California energy agency predicts rising power demand

The California Energy Commission on Feb. 21 released its updated demand forecast, which sees higher consumption driven by electric vehicles and climate change. 

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 23, 2018

Customer empowerment upheaval forces California into hold on renewables

Customer choice aggregation is sweeping through California, putting almost everything about the state’s already groundbreaking power delivery into doubt.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 22, 2018

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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

Florida PSC staff pushes approval of FPL gas plant over opposition

The commission will vote March 1 on whether to approve a 1,163 MW gas plant — far larger than opponents say is necessary to cover demand.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 22, 2018

EPA moves to reject CT complaint over Brunner Island plant emissions

Connecticut had filed a complaint with the agency arguing that cross-state pollution from the plant was putting it in violation of ground-level ozone standards. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 22, 2018

Public Citizen says PJM violated FPA with political contributions

PJM says the nearly $500,000 it gave to the governors associations of both political parties was merely for membership fees. The liberal watchdog says that still violates the Federal Power Act.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 21, 2018

LaFleur warns against PJM plan altering 'fundamental' energy market mechanics

The federal regulator said her agency should "think very hard" before it alters which resources can set market prices during an address that also touched on grid resilience and the growth of Western energy markets.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 21, 2018

University of Georgia study is disconnected from grid economics

R Street Institute's Devin Hartman says a new study fails to accurately weigh the contrasts between wholesale markets and monopoly utility regulation. 

By Devin Hartman • Feb. 21, 2018

DOE 'would never use' emergency order for uneconomic plants, Walker says

"It's never come to my attention, nobody's talked about it, nobody in my department is doing anything with it," DOE Assistant Secretary Bruce Walker said of a potential 202(c) order to prop up coal plants. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 20, 2018

Utility-backed Mississippi bill to limit power of attorney general

The measure, attached to a bill authorizing the Public Service Commission's continued operation, would limit the ability of the state Attorney General to challenge rates.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 20, 2018

Why utilities and environmentalists can find common (green) ground

Ex-FERC Chair Norman Bay argues clean energy can gain more ground if utilities and enviros team up. 

By Norman C. Bay • Feb. 20, 2018

FERC order opens 'floodgates' for energy storage in wholesale markets

The commission directed grid operators to develop rules that would allow storage to participate in the wholesale energy, capacity and ancillary services markets and could put it on equal footing with other resources.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 20, 2018

Are recent disasters enough to spur utilities to take climate change seriously?

Sector expert Allison Silverstein argues utilities need a new paradigm in long-term grid planning.

By Krysti Shallenberger • Feb. 20, 2018

Reports: NextEra nearing bid for troubled Santee Cooper

The Florida-based utility could pay up to nearly $15.9 billion for the public utility, but exact pricing remains unclear. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 20, 2018

PJM board sends competing capacity market reforms to FERC

The grid operator's decision sets up a rare policy face-off at FERC that could raise legal stakes for the agency.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 16, 2018

South Carolina House votes to fire all PSC regulators

The bill, passed 108-1, would remove all seven regulators by the end of next year and set stricter ethics requirements following the cancellation of the V.C. Summer nuclear plant expansion. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 16, 2018

Consumers deserve a market fix from FERC, PJM

PJM's proposal to compensate generators fairly when their power is needed to meet demand will help increase energy market efficiency, benefiting both consumers and suppliers, former FERC Commissioner Marc Spitzer writes.

By Marc Spitzer • Feb. 16, 2018

Moody's pans White House plan to divest TVA, BPA

Both the Tennessee Valley Authority and Bonneville Power Administration are well managed and selling them would be credit negative, according to the ratings agency.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 15, 2018

South Carolina lawmakers push back, putting Dominion acquisition of SCANA in doubt

State senators said Wednesday they would give the Public Service Commission until Dec. 21 to decide how to handle customer charges for costs associated with the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 15, 2018

New Arizona renewable ballot initiative could spark utility opposition

The measure would boost the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard to 50% by 2030, following a proposal from a state official to raise it to 80% by 2050. But the state's largest utility might not be on board.

By Krysti Shallenberger • Feb. 15, 2018

FERC issues storage, reliability orders, calls conference on aggregated DERs

The commission directed grid operators to design rules that allow storage to provide energy, capacity and ancillary services, as well as set wholesale prices as buyers and sellers. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 15, 2018

How solar owners' post-hurricane demand for batteries could impact utilities

Extreme weather is driving customers to solar-plus-storage as backup power, but they can use it to cut back on electricity use, too

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 15, 2018

New ISO-NE report warns fuel supply could harm reliability

The finding echoes similar warnings the grid operator produced earlier this year following a cold snap in late December and early January. 

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 14, 2018

ISO-NE presses FERC to approve capacity market reform

The grid operator argues its two-part capacity market proposal will better integrate subsidized resources than existing rules. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 14, 2018

New DOE office to focus on cybersecurity, grid threats

Almost $100 million for the new Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) was included in President Trump’s 2019 budget request.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 14, 2018

Resilience, pipelines & PURPA: FERC regulators preview major issues at NARUC

State utility regulators heard from all five federal energy regulators at a conference in Washington this week.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 14, 2018