Negative RECs for community solar: Market failure or utility opportunity?

Bidding has driven prices for Renewable Energy Credits for community solar projects into negative territory in Colorado, and installers say that constrains their ability to serve all customers.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 23, 2015

What's TECO's coal business worth? Possibly $0.

TECO Energy has closed on the sale of its coal mining subsidiary, and the sales agreement included no up-front payment.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 23, 2015

Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainability

Companies are pursuing increasingly ambitous sustainability goals around clean energy, but integrating rising amounts of renewables, minimizing environmental impacts, and achieving carbon reduction targets can be challenging.

By Utility Dive staff

Lincoln, Neb. muni approves $2.25 fixed charge increase

Lincoln Electric System wants to shift recovery of fixed costs for grid maintenance and upgrades to the fixed charge portion of the residential customer bill over the next eight to ten years.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 22, 2015

Portland General Electric could join CAISO Energy Imbalance Market

PGE reportedly turned away from the Northwest Power Pool to take advantage of millions in savings being realized by the imbalance market.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 22, 2015

Updated: Tesla Gigafactory will cut battery costs 50%, analyst says

Enhanced economies of scale will drive costs for both battery cells and packs down, a Jefferies analyst said. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Sept. 22, 2015

As deadline looms, Exelon supporters, opponents lobby DC mayor over Pepco merger

Regulators in the District of Columbia rejected Exelon's bid to acquire Pepco Holdings in August and now both sides of the case are pushing the mayor to weigh in. 

By Robert Walton • Sept. 21, 2015

Judge: Oncor sale to Hunt can move into next phase

A judge has determined that Energy Future Holdings can move ahead with the sale of Oncor as it tries to settle its $40 billion bankruptcy proceeding.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 21, 2015

NRG will separate renewable, fossil generation in major reorganization

Amid mounting pressure from shareholders, the power sector giant will form a new clean energy business and transfer wind assets to its yieldco.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 18, 2015

Potential merger partners UIL, Iberdrola agree to clean up English Station coal plant

The state's attorney general had made the cleanup a condition of his support for the companies proposed merger. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Sept. 18, 2015

ConEd turns to batteries over diesel for portable power support

Consolidated Edison paired with lithium-ion battery developer Electrovaya for an 800 KWh storage system in place of portable diesel generation.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 18, 2015

SunPower: Keys to solar success are utility partners, being a 'good citizen of the grid'

The company's strong utility relationships have helped it grow in multiple solar sectors, an exec says.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 17, 2015

CA lawmakers send CPUC reform bills to Gov. Brown

The slate of bills aims to limit back-channel communications between regulators and the companies they oversee.

By Krysti Shallenberger • Sept. 17, 2015

IOU, co-op or muni? Experts debate the creation of public utilities

Debate over the NextEra-HEI merger has sparked a new campaign to form a public utility in Hawaii, but is that model superior to an IOU?

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 16, 2015

CPUC pushed to study solar-storage further after filing pegs value at $0.25/kWh

California is at risk of improperly valuing storage unless it opens a separate regulatory track on its value, an industry group says. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 15, 2015

SoCalEdison & SolarCity partner to study aggregated distributed resources

The pilot project will study 50 homes equipped with solar, storage, controllable thermostats, and smart inverters.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 14, 2015

SDG&E moves to transitional 3-tier rate structure this month

Investor-owned electricity provider also preps customers for move to 2 tiers in Spring 2016

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 14, 2015

Southern's renewables push continues with 151 MW wind buy

Southern Power, the company's unregulated power developer, now has more than 20 renewables projects on the books. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 11, 2015

Taking aim at Tesla, CA storage firm SimpliPhi launches new battery

Options for home energy storage have been growing since Tesla announced its PowerWall product earlier this year.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2015

SunEdison expands partnership with Dominion Resources on solar assets

SunEdison and Dominion are now partnered on two Utah solar arrays with a combined capacity of 685 MW.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 10, 2015

Luminant buys 116 MW of solar from SunEdison at market-competitive price

The PPA is the biggest solar contract signed by a merchant generator to date.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 10, 2015

PPL reaches rate settlement to fund $5B infrastructure plan

Customers will see their bills increase about $7.50/month, but the fixed fee portion will not rise.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 10, 2015

CPS Energy gets 1,200 applications for its rooftop solar program in first 48 hours

The program will place solar panels on a customer roof at no charge, in exchange for bill credits.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 10, 2015

Wyoming wind held back by transmission backlog, avian deaths

Builders in limbo on 5,100 MW-plus of potential while bickering over tax credits, regulations continues

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 9, 2015

Fast-growing Canadian firm Emera to buy TECO in $10.4B deal

The deal would be Emera's 10th power sector acquisition in the last 5 years, according to the company.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 8, 2015

Over 40 Hawaii lawmakers call for study of public utility as alternative to NextEra deal

Opposition to the NextEra merger appears to be growing among state and county lawmakers.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 8, 2015