Sen. Barrasso searches for CO2 value, not price, to boost carbon capture use

The Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee anticipates that his broadly-supported bipartisan carbon capture bill, which cleared committee unanimously, will pass in the Senate this year.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • June 28, 2018

Assuring grid reliability in California — a view from Commissioner Randolph

A decade and a half after the energy crisis, market behavior and a changing portfolio have triggered new moves to ensure California has enough affordable generation to meet demand.

By Liane M. Randolph • June 28, 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

10th in energy efficiency, US is falling in rank because of Trump's policies, ACEEE says

The report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy notes the United States' withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.

By Robert Walton • June 26, 2018

California ISO's long road ahead to turn storage into a transmission asset

Responses to CAISO's "storage as a transmission asset" proposal show there is more work to be done, as developers and investor-owned utilities support opposing cost-recovery options.

By Peter Maloney • June 26, 2018

Perry stays vague on DOE's coal and nuclear bailout progress

Energy Secretary Rick Perry told reporters that details and a timeline for following the president's directive aimed at saving struggling coal and nuclear plants were not ready to be shared yet.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • June 26, 2018

EPA wades into FERC pipeline debate, offering GHG assessment tools

The agency, which has been criticized for regulatory rollbacks, gave the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission advice on how to account for climate impacts and monetize emissions for the permitting process of new natural gas infrastructure.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • June 26, 2018

Fuel cost risk sharing order for Hawaiian Electric seen as 'landmark' clean energy driver

The risk sharing between HECO and its customers is capped at $2.5 million per year to protect the utility from "significant unanticipated increases in fuel prices," while prodding it to reduce prices and fuel use.

By Robert Walton • June 26, 2018

US solar industry gets boost with new IRS guidance

The much-anticipated clarification allows developers to qualify for a 30% tax credit if they can prove that they invested at least 5% of the total expected installation costs by the end of 2019.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • June 25, 2018

Utility bankruptcy concerns rise as bill comes due for 2017 California fires

Some 394 wildfires at the end of 2017 could cost California's IOUs tens of billions, but there are ways to mitigate the financial impact.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 25, 2018

Study: Sea level rise threatens 2.4M US homes

UCS found the hardest hit communities will be in Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey and North Carolina. But they didn't simply offer a doom and gloom report without hope for reversing the negative findings. 

By Katie Pyzyk • June 22, 2018

New York unveils roadmap to 1.5 GW storage by 2025

The state has considerations underway to set a more ambitious long-term energy storage target for 2030.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • June 21, 2018

Daimler facility stores batteries for EVs while providing storage to grid

Daimler and Mercedes-Benz Energy are providing grid service from an energy storage facility in a former German coal plant.

By Peter Maloney • June 21, 2018

Exelon, First Solar back bipartisan national carbon tax plan

Exelon has already contributed $1 million to the proposal, which would replace carbon regulations with a tax that would ultimately result in a monthly dividend returned to all Americans, according to Axios.

By Robert Walton • June 21, 2018

Colorado regulators boost Xcel efficiency target 25%

Xcel subsidiary Public Service Company of Colorado asked the PUC to keep its goal steady at 400 GWh of annual reductions, but regulators are convinced the utility can do more.

By Robert Walton • June 21, 2018

'Restructured' by any other name would smell as sweet

On the subject of energy markets and their functioning, there's no free market electricity competition, with or without the Trump administration's baseload power supply subsidy plan, former FERC Commissioner Tony Clark writes.

By Tony Clark • June 21, 2018

Republicans tout tax law success in hearing on energy sector impacts

While Republican witnesses cited increased wages, capital expenditures and company growth from the recent changes to the tax code, the lone Democrat witness said the bulk of the benefits are bypassing the middle class.

By Peter Maloney • June 21, 2018

In Massachusetts, capacity ownership of distributed resources could determine fate of storage

Current debates over ownership and control of capacity rights associated with solar and energy storage projects could have a big impact on the trajectory of the technologies in the state.

By Peter Maloney • June 20, 2018

Economic growth is decoupling from power sector carbon emissions, Ceres reports

The analysis shows that the mercury standards focused on technologies used in coal plants effectively lowered air emissions 86% from 2000 levels after going in effect in 2015.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • June 20, 2018

World on track for 50% renewables by 2050, says Bloomberg energy outlook

Wind and solar will provide almost 50% of the world's electricity, with hydro, nuclear and other renewables taking total zero-carbon electricity up to 71%.

By Robert Walton • June 19, 2018

As EPA approves Oklahoma coal ash program, researchers find widespread contamination

While EPA on Monday approved the first state permit program for coal ash disposal, a review from Ohio Valley ReSource and WFPL showed 'ubiquitous' groundwater contamination in the Ohio Valley.

By Robert Walton • June 19, 2018

Maine finds marijuana growers too risky for energy efficiency grants

Maine Efficiency Executive Director Michael Stoddard cited Attorney General Jeff Sessions' interest in shutting down marijuana operations.

By Robert Walton • June 19, 2018

Is New Hampshire on the verge of battery energy storage history?

A Liberty Utilities-stakeholder settlement could put 1,000 behind-the-meter batteries in place and provide a model for the rest of the country.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 19, 2018

Moody's goes negative on regulated utilities for first time, citing tax law impacts

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley upgraded the utilities sector to outperform, and an analyst note remarked that utility stocks are primed for defensive investments.

By Peter Maloney • June 19, 2018

100% renewable energy omnibus clears Massachusetts Senate

The package of energy bills would also remove net metering caps, increase the storage mandate and void demand charges approved earlier this year for Eversource. 

By Iulia Gheorghiu • June 18, 2018

Should the regulatory two-step give way to a new, performance-based dance?

Critics say traditional cost-of-service ratemaking is behind the times, but newer models require a complex production from a variety of industry players. 

By Herman K. Trabish • June 18, 2018