Virginia Supreme Court upholds utility rate freeze law

Utilities say the five-year freeze protects customers from Clean Power Plan compliance, but consumer advocates argue it allows power companies overcharge ratepayers without regulatory review. 

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 15, 2017

Arizona regulator Doug Little appointed to DOE

Little will become the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental and External Affairs at the Energy Department in October.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 15, 2017

Explore the Trendline➔

The Energy Transition to Renewables

New policy and business actions are giving a significant boost to renewable energy in the U.S., but opposition is growing and grid interconnection, permitting, labor and other challenges remain.

By Utility Dive staff

DOE awards $20M to commercialize new energy technologies

More than 50 projects at 12 national labs will receive funding to help them bridge the gap to commercial use. 

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 15, 2017

EPA delays rule limiting toxic metal discharges from coal plants

The rule limiting heavy metal discharges from coal plants into lakes and rivers had been set to go into effect in 2018, but will now be delayed two years.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 15, 2017

Alectra Utilities CEO: 'Someone's going to cannibalize our business — it may as well be us'

"Someone's going to eat our lunch. They're lining up to do it," CEO Brian Bentz told Utility Dive. Here's how the Canadian utility is moving aggressively into DERs.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 14, 2017

Tax equity financing for renewable energy healthy, but with risks: CohnReznick

The company sees good deal flow and an expanding pool of investors, but potential tax changes present an element of risk.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 14, 2017

Illinois energy reform set to shape new solar business models for utilities

Rate-based returns on distributed resources could allow utilities to displace traditional investments and drive a community solar boom.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 13, 2017

Michigan advocates fear rollback of retail electric choice program

The Michigan Public Service Commission is considering requiring alternative suppliers to procure the electricity they sell from in-state generators.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 13, 2017

Brattle: Regulatory barriers prevent stacking of battery benefits

Even in California's nation-leading storage market, stacking battery benefits still faces regulatory and rate design challenges, a new report finds. 

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 13, 2017

FERC evaluating enhanced baseload compensation, Chatterjee writes

The acting FERC chair would have told a cancelled House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing that his commission is evaluating "compensation for providing [reliability] services," Axios reports. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 12, 2017

California Dems look to restart CAISO regionalization with 11th hour amendments

With only days left in the state's legislative session, lawmakers are pushing bills that would create a planning process for a full ISO across the western United States. 

By Gavin Bade , Peter Maloney • Sept. 12, 2017

Utilities see benefits in energy storage, even without mandates

Greater operational flexibility, customer savings, frequency response and black start capability were among the advantages cited by utilities in pursuing storage absent any legal requirement.  

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 12, 2017

Mississippi Power fails to reach PSC settlement over Kemper costs again

State regulators already extended a settlement deadline in August after its staff and the utility failed to reach a settlement over Kemper costs. 

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 12, 2017

Half of Florida still without power as Irma churns into Southeast

Federal officials say storm recovery and power restoration will involve the "largest ever mobilization of line restoration workers in this country."

By Robert Walton • Sept. 12, 2017

DOE grid study offers no panaceas to struggling nuclear and coal plants

Ray Gifford, a former Colorado regulator and partner at Wilkinson, Barker and Knaur law firm, says the study's modest findings highlight the tension between energy policies. 

By Ray Gifford • Sept. 11, 2017

California energy interests set to square off over Puente natural gas plant

Solar and storage can meet power needs cheaper than outdated capacity analyses suggest, clean energy advocates will tell regulators this week. 

By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2017

Bill to California governor would direct utilities to plan storage, DERs for peak demand

SB 338 would compel utilities to include considerations for peak demand management with storage, efficiency and DERs in their integrated resource plans. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 11, 2017

Arizona regulator can't demand campaign finance records, APS says

The utility filed court documents against Arizona Corporation Commissioner Bob Burns, saying only state lawmakers can demand more details of campaign spending.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2017

DOE grid study dominates FERC nomination hearing

The hearing illustrated how politicians of all stripes are deploying the study's findings to support their views on power sector transformation.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 8, 2017

Report: NRC Commissioner Baran to be renominated

There's still no word on when two other nominees to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Annie Caputo and David Wright, might see a Senate vote.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 8, 2017

Retail electricity prices rise, spurred by boost in delivery costs, EIA says

The average retail price of electricity in the U.S. increased about 1.5% annually between 2006 and 2016. 

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 8, 2017

Behind-the-meter storage has record quarter, GTM-ESA report says

Despite the large uptick in one category, the overall number of new storage deployments declined from the first to the second quarter.

By Peter Maloney • Sept. 8, 2017

New emails reveal behind-the-scenes battle over Summer nuke

Utility officials suspected they were victims of "financial malfeasance" by contractor Westinghouse as early as last summer, hiring bankruptcy lawyers in June 2016.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 8, 2017

Choosing the right grid infrastructure in the wake of the DOE grid study

Rocky Mountain Institute's Mark Dyson says the grid study failed to highlight the opportunities to boost resiliency with distributed energy resources. 

By Mark Dyson • Sept. 7, 2017

Renewables developers 'gaming' PURPA should force reforms, utilities tell Congress

Testimony to a House Energy & Commerce subcommittee comes as lawmakers draft revisions to the 40-year-old law.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 7, 2017