California customer choice at a crossroads: Regulators to weigh 3 key issues next week

The California Public Utilities Commission will consider two proposals Sept. 27 on how to calculate the price customers moving from IOUs to community choice aggregators must pay.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 18, 2018

Seattle, Atlanta first winners in American Cities Climate Challenge

The pair are the first of 20 cities to be named for Bloomberg Philanthropies' two-year program, which looks to help uphold the goals of the Paris climate accord.

By Chris Teale • Sept. 18, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainability

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

California PUC unveils proposed fix to storage incentive program, quantifying GHG reductions

The wrong metric led to an increase instead of a reduction in GHG emissions from energy storage, and regulators proposed employing a new signal for the commercial and residential storage markets.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 18, 2018

New York PSC moves state closer to energy storage, climate goals

The recent steps push state regulators closer to a vote on implementing the actual policy directives of the ambitious Energy Storage Roadmap.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 17, 2018

Massachusetts governor puts rival utility in charge of Columbia Gas disaster response

Baker handed the restoration efforts for more than 70 fires to Eversource Energy, saying the "follow through" from Columbia Gas "was just not there."

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 17, 2018

Con Edison's New York EV charging program expands to include larger engines

The program aims to encourage EV charging during off-peak hours as part of the state's concerted effort to put more emissions-free vehicles on the road.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 17, 2018

Amid steady battery growth, Fluence sets sights on market share, transmission assets

Having proven itself on utility-scale projects, the company eyes behind-the-meter projects on the commercial-industrial side and opportunities at the "center of the grid."

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 14, 2018

Survey: 57% of cities plan climate action in next year

The survey, conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, shows cities are investing heavily in renewable energy.

By Jason Plautz • Sept. 14, 2018

Report: US almost halfway to achieving Paris climate goals thanks to city, state action

The study by the America's Pledge initiative slammed federal government inaction and gave lower levels of government pointers on what to do next.

By Chris Teale • Sept. 14, 2018

House boosts advanced nuclear, passing Senate-approved bill

The legislation would create a National Reactor Innovation Center, combining national lab and Department of Energy expertise to help speed advanced nuclear reactors to market.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 14, 2018

Nudged by FERC, federal appeals court upholds Illinois nuclear subsidies

The decision is a blow for fossil fuel generators and adds to a growing body of case law concerning the boundary between state and federal jurisdictions in the power sector. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 14, 2018

Duke shuts down Brunswick nuclear plant ahead of Hurricane Florence

The utility says it expects up to 3 million power outages as a result of the massive storm and has 20,000 workers ready for the recovery effort.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2018

Renewables: As rooftop solar expands, states grapple with successors to net metering

Replacements to the controversial solar incentive have cropped up in Hawaii, California and elsewhere, but policymakers have struggled to devise a replicable model across the U.S. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 13, 2018

Arsenic pollution from Dominion coal plant did not violate CWA, appeals court rules

Dominion's Chesapeake coal plant does not qualify as a "point source" under the Clean Water Act because arsenic it seeped diffusely from it into navigable waters, the court wrote. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 13, 2018

FERC, NERC open inquiry into winter load event that stressed Midwest grids

The inquiry could take on special significance given FERC's open grid resilience proceeding and the looming threat of a coal and nuclear bailout from the White House. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 13, 2018

Washington munis oppose second ballot initiative for taxing carbon

Voters rejected a carbon tax at the polls in 2016 and another proposal failed in the state Senate earlier this year.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2018

Initiative gives cities equal access to competitive EV bids

The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative provides an online portal for cities to bid on the vehicles and charging infrastructure.

By Chris Teale • Sept. 12, 2018

Outages, coal plant flooding top concerns as utilities brace for Hurricane Florence

Environmental groups are afraid flooding could release toxic coal ash, but utilities say their bigger worry involves cooling ponds at regional power plants. 

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 12, 2018

SCE floats new wildfire grid upgrades after passage of California law

SCE's proposed $582 million hardening package comes in response to Senate Bill 901, which required utilities to update fire mitigation plans.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 12, 2018

McIntyre again defends FERC chief of staff amid political influence concerns

The FERC chairman said his chief of staff is "highly qualified" despite his comments that were widely interpreted as a statement that FERC is working with the White House on a bailout for coal and nuclear generators. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 12, 2018

Arizona regulators approve lower rooftop solar credits for TEP, UNSE customers

Regulators did not cut solar compensation as much as the utilities wanted, but installers still worry the lower rates will hamper adoption. 

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Sept. 12, 2018

Tucson Electric Power joins fight against Arizona's 50% renewables ballot initiative

Tucson Electric Power Co. has registered a political action committee to oppose the 50% renewable energy standard that will appear on ballots in November, according to local media reports. 

By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2018

Under new Iowa law, MidAmerican proposes to cut efficiency spending by 60%

Alliant and MidAmerican's recent filings reflected changes from recent state legislation enacted to cut back efficiency programs.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2018

California has a 100% clean energy goal, but not the laws to get it there, critics say

Legislators went big on renewable energy and utility wildfire protections, but went home before kickstarting clean energy procurement or expanding the CAISO market.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 11, 2018

Southern environmental groups sue TVA over new rates, grid charge

The five groups allege the utility's proposed rate structure discourages distributed energy adoption in order to maximize profits. 

By Catherine Morehouse • Sept. 11, 2018