Regulation & Policy

Opinion

P3s hold the key to a clean energy future post-COVID

Making progress on climate is still within our grasp, but the critical first step is to recognize the benefits of collaboration, and then to reach across the aisle. 

By Bill Prindle • Sept. 25, 2020

Ohio attorney general sues to block $1.3B bailout of former FirstEnergy nuclear plants

The move comes as Ohio lawmakers hold hearings on competing bills to replace HB 6 with a new bailout bill, or simply repeal it.

By John Funk • Sept. 25, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Trendline

Rate Design Reform

From Netflix-like subscriptions to EV-specific policies that encourage charging during off-peak hours, stakeholders are pursuing a variety of rate design options to meet the power sector's emerging challenges and opportunities.

By Utility Dive staff

Opinion

FERC's carbon pricing dialogue may be worth the price of admission

A productive dialogue may heal other wounds by taking steps toward aligning state and FERC policies with their mutual interests, the authors write.

By Devin Hartman and Jason Stanek • Sept. 24, 2020

Michigan vows to go carbon neutral by 2050, increase oversight of utility resource plans

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D, signed an executive order on Wednesday setting the most ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal in the Midwest.

By Catherine Morehouse • UPDATED: Sept. 24, 2020 at 5:13 p.m.

Murkowski 'not giving up' on Senate clean energy bill vote before the end of 2020

Despite a potentially more difficult path for the legislative package following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chair is determined to see her bill get a vote by the end of this year.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 23, 2020

Opinion

Utilities aren't rewarded for saving money. FERC now has a chance to fix this

Current federal incentives for improving transmission all point the wrong way: rewarding utilities for building expensive, inefficient boondoggles, rather than making the most of what they already have, the authors write.

By Jigar Shah and Rob Gramlich • Sept. 23, 2020

12 major cities pledge fossil fuel divestment

The C40 Cities-backed declaration "sends a huge signal to the marketplace" that governments are prioritizing a green COVID-19 recovery, said New York City climate advisor Dan Zarrilli.

By Kristin Musulin • Sept. 23, 2020

Maine regulators OK state's largest renewables solicitation with 482 MW solar, but skip storage

Spurred by recent legislation, the procurement will add 546 MW of resources, representing about 10% of the state's load.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 23, 2020

House passes massive clean energy bill amid Trump veto threat, Senate uncertainty

The House passed its Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act on Thursday, though the White House earlier this week indicated the president was likely to veto the bill, despite support in the Senate.

By Catherine Morehouse • UPDATED: Sept. 24, 2020 at 5:12 p.m.

Opinion

Clean energy should prioritize creating equitable partnerships

It has remained an uncomfortable industry fact that racism and a history of exclusion have produced the unequal distribution of benefits we see today, the author writes.

By Lavannya Pulluveetil Barrera • Sept. 22, 2020

Pipelines, energy storage among 60+ projects expedited by Trump order waiving environmental regulations

Newly released documents provide details into some of the infrastructure projects that have been sped up by the Trump administration to help hasten the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Jenn Goodman • Sept. 21, 2020

Deep Dive

Politics disrupts San Diego's pursuit of an energy transition partner amid dissatisfaction with SDG&E

San Diego's 50-year-old franchise agreement with San Diego Gas and Electric expires in January, but city leaders can't agree on standards for the next provider, leaving bidders, including Berkshire Hathaway Energy, waiting.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 18, 2020

FERC lowers barriers to DERs in wholesale markets in rare Chatterjee-Glick consensus

The commission passed its long-awaited rule on distributed energy resource aggregations in a 2-1 vote two weeks after the departure of Commissioner Bernard McNamee.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 18, 2020

Ohio regulators launch probe into FirstEnergy's political and charitable contributions

The new inquiry by the Public Utility Commission comes with FirstEnergy already the target of two federal investigations and a potential state attorney general examination.

By John Funk • Sept. 18, 2020

Nation's first freshwater windfarm all but approved as Ohio siting board removes 'poison pill'

The Ohio Power Siting Board unanimously voted to remove language that would require offshore turbines to shut down overnight eight months of the year to protect migrating birds and bats.

By John Funk • Sept. 18, 2020

Hawaiian Electric asks regulators to approve nearly 2 GWh storage, 300 MW solar contracts

One project will "help facilitate the retirement of the last coal plant in Hawaii," said its developer.

By Guy Burdick • Sept. 18, 2020

Sponsored by Burns & McDonnell

Lessons from Disruption: Navigating the Pandemic and Beyond

Welcome to "Lessons from Disruption: Navigating the Pandemic and Beyond," a podcast series dedicated to further understanding how the utility industry can overcome the several challenges brought out by COVID-19 with technology and smart planning. 

By Utility Dive's Brand Studio • Sept. 18, 2020

New York proposes rules to speed renewable projects, but local control, other issues could be contentious

The regulations would speed the development of large-scale solar and wind projects, but the renewable industry is expected to take issue with some requirements.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 18, 2020

Opinion

In deploying electrified urban transport, look to university campuses

Recognizing universities as urban innovation hubs, particularly for electrified transportation, can aid the transition to a new, better "normal" post-coronavirus.

By Rod Keller • Sept. 17, 2020

How to participate in the 2020 Utility Dive Awards

Industry Dive is gearing up for the 2020 Dive Awards. We want to hear your ideas on the executives, utilities and policymakers that stood out.

By Utility Dive Editors • Sept. 17, 2020

Senators press FERC nominees on California blackouts, baseload compensation, climate role

Republican senators questioned whether California's higher levels of renewable resources led to last month's blackouts, and Democrats pushed the nominees on how the commission should consider climate change in its deliberations.

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 17, 2020

Deep Dive

Duke-solar industry breakthrough settlement aims to end rooftop solar cost shift debates

A collaboration among Vote Solar, Sunrun, Southeastern environmental advocates and Duke Energy has produced a rate design that could be a new paradigm for pairing and growing rooftop solar and demand response.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 16, 2020

California governor pushes to fast track climate goals as wildfires burn the state

Reaching 100% clean energy by 2045 is "inadequate" to meet the challenges the state faces, Gov. Gavin Newsom said.

By Kavya Balaraman • Sept. 15, 2020

7 investment priorities for a green COVID-19 recovery: report

The Coalition for Urban Transitions analyzed how the allocation of stimulus funding across a number of environmental sectors can aid the international COVID-19 response.

By Kristin Musulin • Sept. 14, 2020

'Aggressive' federal aid would push US to net zero emissions by 2050: report

America's Pledge released its fourth-annual U.S. climate analysis, finding to its "great surprise" that the pandemic is not slowing climate progress.

By Cailin Crowe • Sept. 14, 2020