Massachusetts seeks proposals for energy storage demo projects

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center issued a solicitation for energy storage demonstration projects, offering up to $10 million in awards. 

By Peter Maloney • March 13, 2017

Montana lawmakers unveil bills to address Colstrip coal unit retirements

Three bills would direct decommissioning plans and provide tax credits for Colstrip units slated to be shuttered by 2022.

By Gavin Bade • March 13, 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

New Hampshire utilities, solar companies file rate design settlement proposals

The separate proposals find common ground on TOU pilots and non-bypassable charges, but differ on how they would allow solar customers to net their bill credits.  

By Krysti Shallenberger • March 13, 2017

How to get the most out of grid modernization, in 5 simple steps

A new paper offers guidelines for designing and evaluating expensive utility grid modernization proposals.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 13, 2017

Report: Trump plans not to replace Clean Power Plan with new carbon rule

A new report suggests the administration will not issue a new rule, but it remains unclear whether the EPA will seek to eliminate carbon regulations completely or scale the Clean Power Plan back to a less stringent rule. 

By Gavin Bade • March 9, 2017

Updated: Trump to nominate McIntyre, Chatterjee, Powelson to FERC, reports say

Kevin McIntyre, a lawyer at Jones Day, is expected to be nominated to chair the commission, Bloomberg reports. 

By Gavin Bade • March 9, 2017

Florida subcommittee advances bill to revise utility regulation

The measure would reduce term limits in the Florida Public Service Commission, while requiring regional diversity among its five members. 

By Robert Walton • March 9, 2017

Ohio's REV: PUCO to explore grid modernization, utility reform in PowerForward initiative

Unlike other initiatives, which began with an end goal in mind, PUCO Chair Asim Haque says his proceeding will be more "exploratory" at the outset.

By Gavin Bade • March 8, 2017

California regulators propose doubling funds for Self-Generation Incentive Program

A proposed decision from the CPUC would increase funding for the Self Generation Incentive Program by $249 million over three years. 

By Gavin Bade • March 8, 2017

'Can't be half-pregnant': Power market upheavals prompt states, feds to take action

As FERC prepares for a technical conference on wholesale market issues, three new states are considering nuclear supports and gas plants are coming under pressure in ERCOT and CAISO. 

By Robert Walton • March 8, 2017

How ConEd's mobile battery REV demo could build a new storage business model

The company may not break even on a pilot to deploy mobile battery systems to stressed parts of the grid, but sees the project as a test of new market models for utilities and private vendors alike. 

By Peter Maloney • March 7, 2017

FERC plans technical conference on state generation supports in wholesale markets

Independent generators are concerned that state subsidies for certain plants violate FERC jurisdiction and threaten price formation in organized markets. 

By Gavin Bade • March 7, 2017

How climate change will stress the grid and what ISOs are doing about it

Global warming is expected to increase peak demand and extreme weather events, but new grid planning practices can help ensure power reliability. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 6, 2017

Report: Lack of mandates, incentives holding solar+storage back in New York City

Ancillary service rules in the NYISO market were also listed as an impediment to battery deployment in the new report from CUNY and NREL. 

By Peter Maloney • March 6, 2017

ZEN Energy of Australia proposes 50 MW storage project to counter blackouts

With a large battery system in place, rolling outages in South Australia last month "would not have happened," company leaders told government officials. 

By Peter Maloney • March 3, 2017

Commodities giant Vitol taps NEC to build 50 MW UK storage project for National Grid

NEC will build two battery facilities with a combined capacity of 50 MW, 35 MWh to provide frequency response to the U.K. utility. 

By Peter Maloney • March 3, 2017

New Mexico gives quick approval to El Paso Electric demand response program

The small pilot will allow the utility to remotely communicate with smart thermostats to control participating customer’s electrical load. 

By Robert Walton • March 2, 2017

Senate confirms Rick Perry to lead Department of Energy

The former Texas governor will now head the agency he once proposed eliminating. 

By Robert Walton, Gavin Bade • March 2, 2017

Utilities, regulators find common ground in reforms to encourage cloud computing

Traditional utility regulation does not allow companies to rate-base cloud computing services. A growing number of regulators want to change that. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 2, 2017

Reports: Trump to issue order rolling back Clean Power Plan next week

Along with the executive orders, budget cuts at the EPA would reportedly eliminate more than a dozen greenhouse gas programs. 

By Robert Walton • March 2, 2017

Senate confirms Zinke to lead Department of Interior

Zinke is expected to support more energy production on public lands and won support from more than a dozen Democrats. 

By Robert Walton • March 2, 2017

Arizona Public Service, solar industry reach critical rate case settlement

The deal reduces rooftop solar compensation and lets customers choose from a variety of rate designs, including time-of-use and demand-based rates.

By Krysti Shallenberger • March 1, 2017

Indiana Senate votes to end retail rate net metering

The bill to lower rooftop solar compensation now heads to the state's Republican-controlled House of Representatives. 

By Robert Walton • March 1, 2017

ARPA-E 2017: Optimism turns to tension as sector prepares to protect energy R&D funding

The prospect of Trump budget cuts hung over the federal government's clean energy research summit this year.

By Krysti Shallenberger • March 1, 2017

Reports: Trump budget would cut EPA funding by a quarter, targeting enforcement activities

Budget cuts would reportedly spare grants to state and local governments, which could mean steep reductions in funding for enforcement of federal environmental laws. 

By Robert Walton • Feb. 28, 2017