Regulator of the Year: Neil Chatterjee, FERC

It's hard to imagine an agency that has had more effect on the power sector this year than the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and it's impossible to divorce that impact from its now-former chairman: Neil Chatterjee.

By Utility Dive Team • Dec. 9, 2020

The Utility Dive Awards for 2020

The winners exemplified leadership in a time of crisis by working toward economic means of transitioning the power sector.

By Utility Dive Team • Dec. 9, 2020

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

Thousands of California homes to be linked for 550 MW virtual power plant, North America's largest

The planned plant, as well as Southern California Edison's plans to procure an additional 590 MW of battery energy storage, are expected to play important roles in bolstering grid reliability.

By Kavya Balaraman • Dec. 8, 2020

'Very small silver lining' of COVID-19? An extra 2.5 years to reduce power sector emissions: report

BloombergNEF's New Energy Outlook shows the gas sector will never fully recover from the economic downturn in 2020.  

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Dec. 8, 2020

California's pathway to 100% clean electricity begins to take shape, but reliability concerns persist

Achieving a 100% clean electricity goal by 2045 is technically achievable, a draft report from the state's energy agencies concludes.

By Kavya Balaraman • Dec. 7, 2020

US storage deployments shatter record in Q3, with 7.5 GW projected by 2025: WoodMac

Deployments are expected to spike next year, with front-of-the-meter installations occupying more than two-thirds of the forecasted market annually through the middle of the decade.

By Kavya Balaraman • Dec. 3, 2020

Mississippi Power plans 'smart neighborhood' with Tesla batteries, Solar Roofs

The community of up to 150 homes will also feature automation along with energy-efficient equipment and appliances like smart thermostats and refrigerators.

By Cailin Crowe • Dec. 1, 2020

CAISO approves hybrid storage policies as California preps to add 1.5 GW by 2022

The new policy provides market certainty around how hybrid resources are supposed to operate in the market, according to Jin Noh, policy manager at the California Energy Storage Alliance.

By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 24, 2020

Why capital markets are continuing to finance utilities facing rising flood and other climate change impacts

In a sample of 18 utility disclosures on climate risks analyzed by Utility Dive, 13 stated flooding and heavy storms were a short-to-mid term threat.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Nov. 20, 2020

To batteries and beyond: The storage technologies poised to play a key role in the energy transition

At least 33 U.S. utilities are aiming to become carbon-free or reach net-zero emissions by 2050. These are some of the technologies that could help them get there.

By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 17, 2020

Maryland PSC greenlights Exelon pilots to guide future of utility-scale storage in the state

The commission also rejected a proposal from Potomac Edison, which the utility withdrew due to technical constraints that it discovered only after submitting the application.

By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 11, 2020

Virginia lawmakers say proposed rules violate spirit of state's clean energy laws, press for changes

The State Corporation Commission's proposed storage and other rules to implement the Clean Economy Act contain “unnecessary obstacles” that would hinder job growth, state legislators say.

By Emma Penrod • Nov. 10, 2020

California has the technology and know-how to meet its energy needs; it needs the right regulations

California energy agencies should make common-sense changes to maximize the value and market opportunity for energy storage and demand response, the authors write.

By Nick Chaset and Cisco DeVries • Nov. 10, 2020

Storage tax credit remains unlikely in divided government, but could pass in compromise bill: analyst

One analysis indicates the credit could lead to as much as a 16% upside for the U.S. storage market.

By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 10, 2020

Automated bidding is the next step in the evolution of energy storage

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the power industry has remained innovative in optimizing energy storage and renewable resources.

By Andy Tang, Vice President - Energy Storage and Optimization, Wärtsilä • Nov. 5, 2020

Election 2020: Xcel Energy, municipalization advocates face off in Boulder

On Nov. 3, voters in the Colorado city must choose whether to trust Xcel’s commitments or the promise of a municipal utility.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 30, 2020

Do smart thermostats still save during a global pandemic?

The role of free thermostat optimization in navigating ‘the new normal’.

Oct. 26, 2020

Musk promises to reinvent batteries as Tesla reports record Q3 solar and storage deployments

Tesla's CEO envisions “batteries that cost half as much” within a few years as the company's continued emphasis on manufacturing and cutting costs delivers a fifth consecutive quarter of profitability.

By Emma Penrod • Oct. 22, 2020

Facebook, Carnegie Mellon leverage AI to enhance energy storage scalability

The project aims to enable researchers to screen billions of possible energy storage catalysts per year, a huge jump from the current number possible with typical computational methods.

By Larry Pearl • Oct. 20, 2020

To batteries and beyond: Lithium-ion dominates utility storage; could competing chemistries change that?

The industry is growing increasingly comfortable with lithium-ion, but its limitations open up a space for other technologies to compete in the storage mix.

By Kavya Balaraman • Oct. 15, 2020

NYPA to consider swapping gas peakers for batteries in novel deal with environmental justice groups

The New York Power Authority will hire consultants, including technical experts, to represent the interests of local advocacy groups when analyzing the potential for energy storage to replace gas peaking facilities in New York City.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 14, 2020

To batteries and beyond: Compressed air, liquid air and the holy grail of long-duration storage

Proponents of the technologies are looking to carve out a niche for themselves in the market. In both cases, a key draw is duration.

By Kavya Balaraman • Oct. 14, 2020

To batteries and beyond: In a high-renewables world, pumped hydro storage could be 'the heavy artillery'

Experts say pumped hydro is notoriously difficult to site. But as more renewables come online, the industry is eyeing new locations and fresh technologies.

By Kavya Balaraman • Oct. 13, 2020

To batteries and beyond: With seasonal storage potential, hydrogen offers 'a different ballgame entirely'

The ability to provide long-term storage could give power-to-gas technologies an edge as renewables grow on the grid, some experts say. But larger questions remain around the infrastructure and policies to support it.

By Kavya Balaraman • Oct. 12, 2020

Arizona OKs home battery incentives as Green Mountain Power program shows millions in customer savings

The Vermont-based utility said its growing network of stored energy, including home batteries, has shaved $3 million off customer costs so far in 2020 by cutting electricity demand during peak hours.

By Emma Penrod • Oct. 6, 2020