Nearly $1B in applications for North Carolina renewable tax credits under Safe Harbor amendment

An amendment that extended the availability of tax credits under a now-expired renewable incentive program has attracted $938 million in applications for funding. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 7, 2016

How the utility role in community solar is evolving as the sector matures

Everybody loves community solar, but just how the sector will mature will depend on how utilities and regulators approach the resource.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 7, 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

What utilities need to know about solar growth after the ITC extension

With policy support now certain into the 2020s, solar offers utilities a wide range of price-competitive opportunities for utilities.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 7, 2016

Oregon utilities endorse bill to end coal use by 2030, boost RPS to 50% by 2040

Two major Oregon utilities have agreed to support a bill that would phase out coal-fired generation by 2030 and increase the state's renewable portfolio standard to 50% by 2040. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Jan. 6, 2016

Nevada regulators will consider delaying new net metering rates, monthly charges

The state's consumer advocate argues the ruling could violate the U.S. constitution’s contracts clause.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 6, 2016

Ontario turns to storage for renewables integration, grid services

Ontario has taken a big step toward integrating energy storage into its grid, but in other respects the province is still catching up with some organized wholesale markets in the United States.

By Peter Maloney • Jan. 5, 2016

Illinois landowners push regulators to rethink $2B Grain Belt Express transmission line

The permit allows Grain Belt Express line connecting Kansas wind to the East to use eminent domain. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 5, 2016

Google's Project Sunroof expands online evaluations of solar potential to 20 metro areas

Would-be solar owners can now compare the costs and benefits of options for their unique roofs.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 5, 2016

Midwestern utilities Xcel and Westar make big wind buys

Upper Midwest wind is now “competitive with new natural gas," an Xcel executive said. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 5, 2016

DERs in 2016: What experts expect for a booming sector

With the market for distributed energy resources set to blossom thanks to the extensions of vital tax credits, solar especially is primed to grow, experts predict. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 4, 2016

Hawaii court upholds PUC order ending retail rate net metering

A circuit court judge last week halted a suit from The Alliance for Solar Choice seeking to overturn the PUC order. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 4, 2016

Survey: Over half of solar installers do not offer TPO financing or PPAs

Solar installers across the country are facing stiff competition for customers, and many are selling systems for cash or unsecured loans, a new survey finds. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 4, 2016

California's Salton Sea offers 1,800 MW of geothermal potential

A National Renewable Energy Laboratory study finds that the Salton Sea's potential geothermal baseload generation can serve California, Arizona and Nevada's renewables mandates. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 29, 2015

Rocky Mountain Power seeks to shorten Utah PURPA contracts

Rocky Mountain Power, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway-owned PacifiCorp, says Utah's required 20-year contracts for PURPA qualified contracts is too long. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Dec. 28, 2015

DTE Energy's new solar contracts will triple Michigan solar

Solar developer Inovateus Solar and state’s biggest electricity provider join for two utility scale installations totalling 45 MW.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 23, 2015

Louisiana regulators set to wrestle with net metering in 2016

The Louisiana Public Service Commission is struggling with how to encourage rooftop solar amid competing cost claims.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 23, 2015

Storage in 2016: Utility-scale, long-duration markets take the lead

Behind-the-meter storage grew by a factor of 16 in 2015, but next year expect to see front-of-the-meter applications continue to make up the lion's share of new deployments.

By Peter Maloney • Dec. 22, 2015

South Atlantic states lag in utility-scale solar with NC, GA as bright spots for growth

Solar booms in North Carolina and Georgia make the states rank nationally in solar deployment, but their region still lags behind the Southwest. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 22, 2015

U.S. wind industry hits 70 GW capacity mark, celebrates tax credit extension

The extended incentives are expected to drive 19 GW of growth and make wind cost-competitive by 2020.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 22, 2015

Editor's Picks: The biggest Utility Dive stories of 2015

2015 was a time of change like no other in the electric power sector. Here's a recap of the year as told by some of our most important stories. 

By Gavin Bade • Dec. 22, 2015

Solar ballot measure battle in Florida likely postponed to 2018 election

Funding troubles and a lack of signatures means that Floridians for Solar Choice will likely need to wait for the 2018 ballot to get their proposal in front of voters. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 21, 2015

Ohio lawmaker says AEP plant subsidy settlement ignores legislature's will on renewables

A Republican Ohio lawmaker has "major concerns" regarding the renewable energy requirements of a settlement that guarantees income at certain American Electric Power coal facilities.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 21, 2015

Germany's Sonnen takes on Tesla Powerwall in the U.S.

Germany's Sonnen said last week that it is shipping its first storage units to the U.S. market. 

By Peter Maloney • Dec. 21, 2015

Mississippi co-op offers threatens to sue regulators unless they lower net metering rate

The South Mississippi Electric Power Association says the Mississippi Public Service Commission can’t set rates for electric co-ops. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 21, 2015

After Paris, utilities look to deeper decarbonization

Power companies realize they will likely need to cut CO2 emissions more than current regulations demand, but how remains a challenge. 

By Gavin Bade • Dec. 18, 2015