As grid modernization accelerates, which states are in the lead, and why?

California, Illinois and Texas are at the top, according to the latest GridWise survey, with Rhode Island, Colorado and Washington showing the biggest improvement over the prior rankings.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 5, 2017

Feud of the Year: Nuclear and coal vs. competitive markets

The closing of coal and nuclear plants has sparked a regulatory battle that has gone all the way to the top of the energy regulatory food chain.

By Peter Maloney • Dec. 4, 2017

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

Senate passes tax bill, teeing up mad lobbying rush in conference committee

Clean energy interests will push for removal of the Base Erosion Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT) provision, while coal and nuclear lobbyists are reportedly planning a push to secure billions in tax credits for at-risk plants.

By Gavin Bade • Dec. 4, 2017

DOE NOPR costs would reach $263B, cause 27,000 premature deaths, study finds

Preventing the retirement of just nuclear capacity, instead of nuclear and coal, is the only simulated variation that Resources for the Future found to produce overall net benefits.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 4, 2017

Chatterjee blames national environmental groups for delaying pipeline approvals

Concerns over climate change have given rise to a "national keep-it-in-the-ground movement resisting any natural gas project as a matter of principle," Chatterjee said in a speech before gas executives Thursday.

By Gavin Bade • Dec. 1, 2017

New York energy storage target official after Gov. Cuomo signs bill

The state is now the fourth with an energy storage target, but specific details have yet to be unveiled. 

By Peter Maloney • Dec. 1, 2017

CPUC: SDG&E may not recover $379M from consumers for 2007 wildfires

The closely-watched decision could have implications for other utilities — including Pacific Gas & Electric which is under scrutiny for its role in wildfires that devastated Sonoma and Napa counties this fall. 

By Robert Walton • Dec. 1, 2017

A tale of 2 states: Massachusetts and California provide different lessons on growing community solar

The Golden State has no privately developed community solar while the Bay State has the second most in the U.S. — why?

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 30, 2017

US Trade Rep pushes for another ITC report ahead of solar trade case hearing

Ambassador Robert Lighthizer asked for additional information from the International Trade Commission, pushing back a final decision from President Donald Trump to the end of January. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Nov. 30, 2017

Last-minute provision in Senate tax bill could 'devastate' renewable energy

The so-called BEAT provision, introduced in committee mark-up, would reduce the value of tax equity deals that drive renewable energy investments.

By Peter Maloney • Nov. 30, 2017

California stakeholders push for community settlement, clean energy in Diablo Canyon oral hearing

At least 21 different organizations and municipalities testified in the final oral arguments on Tuesday. A final decision is expected by Dec. 14. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Nov. 30, 2017

What we talk about when we talk about resilience

DOE's proposal to support coal and nuclear plants lacks a definition of resilience, but that's critical to determining whether payments or other actions are warranted, Burcin Unel and Avi Zevin from the Institute for Policy Integrity write.

By Burcin Unel and Avi Zevin • Nov. 30, 2017

Senate committee advances controversial EPA, White House CEQ nominees

Andrew Wheeler, nominated for the No. 2 slot at EPA, was present for the crafting of the DOE NOPR as a Murray Energy lobbyist. Kathleen Hartnett White has compared a belief in climate change to paganism.

By Gavin Bade • Nov. 30, 2017

Amid criticism, Chatterjee claims 'no politicizing' in interim NOPR fix

The acting FERC chairman said his decision to float a plant subsidy plan with the press before presenting it to colleagues was "in no way trying to preempt" normal rulemaking procedures.

By Gavin Bade • Nov. 29, 2017

Familiar battle lines drawn in first day of EPA's single hearing on Clean Power Plan repeal

Coal barons, environmentalists and coal miners showed up at the agency's two-day hearing on the Clean Power Plan repeal in the heart of coal country. 

By Peter Maloney • Nov. 29, 2017

PG&E expects wildfire restoration costs to hit up to $200M

In an earnings call, utility officials cautioned that it's too early to pin power equipment as responsible for sparking the massive wildfires that ripped through northern California in October. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Nov. 29, 2017

Top energy storage projects driving the sector in 2017

From transmission deferral to hybrid generation, 2017 has seen a number of notable projects done by or for regulated utilities.

By Peter Maloney • Nov. 28, 2017

Updated: Glick sworn in at FERC; McIntyre arrival remains uncertain

It's taken more than three weeks for the FERC regulators to take their seats, but Acting Chairman Neil Chatterjee said there are no "Machiavellian games" in the works to see him retain the gavel.  

By Gavin Bade • Nov. 28, 2017

Gas rush: FERC's pipeline approvals underline persisting controversy over permitting

The federal agency has approved 8 Bcf/d of pipeline capacity in recent months, resisting calls to expand its evaluation procedures.

By Gavin Bade • Nov. 28, 2017

Updated: New audit shows utilities knew of schedule problems at V.C. Summer nuclear expansion

A 2015 draft audit of the project showed utilities would have missed a 2020 deadline to qualify for $2 billion in federal tax credits, but that information was scrubbed in the final 2016 report. 

By Peter Maloney • Nov. 28, 2017

SDG&E set to unveil renewables plan as alternative to San Diego's proposed CCA program

The initiative responds to San Diego's proposed government-run community choice aggregation program to meet the renewable energy target. 

By Katie Pyzyk • Nov. 27, 2017

McIntyre, Glick cleared to take FERC seats with White House signoff

A swearing-in ceremony could happen as soon as this week, filling the final vacancies at the commission as it considers a controversial plan to subsidize coal and nuclear plants. 

By Gavin Bade • Nov. 27, 2017

Has California built its last natural gas plant?

Two pending decisions from state regulators will decide how the Golden State moves toward a clean(er) energy future. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 22, 2017

Chatterjee: Sympathy for coal 'doesn't factor in' to baseload support plan

The acting FERC chairman told Utility Dive his "cultural sensitivity" for coal country "in no way will influence" the outcome of the DOE NOPR proceeding

By Gavin Bade • Nov. 21, 2017

Class action lawsuit targets Eversource, Avangrid over pipeline scheduling

An EDF report alleging the two utilities artificially constrained pipeline capacity has sparked a class action lawsuit from consumers who say the practice raised their electricity rates. 

By Gavin Bade • Nov. 20, 2017