New York Assembly approves climate bill to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions

The bill, which would require elimination of greenhouse gas pollution by 2050, now heads to the state Senate, where it faces longer odds and a tight timeframe.

By Gavin Bade • June 3, 2016

Minnesota utility to triple residential solar rebates, build first solar garden

The company is tripling the rebate dollars available under its SolarSense program, and state regulators approved the first community project on the utility's system.

By Robert Walton • June 3, 2016

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

The corporate green team: Utilities partner to meet renewables demand from large US firms

The Edison Electric Institute has joined green groups in a partnership to market wind and solar to climate-savvy companies.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 2, 2016

Generators, clean energy advocates assail Massachusetts bill

Generators say the bill will tie up a chunk of the state's market. Environmentalists want to see less hydropower and more wind and solar. 

By Robert Walton • June 2, 2016

Montana PSC debates PURPA, growth of small solar facilities

The Montana Public Service Commission hosted a roundtable earlier this week to discuss how a spate of proposed solar facilities would be compensated under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act.

By Robert Walton • June 2, 2016

SolarCity launches new rooftop loan product to replace MyPower offering

The new loans will answer a customer demand for shorter terms and fixed payments, an executive said.

By Gavin Bade, Herman Trabish • June 2, 2016

Texas regulators delay El Paso Electric request for rate increase, solar surcharge

Texas regulators told El Paso Electric to re-issue their rate increase request, delaying a final decision on their rate case. 

By Herman K. Trabish • June 2, 2016

AEP to spend $15B to build 8 GW of wind, solar

The coal-heavy utility said it plans to nearly triple its renewable energy portfolio in the next two decades and add 3,000 MW of gas-fired generation. 

By Robert Walton • June 1, 2016

Statoil to add battery storage to a Scottish floating wind project

Norwegian oil company Statoil plans to add 1 MWh battery storage to a floating wind farm off the Scottish coast.

By Peter Maloney • June 1, 2016

The head of California's ISO is on a mission to regionalize and decarbonize

CAISO CEO Steve Berberich wants help from utilities in bridging California’s borders and moving beyond 50% renewables.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 1, 2016

Arizona Public Service pushes residential demand charges in new rate case

The $3.6 billion rate case includes a proposal for three different residential demand charge options, which the utility says will incentivize customers to manage peak usage. 

By Herman K. Trabish • June 1, 2016

Energy storage's role in decarbonization will depend on duration, cost cuts

For a clean grid, "storage is not a requisite if a diverse mix of flexible, low-carbon power sources is employed," according to a new study by Argonne Laboratory and MIT.

By Peter Maloney • May 31, 2016

Donald Trump's energy proposals echo old GOP priorities

The presumptive Republican nominee outlined his energy policy platform at an oil industry conference in North Dakota Thursday.

By Gavin Bade • May 27, 2016

SPP CEO: Regionalization, transmission help push renewables penetration near 50%

Southwest Power Pool CEO Nick Brown says he sees solar, storage and more footprint expansion coming in the next five years.

By Gavin Bade • May 26, 2016

Strange bedfellows: How solar and utilities struck a net metering compromise in New York

Communication and a forward-thinking regulatory framework are key to finding middle ground. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • May 26, 2016

Brookings: Net metering is a net benefit for utilities and all ratepayers

A new report from Brookings reviewed reports from a wide spectrum of utility regulatory bodies, national laboratories, academic and think tank reports, concluding that net metering is a good thing.

By Krysti Shallenberger • May 26, 2016

Hawaiian Electric could hit some rooftop solar caps next month, filing warns

A group of solar interests says the caps on the customer grid supply tariff on Maui could be hit in the second week of June.

By Gavin Bade • May 26, 2016

Across the 'valley of death': How the wind industry will cope without tax credits

Tax incentives are spurring so much renewables growth that states could meet their Clean Power Plan targets ahead of the compliance period. That could mean a slowdown for the wind industry, which was counting on the regulatory package to sustain growth. 

By Herman K. Trabish • May 25, 2016

Utility fund backs big data company AutoGrid in VC round

AutoGrid raises $20 million to deploy software designed to enable a variety of distributed resources.

By Peter Maloney • May 24, 2016

SolarCity: Nevada rooftop solar delivers 1.6¢/kWh in net benefits to grid

A new report from the leading rooftop solar installer argues previous analyses of solar's value to the state have been incomplete.

By Gavin Bade • May 24, 2016

A grid of DERs: DOE program aims for 100% solar penetration on the distribution system

The new SunShot program will dole out $25M to solutions aimed at integrating truly unprecedented amounts of distributed generation.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 24, 2016

Thin Film PV Pulls Ahead in Technology Race

Thanks to a focus on R&D for thin film photovoltaic solar, First Solar has increased efficiency and decreased costs for utility-scale systems. 

May 24, 2016

The U.S. needs more transmission. One Midwest project could provide a collaborative model.

A new report outlines how 11 utilities leaped big hurdles to build the 800-mile CapX2020 project.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 23, 2016

Arizona begins hearings on co-op plan for higher fixed charges, lower net metering rates

The Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative rate case request includes a special charge to rooftop solar customers and a cut in net metering rates.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 23, 2016

New York PSC enacts new revenue models for utilities in REV proceeding

Utilities in the Empire State have new options to earn revenue, though the traditional cost-of-service model was preserved by regulators as well.

By Gavin Bade • May 20, 2016