Regulation & Policy

Glick, Chatterjee clash on RTO expansion incentive as FERC announces transmission initiatives

Commission staff projected that consumers will eventually save $350 million annually without the incentive, but Commissioner Neil Chatterjee called the move "short-sighted" and said it delays needed reforms.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • April 16, 2021

California puts PG&E under enhanced oversight due to wildfire prevention work lapses

The process involves additional reporting requirements and the possibility, down the line, of revoking PG&E's operational certificate.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 16, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Trendline

Utility Business Model Reform

Utilities and regulators around the country are exploring new business models, from updated rate structures to performance-based regulation, in order to meet evolving policy and business priorities.

By Utility Dive staff

Opinion

Gas is failing California. It's time to move on.

Even a state like California can waver in its progress towards clean energy if we let fear take over, the authors write.

By Nina Robertson, Katherine Ramsey and Shana Lazerow • April 16, 2021

Opinion

Addressing misconceptions on the performance of the energy market in Texas

The solution to Texas' power market collapse earlier this year is not to tweak the markets but rather to create a reliability system operator to act as a central planner, the authors write.

By Hala Ballouz, Joel Mathias, Sean Meyn, Robert Moye, Joseph Warrington • April 15, 2021

Following California and Texas blackouts, experts see potential for energy storage and better grid planning

Regulators will need to deploy storage across multiple time spectrums, said Steve Berberich, former president and CEO of the California Independent System Operator, during the BNEF Summit. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 14, 2021

White House considers doubling Obama-era carbon reduction targets: BNEF

President Joe Biden could also announce a plan next week to reduce economy-wide carbon dioxide emissions by 50% in the next decade, according to BNEF.

By Robert Walton • April 14, 2021

Glick: FERC should tackle MOPR if PJM can't agree on update by December capacity auction

Commissioner James Danly introduced his own proposal for a state option to substitute preferred resources over those that clear in a capacity auction.

By Catherine Morehouse • UPDATED: April 16, 2021 at 10:28 a.m.

Q&A

Taking Charge: FERC Commissioner Christie on his 'across the board' respect for state authority

"The state regulators know much more about their own states than I did as a Virginia regulator and that I will as a FERC commissioner," said Commissioner Mark Christie in a wide-ranging interview with Utility Dive.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 13, 2021

PG&E, Apple, 300+ other companies urge Biden admin to set ambitious federal climate target

National Grid, GE and Microsoft also signed a letter calling for the U.S. to cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50% below 2005 levels.

By Cailin Crowe • April 13, 2021

White House announces CISA, national cyber directors

President Joe Biden on Monday nominated Jen Easterly, a managing director at Morgan Stanley, as the director of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.

By Samantha Schwartz • April 13, 2021

Former NRC chair questions economic feasibility of new nuclear in US

Former NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane acknowledges the progress of small modular reactor designs from NuScale Power to achieve permitting while flagging supply chain issues for the broader industry.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • April 12, 2021

Biden $1.5 trillion budget proposal includes 27% increase in overall clean energy spending

The proposed budget would ramp up spending on new technologies, including advanced nuclear and hydrogen.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 12, 2021

PG&E bid to securitize $7.5B in wildfire costs could hit ratepayers hard, consumer advocates warn

"If there is a shortfall, that means that PG&E’s customers will be forced to pay higher rates to fund PG&E’s wildfire liabilities. Another word for that is bailout,” said Tom Long, legal director at The Utility Reform Network.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 12, 2021

Opinion

Plenty of low-hanging fruit: How FERC can catalyze transmission infrastructure

Effective near-term actions the commission can take include subjecting more regional projects to competition, while allowing new entrants at the local level, the authors write.

By Devin Hartman and Beth Garza • April 09, 2021

Granholm: American Jobs Plan will prioritize communities struggling with loss of coal, oil and gas jobs

Some 40% of the benefits of the American Jobs Plan should go to communities affected by the coal, oil and gas industries, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said during Thursday's White House press briefing.

By Emma Penrod • April 09, 2021

Wyoming bills to slow coal plant closures sent to governor as 4 other states pursue similar steps

The Wyoming legislature has approved a series of bills intended to make closing coal plants more difficult, an action the local Sierra Club says will only delay the inevitable.

By Emma Penrod • April 07, 2021

Column

Climate-risk players take a one-level-higher approach

A guerrilla tactic of sorts may be helping Federal Reserve officials, the Treasury secretary and a senator push discussion about the proper venue for research on global warming.

By Dan Ennis • April 07, 2021

Opinion

What a federal just transition strategy should look like

The transition to a low-carbon economy is a national — even global — phenomena and the response should be too, contributors from the World Resources Institute wrote.

By Jillian Neuberger and Devashree Saha • April 05, 2021

Biden $2 trillion infrastructure proposal includes billions in spending on transmission, clean energy

The plan received wide-ranging support from climate and clean energy groups, but Republican leadership opposes its high price tag.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 01, 2021

State of the Electric Utility 2021

The 8th annual State of the Electric Utility Survey Report provides a pulse on industry trends from nearly 500 utility professionals, many at the VP level and above, along with insight from a broad range of industry experts.

By Nami Sumida • April 01, 2021

Deep Dive

State of the Electric Utility 2021: Gas doubts rise, DER focus wanes, and 5 other key takeaways

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, the energy transition is stronger than ever, the results of Utility Dive's 8th annual industry survey show.

By Larry Pearl • April 01, 2021

State of the Electric Utility 2021: Accommodating state policies is top priority for FERC, utilities say

Utilities also cited tax credits and other financial incentives as the best way to decarbonize the U.S. power sector, Utility Dive's 8th annual industry survey found.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 01, 2021

Biden administration sets target for 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030, plans offshore leasing off NY, NJ coasts

The deployment target, which will grow to 110 GW by 2050, is viewed as a "vital piece of the puzzle" by the renewable energy industry.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 30, 2021

RMI sees potential to de-risk municipal power acquisition in PPAs

Municipalities have only recently entered the PPA market in force, according to RMI, but PPAs could offer some unique benefits to cities and towns.

By Emma Penrod • March 30, 2021

Canada's Supreme Court upholds federal carbon pricing law

The highest court in the country ruled that the greenhouse gas pricing was not a tax but "a regulatory charge," and constitutional in nature, after three provinces challenged the federal government.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 26, 2021