Maine lawmakers approve bill to jumpstart floating offshore wind, develop 3 GW by 2040

The bill establishes procurement, environmental and labor provisions ahead of the federal offshore wind lease sales due to be held for the Gulf of Maine in 2024.

By Diana DiGangi • July 27, 2023

Cautious investors and fast cash: Why AEP, Duke and other utilities have sold their renewable assets

Conditions following the COVID-19 pandemic have led a swath of utility companies to put their competitive renewable energy assets up for sale. Analysts are unsure how long the trend will last.

By Emma Penrod • July 27, 2023

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

DOE invests $20M to optimize lifecycle of solar energy materials, address supply chain vulnerabilities

The department aims to cut costs and improve efficiency for solar energy to meet the “unprecedented” demand posed by decarbonization goals.

By Diana DiGangi • July 25, 2023

Federal officials encourage applications to $7B solar grant competition

The funding supports solar projects to benefit low-income communities. The first application deadline is July 31.

By Diana DiGangi • July 24, 2023

Hydrogen can fill a critical gap in decarbonizing, but can utilities make the business case?

As electric and gas utilities seek approval from regulators, they will need to address concerns about hydrogen economics, sustainability and safety.

By Leah Kunkel, Wesley Miller and Jessica Wright • July 24, 2023

DOE offers $32M for the production of rare earth and critical minerals from coal-based sources

The Biden administration is looking to develop production sites to extract materials such as lithium and cobalt.

By Kate Magill • July 24, 2023

Investor interest in energy storage back on track after slow first quarter

Unprecedented spikes in lithium prices and new IRA provisions likely contributed to the first-quarter slump, says Della Xu, an investment associate with Greenbacker Capital.

By Emma Penrod • July 21, 2023

Interior Department to hold first-ever Gulf of Mexico offshore wind lease sale

Three lease areas with a total potential capacity of 3.7 GW will be auctioned off in August.

By Diana DiGangi • July 21, 2023

New York completes state’s largest rooftop solar project atop Medline distribution center

Governor Hochul says the 7.2-megawatt community solar project is expected to power over 1,600 homes and reduce energy costs for both Medline and local residents.

By Joe Burns • July 21, 2023

Fervo Energy sees ‘breakthrough’ in enhanced geothermal technology, opening path for firm, clean power

The successful use of fracking techniques at a project in Nevada expands the potential for geothermal across the West, according to Tim Latimer, Fervo CEO.

By Ethan Howland • July 21, 2023

‘Bifacial’ perovskite solar cells could produce more energy at lower costs, NREL finds

Perovskite solar cells that can harvest the sun’s energy on both sides of the cell could allow the material to surge past silicon in efficiency yields.

By Diana DiGangi • July 20, 2023

PPAs rejected for Avangrid, Orsted-Eversource offshore wind projects

Avangrid subsidiary Commonwealth Wind will now rebid in Massachusetts’ upcoming offshore wind solicitation, while Rhode Island’s Revolution Wind 2 project has been cancelled.

By Diana DiGangi • July 20, 2023

Digging deep: Why oil and gas should take a closer look at geothermal

Rather than equivocating in their commitments to clean energy, oil and gas companies should draw on their strengths in innovation and cost reduction to bring energy solutions to market.

By Andrew Howell and Karine Kleinhaus • July 19, 2023

US utility-scale solar outlook improves on easing supply chain limits: Morgan Stanley

However, residential solar growth may be slowed by rising interest rates and California’s new net metering policy, the investment firm’s analysts said.

By Ethan Howland • July 19, 2023

Solar PPA prices drop for first time since onset of COVID-19: LevelTen

Average solar PPA prices fell 1% in the second quarter of 2023, suggesting markets have begun to arrive at a new normal, according to LevelTen Energy.

By Emma Penrod • July 18, 2023

Drought could cause Western carbon emissions to surge on reduced hydro: report

Increased risk of drought in the Western U.S. could complicate planning efforts for utilities looking to eliminate carbon emissions, according to analysis from Stanford University.

By Emma Penrod • July 18, 2023

Transmission development pace ‘severely’ limits renewable energy, carbon reduction potential: report

Failing to speed up transmission expansion cuts possible greenhouse gas emissions reductions in half by 2035, the Princeton University-led REPEAT Project found.

By Ethan Howland • July 17, 2023

How utilities can navigate the energy transition with near-term and long-term actions

Optimizing core operations while investing in future-focused solutions will enable the path forward.

By Ned Calder, Simar Grewal, and Anna Veatch • July 17, 2023

Global renewables adoption ‘in line with ambitious net-zero scenarios’: RMI report

The think tank projects global success in meeting a 2050 net-zero goal, but not in limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C.

By Diana DiGangi • July 14, 2023

DOE offers $5.1M in prizes for wind turbine recycling innovations

Most turbine materials already have commercial recycling options, but the remaining components pose a barrier to a circular wind energy economy.

By Diana DiGangi • July 14, 2023

The meaning of an ‘optimal’ clean energy investment is changing as prices rise, analysts report

Inflation Reduction Act incentives and supply-demand imbalances have developers and off-takers recalculating the value of clean energy.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 13, 2023

DTE Electric agrees to speed Michigan coal plant retirements, renewable and energy storage buildout

DTE will add 3.8 GW of renewables and 780 MW of energy storage by 2030 under a settlement agreement released Wednesday.

By Ethan Howland • July 13, 2023

Energy Department announces $45M to bolster US solar manufacturing

The funding seeks to help establish a domestic solar supply chain to reduce reliance on imports.

By Megan Ruggles • July 12, 2023

A third of utilities have begun to pilot generative AI for customer service, other uses: report

Utilities see clear potential benefits of text-generating AI in sales and marketing departments, but early adopters say that’s just the beginning.

By Emma Penrod • July 12, 2023

How hourly tracking can prevent a ‘clean’ hydrogen boondoggle

Hourly matching is feasible, in use today and absolutely necessary for deploying clean hydrogen and building a clean grid.

By Ben Gerber and Killian Daly • July 10, 2023