Chief Justice rejects state request to block MATS implementation

Chief Justice John Roberts decided to act unilaterally on the stay petition, The Hill reports, rather than allowing the full court to rule, which could have led to a 4-4 split after the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia last month. 

By Gavin Bade • March 3, 2016

EIA: Solar to lead utility-scale capacity additions in 2016, followed by gas, wind

The forecasted 9.5 GW of solar capacity additions would be slightly higher than the 9.4 GW added in the three previous years combined.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016

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

Oregon bill to curb coal, set 50% RPS heads to governor after Senate passage

Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign the bill to set a 50% renewable energy standard and eliminate coal from the state's power mix. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016

As Xcel pushes non-wire alternatives, solar+storage pilot sparks utility ownership debate

Everyone loves that Xcel Minnesota is considering DERs instead of traditional infrastructure, but not that the utility wants to own them itself.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016

Solar fight turns to presidential-style bare-knuckle campaign tactics

The presidential election season means hardball politics, but TASC's Bryan Miller argues utilities have used dirty tactics to stifle rooftop solar for years.

By Bryan Miller • March 2, 2016

ARPA-E 2016: Sector leaders look to capitalize on 'the best of times for innovation in energy'

At ARPA-E's annual innovations summit, Moniz, Gore and other energy insiders say the stars are aligning for clean energy, but utilities must be on board.

By Krysti Shallenberger • March 2, 2016

Mass. Sen. Markey to push extension of 30% ITC for offshore wind to 2025

Long lead times for offshore wind facilities means many developers can't take advantage before current incentives phase out in the early 2020s. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 2, 2016

Oregon bill to curb coal use, set 50% renewables mandate heads to Senate after House passage

After an earlier version of the bill was caught up in weeks of partisan wrangling, backers say they expect a quick passage in the Senate before the end of the week.  

By Herman K. Trabish • March 2, 2016

NJ Senate committee passes bill for 80% renewable energy standard

A nearly identical bill passed the full New Jersey Senate last year, but failed to come to a vote in the lower house.

By Robert Walton • March 2, 2016

North Carolina approves 2 of Duke's 3 proposed gas units, opponents vow appeal

Critics, wary of increasing reliance on natural gas, are already indicating they will appeal the state's decision, saying Duke "never had to substantiate its claim that customer demand will soar."

By Robert Walton • March 2, 2016

The sector favorite: Storage tops utility tech picks for second year running

Utility Dive's third annual survey of electric utility professionals shows even greater interest in energy storage.

By Peter Maloney • March 1, 2016

DC mayor opposes revised Exelon-Pepco settlement, putting deal at risk

The statement from Mayor Muriel Bowser comes hours after the residential ratepayer advocate for the city announced she opposes the revised settlement conditions as well. 

By Gavin Bade • March 1, 2016

Updated: DC ratepayer advocate opposes revised Exelon-Pepco merger terms

The Office of People's Counsel said in a release Tuesday that the conditions put on a settlement agreement by the Public Service Commission last week mean the deal is no longer in the interest of ratepayers. 

By Gavin Bade • March 1, 2016

Minnesota Power line approved to link Canadian hydro and storage to Midwest wind

The Great Northern transmission line line will help the Minnesota utility access hydropower and pumped storage facilities in Manitoba. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 1, 2016

Washington state withdraws carbon regulation scheme following industry concern

State regulators will head back to the drawing board, withdrawing plans to lmit the carbon emissions of the state's largest polluters.

By Robert Walton • March 1, 2016

Senate set for full vote on bipartisan energy bill after Flint funding impasse

After the legislation was delayed over funding for the Flint water crisis, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who is shepherding the bill, says lawmakers could knock it out in a single afternoon.

By Robert Walton • March 1, 2016

'Only a matter of time': U.S. offshore wind struggles to get off the ground

The U.S. offshore wind industry still lags far behind Europe and China but it has its first steel in the water and sees growth in its future.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 1, 2016

Consistent change: How utility professionals view the evolving power mix

The new resource mix will meet federal regulations and state mandates with wind and solar supported by natural gas and DERs.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 29, 2016

Montana-Dakota Utilities drops demand charge push after deal with solar advocates

Under deals struck with solar advocates and consumer groups, MDU rates would go up about 13% but there will be no solar-specific demand charge.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 29, 2016

Missouri utilities throw weight behind rate regulatory reform bill

Supporters say the measure will allow utilities to more quickly upgrade the state's transmission system, but critics warn it leaves the Missouri Public Service Commission with little oversight.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 29, 2016

Inside the PSC: DC regulators offer clear path to Exelon-Pepco merger approval

In a surprise double vote, regulators rejected a settlement agreement on the merger and then outlined five changes to the deal that would result in its approval.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 26, 2016

Updated: DC regulators reject Exelon-Pepco merger, but recommend changes for approval

The stakes were high for Exelon, which sought the predictable income of Pepco's utility business to hedge against risks presented by its fleet of older nuclear plants. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 26, 2016

SolarCity rolls out storage, smart tech system for Hawaii's self-supply option

SolarCity's new product offers “demand flexibility" and could give solar owners ability to consume 90% of their generation.  

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 26, 2016

Updated: A brief history of the Exelon-Pepco merger saga

Two years after the deal was first announced, the merger that would create the nation's largest electric utility is coming to its conclusion. Here's a timeline of how we got here.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 25, 2016

HECO cancels 3 solar contracts with SunEdison

Hawaiian Electric Companies move to cancel three SunEdison contracts put the solar developer's $336 million debt restructuring deal in doubt, and sparked the ire of Hawaii's Public Utilities Commission Chair Randy Iwase. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 25, 2016