'Wake up worrying': NextEra-Hawaiian Electric merger in doubt as regulators near decision time

NextEra's bid to buy Hawaiian Electric has failed to inspire state energy stakeholders, but the merger proceeding isn't a popularity contest.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 6, 2016

Report: Installed solar costs dropped 5% as consumers search for best value

EnergySage, an online marketplace for solar, released a report that also showed solar customers moving from leasing deals to solar loans. 

By Herman K. Trabish • April 6, 2016

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

The $100B prize: Why EVs are the opportunity of the century for utilities

100 years ago, utilities were seen as innovators. Not anymore. Michael Shepard looks at how they can reclaim that legacy.

By Michael Shepard • April 5, 2016

Palo Alto city to pay double wholesale market price for solar energy contracts

The City Council of Palo Alto voted 6-1 to allow solar developers to sell solar energy at $0.16/kWh. 

By Herman K. Trabish • April 2, 2016

Florida Supreme Court approves language for utility-backed solar amendment

The approval means the amendment pushed by the utility-backed Consumers for Solar Choice will land a place on the 2016 ballot in November. 

By Herman K. Trabish • April 1, 2016

Chicago's REV: How ComEd is reinventing itself as a smart energy platform

ComEd wants to be the platform for a dynamic and distributed grid, but how they'll earn revenue on it remains an open question. Utility Dive spoke with CEO Anne Pramaggiore to learn more. 

By Gavin Bade • March 31, 2016

Maine solar power bill passes legislative committee

Maine's landmark solar bill was passed out of legislative committee and into the House of Representatives, but advocates fear it will not garner enough votes to potenially override Gov. Paul LePage's veto. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 31, 2016

Massachusetts solar sector boosts pressure on lawmakers to lift net metering cap

Eversource Energy is about 200 kW from hitting the caps on private and public projects, fueling desperation among the solar sector pressuring lawmakers to lift the cap. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 31, 2016

Minnesota rural co-ops tack on high fixed charges on solar customers

Minnesota's rural electric cooperatives are adding fixed charges which can total as much as $50 dollars for solar customers. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 30, 2016

Study: US rooftop solar potential more than 1,100 GW

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates the total technical potential for rooftop solar in the United States is equivalent to 39% of the nation's electrical sales. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 30, 2016

Arizona public utility data shows some savings with demand charge

But other customers paid significantly more if they did not alter their energy usage during peak demand. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 29, 2016

Vermont regulators propose new net metering rules

The proposal would keep net energy metering and reward beneficial siting while giving renewable energy certificates to utilities. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 29, 2016

How utility collaboration can cut community solar costs up to 40%

A new brief from the Rocky Mountain Institute reveals lessons from its field work in supporting shared solar development.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 28, 2016

How Maine's power players are reacting to its pathbreaking new solar proposal

A landmark bill offers a plan that could be the next step beyond net energy metering if it gets past partisan Maine politics and doubts about untested ideas.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 24, 2016

Con Edison prepares for major NYC smart meter rollout

State regulators approved the wide rollout last week, a program expected to bring unprecedented data granularity to customers, along with more than $1 billion in savings.

By Robert Walton • March 24, 2016

Sunrun, TASC fight to keep net metering in Maine

Plan to replace net metering threatens some installers but the difference to customers is small

By Herman K. Trabish • March 24, 2016

EIA: Wind, solar and natural gas make most new electrical generation in 2015

The U.S. Energy Administration expects this trend of wind, solar and natural gas making up the dominant amount of the new electrical generation to conintue into 2016. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 24, 2016

Getting to 100% renewables: How Hawaii plans to get fossil fuels off the grid

In Hawaii, getting consensus around a 100% renewable energy mandate was the easy part. The hard part comes next.

By Gavin Bade • March 23, 2016

New York regulators boost size of allowable distributed resources to 5 MW

New York increased the size of distributed resources which may apply for grid connection from 2 MW to 5 MW, a move aimed at accelerating the integration of advanced energy projects.

By Robert Walton • March 23, 2016

ComEd to test new carbon emissions metric

The Citizens Utility Board and Environmental Defense Fund developed a new metric for tracking greenhouse gas emissions reductions associated with advanced energy infrastructure.

By Robert Walton • March 23, 2016

Constellation partners with Sunrun on residential solar option

Constellation's program with Sunrun will be offered to residential customers in Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 23, 2016

5 maps that show where the action is on solar policy

With 46 of 50 states considering policy action last year, solar is literally the talk of the nation.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 22, 2016

Leading edge: Hawaii utilities push storage, solar integration for 100% renewables mandate

Two innovative projects on the islands could provide lessons for power providers throughout the country.

By Peter Maloney • March 21, 2016

Alevo inks deal for 8-MW storage project in Delaware

Alevo signs deal for 8-MW storage project in Delaware that will sell into PJM.

By Peter Maloney • March 18, 2016

Report: US generators face $2B in lost revenues from rooftop solar

As more homes install rooftop solar, a report from ICF International finds that grid operators plan to cut the amount of conventional generation they purchase starting in 2019. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 17, 2016