SDG&E issues call for 140 MW of renewables, DERs, demand-side resources

The utility has issued an RFO for storage, renewables, distributed generation, energy efficiency and demand response resources to comply with CPUC procurement targets.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 9, 2016

HECO, E-Gear try storage to resolve solar installation bottleneck in Hawaii

Hawaiian Electric and E-Gear to deploy storage pilot program to address solar installation bottleneck on Molokai.

By Peter Maloney • March 9, 2016

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

As ITC extension promises growth, storage developers look to define position under tax code

Changes to the investment tax credit could give energy storage a boost.

By Peter Maloney • March 8, 2016

Vivint Solar pulls the plug on the $1.82B SunEdison merger deal

The rooftop solar developer said SunEdison struggled to meet its obligations under the merger agreement. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • March 8, 2016

Charts: How will the Clean Power Plan stay affect the utility power mix transition?

Utilities will keep adding renewables and natural gas, but what happens to the Clean Power Plan could have a big effect on just how much of both are brought online in the coming years.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2016

Wind and solar provided all new U.S. electric capacity in January

Renewables also beat earlier EIA estimates for generation share in 2015. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2016

California utility IID halts net metering incentives after hitting 5% cap

Imperial Irrigation District says it is still accepting applications, but installers say solar is a hard sell without the generation incentives.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2016

Rocky Mountain Power clean energy bill would destroy Utah solar market, critics say

SB 115 would allow Rocky Mountain Power authorization to establish programs and the ability to recoup costs as outlined in the bill through state lawmakers instead of in a rate case with the Utah Public Service Commission. 

By Robert Walton • March 7, 2016

Report: Advanced energy market bigger than US beer market

The advanced energy sector in the United Sates is about $200 billion -- twice as big as the beer industry, according to a new report from Advanced Energy Economy. No word yet, however, on how energy performs in a blind taste test.

By Robert Walton • March 7, 2016

Oregon passes utility-scale solar incentives to support 50% RPS

The proposal, overshadowed last week by the larger bill its aims to support, would provide $0.005/kWh for 2 MW to 10 MW installations.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 7, 2016

After record year, U.S. energy storage forecasted to break 1 GW capacity mark in 2019

Energy storage installations were up 243% in 2015 compared with 2014, according to new GTM Research/Energy Storage Assoc. report.

By Peter Maloney • March 7, 2016

Clean coalition: How utilities and greens teamed up to pass Oregon's 50% RPS

A unique combination of threat and opportunity brought Oregon’s investor-owned utilities to the negotiating table, but not everyone is pleased with the results.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 7, 2016

BLM issues new guidelines to streamline Western solar development

Identifying Solar Energy Zones aims to shorten development timelines and protect sensitive environments from effects of solar plant construction. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 5, 2016

Arizona's Tuscon Electric plans for 1.1 GW of new renewables by 2030

A preliminary plan filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission seeks to burn less coal and add large amounts of renewable energy.

By Robert Walton • March 4, 2016

Florida regulators approve first community solar program for Gulf Power

The Southern Co. subsidiary’s program will let customers without suitable roofs buy solar and receive bill credits — for a fee.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 4, 2016

AEP taps GE software for new distribution management system

As utilities shift to a future with more distributed assets on the grid, finding systems to manage them as one is paramount.

By Peter Maloney • March 4, 2016

Diary of a Grid Defector: Waiting for spring and a community solar group that wants to get into your basement

As reporter Robert Walton tries to figure out how to keep himself occupied living off the grid, he talks to a community solar organizer pushing for incentives and adoption of modern heat pumps.

By Robert Walton • March 4, 2016

Virginia lawmakers push back slate of clean energy bills into 2017

Virginia lawmakers have largely stopped consideration of more than a dozen renewable and storage measures, but are still making progress on a bill to support Dominion's construction of utility-scale solar projects.

By Robert Walton • March 3, 2016

ARPA-E 2016: 4 takeaways from the Energy Innovation Summit and 1 grand narrative

Clean Power Plan's freeze could pose big hurdles for clean energy tech investment in the U.S. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • March 3, 2016

Xcel Energy's Colorado renewables plan to include 401 MW of solar

The company said it is "moving Colorado forward as a leader in energy innovation and economic development."

By Robert Walton • March 3, 2016

EIA: Solar to lead utility-scale capacity additions in 2016, followed by gas, wind

The forecasted 9.5 GW of solar capacity additions would be slightly higher than the 9.4 GW added in the three previous years combined.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016

Oregon bill to curb coal, set 50% RPS heads to governor after Senate passage

Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign the bill to set a 50% renewable energy standard and eliminate coal from the state's power mix. 

By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016

As Xcel pushes non-wire alternatives, solar+storage pilot sparks utility ownership debate

Everyone loves that Xcel Minnesota is considering DERs instead of traditional infrastructure, but not that the utility wants to own them itself.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016

Solar fight turns to presidential-style bare-knuckle campaign tactics

The presidential election season means hardball politics, but TASC's Bryan Miller argues utilities have used dirty tactics to stifle rooftop solar for years.

By Bryan Miller • March 2, 2016

Long live the duck — and may he fly flat

In this guest post, Jim Lazar, senior advisor at the Regulatory Assistance Project, offers new techniques to combat the dreaded Duck Curve

By Jim Lazar • March 2, 2016