New Arizona renewable ballot initiative could spark utility opposition

The measure would boost the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard to 50% by 2030, following a proposal from a state official to raise it to 80% by 2050. But the state's largest utility might not be on board.

By Krysti Shallenberger • Feb. 15, 2018

FERC issues storage, reliability orders, calls conference on aggregated DERs

The commission directed grid operators to design rules that allow storage to provide energy, capacity and ancillary services, as well as set wholesale prices as buyers and sellers. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 15, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

Energy Storage

The proliferation of energy storage in everything from utility-scale batteries to electric vehicles is a driving force in the transition to a cleaner, more distributed power system. This trendline includes the best Utility Dive reporting on this dynamic sector.

By Utility Dive staff

How solar owners' post-hurricane demand for batteries could impact utilities

Extreme weather is driving customers to solar-plus-storage as backup power, but they can use it to cut back on electricity use, too

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 15, 2018

Maryland is first state to launch energy storage tax credit

The Maryland Energy Administration is accepting applications for storage projects installed this year and will award up to $750,000 to residential and commercial customers combined.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 13, 2018

California regulators first to allow multiple revenue streams for energy storage

The state has approved rules that increase the ways for energy storage systems to make money, for example, through frequency regulation, capacity or spinning reserve services.        

Feb. 13, 2018

Is the third pillar of electricity delivery preventing the building of the first two?

Utilities and distributed energy resource advocates agree the grid needs new technologies to serve 21st century demand, but they differ over what upgrades should come first and what they should cost.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 13, 2018

Batteries will boost yearly solar plant output by 500 MWh, FPL says

The utility's Citrus Solar Energy Center was completed in 2016, but now has a 4 MW/16 MWh storage system that will allow the plant to continue sending out electricity after the sun goes down.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 12, 2018

APS to install 50 MW, 135 MWh solar-shifting battery

The contract with developer First Solar will allow APS to use the battery to deliver solar power when electricity use is at its peak, 3-8 p.m. each day.

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 12, 2018

The 'small miracle' that may lead to California's net metering successor

Sooner or later, retail rate net metering must go, stakeholders agree. But solar advocates say later, while utilities say sooner, and therein hangs the tale.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 8, 2018

EIA: Low prices, rising production to boost gas generation through 2050

While natural gas grows the most on an absolute basis in EIA's projections, reaching 39% of U.S. energy production in 2050, nonhydroelectric renewable energy grows the most on a percentage basis.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 6, 2018

New York could be headed for the country's most ambitious energy storage goal

With a new energy storage bill and the governor's recent announcement, New York could set a goal above 1.5 GW by 2030.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 6, 2018

Tesla to outfit 50K Australian homes with solar+storage for 250 MW virtual power plant

The electric car company wants to build what it calls the world's largest virtual power plant, harnessing 250 MW of solar power and 650 MWh of energy storage.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 5, 2018

Report: Trump budget seeks 72% cut to DOE clean energy research

Electric vehicle research would take an especially big hit, The Washington Post reports, cut to $56 million from $307 million. 

By Gavin Bade • Feb. 1, 2018

Energy storage has an upstream swim in the Pacific Northwest

The dominance of low cost hydropower in the region, along with policies that favor large power plant development over distributed energy resources, present challenges for the resource.

By Peter Maloney • Jan. 30, 2018

Arizona regulator proposes 80% clean energy mandate, 3 GW storage target

The Clean Peak Standard from Arizona regulator Andy Tobin would require utilities to deliver an increasing portion of their renewable energy during peak demand hours. 

By Gavin Bade • Jan. 30, 2018

The best laid plans of state regulators are now aimed at building a better distribution system

Regulators are pushing utilities to plan for the rising penetrations of distributed energy resources, but they're doing it in many ways.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 30, 2018

S&C Electric to exit storage business

The company has been developing storage systems for a decade, but will now procure storage for its grid projects rather than building that component.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 29, 2018

'Year of the grid': DER management takes center stage at DistribuTECH

The distributed energy revolution hinges on the development of new software platforms that can help utilities make sense of a deluge of grid data.  

By Gavin Bade • Jan. 29, 2018

Will the country's first mandatory residential demand charge slow the Massachusetts solar boom?

Opponents of the charge, approved as part of an Eversource rate case, say it could harm the growth of solar and other distributed energy resources by significantly increasing costs for customers.

By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 25, 2018

Mercom: Battery storage dominated funding in grid edge technologies in H1 2017

A new report shows battery storage, smart grid and efficiency companies attracted $1.03 billion in the first half of last year, compared with $807 million the year before. Much of the increase, however, came from one large infusion of cash into a storage company.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 24, 2018

6 months after target adoption, Massachusetts sees energy storage growth, challenges

Hurdles remain in integrating the technology in the state and into the wider ISO New England.

By Peter Maloney • Jan. 23, 2018

Audi and Nissan join ranks of automakers making energy storage mainstream

Automakers are looking to extend the life of batteries that are no longer useful in an electric vehicle but have enough juice left to store power for a household or provide residential backup power. 

By Peter Maloney • Jan. 22, 2018

There once was an energy storage system on Nantucket...

When the island's summer population swells, peak energy demand doubles. That's a recipe for disaster in a town dependent on tourism. But energy storage may be the answer.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 17, 2018

California regulators broaden rules for energy storage

The rules are interim, however, and delineate how to evaluate energy storage resources providing multiple services to wholesale markets, distribution grids and other venues. 

By Robert Walton • Jan. 17, 2018

Begin with the end in mind: Used and useful utility-integrated energy storage starts with a program approach

The procurement process in an ESS program approach should be deliberately examined with step-by-step methodology to best balance both risk and cost for the utility.  

Jan. 17, 2018