Coal ash, Atlantic Coast Pipeline remain a headache for Duke as it expands 5 year spending by $6B

Not allowing the utility to fully recover costs around its $8-9 billion coal ash cleanup could prove "detrimental" to the utility's balance sheet, CEO Lynn Good said on the company's Q4 earnings call.

By Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 13, 2020

Faced with potential 2020 Sanders, Warren fracking bans, Vistra CEO expects industry impact to be minimal

"Our coal plants are no more economic today than when the president took over," Vistra Energy's Curtis Morgan said, adding the Trump administration has ultimately just led to stronger state clean energy policies.

By Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 12, 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

Will APS face retail competition in Arizona? Regulators issue diverging proposals

Under one proposal, monopoly utilities would not be allowed to allowed to provide direct electric service to customers, but under the other proposal, they could.

By Kavya Balaraman • Feb. 12, 2020

Sustainability tops utility concerns, as SEU survey sees discrepancies on cybersecurity, stranded assets

Some 50% of utility respondents to Utility Dive's State of the Electric Utility Survey expect their organization to significantly increase the amount of grid-scale solar by 2030, a stronger forecast than for any other resource.

By Larry Pearl • Feb. 12, 2020

California proposes 10-year transportation electrification planning process for SCE, other IOUs

The plans would also outline how utilities are handling incremental load from electrified transportation, and "clear, long-term market signals that encourage the development of third-party business opportunities."

By Kavya Balaraman • Feb. 11, 2020

FirstEnergy CEO says he's ready to help Ohio lawmakers deal with FERC's PJM MOPR ruling

Charles Jones told financial analysts during the company’s latest earnings call that Ohio’s state government is generally unhappy with the results of electric utility deregulation, including PJM’s market system.

By John Funk • Feb. 11, 2020

Utilities, regulators overlook recycling revenue options amid rising state tensions over coal ash: NARUC

Cost continues to be a major concern for regulators and utilities, but the report authors note the potential for beneficial use has yet to be fully explored.

By Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 11, 2020

FERC's Order 841 'essential' for energy storage to cut emissions, attorneys general argue

FERC's order requiring storage to participate in wholesale markets is undergoing a challenge in federal court, and attorneys general of California, D.C., Massachusetts, Michigan and Rhode Island are siding with federal regulators.

By Matthew Bandyk • Feb. 11, 2020

PG&E, other California utilities file plans to invest billions in wildfire mitigation through 2022

The utilities are also working on reducing the impact of safety power shut-offs on their customers, Phil Herrington, Southern California Edison’s senior vice president of transmission and distribution, told Utility Dive.

By Kavya Balaraman • Feb. 10, 2020

DOE Secretary announces $64M in coal efficiency and low-emissions research

The Department of Energy is committing more funding to improve coal plant efficiency and reduce emissions, including carbon capture use, while seeking ways to increase coal exports.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 10, 2020

Erring on the side of trampling on states' rights

Lately, when given the choice between co-existing with state authorities and simply steamrolling those authorities, FERC has consistently pursued the latter, the author writes.

By Jessica Bell • Feb. 10, 2020

CPUC proposed decision avoids new fixed charges due to concerns over customer backlash

California regulators are "gravely concerned" about the possibility of customer backlash at a fixed charge, according to the proposed decision.

By Kavya Balaraman • Feb. 7, 2020

To tackle climate change, it's all hands on deck in Virginia

In the absence of leadership from the White House, communities, businesses, advocacy organizations and elected officials at every level need to commit to ambitious action right now, three Democrat politicians in Virginia write. 

By Donald McEachin, Jennifer McClellan and Levar Stoney • Feb. 6, 2020

Glick: FERC actions 'freeze out' states, court would overturn MOPR order

FERC faces several rehearing requests on its December decision, including from PJM, regarding the balance between state and federal interests.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 6, 2020

Who's afraid of 100%?

A lower-cost outcome is more likely if we commit to a 100% rather than just 80% carbon-free electricity sector as that will provide additional certainty for innovations and cost reductions, the Brattle Group's Jurgen Weiss writes.

By Jurgen Weiss • Feb. 6, 2020

Indiana House passes controversial bill making coal plants harder to retire

HB 1414 was amended in the House to add a sunset clause of May 2021, which critics say makes the bill's purpose even more murky.

By Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 5, 2020

GE Hitachi enters federal licensing process for new small modular nuclear reactor design

GE Hitachi claims its BWRX-300 will be cheaper on a capital cost basis than both conventional nuclear power reactors and other SMRs.

By Matthew Bandyk • Feb. 5, 2020

New York aims to kick off solicitation for up to 2.5 GW of offshore wind in 2020

The proceeding would be the state's second large scale solicitation of the resource, and could lead to state procurements of up to 4.3 GW of offshore wind.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 5, 2020

State regulators need cyclical reviews to get the most out of utility performance incentive mechanisms: Report

Upending utility business models is more easily done with complementary state policies and continuous improvement of incentives, according to Energy Innovation and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 4, 2020

How ConEd and National Grid are experimenting with energy storage in New York

Consolidated Edison is in the middle of several major projects to advance the state's distributed grid, while working to add 300 MW of energy storage by 2023.

By Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 3, 2020

Retaining outmoded monopolies and coal plants keeps Indiana in the Dark Ages

Policies like HB 1414 could force the state's residents to pay for outmoded power plants and stick the cost of the energy transition on captive customers, rather than letting markets work, the author writes.

By Devin Hartman • Feb. 3, 2020

CPUC proposes guidelines for safety shut-offs, finds 'serious deficiencies' with PG&E reporting

The proposal would require utilities to restore service 24 hours after "the conclusion of conditions that necessitate a de-energization event."

By Kavya Balaraman • Feb. 3, 2020

New Mexico approves PNM exit from San Juan coal plant, but CCS could still save facility

The utility will be able to abandon the plant through securitization, providing grants to workers laid off by the closure, but a local carbon capture company could keep the plant going.

By Catherine Morehouse • Updated April 2, 2020

House Dems put climate at center of $760B infrastructure plan

The Moving Forward Framework would invest heavily in roads, transit and water systems, with efforts to cut emissions woven throughout.

By Chris Teale • Jan. 31, 2020

Can the US power sector significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2040? Not according to EIA

Energy sector analysts say EIA's annual projections have consistently been more conservative, overstating sector emissions, and utility groups are optimistic for greater carbon reductions from power generation and transportation.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Jan. 30, 2020