How utilities can turn DERs from threat into opportunity

Locational planning is just the beginning. Utilities need to plan from top to bottom for the coming proliferation of distributed energy resources, according to a new white paper.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 16, 2016

CAISO seeks to open California markets to smaller DERs

The proposed tariff changes California's grid operator proposed earlier this month with FERC would allow distributed resources smaller than 0.5 MW to be aggregated and bid into California's energy and ancillary services markets.

By Robert Walton • March 16, 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

ComEd forges ahead with ambitious microgrid plans amid legislative debate

A $4 million DOE grant could help ComEd build up to six microgrids in Chicago, depending on the outcome of pending legislation.

By Peter Maloney • March 15, 2016

Opower tapped to head Con Edison's customer energy management system

Consolidated Edison Co. of New York selected demand management leader Opower to assist with targeted energy suggestions for customers, advanced metering rollout and the utility's REV demo project, “Connected Homes."

By Robert Walton • March 14, 2016

New Hampshire House passes bill to raise net metering cap to 100 MW

New Hampshire lawmakers look to revamp the state's net metering policy in the wake of dominant utility, Eversource Energy, hitting its net metering cap in January. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 12, 2016

Dueling studies draw battle lines for next Arizona utility-solar showdown

Studies commissioned by APS and TASC have hugely different approaches to solar valuation, but share an important piece of common ground.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 10, 2016

Maine Gov. LePage opposes plan to replace net metering with market-based incentives

Governor’s energy office says the plan would not protect against cost shifts, while TASC says it should include net metering as an option for solar owners.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 10, 2016

Learning by doing: How utilities are answering the distributed energy resources challenge

As our 2016 survey shows, utilities are beginning to understand how they can make money with distributed resources, but it's still a work in progress.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 9, 2016

SDG&E issues call for 140 MW of renewables, DERs, demand-side resources

The utility has issued an RFO for storage, renewables, distributed generation, energy efficiency and demand response resources to comply with CPUC procurement targets.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 9, 2016

HECO, E-Gear try storage to resolve solar installation bottleneck in Hawaii

Hawaiian Electric and E-Gear to deploy storage pilot program to address solar installation bottleneck on Molokai.

By Peter Maloney • March 9, 2016

Wind and solar provided all new U.S. electric capacity in January

Renewables also beat earlier EIA estimates for generation share in 2015. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2016

California utility IID halts net metering incentives after hitting 5% cap

Imperial Irrigation District says it is still accepting applications, but installers say solar is a hard sell without the generation incentives.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2016

Report: Advanced energy market bigger than US beer market

The advanced energy sector in the United Sates is about $200 billion -- twice as big as the beer industry, according to a new report from Advanced Energy Economy. No word yet, however, on how energy performs in a blind taste test.

By Robert Walton • March 7, 2016

New York REV shows utilities and regulators how to manage change

In this guest post, Eleanor Stein, a former PSC judge and REV project manager, offers insight on how coordination between utilities, regulators, and the public can boost trust in the regulatory process.

By Eleanor Stein • March 3, 2016

As Xcel pushes non-wire alternatives, solar+storage pilot sparks utility ownership debate

Everyone loves that Xcel Minnesota is considering DERs instead of traditional infrastructure, but not that the utility wants to own them itself.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016

Solar fight turns to presidential-style bare-knuckle campaign tactics

The presidential election season means hardball politics, but TASC's Bryan Miller argues utilities have used dirty tactics to stifle rooftop solar for years.

By Bryan Miller • March 2, 2016

Green Charge deploys storage in San Diego financed by savings from peak demand reduction

Green Charge Networks is applying its benefits-sharing financing model to offer 7.4 MWh of energy storage at no cost to the school district that will host it. 

By Peter Maloney • March 2, 2016

Long live the duck — and may he fly flat

In this guest post, Jim Lazar, senior advisor at the Regulatory Assistance Project, offers new techniques to combat the dreaded Duck Curve

By Jim Lazar • March 2, 2016

To help build the 'smart city' utilities need to shed their legacy thinking

In the future, smart cities will have smart utilities. But a new report from Black & Veatch finds there's a long way to go, and the power industry is evolving slowly.

By Robert Walton • March 2, 2016

The sector favorite: Storage tops utility tech picks for second year running

Utility Dive's third annual survey of electric utility professionals shows even greater interest in energy storage.

By Peter Maloney • March 1, 2016

France's EDF will offer solar+storage product via US-based subsidiary

The giant French utility announced plans to enter the residential solar and storage market in an ribbon-cutting for a utility-scale battery project in the PJM region.

By Peter Maloney • March 1, 2016

Consistent change: How utility professionals view the evolving power mix

The new resource mix will meet federal regulations and state mandates with wind and solar supported by natural gas and DERs.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 29, 2016

Montana-Dakota Utilities drops demand charge push after deal with solar advocates

Under deals struck with solar advocates and consumer groups, MDU rates would go up about 13% but there will be no solar-specific demand charge.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 29, 2016

How utilities and their regulators will determine the future of solar

Rate design holds the key to whether there are more than 40 states with solar at grid parity in 2020, or just two, according to a new report.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 25, 2016

Maine utilities, solar advocates back new bill to replace net metering, grow solar

Under the new bill, utilities would act as "standard buyers" for solar of all types, aggregating multiple generation facilities and bidding them into electricity markets. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 25, 2016