Regulation & Policy

Nextera adds 1,840 MW renewables and storage to more than 15 GW backlog in Q2

NextEra Energy is nearing the halfway mark in its campaign to roll out 30 million solar panels across Florida by 2030, the multistate utility said Friday in its second quarter earnings report. 

By Scott Voorhis • July 26, 2021

AEP seeing 'credible interest' from potential buyers of Kentucky Power subsidiary, CEO says

AEP is ramping up its push to build more renewable generation, executives said Thursday, as the company detailed an increase in second quarter earnings amid a rebounding economy and interest in its Kentucky subsidiary.

By Scott Voorhis • July 23, 2021

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Trendline

Sustainability

Power 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

Texas PUC, ERCOT pledge 'reliability is first' as state pursues market reform

Regulators want the market to pay for reliability "in any form," including through additional thermal resources or on-site battery storage. They're also looking to better incentivize generators that provide power during periods of grid stress.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 23, 2021

FirstEnergy agrees to pay $230M fine for bribing Ohio officials to bail out two nuclear plants

Ohio groups called the fee a "drop in the bucket," despite it being the largest federal criminal penalty ever to be collected in the Southern District of Ohio, surpassing the $200 million fee imposed on Exelon subsidiary ComEd in 2020.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 23, 2021

Avangrid touts green hydrogen proposals under DOE initiative, raises 2021 earnings outlook

Avangrid filed several proposals with the Department of Energy, including a plan to build a 20 MW electrolyzer and hydrogen storage complex in Connecticut, to be powered by offshore wind and other renewable sources.

By Scott Voorhis • July 22, 2021

Democrats' 'Hot FERC Summer' campaign aims to boost FERC's visibility on Capitol Hill

As part of the campaign, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., and his colleagues are introducing a trio of FERC-related bills, including one that could open the door for FERC to implement a carbon price.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 21, 2021

Avangrid, PNM report progress with merger critics as criminal probe of Iberdrola raises new questions

As the utilities work to win over the remaining critics of their proposed $8.3 billion merger, the New Mexico hearing examiner wants more information about a criminal investigation into the activities of Avangrid's parent company.

By Scott Voorhis • July 21, 2021

Biden administration readies 3 initiatives to curb ransomware

The government wants cybercriminals to think twice before instigating an incident and for private industry to engage more.

By Samantha Schwartz • July 21, 2021

Billions more needed to address climate infrastructure needs of US cities: report

Cities need at least $10.6 billion to fund more than 300 sustainable infrastructure projects, according to a CDP survey of 97 U.S. cities.

By Jason Plautz • July 20, 2021

Cost allocation remains key challenge for FERC ahead of transmission reform, Glick says

"When you're talking about money — when you're talking about who pays and how much — that's always a difficult issue," FERC Chair Richard Glick said in an interview with Utility Dive.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 20, 2021

Cyber leaders officially join the ranks as White House grapples with remediation

The Senate confirmed Jen Easterly to lead CISA while the White House swore in Chris Inglis as the first national cyber director.

By Katie Malone • July 19, 2021

Challenge to Berkeley gas regulation dismissed, a win for cities in carbon emissions fight

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit last week that challenged the city's restrictions on natural gas in new low-rise residential buildings, a major boost for local governments looking to follow suit.

By Chris Teale • July 19, 2021

Deep Dive

Gridlock in transmission queues spotlights need for FERC action on planning

FERC is calling for stakeholder input to address the backlog in transmission queues holding 70% of the renewables needed for Biden's policy goals.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 19, 2021

California approves expedited pathway for near-term utility EV investments, despite cost concerns

Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves, however, pushed for "a progressive way" to fund these investments, adding that "whenever we're using utility bills to pay for this, it's inherently regressive."

By Kavya Balaraman • July 16, 2021

Heatwave, wildfires heighten urgency for Western RTO: Glick, Clements

Some ex-FERC commissioners and chairs have urged FERC to tackle this unilaterally, but Chair Richard Glick and Commissioner Allison Clements believe such a policy should come from Western stakeholders themselves.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 16, 2021

Sen. Lankford voices doubts over Democratic clean energy standard, calling it 'punitive' for fossil fuels

Democrats are advancing clean energy funding and policy through a variety of legislative pathways, but Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., doubts how much will make it into a final bill.

By Robert Walton • July 16, 2021

FERC launches proceeding to reform transmission policy

“This is the beginning of a very long process,” said Commissioner Mark Christie.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 16, 2021

DER advocates take on Alabama Power distributed solar program, challenge one of 'the worst' fees

"Alabama Power's discriminatory fees are likely the worst of any major utility, but they are not the only ones," Vote Solar said in support of the Southern Environmental Law Center's federal district court challenge.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 15, 2021

Clean electricity standard lands spot in $3.5 trillion Democratic-backed infrastructure deal

Efforts to pass a national standard that would require utilities across the country to slash emissions took a step forward Wednesday.

By Scott Voorhis • July 15, 2021

Senators clash over policy to increase FERC transmission siting authority

Proposed legislation could allow federal regulators to override state authority in siting transmission where demand and congestion are high. One Republican proposed eliminating it, sparking a Senate committee debate.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 15, 2021

Too few companies advocate for climate-friendly policies despite lofty goals: report

Only around 40% of the country's top 100 firms lobby for green legislation, according to sustainability nonprofit Ceres. We have "run out of time to waste," a spokesperson said.

By Chris Teale • July 14, 2021

ERCOT releases plan to boost reliability after blackouts, as report outlines gas, electric failures

Former PUCT officials called the plan "a good start," but said the state still needs to think about how it can improve demand response and energy efficiency programs.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 14, 2021

Western officials reckon with reliability challenges as heat and 'wildcard' wildfire threaten grid

Regulators will have to figure out which resources can be brought online "that can really take us off the edge," the head of the California Independent System Operator said. 

By Kavya Balaraman • July 13, 2021

Deep Dive

'Doesn't make sense': Analysts pan omissions in MISO's first electrification impact analysis

MISO’s first electrification-focused planning study was a "good start" by accentuating uncertainties on the rate and pace of the transition, but missed what storage needs will be and what least-regrets solutions offer, experts said.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 13, 2021

Southern California Edison plans for 38,000 EV charging stations, in largest IOU effort of its kind

Southern California Edison wants tens of thousands of new EV charging stations across its service territory, as more and more electric vehicles hit the roads.

By Scott Voorhis • July 13, 2021