New Orleans City Council votes to investigate Entergy's Ida-related failures

City leaders have also asked state regulators and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to investigate the company, with a particular focus on transmission failures.

By Robert Walton • Updated Sept. 24, 2021

Energy, utility sectors feel 'most exposed' to cybersecurity threats, survey finds

However, the report also found energy and utility executives feel more resilient to technology risks as their "businesses have become adept at dealing with disruption more generally."

By Samantha Schwartz • Sept. 20, 2021

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Grid Resiliency

The risk from natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires and heat waves is compounded by rising demand for power that threatens to put additional strain on the grid, as well as cyber and physical attacks on critical infrastructure.

By Utility Dive staff

Operations management – an oxymoron?

Learn how you can use GIS to add structure to your operational processes to help make chaotic events more manageable.

By Bill Meehan • Sept. 20, 2021

New Orleans council chief calls for investigation into Entergy's Hurricane Ida response

Councilmember Helena Moreno plans to introduce a resolution calling for an investigation into Entergy’s storm response and related issues at the City Council’s Sept. 22 meeting.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Sept. 17, 2021

Vendor role in NERC's upcoming cyberattack exercise unclear despite growing power sector threat

About a quarter of electric power utilities were vulnerable to hackers via the SolarWinds attack, but the organization overseeing grid security does not invite software vendors to its biennial security exercise.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 17, 2021

Boards rethink response playbook as ransomware surges

Corporate boards are no longer rubber-stamping assurances from CIOs or CISOs but are bringing in outside experts, asking more questions and preparing for the risk of personal liability.

By David Jones • Sept. 15, 2021

Modernizing America's power grid to withstand an uncertain, climate changing future

Super storms, extreme heat, wildfires – is America's power grid ready for the future? Learn why America's power industry needs to modernize the power grid for resiliency in anticipation of a rollercoaster future driven by climate change.

By Mark Scheid, P.E., Associate Director – Key Clients, Ulteig • Sept. 13, 2021

Full and open transmission competition is key to boosting grid reliability and renewables in California

We need to put all options on the table to keep the lights on for California while we break new ground in the energy transition, writes Stanford University's Michael Wara.

By Michael Wara • Sept. 3, 2021

With FERC now split 2-2, clean energy advocates call for caution and urgency to fill vacant seat

It is "critical" that President Joe Biden nominates the right person to break ties at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 3, 2021

Time running out for Exelon's Byron and Dresden nuclear plants as Illinois Senate passes major energy bill

The state Senate's clean energy package, which still needs to pass the House of Representatives, would provide nearly $700 million over five years for the nuclear power sector.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Sept. 2, 2021

Transmission tower destroyed by Ida likely to complicate power restoration in New Orleans, experts say

As Entergy scrambles to restore power in the Gulf region, the collapse of a major transmission tower could complicate matters, experts say.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Aug. 31, 2021

California utilities are tackling climate adaptation, other safety work amid stretched resources

"Something as simple as getting iPads to help our field teams do patrols is starting to be challenging," one utility executive told the California Public Utilities Commission at a meeting Wednesday. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 26, 2021

Biden administration expands cybersecurity initiative piloted by electric sector

At a cybersecurity summit with leaders from energy, finance, technology and other sectors, the administration also announced efforts to improve the security and integrity of industry supply chains.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 26, 2021

Historic drought slashes hydropower generation in California, other Western states

The decline in hydropower, and the scramble to replace it with other sources, is putting financial pressure on local utilities in Western states.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Aug. 24, 2021

California regulatory judge recommends more aggressive 2030 emissions target for power sector

The ruling also touches on broader reliability issues in the state, including Gov. Gavin Newsom's recent emergency proclamation and the potential for offshore wind development.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 18, 2021

While bulk power system remains reliable, key metric suggests worrying trend, NERC finds

Operator-initiated load shedding in 2020 reached its highest point in the last five years, driven by extreme weather. NERC officials say that could turn into a trend, as the metric has already worsened this year.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 18, 2021

Utility regulators need to be a lot more proactive on climate resilience. Here's how they can start.

As the country grapples with accelerating consequences from extreme weather events, new regulatory frameworks are needed to guide utility investments for added resilience, the authors write.

By Maria Bocanegra and Mishal Thadani • Aug. 17, 2021

FERC's Chatterjee laments the politicization of grid resilience in wake of ERCOT, CAISO struggles

The commissioner said he worries his rhetoric that focused on potential plans to save ailing coal plants early in his tenure as chair may have fueled a partisan divide that equates resiliency issues with the use of certain fuels.

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 12, 2021

California utilities, clean energy groups urge CPUC to move quickly following Newsom's emergency call

Streamlined interconnection processes, expedited contract approvals, and other measures would help bring projects online quickly over the next few years, stakeholders say. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 11, 2021

California's Aliso Canyon review could offer key lessons on transition from natural gas, analysts say

The state's consideration of whether to wean itself from one of its largest natural gas storage facilities could be a model, regardless of its success.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 10, 2021

The US power sector is halfway to net zero emissions, but it gets harder now, analysts say

Renewables led the power sector's recent energy transition, but breakthroughs are needed to take the transportation, building and industrial sectors to net zero emissions by mid-century.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 4, 2021

Bipartisan $1 trillion Senate infrastructure bill focuses on transmission, nuclear, carbon capture

"While there is much to celebrate in this product of our bipartisan efforts, more work still needs to be done," Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., who leads the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said Monday.

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 3, 2021

California governor moves to free up electricity supply amid projected 3.5 GW summer shortfall

Gavin Newsom, D, is pushing regulators to expedite clean energy projects, but experts are skeptical that the state will be able to bring online more than a limited amount of additional clean energy this summer. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 3, 2021

Pipeline operators raise concerns over aggressive TSA cybersecurity directives

Many of the agency's directives are rooted in basic cybersecurity hygiene, not necessarily lengthy digital transformation efforts, the TSA administrator said. 

By Samantha Schwartz • July 30, 2021

Biden orders voluntary cybersecurity performance goals for electric utilities, other critical sectors

The president on Wednesday signed a national security memorandum that also expands and formally establishes a cross-sector Industrial Control System Cybersecurity Initiative, which was piloted by the electric sector.

By Robert Walton • July 29, 2021