Illinois officials call Exelon plan to close 4 GW of nuclear a 'threat' to secure more subsidies

The utility blamed federal regulators' 2019 rule that raised the price for state-subsidized resources bidding into the PJM Interconnection, but a spokesperson for Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Exelon's "primary purpose is to dramatically increase those subsidies on behalf of their shareholders."

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 28, 2020

Senate Democrats reveal climate plan that could 'almost entirely' define clean energy policy under Biden admin

The report calls on Congress to spend at least 2% of annual U.S. gross domestic product on climate actions and require federal regulators to ensure publicly-traded companies disclose climate risks, among other measures.

By Catherine Morehouse • Aug. 27, 2020

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

FERC's capacity markets limit clean energy and cost billions; it's time for Congress to act

If successful, pending litigation could lift some of the unwarranted federal burdens on state clean energy programs in PJM and other places, but a legislative fix would do more, the authors write.

By Scott Strauss, Jeffrey Schwarz and Peter Hopkins • Aug. 27, 2020

NRC fines TVA 'highly unusual' $600,000 fine for worker retaliation after safety complaints

The fine is the largest imposed on TVA by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and has some stakeholders worried that "continued corporate culture problems" may inhibit workers from raising safety concerns.

By Guy Burdick • Aug. 27, 2020

Energy consulting groups value Southeast RTO potential at $384B savings by 2040

A seven-state RTO, including Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas, would phase out coal generation and add more storage and renewables into the mix, according to analysis from Vibrant Clean Energy.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Aug. 25, 2020

What caused California's recent blackouts?

The causes of the rolling blackouts on August 14 and 15 may be numerous and complex, but few of those reasons have anything to do with California's shift to more renewable generation, writes attorney Seth Hilton.

By Seth Hilton • Aug. 25, 2020

Ensuring DER inclusion in capacity markets may require a rethink of resource adequacy

The growth of customer-owned resources is forcing system operators and aggregators to see their value as reliability tools and rethink the concept of resource adequacy.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 24, 2020

Groups challenge FERC's PURPA rule, accuse commission of 'actively discouraging' small power facilities

The solar industry on Friday filed a petition for review with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, following federal regulators' rejection of the requests for rehearing.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated Sept. 21, 2020

Pacific Northwest looks to avoid California-style blackouts through more regional coordination

Climate change, load growth and the replacement of fossil fuels with renewables are pushing the region to take big steps toward a new model.

By Matthew Bandyk • Aug. 24, 2020

Utilities response to the pandemic — heads - shareholders win; tails - consumers lose

Colorado is a case study where even consumer advocates treat it as a foregone conclusion that consumers will be on the hook for the consequences of an economic downturn, and utilities will be allowed to pocket the savings.

By Frances Koncilja • Aug. 24, 2020

Propelling the transition: Digitization bolsters utility rate cases, boosts drive to future-proof

The continuing automation and digitization of the power sector now enables utilities to better justify their spending plans and improve reliability as they prepare for new resources and electricity uses.

By Guy Burdick • Aug. 21, 2020

States have options in the new MOPR world

The MOPR has unleashed a panoply of ideas on how FERC and the states can use their respective regulatory tools to promote clean energy policies; states should consider all alternatives — not just divorce, the author writes.

By David Boyd • Aug. 21, 2020

California regulators plan post-mortem to examine cause of rolling blackouts

Capacity shortfalls and a heavy reliance on imports played a role, not the state's broader transition to renewable energy, regulators said in a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 21, 2020

Following outrage over Hurricane Isaias response, Connecticut bill would put utilities on the hook for outage costs

The bipartisan legislation would alter rules that absolve electric distribution companies from liability for costs incurred by citizens during a power outage.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 20, 2020

A pivotal moment for microgrid policy – What California is getting right and where it's heading from here

The California Public Utilities Commission's microgrid regulatory proceedings could be a bellwether for microgrid development across the country, the author writes.

By Jonathan Kevles • Aug. 20, 2020

Final payments delayed in FES bankruptcy case as Justice Department racketeering investigation continues

The ruling — which means the bankruptcy case is technically not over — came after Ohio's Attorney General asked for an indefinite delay of all final payments while the federal probe continues.

By John Funk • Aug. 19, 2020

Performance incentive mechanisms can support broad policy goals, RMI finds

The report is an essential read for regulators that are developing performance incentive mechanisms, according to Mike O’Boyle, director of electricity policy at Energy Innovation.

By Guy Burdick • Aug. 18, 2020

Pipeline infrastructure planning in the era of Black Lives Matter

Scrutiny of the siting of infrastructure projects is already increasing, and attention paid to disproportionate, adverse effects on communities of color likely will intensify, the authors write.

By Emily P. Mallen and J. Simone Jones • Aug. 18, 2020

'We're in a bind': California braces for rolling outages as heatwave continues

The California ISO is "scouring every corner of our world to find additional load reductions and generation," President and CEO Steve Berberich said.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 17, 2020

CPUC considers dismissing executive director amid accusations of whistleblower retaliation

Alice Stebbins' attorney says companies like Pacific Gas & Electric and AT&T have lobbied for her removal. Regulators have linked her potential dismissal to criticisms around some of her hires.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 14, 2020

The business case for sustainable urban transport

With such a strong business case and demonstrable ROI to speak for investments in sustainable transport, governments have a moral obligation to act.

By Meagan Crawford • Aug. 14, 2020

After utility filing error, DC stakeholders call for dismissal of Pepco's multi-year rate proposal

The utility says it wants to freeze DC customer rates until 2022. But customer advocates say the plan “has been riddled with errors, missteps, and false information from the start" and could raise rates by up to $147 million. 

By Robert Walton • Aug. 14, 2020

Grid security group calls for declassified threat information, new federal agency focused on resilience

If hackers and foreign adversaries have the capability to bring down the electric grid, why does the federal government keep that information from the utility sector?

By Robert Walton • Aug. 14, 2020

As North Carolina regulators block another pipeline, Duke searches for options to meet gas demand

Following North Carolina's denial on Tuesday of a key water permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline extension and the cancellation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, the utility is exploring its options.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Aug. 13, 2020

Competition is the best medicine for corruption; 'prescribed' markets could be what the doctor ordered

As stakeholders evaluate the Southeast Energy Exchange Market, we should recognize the elements of market design that truly benefit consumers and encourage innovation and efficiency, the authors write.

By Todd Snitchler and Brian George • Aug. 11, 2020