No kowtowing to utilities: setting the record straight on Colorado Consumer Counsel's COVID actions

A former Colorado utility commissioner's claims that consumer advocates "treat as a foregone conclusion" the idea that consumers will be on the hook for the consequences of the pandemic is not true, the author writes.

By Cindy Schonhaut • Sept. 2, 2020

Alabama's increase of residential solar charges will slow installations, advocates say

Solar proponents say Alabama Power's monthly charge has stymied rooftop solar development, but commissioners argued for an increase in the fee.

By John Funk • Sept. 2, 2020

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

California PUC votes to fire executive director after contentious meeting, accusations of retaliation

CPUC Executive Director Alice Stebbins said the commission wanted to get rid of her because she "blew the whistle" on $200 million in uncollected fees.

By Kavya Balaraman • Sept. 1, 2020

NuScale small modular reactor design becomes first to get NRC safety approval

With the safety review complete, the company plans to move forward with a 12-module plant at Idaho National Laboratory.

By Guy Burdick • Sept. 1, 2020

As utility collaboration with charging companies rises, emerging differences could impede EV growth

To accelerate EV charging infrastructure deployment, former competitors are working together, but new questions threaten to lead to dissension.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 31, 2020

California's blackouts highlight need for electric reliability insurance market

Oxford researchers address California's power supply crunch in a way that would guide investment for reliability provisions based on consumer preference.

By Rahmat Poudineh & Michael Hochberg • Aug. 31, 2020

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

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