Regulation & Policy
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Ohio's nuke and coal subsidies will likely be challenged at the ballot
A coalition of independent energy producers and environmentalists are looking to launch a referendum, which could prevent HB 6 from becoming law until November 2020.
By John Funk • July 23, 2019 -
Deep DivePerformance-based regulation: Seeking the new utility business model
As the push to upend traditional utility business models grows across the country, new leading efforts are showing results where others missed the mark.
By Herman K. Trabish • July 23, 2019 -
BREAKING: Ohio Gov DeWine signs controversial nuke subsidy bill
The governor signed the bill after it passed both chambers today.
By John Funk • UPDATED: July 23, 2019 at 2:55 p.m. -
Federal, North Carolina, Virginia governments sue Duke over 2014 coal ash spill
The action seeks to hold Duke accountable for environmental harm incurred by the spill, which released 39,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River.
By Catherine Morehouse • July 22, 2019 -
New York awards record 1,700 MW offshore wind contracts
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced two separate projects being developed by Equinor and Ørsted as the first segment of the state's 9,000 MW offshore wind target.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 19, 2019 -
Mayors call for new 'Marshall Plan,' federal resiliency office to fight climate change
A committee of 10 Democrats promised to continue studying climate change, holding more hearings and fostering partnerships with governments at all other levels as well as with the private sector.
By Chris Teale • July 18, 2019 -
Berkeley sets historic law banning natural gas from new buildings
Berkeley is the first U.S. city to pass such a measure, designed to curb GHG emissions and prepare new buildings for electric infrastructure.
By Kristin Musulin • July 18, 2019 -
NRC may cut back nuclear reactor inspections as industry costs mount
The nuclear industry has long advocated for less costly inspections, but some have raised safety concerns.
By HJ Mai • July 18, 2019 -
NARUC: FERC went beyond 'authority of power' in issuing Order 841
The group filed a petition for review on Tuesday, to the disappointment of the energy storage industry.
By HJ Mai • July 17, 2019 -
Sen. Murkowski teases prospects for storage as committee advances 22 energy bills
While the initiatives did not include energy storage-focused bills, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair said a second mark-up can be expected in September.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 17, 2019 -
Deep DiveState carbon free policies increasingly inclusive of nuclear, but resource needs federal boost
The poor economics of nuclear generation stymie investments in the private sector, making federal policy necessary.
By Catherine Morehouse • July 17, 2019 -
Colorado regulators cancel Black Hills Energy TOU pilot amid concerns for low-income customers
The PUC chairman suggested combining TOU with demand side management could better empower low income customers to take control of their bills.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 17, 2019 -
Ohio Senate approves amended $1B nuke subsidy bill
The bill would also raise nearly half billion dollars for some coal plants and $50 million for solar but nothing for wind or natural gas plants.
By John Funk • UPDATED: July 18, 2019 at 10:10 a.m. -
Utilities need accelerated declassification to protect against cyber attacks: NERC CEO
With the potential for a cyberattack at an all-time high, NERC is urging the U.S. government to increase information sharing by rapidly declassifying information on potential threats.
By HJ Mai • July 16, 2019 -
77% of global cities will experience 'striking shift' in climate by 2050
Nearly a quarter of global cities will experience extreme climate conditions not currently found in any city, a new report in journal PLOS One found.
By Katie Pyzyk • July 15, 2019 -
New Mexico regulators attempt to bypass San Juan securitization, to PNM's surprise
The Public Regulation Commission on Wednesday moved to open the utility's abandonment case on its 847 MW coal plant, which stakeholders say is an attempt to bypass the state's Energy Transition Act.
By Catherine Morehouse • July 12, 2019 -
Pennsylvania regulators outline criteria for alternative rate proposals to support new tech
Several technologies are pushing the need for updated ratemaking principles, according to the Public Utility Commission, including rooftop solar, gas microturbines and combined heat and power projects.
By Robert Walton • July 12, 2019 -
California Gov. Newsom to sign $21B wildfire liability bill today
Critics say the plan to help utilities pay wildfire damage liabilities has been rushed through the state legislature.
By Robert Walton • July 12, 2019 -
Deep DiveSolar + wind + storage developers 'gearing up' as hybrid projects edge to market
A "wave" of new projects is coming to use wind, solar and battery storage in ways that will stabilize grids, increase efficiencies and lower power costs.
By Herman K. Trabish • July 09, 2019 -
Rural co-op transition to renewables impeded by coal financing obligations, NGOs find
Rural electric cooperatives face financial challenges for a clean energy transition due to their outstanding debt for coal plants, the Center for Rural Affairs and other groups concluded.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 08, 2019 -
EPA finds no need for coal ash liability assurances
Environmentalists oppose the ruling, saying that financial assurances set aside for potential coal ash disasters provide incentives for utilities to clean up the waste safely and quickly.
By Catherine Morehouse • UPDATED: July 8, 2019 at 11:42 a.m. -
Deep DiveThe new kid on the block: CCAs face credit, other challenges to lead California's renewable energy growth
Community Choice Aggregators say they will use resource diversity, distributed energy resources and load management to lead California beyond its 2030 renewables goals.
By Herman K. Trabish • July 08, 2019 -
New York regulators assess potential for storage to replace peaking units in the state
A new report shows that at least 275 MW of peaking units, or about 6% of the total capacity in New York state, are potential candidates for replacement with six‐hour energy storage.
By HJ Mai • July 03, 2019 -
Ohio legislators wrangle over nuke subsidy bill as FES misses fuel supply target
Senate leaders have questioned the validity of a June 30 deadline for ordering nuclear fuel rod assemblies, which FES said was necessary to refuel the Davis-Besse nuclear plant next year.
By John Funk • July 02, 2019 -
Utilities press FERC to allow cloud-based storage to increase data security, reliability
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation is crafting a standard to enable utilities to use cloud-based solutions as opposed to onsite data servers.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 02, 2019
