Secretive committee of utility insiders could undermine Texas energy leadership and affordability

The Texas Legislature needs to ensure that self-interested electric generation actors are not sacrificing Texas families and businesses to protect their market share, the author writes.

By Landon Stevens • Sept. 20, 2022

California becomes first state to eliminate subsidies for gas line extensions amid electrification push

Current subsidies for gas line extensions are “a vestige of the past” that no longer makes sense in light of California’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, CPUC Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen said Thursday. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Sept. 16, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainability

Companies are pursuing increasingly ambitous sustainability goals around clean energy, but integrating rising amounts of renewables, minimizing environmental impacts, and achieving carbon reduction targets can be challenging.

By Utility Dive staff

Taking the utility monopoly door down to put more solar up

A proposal by Sunnova would end nearly a century of guaranteed monopoly for California utilities by letting other companies not just sell power but use an alternative delivery system to the utility's platform, the author writes.

By John Farrell • Sept. 15, 2022

Fixing California’s resource adequacy woes

The real questions are what level of bulk reliability we want and whether we are willing to invest in the institutional change needed to support it, the author writes.

By Fredrich Kahrl • Sept. 14, 2022

Real-time pricing, new rates and enabling technologies target demand flexibility to ease California outages

Price signals linked to power market needs through smart technologies could make distributed energy resources that are aggregated and automated by third parties an answer to California reliability threats, industry observers said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 13, 2022

IRA ‘turbocharging’ of clean energy tax credits could boost NextEra, AES, other renewable developers: S&P

Brookfield Renewable Partners, Clearway Energy and Pattern Energy Group are among other companies that also could benefit by providing electricity to make green hydrogen, S&P analysts said in a Sept. 8 report.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 13, 2022

White House eyes power reliability standards, energy efficiency rules for Bitcoin, other crypto mining

Crypto operations consume up to 1.7% of U.S. electricity and have a climate impact “similar to emissions from diesel fuel used in railroads,” according to a new report from the White House.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 12, 2022

Congress should require FERC, NERC to monitor gas pipeline capacity to ensure reliability, manufacturers say

The federal agencies should delay nuclear and coal-fired power plant retirements if the shutdowns would lead to gas pipeline constraints, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America said Friday.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 12, 2022

The great resignation — An opportunity to rethink your PPE offerings

What do your PPE offerings have to do with employee retention? Get insights from Red Wing for Business.

By Tito Warren, President Global Industrial Sales and Operations, Red Wing Shoe Company • Sept. 12, 2022

FERC’s duty of candor expansion would pose tough challenges for energy industry communication

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s proposed duty of candor expansion is not ready for prime time, the authors write.

By Zach Terwilliger, John Decker and Ryan Hoeffner • Sept. 9, 2022

PG&E, SDG&E press regulators to revise proposal to end gas line extension subsidies in 2023

One concern is that the California Public Utilities Commission’s suggested sunset date of July 1, 2023, may not align with builders’ planning processes for new construction.

By Kavya Balaraman • Sept. 8, 2022

To boost clean energy, incentivize innovation in existing natural gas infrastructure

Eliminating access to affordable energy options like the direct use of natural gas — particularly at a time when solar and wind are not able to meet energy demand — is not a wise path forward, the author writes.

By Dave Schryver • Sept. 8, 2022

Western utilities to share capacity under proposed resource adequacy program

“We can better ensure reliability by working together, and we avoid the risks and inefficiency of continuing to do it individually,” Rebecca Sexton, Western Power Pool director of reliability programs, said Wednesday.

By Ethan Howland • Sept. 1, 2022

DOE launches $10.5B Grid Resilience and Innovative Partnerships Program

The planned funding includes $2.5 billion for grid resilience grants, $3 billion for smart grid grants and $5 billion for grid innovation efforts.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 31, 2022

California nears vote on proposal to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant online as deadlines loom

The final version of the Newsom administration’s proposal would provide the state with the option to extend the plant’s two units – originally scheduled to shut down in 2024 and 2025 – for another five years.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 31, 2022

How states and utilities can capitalize on the biggest clean energy legislation in US history

Utilities should use the IRA’s tax credits and reinvestment financing to accelerate their clean power ambitions, replacing risky fossil plants with renewables to boost profits and cut consumer costs, the authors write.

By Dan Esposito and Kimani Jeffrey • Aug. 31, 2022

PECO Energy agrees to $150K civil penalty, energy assistance payments, for improper 2018-19 disconnections

The issues stem from software updates at PECO Energy's customer call center. The utility has also agreed to contribute about $400,000 to a bill payment assistance fund.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 30, 2022

FERC approves ISO-NE plan to bypass the grid operator and rely on state reviews for DER interconnections

The proposal is expected to lower wholesale power prices by increasing distributed energy supplies, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 29, 2022

EV, clean energy, environmental leaders convey Inflation Reduction Act concerns, shortfalls

Onshoring requirements for making EVs and content sourcing for critical minerals could challenge manufacturers, experts say, and climate progress depends on governments using funds from the climate and infrastructure laws wisely.

By Dan Zukowski • Aug. 25, 2022

FERC gives NextEra, ConEd, Equitrans 4 more years to finish $6.6B Mountain Valley gas pipeline

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday said the long-delayed project remains in the public interest.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 24, 2022

TC Energy’s NW gas project should be rejected over climate concerns: West Coast attorneys general

The GTN Xpress project runs counter to state climate laws, isn’t needed and would be subsidized by existing customers, the attorneys general told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Monday.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 22, 2022

GreenHat Energy, traders to pay $181M to settle PJM market manipulation allegations

The GreenHat traders will pay $1.4 million, down from the recommended $68.1 million, according to settlement agreements approved Friday by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 22, 2022

DOE to attack CO2 emissions with billions in funding from inflation reduction, infrastructure laws

The Energy Department wants big R&D spending to have CO2 reduction tools ready by 2030, but clean energy advocates see it delivering wealth and prolonged life to fossil fuels and slowing renewables deployment.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 22, 2022

Justice Department, FTC urge FERC to expand competition for building new transmission, deny utility exclusivity

The Edison Electric Institute disagreed, saying Wednesday that utilities should have first dibs on building transmission because competition doesn’t work in the sector.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 18, 2022

New ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas must address soaring energy costs, market observers say

Vegas, currently executive vice president of NiSource, will take over leadership of the Texas grid as efforts to ensure reliability are driving customer bills higher.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 17, 2022