ISO-NE forecasts transition to distributed, renewable generation

The grid operator released its 2019 Regional Electricity Outlook last week, listing natural gas plants as the only new conventional generation resource expected online between 2018 and 2020.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 7, 2019

Oregon OKs dual PGE approach to procure renewables for business customers

Portland General Electric's clean energy offerings are part of a wave of creative Power Purchase Agreement tariffs utilities are offering to corporate and municipal customers.

By Robert Walton • March 7, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Data Centers and the US Grid

A look at how data centers are affecting the U.S. grid today and how new technologies and rate structures could affect that trajectory in the years to come.

By Utility Dive staff

Efficiency leads 2019 energy job growth prospects

Energy efficiency employers project a 7.8% growth rate for jobs this year, more than double the increase last year, in what the latest U.S. Energy and Employment Report deemed the "toughest hiring climate."

By Robert Walton • March 7, 2019

Deploying more renewables now through an energy storage-centric Clean Peak Standard

Policies that encourage energy storage to be paired with solar or wind power can have an outsized impact because these grid assets can together deliver firm capacity into peak periods when customer costs are the highest.

By Ronald DiFelice • March 7, 2019

ERCOT sees increased chance for emergency capacity with record demand forecast this summer

The grid operator's preliminary summer analysis of extreme scenarios indicates ERCOT may need to issue energy alerts, but does not expect to use rolling brownouts.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 6, 2019

Great Plains states dominate renewables generation in 2018

While natural gas dominated generation additions last year, an NRDC analyst found that several Midwest states across the Great Plains region dominated renewables generation, indicating a shift in the energy mix driven by "economics" and "corporate interest."

By Catherine Morehouse • March 6, 2019

Minnesota 100% carbon-free bill joins flurry of state level clean energy action

Gov. Tim Walz's proposal expands energy efficiency programs and removes benchmark emissions requirements that utilities "have always blown by."

By Catherine Morehouse • March 5, 2019

AEP launches electric utility tech accelerator to identify 'compelling' startups

American Electric Power's initiative with innovation specialist L Marks will be a 10-week bootcamp-style energy summit focused on accelerating the development of grid solutions.

By Robert Walton • March 5, 2019

How electric vehicles and charging technology are transforming the utility paradigm

Thanks to the development of utility-interactive DC fast charging and technology such as vehicle-to-grid technology, utilities can rapidly unlock the ability to integrate broad-scale distributed energy resources onto the grid.

By Jeff Wolfe, President, Americas at Tritium • March 5, 2019

GM, Ford to fully power Michigan facilities with local wind from DTE Energy

Ford was the first to announce involvement with DTE Energy's new tariff, approved by regulators in January, to serve large customers through the utility's renewable energy offerings.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 4, 2019

New Brunswick Power, Florida developer partner to build first hydrogen-powered electric grid

The Canadian utility and Joi Scientific are looking to build a prototype in two to three years that could generate 10-100 MW, with the goal to make New Brunswick Power an "emissions-free utility."

By Catherine Morehouse • March 1, 2019

FERC allows storage to access New England real-time energy markets

The changes, effective April 1, are aimed at enabling energy storage technologies to more fully participate in the New England wholesale electricity markets.

By Robert Walton • March 1, 2019

New York moves to phase out older peaking plants as it targets 100% clean energy

A new state proposal would set lower thresholds for emissions of nitrogen oxides, and allow plant owners to meet the new standards in part by installing renewable or batteries.

By Robert Walton • March 1, 2019

Business, enviro groups see strong prospects for Illinois 100% clean energy bill

Analysts consider energy efficiency essential to achieving a 100% renewables by 2050 goal, and the bill recommends extending the timeline for such energy saving programs to maximize benefits.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 1, 2019

Are city climate goals too ambitious? Leaders worry about compressed timelines

During a WRI-hosted media briefing, city sustainability leaders expressed concern that it may be too late to deal with the worst effects of climate change.

By Chris Teale • Feb. 28, 2019

TVA staff sees no need to add solar capacity until 2023

"There was a strategy in the draft IRP to promote efficient load shape and it emphasized energy efficiency, demand response, electrification and storage," said Jane Elliott, part of TVA's enterprise planning group.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 27, 2019

Bloomberg-backed accelerator to help cities meet renewable energy goals

The American Cities Climate Challenge Renewables Accelerator looks to help cities generate 2.8 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity.

By Chris Teale • Feb. 26, 2019

DTE's wind-only option spurs Michigan regulators to approve revised green pricing program

The revisions address regulator concerns over cost and pricing transparency and will allow DTE Electric residential and small commercial customers to elect how much renewable energy they use.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 26, 2019

SEU 2019 survey: Uncertainty mounts in the clean energy transition

Utilities are still moving to a cleaner, more distributed power system, but our annual survey shows they are increasingly unsure about what types of regulation and market structures they want to foster the transition.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 26, 2019

Designing Liberty Utilities' New Hampshire residential storage program

A closer look at the decision to pair distributed energy storage with time-of-use rates.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 25, 2019

Enabling storage integration through market-driven procurements

Early renewables procurements that reverse traditional auctions with one utility buyer and multiple renewables-plus-storage sellers have lowered storage costs and grown capacity.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 25, 2019

Massachusetts house speaker introduces plan to allocate $1B for efficiency, renewables

The plan would give communities easier access to funds to install energy storage, solar grids, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and more.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 25, 2019

South Carolina House unanimously advances bill to remove net metering caps

H.B. 3659 would give an important lifeline to distributed solar in South Carolina, which could screech to a halt as utilities in the state meet their net metering caps.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Feb. 22, 2019

APS to install 850 MW of storage, 100 MW of solar in major clean energy buy

The utility also signed a seven-year contract for natural gas peaking capacity, which it hopes will be replaced by renewables and storage in the mid 2020s. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 21, 2019

Storage + efficiency for C&I demand management

Thermal Energy Storage (TES) adds 26% efficiency and sheds 300-500 kW for 13 hours/day in commercial & industrial facilities.

Feb. 21, 2019