The 2018 Top 40 Utility PowerBrands

PowerBrands assess more than 200 measures of utility brand strength, categorized in four dimensions: brand identity, corporate narrative, customer experience and employee experience.

Oct. 23, 2018

Report: Expected ruling on Summer cost recovery could imperil Dominion-SCANA merger

SCE&G wants to recover about $5 billion from ratepayers for the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project through the Base Load Review Act, which a judge is expected to overturn for being at odds with the state's constitution.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 23, 2018

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

Oracle Utilities boasts industry-leading 20 TWh of savings for consumers

The company says its products have led to seven times the energy savings of the second ranking home energy savings company, Tendril, which had saved consumers 2.7 TWh by May.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 22, 2018

Even in Indiana, new renewables are cheaper than existing coal plants

Eliminating coal generation by 2028, and replacing it with renewables, storage and demand management, will be cheaper than keeping the plants online or converting them to gas, says Northern Indiana Public Service Co.

By Gavin Bade • Updated Oct. 25, 2018

As Dominion plans 3 GW of new wind and solar, it surveys customer renewables goals

The utility issued a request for information on its nonresidential customers' clean energy goals weeks after Virginia released its 10-year energy plan. 

By Catherine Morehouse • Oct. 19, 2018

Emails show Arizona regulator Olson copied utility talking points on rooftop solar

The revelation comes as Olson runs for reelection and utility spending booms in the fight over a 50% renewable energy standard.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 19, 2018

Utility spending on major Republican groups outpaces Democrats over 2:1, EPI finds

NextEra Energy led utility contributions in 2017-2018 for three Republican organizations, spending $1.9 million, while PSEG Services, the top contributor on the Democratic side, gave $297,500.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 18, 2018

In a first, PG&E cuts power to 60,000 to prevent wildfires during wind storm

Planned outages during dry, windy conditions are the "last resort" in a wildfire prevention plan rolled out by the utility last year. 

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 15, 2018

Duke Energy to spend $500M on battery storage in next 15 years

Duke Energy is planning a large battery investment in the Carolinas, and on Monday asked state regulators to approve a solar project as well.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 11, 2018

Northwest utilities return to normal gas service after Enbridge pipeline rupture

The incident in British Columbia reduced natural gas supply to generators operated by Puget Sound Energy and Avista, as well as residential and commercial customers. 

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated Oct. 12, 2018

AEP to shutter 1,590 MW Ohio coal plant two years ahead of schedule

American Electric Power analyzed the results of recent power auctions before coming to the conclusion that it will shutter its Conesville coal plant by the end of May 2020.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 10, 2018

Westmoreland Chapter 11 marks 4th major US coal company to declare bankruptcy

Westmoreland Coal will join producers Peabody Energy, Arch Coal and Alpha Natural Resources, who found the sector's headwinds too much to overcome.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 10, 2018

Ørsted expands US offshore wind presence with $510M buy

The Danish offshore wind developer plans to close its acquisition of Deepwater Wind by the end of 2018.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 9, 2018

GE sells $1B portfolio of energy assets

The sale of approximately 20 investments to Apollo Global Management continues GE's efforts to streamline the business.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 9, 2018

Federal regulators OK $6B CenterPoint-Vectren merger

Shares of CenterPoint initially fell when the deal was announced in April on concerns it was paying too much, but since then, have risen about 8.5%.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 9, 2018

Dominion, SCANA inch closer to merger with North Carolina PSC staff deal

A settlement with regulatory staff puts the merger on firm ground in the state, but the real drama remains in South Carolina, where Dominion wants customers to pay for part of SCANA's failed nuclear project. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 8, 2018

Mountain Valley stalled, Atlantic Sunrise cleared for service in busy pipeline week

The diverging fortunes of the two Appalachian projects illustrate the struggle between environmental advocates and natural gas companies over the siting and construction of new pipelines.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 5, 2018

SunPower becomes biggest US solar panel builder with SolarWorld purchase

The company's domestic manufacturing capacity expanded due to its acquisition of SolarWorld, one of the solar panel tariff petitioners, as part of an ongoing shakeout of U.S. production.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 4, 2018

Coal lobby pleased as Trump nominates ally McNamee to FERC

The Department of Energy official is expected to align closer with White House priorities than former Commissioner Robert Powelson, who stepped down in August. 

By Gavin Bade • Updated Oct. 4, 2018

Johnson Controls, ConEd subsidiary partner to grow energy storage

The joint venture makes Consolidated Edison Solutions the exclusive provider of energy storage to Johnson Controls customers.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 2, 2018

PJM: 'Significant chunk' of renewables to come from corporate procurement

Direct purchases from corporations are the largest area of renewable energy growth in the RTO, said senior market strategist Andrew Levitt.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 1, 2018

Generators pan ISO-NE price taker proposal for fuel secure plants

The ISO-NE proposal to prop up plants with onsite fuel supplies would cause "massive suppression of prices" and displace more than a gigawatt of otherwise economic resources, critics wrote in comments. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 27, 2018

Vogtle nuke deadline extended again to 5 p.m.

The owners faced a Tuesday deadline to agree on cost-sharing terms for the plant, but extended their negotiation period three times.

By Gavin Bade , Peter Maloney • Updated Sept. 25, 2018

DOE urges Vogtle nuke owners to complete project ahead of Monday vote

Canceling the plant expansion would have a "profound impact on the U.S. nuclear industry" and trigger the repayment of billions in federal loans, DOE warned.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 24, 2018

Duke shuts down gas plant after Florence flooding breaches coal ash pit

Environmental groups collected samples of what they believe to be coal ash from a nearby river, though the utility maintains there is no discernable harm downstream. 

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated Sept. 24, 2018