TVA staff sees no need to add solar capacity until 2023

"There was a strategy in the draft IRP to promote efficient load shape and it emphasized energy efficiency, demand response, electrification and storage," said Jane Elliott, part of TVA's enterprise planning group.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 27, 2019

Possible reprieve for New Mexico coal plant is a surprise for PNM

The San Juan Generating Station is slated for shutdown in 2022, but the city of Farmington, New Mexico, has reached an "initial agreement" with a private holding company to keep it operating.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 26, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Electricity Supply and Demand

After nearly two decades of flat demand, U.S. electricity consumption reached an all-time high in 2024 and is expected to continue rising. This trendline brings together the best of Utility Dive’s coverage of emerging trends in supply and demand and the decisions being made today that will impact the power system for years to come. 

By Utility Dive staff

SEU 2019 survey: Uncertainty mounts in the clean energy transition

Utilities are still moving to a cleaner, more distributed power system, but our annual survey shows they are increasingly unsure about what types of regulation and market structures they want to foster the transition.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 26, 2019

New Orleans finalizes $5M Entergy fine, buoying utility's gas plant plans

The fine is the largest ever imposed by the city — a response to the utility's role in paying actors to support a proposed power plant at local hearings — but the settlement allows plans for the gas plant to move forward.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 25, 2019

Alabama Power says federal regulations forcing it to close century-old coal plant

The utility said it could cost $300 million to comply with new environmental mandates to continue operating Gorgas' three coal-fired generating units — money it is not willing to spend.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 25, 2019

DTE, Consumers push natural gas redundancy check in fire-driven Michigan energy review

A January fire at the Ray Natural Gas Compressor Station prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to order a review of the supply, engineering and deliverability of natural gas, electricity and propane systems.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 21, 2019

APS to install 850 MW of storage, 100 MW of solar in major clean energy buy

The utility also signed a seven-year contract for natural gas peaking capacity, which it hopes will be replaced by renewables and storage in the mid 2020s. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 21, 2019

EPA: Carbon emissions from power plants rose in 2018 amid higher electricity demand

The report is the second in as many months to forecast a reversal of years of emissions cuts from the U.S. power sector.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 21, 2019

Supreme Court Clean Water Act case could have big impact on coal ash disposal

A case, which the High Court accepted Monday, regards whether pollution that travels through groundwater is subject to the federal law — a key issue for utilities operating coal ash facilities.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 20, 2019

Senate bill targets significant savings from gas demand response amid supply challenges

The legislation, introduced by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Angus King, I-Maine, includes $10 million for pilot programs aimed at reducing market price volatility.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 19, 2019

FERC reasserts authority over PG&E contracts in bankruptcy court filing

PG&E may want to exit older renewable energy contracts as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, but FERC argued it must separately win approval from the agency to alter their terms.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 19, 2019

Developer eyes world's largest solar+storage facility for Texas

Listed in the ERCOT interconnection report, the project would combine 495 MW of solar with 495 MW of energy storage in 2021, if completed.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 19, 2019

PJM to ask FERC to invalidate its energy market rules after stakeholder impasse

The grid operator's controversial five-point proposal includes changes that will boost the real-time and day-ahead markets by allowing larger, less flexible units to set prices.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 15, 2019

TVA votes to retire Paradise, Bull Run coal units despite Trump tweet

Even if power demand increases and prices for natural gas more than double, TVA found the plants would not be competitive.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 15, 2019

Murkowski 'frustrated' by FERC impasse, pushes White House for nominees

The chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said some issues are "perhaps deadlocked right now" due to a vacancy on the commission, but said the White House has not communicated about potential nominees.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 14, 2019

Dominion to halve emissions from gas infrastructure in next decade

Renewable energy advocates were unimpressed by the commitment, saying the best way for Dominion to reduce methane emissions is to stop building pipelines.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 13, 2019

AEP to buy Sempra Renewables for $1B, including 724 MW wind and battery assets

The acquisition follows parent-company Sempra's announcement last summer that it plans to spin off its nonutility operating renewable assets.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 13, 2019

Glick calls for 'new approach' to capacity markets in wide-ranging NARUC talk

The FERC regulator’s hour-long address contrasted with that of his colleague Commissioner Bernard McNamee, who spoke for 11 minutes and addressed no specific policy issues.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 13, 2019

TVA proposes to close Paradise, Bull Run coal units despite Trump tweet

President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., pressed the utility on Twitter to keep the Paradise plant open.

By Gavin Bade • Updated Feb. 12, 2019

LA scraps plan to rebuild 3 gas plants, moves towards 100% renewable energy

The decision marks the end of a multi-year debate over the plan to invest $2.2 billion in gas-fired power plants, and follows a decision by state lawmakers last year to pursue an all-clean energy strategy by 2045.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 12, 2019

Congressional Democrats push FERC to act on aggregated DERs

Seventeen House members and 18 Senators urged FERC to issue a decision "as soon as possible" that "enables all [distributed energy resources] the opportunity to participate in … wholesale markets."

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 11, 2019

Arizona extends gas plant moratorium, punts on PURPA reforms

Regulators last week extended a partial moratorium on utility construction of new large gas-fired generators in the state until Aug. 1, 2019, as they consider a broad, 80% clean energy proposal.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 11, 2019

With 288 storage and generation projects lined up, California eases interconnection process

The California ISO Board of Governors approved network upgrade definitions, minimum acceptance criteria and validation procedures for interconnection requests, as a result of a year-long stakeholder process.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 8, 2019

ISO-NE capacity prices fall amid controversy over Vineyard Wind participation

Prices fell in the grid operator's annual capacity market this week, but owners of the Vineyard Wind facility said they would have been lower if the 800 MW offshore wind farm had participated fully.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 8, 2019

Want better grid mod proceedings? Exelon official says involve stakeholders earlier

To reduce tension between power companies and other stakeholders, the grid mod process could include more opportunities for public input, the company's director of utility initiatives told a crowd of state energy regulators.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 7, 2019