Tracking the impacts of coronavirus on the US power sector

Oct. 8: How Austin Energy simultaneously managed COVID-19 and a new carbon price adder; Public-private partnerships hold the key to a clean energy future post-COVID

By Nami Sumida • Updated Oct. 8, 2020

PG&E, SCE abandon big microgrid plans for temporary emergency measures as wildfire season nears

Regulators' push to implement a law requiring microgrid rollouts is being frustrated by the costs of traditional generation and clean energy complexities.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 23, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 Stories from Utility Dive

Power demand is rising amid dramatic shifts in federal energy policy, but technology and markets continue to push the grid toward cleaner, more distributed resources. 

By Utility Dive staff

CPUC's $2.1B wildfire fine could derail bankruptcy exit financing commitments: PG&E

The utility urged regulators to instead adopt a $1.68 billion penalty it negotiated last year.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 20, 2020

ComEd CEO: Exelon expects to have pandemic plan in place through the summer

The regulated utility subsidiaries are adjusting their plans to the specific characteristics of the coronavirus under the expectation that it could last a while.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 19, 2020

Brookfield to acquire rest of Terraform Power, creating 36 GW, $50B renewable energy giant

The deal is part of a growing trend of investment capital looking for returns in the renewable energy market, with increasing interest in existing facilities, an energy attorney told Utility Dive.

By Larry Pearl • March 18, 2020

PG&E bankruptcy financing proposal approved amid concerns of coronavirus economic impact

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali approved the company's proposed backstops, which include $9 billion in equity and $10.8 billion in debt.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 17, 2020

Duke, AEP, Dominion among utilities to halt service shutoffs in coronavirus response

As President Donald Trump declared the spread of the novel coronavirus a national emergency, several major utilities halted power shutoffs.

By Robert Walton • March 16, 2020

PG&E reaches settlement with FEMA to reduce wildfire payouts by $2.9B, lawyer says

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reduce its claims from nearly $4 billion to $1 billion and agreed to have them subordinated to claims filed by victims of the wildfires, attorneys said at a hearing Tuesday.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 11, 2020

Gov Northam signs clean energy bill in dramatic transition for Virginia amid dispute over customer costs

Virginia regulators put a high price on implementing the Clean Economy Act, which calls for 3.1 GW of storage by 2035, along with other measures. But supporters say some benefits could not be quantified.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated April 13, 2020

Blackstone buys NRStor subsidiary, as financial sector increasingly moves into energy storage

Battery storage is quickly becoming a more stable investment, particularly as demand for renewable energy grows.

By Matthew Bandyk • March 9, 2020

GE sees hit to Q1 profit from coronavirus, return to positive cash flow for power business in 2021

The company called renewable energy "a key focus in 2020" as it works to reduce coronavirus impacts on its supply chain and continues multi-year turnaround efforts for its power segments.

By Larry Pearl • March 5, 2020

PG&E tells federal judge it can't commit to specific increases in tree-trimming workforce

The utility is also considering creating local operating regions for some everyday gas and electric functions, per PG&E Corp. President and CEO Bill Johnson.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 5, 2020

Florida signs off on FPL's 1.5 GW community solar program, despite lack of competition

NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light got unanimous approval for the largest solar subscription program in the nation.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 4, 2020

CenterPoint unveils CO2 emissions strategy omitting details on future of 1 GW of coal capacity

The Houston-based owner of electric and natural gas utilities plans to cut its operational emissions by 70% by 2035.

By Matthew Bandyk • March 4, 2020

Virginia legislature torn over keeping a Dominion coal plant running past 2030

The Senate and General Assembly are reconciling two versions of a clean energy package, including an amendment that would exempt a newer coal plant in Wise County from retiring in the next decade.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 3, 2020

Don't fall for utility talking points on coal ash pollution — it's dangerous and we need real solutions to clean it up

The failure of the U.S. EPA to classify coal ash as hazardous should not be used as an excuse to pretend it’s harmless. Instead, it should be remembered as the success of a massive utility lobbying complex, the authors write.

By Nelson Brooke​, Casi Callaway​, Justinn Overton​ and Stephen Stetson​ • March 2, 2020

Judge boosts PG&E penalty to more than $2.1B for role in 2017, 2018 fires

Groups opposed to an earlier, proposed settlement argued that if the case against PG&E were fully litigated, the penalties against the utility would be at least $750 million more than the initial $1.67 billion amount.

By Matthew Bandyk • March 2, 2020

Sempra CFO touts California's new 4-year general rate case cycle as company reports $2.1B earnings

The modified cycle allows utilities a longer revenue trajectory and the ability to plan for an extra year, Mike Florio, energy consultant and former commissioner at the CPUC told Utility Dive.

By Kavya Balaraman • Feb. 28, 2020

NiSource sells off controversial Massachusetts Columbia Gas assets for $1.1B to Eversource

The Massachusetts gas utility was in much need of rebranding, analysts say, as it emerged with a $143 million settlement for the 2018 Merrimack Valley explosions.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 28, 2020

With tax liability, nuclear refueling issues settled, FirstEnergy Solutions to exit bankruptcy

FES has reached an agreement that would allow 4,600 employees of the new company, Energy Harbor, to access FirstEnergy's IT systems during the refueling of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant.

By John Funk • Feb. 27, 2020

Consumers Energy talks tree-planting, carbon capture, innovation with net zero carbon 2040 target

The Michigan-based utility set a "first-in-the-nation" net zero emissions goal to make up for the emissions of two gas units that will remain open past 2040.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 26, 2020

American Electric Power 'feeds the beast' of earnings growth with more renewable capital projects

The former coal plant giant is looking for growth in renewable energy projects and expects all or some of its 1,485 MW North Central Wind project in Oklahoma, now in regulatory limbo, to move forward.

By Matthew Bandyk • Feb. 21, 2020

'It's not even close to perfect': Judge blasts PG&E vegetation management work

"I'm going to do everything I can to protect the people of the state of California from more death and destruction from this convicted felon," the judge overseeing Pacific Gas & Electric's probation said at a hearing Wednesday.

By Kavya Balaraman • Feb. 20, 2020

Entergy sees fast growth for electrification, renewable projects

Entergy plans to shore up customer projects in its regulated utility business while completing an exit from its merchant business, officials said during the company's fourth quarter earnings call on Feb. 19.

By Matthew Bandyk • Feb. 20, 2020

Slowed pay-off from billions in AMI investment puts the technology's future in doubt

Regulators have approved billions for utilities to roll out advanced metering infrastructure, but they expected new customer and system benefits, not just lower utility operation costs.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 20, 2020