California moves to boost storage to combat safety-driven power shutoffs

A proposed decision by the Public Utilities Commission would expand the state's Self-Generation Incentive Program to benefit customers in high fire-threat areas.

By Kavya Balaraman • Updated Jan. 16, 2020

Happy birthday and thank you, O2K (Order 2000)!

As FERC's Order 2000 turns 20, it’s remarkable a rulemaking that "encouraged" (but did not compel) formation of RTOs would prove so transformative for most large power markets across the country, writes former commissioner James Hoecker.

By James J. Hoecker • Dec. 17, 2019

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

Newsom's rejection throws wrench in PG&E bankruptcy process

California Governor Gavin Newsom's letter to PG&E Corp. CEO Bill Johnson and responses from state lawmakers indicate the potential for political micromanagement of PG&E's reorganization.

By Kavya Balaraman • Dec. 17, 2019

House green bank bill aims to leverage $35B in government funding into $1T in private investment

The effort had bipartisan, bicameral support in 2018, and the reintroduction is meant to prepare the bill for passage in early 2021.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Dec. 16, 2019

Massachusetts AG Healey stokes grassroots effort for clean energy market rules in ISO-NE

The office, which also acts as the state's ratepayer advocate, endeavors to grow public awareness of the grid operator amid growing tensions between Massachusetts' clean energy goals and market policies.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated Dec. 13, 2019

Arizona rejects APS push for 2-year PURPA contracts, approving 18-year terms

Regulators ruled the long-term contracts would provide renewables facilities with the opportunity to build more capital, despite opposition from the Arizona Public Service.

By Kavya Balaraman • Dec. 13, 2019

National Petroleum Council calls for sharp increase in carbon capture subsidies

A new report ordered by former Energy Secretary Rick Perry concludes widespread deployment of carbon capture technology is "essential" to maintaining a reliable electric grid while also combating climate change.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 13, 2019

Squirrels, cyberattacks, age and climate: Obama DOE official reviews top risks to US grid

While there is much attention on cyber threats and other high profile vulnerabilities, the more mundane, day-to-day risks are also very important, John MacWilliams, a former chief risk officer at DOE, said Wednesday.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Dec. 12, 2019

5 reasons utilities are switching to high-performance overhead conductors

High-performance conductors offer performance advantages that should no longer be ignored, and policy makers, regulators and project financiers are taking note.

Dec. 12, 2019

New York outlines new ways to compensate distributed solar users as it looks beyond net metering

The changes proposed by the staff of the New York Department of Public Service show a potential path forward for residential and small business rooftop solar users.

By Matthew Bandyk • Dec. 11, 2019

Road to 100: How four cities are leading the renewables revolution

Utility Dive visited four U.S. cities powered by 100% renewables, getting local insights on the political will and economic drivers that got them there.

By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 10, 2019

Buttigieg's McKinsey controversy draws attention to candidate's work on energy efficiency

All of the leading Democratic candidates for president have discussed efficiency improvements, but Mayor Pete Buttigieg had his name on a major study a decade ago.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 10, 2019

Minnesota pioneers integration of new interconnection standard expected to propel DERs

Integration of the IEEE standard will mean that distributed energy resources can automatically respond to certain grid conditions, enabling significantly higher penetrations on the grid, the author writes.

By Sara Baldwin • Dec. 9, 2019

Policymaker of the Year: Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of New Mexico

Prioritizing the state's transition away from fossil fuels triggered pushback, but clean energy and labor groups largely supported the administration's move.

By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 9, 2019

The Utility Dive Awards for 2019

The annual awards highlight the biggest trends in innovation in the electric utility sector: from penciling out electrification efforts to pioneering new revenue streams for distributed resources.

Dec. 9, 2019

FPL's Turkey Point first US nuclear plant to get license out to 80 years

Federal regulators extended the approved lifespan of two of the Florida facility's units until 2052 and 2053.

By Kavya Balaraman • Updated Dec. 6, 2019

Is FERC overstepping its authority and hurting renewables? States, power groups question PURPA plan

Diverse stakeholders said the commission's proposal would leave small facilities in unregulated markets at a disadvantage, while several major utilities backed their trade group in supporting the changes.

By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 5, 2019

What I wish I'd said to California's chief air regulator about clean transportation

Will flexible demand-side resources ever be able to participate in power markets in the same way as supply-side resources? That’s the question before Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols — and all of us, the author writes.

By David Farnsworth • Dec. 5, 2019

PG&E failed to properly inspect tower that caused Camp Fire: CPUC safety investigators

Gaps in the utility's infrastructure maintenance were "indicative of an overall pattern of inadequate inspection and maintenance of PG&E's transmission facilities," according to a new report.

By Kavya Balaraman • Dec. 4, 2019

Renewables, legal groups challenge FERC's authority to upend PURPA

Federal regulators are proposing changes to the law for the first time since 2006. Some groups argue the move falls outside the commission's authority and will harm renewables in markets monopolized by utilities.

By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 4, 2019

California proposal rejects wildfire premium in PG&E, other utilities' ROE

Regulators said recent state legislation removed the need for a premium by eliminating wildfire risk exposure for investor-owned utilities.

By Kavya Balaraman • Dec. 4, 2019

Regulators should 'ask tough questions about carbon capture' before closing coal: Wyoming PSC Chair

Wyoming is in a uniquely precarious position as the country's top coal producer. Its head utility regulator says ratemaking should encourage utilities to profit from carbon capture and utilization outside their rate base.

By Catherine Morehouse • Dec. 3, 2019

Can new transmission tech boost capacity and save billions? Two proposals aim to find out

Advocates are pushing a "shared savings" approach to incentivize deployment, but system operators have doubts.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 3, 2019

FirstEnergy Solutions claims victory on nuke bailout referendum, but proponents push forward

The Ohio Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit challenging a potential referendum on the state's nuclear subsidies, while a separate proceeding brought by referendum proponents is ongoing.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Dec. 3, 2019

Nevada PUC floats proposal for 1,000 MW storage target by 2030

The proposal comes more than two years after the state legislature passed a bill requiring the commission to look into adopting storage targets.

By Kavya Balaraman • Dec. 3, 2019