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

Explore the Trendline➔

Data Centers and the US Grid

A look at how data centers are affecting the U.S. grid today and how new technologies and rate structures could affect that trajectory in the years to come.

By Utility Dive staff

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

House grills FERC about commission's regulatory authority on cybersecurity, pipeline climate impacts

"There's no doubt that ... the biggest threat facing the electric grid today is cybersecurity," FERC Chair Richard Glick said during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 28, 2021

Berkshire Hathaway Energy 'not where we want to be' on cybersecurity, says executive

Assessment of risk and strategy depends on the technologies or services companies use for vulnerability alerts, according to energy executives during a Dragos webcast.

By Samantha Schwartz • July 27, 2021

Oregon utilities prepare for 2021 fire season with improved technologies, forecasting and PSPS protocols

“We don’t believe PSPSs are a long-term solution,” one utility representative said, but it will take time to find alternatives. 

By Kavya Balaraman • June 4, 2021

ESG issues weigh on utility credit ratings, particularly PG&E, Edison and FirstEnergy: Moody's

It's early in the energy transition, said Moody's analyst Jeffrey Cassella, but so far the firm has not identified any utility companies turning ESG concerns into net-positives.

By Robert Walton • June 3, 2021

The Texas Big Freeze: How a changing climate pushed the state's power grid to the brink

Energy Innovation explains what drove the extended Texas outages in February in a series on resiliency against extreme events.

By Dan Esposito and Eric Gimon • June 2, 2021

Local communities want to lead the fight for clean energy

Local governments want to step up and advance all-electric buildings because they know it's good for communities, public health, affordability, reliability and our planet, the author writes.

By Alejandra Mejia Cunningham • June 1, 2021

Record wildfire threats mean California must pick when and where to fight, utilities, analysts, CalFire agree

Utilities, public agencies and firefighters are preparing for the worst as the climate crisis-driven threat of deadly, destructive wildfires in California grows, but the biggest question remains unanswered.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 27, 2021

ClearGen, GreenStruxure announce $500M partnership on renewable microgrids

The microgrids serve industrial facilities, schools, hotels and other commercial facilities with a no-money-down offer, making on-site generation and storage a possibility for more businesses.

By Jason Plautz • May 25, 2021

A 'literal tinderbox': Oregon regulators brace for 2021 wildfire season with temporary utility rules

"[E]xtreme weather conditions — especially high wind — tests even the best built and maintained electrical systems,” Oregon PUC Commissioner Letha Tawney said at a meeting last week.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 24, 2021

CAISO 'cautiously optimistic' about summer 2021, but still sees causes for concern

"[T]here are remaining risks to reliability, such as an extreme prolonged heat wave affecting wide swaths of the West, or serious wildfires," CAISO President and CEO Elliot Mainzer said in a statement.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 13, 2021

PG&E gets greenlight for $7.5B wildfire securitization, but consumer advocates raise challenges

Utility securitizations generally involve costs that ratepayers would be paying for anyway, but "that is not the situation here," said April Rose Maurath Sommer, executive and legal director of the Wild Tree Foundation.   

By Kavya Balaraman • May 7, 2021

PG&E will fight criminal charges tied to 2019 Kincade Fire, CEO Patti Poppe says

The Sonoma County District Attorney’s office earlier this month filed a criminal complaint charging PG&E with five felonies and 28 misdemeanors connected to the fire. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 30, 2021

California's dilemma: How to control skyrocketing electric rates while building the grid of the future

New ideas include income-based rates, publicly-funded infrastructure, utility entrepreneurship, and customer-funded wildfire insurance.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 26, 2021

PG&E gets initial approval to securitize $7.5B of wildfire costs, despite ratepayer impact concerns

"The only guarantee [here] is the ratepayers have to pay regardless. That’s the problem there in a nutshell," one ratepayer advocate said. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 23, 2021

PG&E, other IOUs failed on 'obligation to promote safety' during 2019 power shut-offs, regulators say

The three utilities collectively shut off power to more than 2.1 million households, businesses and other customer accounts in late 2019.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 21, 2021

California puts PG&E under enhanced oversight due to wildfire prevention work lapses

The process involves additional reporting requirements and the possibility, down the line, of revoking PG&E's operational certificate.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 16, 2021

PG&E bid to securitize $7.5B in wildfire costs could hit ratepayers hard, consumer advocates warn

"If there is a shortfall, that means that PG&E’s customers will be forced to pay higher rates to fund PG&E’s wildfire liabilities. Another word for that is bailout,” said Tom Long, legal director at The Utility Reform Network.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 12, 2021

California tees up proposals to securitize $7.5B in PG&E wildfire costs

Without the securitization, "ratepayer costs will be higher as it will take PG&E longer to achieve investment grade credit ratings," according to the California Public Utilities Commission. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 7, 2021