18 Senate Democrats call on Congress to include renewables in stalled stimulus package

A Friday letter recommends tax credit extensions or an elimination of the tax credit phase-out, direct payment, refunds, or safe harbor extensions, among other options.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 23, 2020

PG&E, SCE abandon big microgrid plans for temporary emergency measures as wildfire season nears

Regulators' push to implement a law requiring microgrid rollouts is being frustrated by the costs of traditional generation and clean energy complexities.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 23, 2020

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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

California risks going seriously off course this week on its path to a zero carbon power sector

The state's public utilities commission, at its upcoming March 26 business meeting, may adopt a greenhouse gas emissions target for 2030 that defers emissions-critical, near-term decisions, the author writes.

By Ed Smeloff • March 23, 2020

Unemployment poised to skyrocket, creating urgent need to spur renewables: Obama veteran of 2008 financial crisis

Power sector leaders are pushing Congress to address hits to the industry, as a former Obama transition team member says renewables and transmission buildouts could be the first jobs to start hiring.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 20, 2020

Don't call it a Clean Peak Standard: Leveraging renewables to reduce customer costs during peak demand

The ancillary benefits of a low-cost peak program include reduced emissions, energy independence, resiliency, and hedged fuel-price risks, as well as the ability to retire uneconomic fossil fuel assets early, the author writes.

By Ronald DiFelice • March 20, 2020

Who's the buyer? How better state assignment of procurement roles can improve retail and wholesale markets

Recent controversy over wholesale markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast presents an opportunity to fix a problem that's existed since the beginning of electricity restructuring — no clear assignment of responsibility for buying power.

By Rob Gramlich and Frank Lacey • March 19, 2020

PJM MOPR compliance plan allays renewable sector concerns of being shut out of capacity auctions

The grid operator's long-awaited compliance filing is a "phenomenal" attempt to minimize the most contentious aspects of the federal order, according to an industry lawyer.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 19, 2020

Brookfield to acquire rest of Terraform Power, creating 36 GW, $50B renewable energy giant

The deal is part of a growing trend of investment capital looking for returns in the renewable energy market, with increasing interest in existing facilities, an energy attorney told Utility Dive.

By Larry Pearl • March 18, 2020

A red state template for 100% renewables? Utah bill unites Rocky Mountain Power, cities and activists

An 80% Republican legislature has approved HB 411, which will move more than a third of the state’s electricity load to 100% renewables by 2030.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 17, 2020

Retail buyers may be key to clean energy procurement in ISO-NE, PJM, NYISO: Report

As states increasingly find capacity markets incompatible with their clean energy goals, a new report finds reform to the retail model is needed for those states to realize the competitive market's full potential.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 17, 2020

New York taps developers for almost 1.3 GW of solar, wind and storage across upstate region

The 21 projects are expected to generate more than $2.5 billion in direct, private investments. Advocates say the announcement highlights the need for energy siting reform in the Empire State.

By Robert Walton • March 17, 2020

'An immediate and dramatic business concern:' How COVID-19 is disrupting the energy sector

The industry could face declines in demand, distracted regulators and disrupted supply chains, according to experts.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 17, 2020

Green tariffs drive big increases in corporate renewable procurement

The Retail Industry Leaders Association ranked Illinois as the top state in corporate clean energy procurement, as New Mexico and Nevada leap ahead of California and New York.

By Matthew Bandyk • March 13, 2020

Wind plants can provide grid services similar to gas, hydro, easing renewables integration: CAISO

Tests conducted at a wind farm near San Diego indicate that when equipped with inverter-based smart controllers, commercial wind plants can provide a variety of grid services.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 13, 2020

Over reliance on gas in PREPA IRP jeopardizes Puerto Rico's 100% clean energy goals, groups say

The future of Puerto Rico's electric grid hinges on a lot of moving parts: the utility's long-term plan, a debt restructuring agreement, the search for replacement generation and access to federal emergency funding.

By Robert Walton • March 12, 2020

Duke, Dominion, Southern won't hit clean energy targets at current pace: Report

Slowed coal retirements and aggressive natural gas investments will leave the companies far behind their mid-century carbon goals, according to Synapse Energy Economics.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 10, 2020

Wind, solar and storage take up 95% of ISO-New England interconnection queue, marking 'dramatic shift'

Five years ago, the majority of the queue was natural gas capacity, CEO Gordon van Welie told reporters.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 9, 2020

Renewables, EV tax credits won't be included in Senate energy bill 'unless we have a miracle on the floor': Wyden

"We're not going to win this round," the top Democrat of the Senate Finance Committee said, as House members and clean energy interests push for greater renewables incentives in the Senate's comprehensive energy bill.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 5, 2020

Will solar work for low-income communities?

Solar for low-and-moderate-income customers should either provide guaranteed savings or allow customers to easily withdraw from the contract at any time, the author writes.

By Warren Leon • March 5, 2020

Green Mountain Power's pioneering steps in transactive energy raise big questions about DER's value

Peer-to-peer energy transactions could meet policy goals and system needs, if software platforms resolve the complexities of value and reliable operation.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 4, 2020

Florida signs off on FPL's 1.5 GW community solar program, despite lack of competition

NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light got unanimous approval for the largest solar subscription program in the nation.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 4, 2020

DOE Secretary holds out hope for new low carbon coal plants as Senate drills him on renewables cuts

Congress is faced with an energy "budget that, frankly, sucks," Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., told Secretary Dan Brouillette during the hearing.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 4, 2020

Comprehensive Senate energy bill draws industry, bipartisan support, but lags on tax credits, efficiency

The bill would include 17 demonstration projects for advanced nuclear, carbon capture, long duration storage and geothermal, moving away from the Trump administration's more research-focused funding approach.

By Catherine Morehouse • March 3, 2020

Virginia legislature torn over keeping a Dominion coal plant running past 2030

The Senate and General Assembly are reconciling two versions of a clean energy package, including an amendment that would exempt a newer coal plant in Wise County from retiring in the next decade.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 3, 2020

Green hydrogen gets real as utility business models and delivery solutions emerge

The fuel may be the only way to meet power system needs in zero emissions scenarios and the market signals to produce and use it are finally clear.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 2, 2020