The Value of Less: Quantifying the benefit of peak demand savings

Depending on where you live, every dollar spent on demand response could save up to $4, according to a new Advanced Energy Economy report. So what needs to happen in order to expand demand response's penetration?

By Robert Walton • Nov. 4, 2015

California ballot initiative would eliminate IOUs, establish statewide public utility

The Secretary of State on Friday approved the petition's language, greenlighting efforts to get 365,000 signatures to form a statewide public utility.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 3, 2015

Explore the Trendline➔

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

New Mexico regulators deny El Paso Electric monthly charge on distributed generation

The ruling to protect DG owners from discriminatory ratemaking practices follows similar decisions in other states.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 3, 2015

Duke looks to extend licenses for aging nuke fleet in the Carolinas

Duke Energy officials say they will hold on to their nuclear fleet in North and South Carolina as long as possible, doubting the chances for new generation.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 3, 2015

The day after: How solar can thrive in the post-net metering era

With storage, TOU rates and control tech, solar can boom in the absence of net metering and benefit utilities as well.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 3, 2015

Maryland attorney general wants state to reconsider Exelon-Pepco merger approval

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh has thrown his support behind a bid to undo approval of the Exelon-Pepco deal, arguing the merger will hold back efforts to modernize the state's grid.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 2, 2015

DC Circuit will wait until after Paris climate talks to rule on Clean Power Plan stay

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has set the schedule for arguments related to a stay on the Clean Power Plan, but won't rule on them until after climate change talks conclude in Paris this year.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 2, 2015

Wisconsin Public Service seeks third fixed charge increase in three years

As WPS looks to add another $6 to monthly residential fixed charges, a state court tosses out an earlier fixed charge increase from We Energies saying it discriminates against solar owners.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 2, 2015

Arizona gears up for full cost-benefit solar value proceeding

Can a combination of cost-of-service and value-of-solar studies end the state's distributed generation wars?

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 2, 2015

Exelon delays decision on Illinois nuke after MISO announces potential market changes

The Midcontinent ISO last week acknowledged the need for market changes in the southern Illinois area, giving new hope to Exelon's struggling Clinton nuclear facility.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 2, 2015

Massachusetts is one of six states looking at a carbon price

A Massachusetts lawmaker is sponsoring a bill aimed at taxing carbon to help meet emissions goals, which would start out at $10/ton.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 30, 2015

Inside the first fully dispatchable utility solar-storage project in Hawaii

SolarCity is combining solar panels and storage in a single project on Kaua'i, but the most innovative part of the deal could be how it is structured.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 29, 2015

NV Energy remains on track to join Western energy imbalance market

FERC approved a California ISO tariff change aimed at allowing the utility to participate in the Energy Imbalance Market, but a few other details will need to be worked out first.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 29, 2015

How utilities are getting in on the transmission building boom

New renewables generation under the Clean Power Plan will require thousands of miles of new transmission, and increasingly utilities are getting in on the race to build it.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 29, 2015

NextEra, HEI ask PUC to exclude merger intervenors pushing for public utility

Utilities argue the proceeding should only be about the $4.3B merger and not about public utility alternatives.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 29, 2015

Massachusetts House seeks 2,400 MW cap on net metering

Legislative leaders say they want to give residential solar some breathing room before they push to pass a comprehensive energy bill next year. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 29, 2015

Rocky Mountain Power unveils clean energy proposal, but skeptics remain

The Salt Lake City-based utility wants to offer a new, lower tariff for expanding businesses and split residential bills into use and access charges in a plan aimed at cutting emissions. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 29, 2015

West Virginia gov. says his state will file CPP compliance plan

West Virginia's attorney general is leading the lawsuit challenging the Clean Power Plan, but the state's governor says a compliance plan will be filed anyway in hopes of "lessening the pain."

By Robert Walton • Oct. 29, 2015

Letter reveals 7 of 13 DC council members support Exelon-Pepco merger

Approval from the D.C. PSC is the final hurdle Exelon must clear to create the nation's largest electric utility.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 28, 2015

Good news for Exelon: DC regulators vote to evaluate Pepco merger settlement

The PSC voted Wednesday to consider a settlement Exelon reached with the DC mayor after it rejected an initial merger proposal in August.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 28, 2015

Southern Co., rural co-ops buck utility trend in challenging Clean Power Plan

While most utilities around the country are deciding to comply rather than fight the Obama administration's plan to reduce greenhouse gasses, coal-dependent Southern Co. and a coalition of electric co-ops have filed suit against the regulatory package. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 28, 2015

FERC: Renewables account for over 60% of new generation in 2015

The latest energy infrastructure report from FERC finds wind up to 5.9% of U.S. generation capacity, while solar passes the 1% mark, even with the rooftop sector not included.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 28, 2015

SCE fined $16.7M for illegal regulatory communications on San Onofre closure

Utility execs had prohibited communications with regulators on the $4.7B settlement, an administrative law judge decided.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 28, 2015

NEI chief: More nuclear retirements to come in unregulated markets

The head of the Nuclear Energy Institute predicted that nuclear plants would be forced to shutter due to market rules that he says do not properly value baseload capacity.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 28, 2015

Plans to expand Texas nuke plant by 2 units pass NRC safety tests

Nuclear regulators have completed a Final Safety Evaluation Report examining a Texas nuclear expansion, concluding the developer is technically and financially capable of moving ahead with the South Texas Project in Bay City.  

By Robert Walton • Oct. 28, 2015