforts

The utility operator on Hawaii's big island is "handling the situation as well as anyone could," according to the state's PUC.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 18, 2018

Public power utilities face growing risk from renewables shift, says Moody's

Credit risks for utilities with a higher share of coal power in their generating mix, such as municipal utilities, center on the potential for stranded assets.

By Peter Maloney • May 18, 2018

Utilities join with Tesla to sue EPA over fuel standard rollback

The D.C. Circuit case filed earlier this month is another indication that utilities are beginning to lean into the fight over electric vehicles. 

By Gavin Bade • May 18, 2018

Nevada regulators allow utilities to own EV charging stations

The Public Utilities Commission also approved funding for storage and a low income solar program.

By Robert Walton • May 15, 2018

South Australia's grid service costs slashed 90% by Tesla battery

New data shows the 100 MW / 129 MWh battery has already taken over 55% of the state's frequency control ancillary services.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 14, 2018

Massachusetts rejects smart meter rollout for 'weaknesses in the business case'

Regulators approved some grid-facing modernization benefits, but ordered utilities back to the drawing board on automated metering infrastructure.

By Robert Walton • May 14, 2018

How two value-of-solar studies add up to no clear value of solar

Valuation studies for Montana and Maryland demonstrate the complications of trying to use rooftop solar’s costs and benefits to settle net energy metering disputes.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 10, 2018

New Hampshire rethinks distributed generation-only pilots for non-wires alternatives

Stakeholders said that without including other distributed energy resources, like energy storage, efficiency and demand response, any study of DER value would not yield much useful information.

By Robert Walton • May 10, 2018

EnSync's solar+storage to allow energy sharing in Hawaii

By combining solar energy and storage to share power, the company says it can increase system efficiency and lower costs.

By Peter Maloney • May 10, 2018

California to require rooftop solar for new homes

The state is the first to mandate that new homes be built using advanced energy efficiency measures and rooftop solar, starting in 2020.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 9, 2018