APS interconnection reforms should be rejected, RWE Clean Energy, trade groups tell FERC

Arizona Public Service’s proposal creates major burdens for renewable energy developers, including “impossible” commercial readiness requirements, the organizations told FERC.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 7, 2023

The imperative of free, green and secure wires reform

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must advance transmission planning reforms and bolster interconnection rules to improve grid reliability, lower consumer costs and cut power plant emissions.

By Devin Hartman and Jennie Chen • Aug. 7, 2023

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

FERC rejects requests from Entergy, others for waivers of MISO’s seasonal capacity rules

Granting the waivers would have hurt generators across the grid operator’s footprint by reducing their capacity values, the agency said Friday.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 7, 2023

Helical piles improve cost, schedule and durability of substantial industrial projects

Helical piles have secured their spot as one of the most resilient, cost-effective foundation choices.

Aug. 7, 2023

Industry cries wolf yet again over EPA’s power plant carbon rules

In case after case, industry has complained that EPA rules would be more costly than predicted. But, in fact, the costs are typically much, much less than the agency anticipated.

By Sophia Ahmed • Aug. 4, 2023

FERC interconnection rule may not speed process in much of US: experts

Many transmission providers already use the just-issued rule’s central reform, dampening its effect in large parts of the U.S., lawyers and industry experts say.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 4, 2023

NYISO warns FERC waiver for Hecate’s 650-MW storage project could set bad precedent

Hecate Grid said it will abandon the $300 million battery storage project on Staten Island if it doesn’t receive a one-year extension to meet some of the grid operator’s interconnection requirements.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 1, 2023

White House proposes environmental review reforms, in part to speed clean energy projects

“These reforms to federal environmental reviews will deliver better decisions, faster permitting, and more community input and local buy-in,” said Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory.

By Ethan Howland • July 31, 2023

Resource adequacy — time for a new approach

Anticipate more activity on resource adequacy in the coming months and years as the clean energy transition evolves.

July 31, 2023

FERC issues rule to speed grid connections for storage, renewables, other generators amid 2-TW backlog

With generators facing years to complete interconnection reviews, the rule is a “significant” step in getting new power supplies online, but more work is needed, according to experts.

By Ethan Howland • July 28, 2023

Barrasso ties possible transmission reforms to ‘premature’ power plant retirements

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., continues to seek bipartisan permitting reforms, but a possible sticking point emerged at a Senate hearing Wednesday.

By Ethan Howland • July 27, 2023

How the Fiscal Responsibility Act could impact permitting

The Fiscal Responsibility Act is set to majorly impact environmental permitting and land development processes.

July 24, 2023

I claimed energy independence for my co-op last summer — Here’s what happened next

No community should be dictated what source of power generation they have to consume — and no group should be beholden to another group charging them ever-escalating and opaque pricing.

By Luis A. Reyes, Jr. • July 21, 2023

America faces another high-wire moment: This one around its energy future

The debt ceiling bill included some much-needed reforms to improve the efficiency of the permitting process for energy infrastructure. But they were step one. The question is, what comes next?

By Amy Andryszak and Jason Grumet • July 18, 2023

Lawmakers urge NRC to address several issues in draft licensing framework for advanced reactors

Concerns include “inconsistent application of new programs and terminology,” the 20 senators and 44 House members said.

By Robert Walton • July 18, 2023

Federal appeals court strikes down FERC approval of Southeastern SEEM market

The market’s transmission rules may violate Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requirements that transmission owners provide open access to their systems, the court said.

By Ethan Howland • July 17, 2023

FERC reverses course, rejects SPP regional transmission cost allocation pathway for wind-heavy zones

After considering arguments from American Electric Power, OGE Energy and Xcel Energy utilities, FERC decided the Southwest Power Pool plan gave too much discretion to its board.

By Ethan Howland • July 14, 2023

The meaning of an ‘optimal’ clean energy investment is changing as prices rise, analysts report

Inflation Reduction Act incentives and supply-demand imbalances have developers and off-takers recalculating the value of clean energy.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 13, 2023

Evergy capital plan rises 64% in 4 years, reflecting surge in US utility spending: Kansas regulatory staff

S&P Global expects record-setting capital spending by utilities starting this year, partly in response to federal clean energy and infrastructure policy.

By Ethan Howland • July 12, 2023

Bigger meals require better receipts: A call for coordinated greenhouse gas emissions tracking

States need to work together to create a consistent, transparent and ironclad greenhouse gas accounting system, writes Abigail Anthony, a commissioner with the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission.

By Abigail Anthony • July 12, 2023

How years of mismanagement and regulatory failures broke California’s utilities

There is a chronic misperception that Herculean efforts are required to overhaul utility infrastructure and set California back on the path of improvement. In fact, the solutions are much more basic than that.

By Jeffrey Conklin and Andrew Heath • July 11, 2023

How hourly tracking can prevent a ‘clean’ hydrogen boondoggle

Hourly matching is feasible, in use today and absolutely necessary for deploying clean hydrogen and building a clean grid.

By Ben Gerber and Killian Daly • July 10, 2023

State clean energy goals are ‘key driver’ for generation growth, but impact differs between regions: report

In Texas and the Midwest, renewables growth has “far outpaced RPS needs, driven by attractive wind energy economics,” says a Berkeley Lab report.

By Diana DiGangi • July 10, 2023

DC Circuit backs FERC decision in interconnection dispute between Hecate Energy, NYISO

The case centers on how detailed a grid operator’s tariff must be. A lack of clarity will delay renewable energy projects, according to Hecate Energy.

By Ethan Howland • July 10, 2023

From power to pharma, companies need better carbon emissions reporting

The key to progress is interoperability, or the ability to compare, share and use information across greenhouse gas accounting and reporting systems.

By Liv Watson and Marian Van Pelt • July 7, 2023