NextEra sees hydrogen as key to deep decarbonization, takes small steps for now

Incorporating hydrogen into the company's analysis of decarbonization "substantially changes the value equation for customers to fully decarbonize in the electricity sector," NextEra CFO Rebecca Kujawa said.

By Larry Pearl • April 22, 2021

New York rejects 6 utilities' bid to own storage projects, extends next deployment deadline

The Public Service Commission said there was "no compelling reason presently to modify its stated preference for third parties to develop" storage projects in the states.

By Jason Plautz • April 22, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Virtual Power Plants

Virtual power plants and their ability to balance energy supply and demand are increasingly sought by utilities as electricity demand increases, but their lack of standardization remains a barrier.

By Utility Dive staff

Corporate funding for solar surges in Q1, but venture capital eyes are on storage, Mercom finds

"Everyone expects positive outcomes" in renewable energy based on the Biden administration's policy support and the recent economic recovery, said Mercom Capital CEO Raj Prabhu.

By Emma Penrod • April 21, 2021

Pennsylvania regulators take 'first key step' to identify storage-boosting strategies

The Department of Environmental Protection released the Pennsylvania Energy Storage Assessment, which recommends setting an energy storage target and using public funding for storage projects, among other steps.

By Jason Plautz • April 21, 2021

Clean energy jobs 'hit hard' by COVID-19 in 2020: report

Research from Environment Entrepreneurs found the sector shed 307,000 jobs but rebounded in the second half of the year — and could be set for a major recovery in 2021.

By Chris Teale • April 20, 2021

As Biden targets 100% clean electricity, strategies emerge to reliably integrate rising renewables

A power system based on portfolios of increasingly cost-effective utility-scale and distributed renewables is emerging and driving new operational and market solutions to make it work reliably.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 19, 2021

Hawaii top regulator fears potential clean energy project delays could slow closure of HECO oil-fired plant

Hawaiian Electric representatives, however, say the utility is trying to balance a variety of concerns, including from local communities. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 15, 2021

Following California and Texas blackouts, experts see potential for energy storage and better grid planning

Regulators will need to deploy storage across multiple time spectrums, Steve Berberich, former president and CEO of the California Independent System Operator, said April 13 during the BNEF Summit. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 14, 2021

Biden budget, infrastructure plan would create standalone storage tax credit

Storage advocates say a federal tax credit "would have a transformative impact" on the market and could help the U.S. reach its clean energy goals.

By Jason Plautz • April 13, 2021

New York regulators have 'effectively accelerated' the state's storage market, report finds

There are more than 8,000 MW of energy storage projects in the interconnection queues of New York utilities and the state's Independent System Operator.

By Robert Walton • April 6, 2021

How Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan could boost California's energy transition

Transmission investments could help California address reliability challenges and utility wildfire risk, experts say.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 6, 2021

Biden $2 trillion infrastructure proposal includes billions in spending on transmission, clean energy

The plan received wide-ranging support from climate and clean energy groups, but Republican leadership opposes its high price tag.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 1, 2021

State of the Electric Utility 2021

The 8th annual State of the Electric Utility Survey Report provides a pulse on industry trends from nearly 500 utility professionals, many at the VP level and above, along with insight from a broad range of industry experts.

By Nami Sumida • April 1, 2021

State of the Electric Utility 2021: Despite sharp drop, cost remains key obstacle to more storage, some say

Two-thirds of participants in the latest State of the Electric Utility Survey Report identified high costs as the biggest challenge to adding more storage onto their system.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 1, 2021

Duke, other utilities see dollar signs in becoming EV experts

Prospects for EV adoption are compelling utilities to consider providing related services to fleet customers as a business opportunity, including using EVs as a distributed resource, in concert with solar and battery storage.

By Matthew Bandyk • March 24, 2021

Amid rising rooftop solar battles, emerging net metering alternatives could shake up the sector

As distributed resource penetrations rise, a shift of costs to non-solar owners due to retail rate net energy metering is driving innovations in policy and rate design that can replace it.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 18, 2021

'We're going from cigarettes to crack': Hawaii regulators grill HECO on fossil fuel transition plan

Regulators worry delays to renewable projects, planned to help replace a coal plant on Oahu, could require the state to turn to oil-fired generation next year. 

By Kavya Balaraman • March 17, 2021

Hawaiian Electric defends renewable, storage project delays as fossil fuel plants near retirement

Project delays are not solely attributable to Hawaiian Electric, and depend also on developers and their consultants, the utility said in a filing. 

By Kavya Balaraman • March 10, 2021

Federal bills creating standalone storage tax credit raise hopes for significant boost, akin to solar

The legislation would apply to residential systems, as well as commercial and utility-scale energy storage projects, including batteries and hydrogen.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 10, 2021

A new program is making battery storage affordable for affordable housing (and everyone else)

ConnectedSolutions, available in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire, is beginning to transform the landscape for battery storage in homes, businesses and nonprofits, the author writes.

By Seth Mullendore • March 9, 2021

'A total mindshift': Utilities replace gas peakers, 'old school' demand response with flexible DERs

Utility-customer cooperation can balance renewables' variability with flexibility without using "blunt" demand response or natural gas.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2021

Storage deployments shatter records — again — in Q4 2020

"We expect an uptick in home battery sales in Texas in the aftermath of February’s devastating outages,” Chloe Holden, energy storage analyst with Wood Mackenzie, said in a press release.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 4, 2021

Texas must increase ties to the national grid and DER to avoid another power catastrophe, analysts say

Planning for inter-regional transmission and distributed resources could do what ERCOT's competitive, energy-only market didn't – keep the heat and lights on, energy advisors say.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 2, 2021

FERC gives preliminary permit to 2.2 GW storage project that would use Navajo coal plant power lines

The proposed pumped-storage hydropower project would deliver power to markets in California, Arizona and Nevada, according to its developer. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Feb. 22, 2021

S&P: Despite storage growth, US to achieve 'marginal' carbon-free capacity increases through 2035

The generation market share for zero-carbon resources will increase from 39% to 47% in the next 15 years, and will require policy commitments at either the federal or state level, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 18, 2021