Xcel to test battery storage, microgrid systems in Denver for solar

Xcel Energy's Colorado utility is launching two tests of battery storage systems that could be used to back up solar power and microgrids.

By Peter Maloney • March 10, 2016

Dueling studies draw battle lines for next Arizona utility-solar showdown

Studies commissioned by APS and TASC have hugely different approaches to solar valuation, but share an important piece of common ground.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 10, 2016

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

Learning by doing: How utilities are answering the distributed energy resources challenge

As our 2016 survey shows, utilities are beginning to understand how they can make money with distributed resources, but it's still a work in progress.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 9, 2016

SDG&E issues call for 140 MW of renewables, DERs, demand-side resources

The utility has issued an RFO for storage, renewables, distributed generation, energy efficiency and demand response resources to comply with CPUC procurement targets.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 9, 2016

HECO, E-Gear try storage to resolve solar installation bottleneck in Hawaii

Hawaiian Electric and E-Gear to deploy storage pilot program to address solar installation bottleneck on Molokai.

By Peter Maloney • March 9, 2016

As ITC extension promises growth, storage developers look to define position under tax code

Changes to the investment tax credit could give energy storage a boost.

By Peter Maloney • March 8, 2016

Charts: How will the Clean Power Plan stay affect the utility power mix transition?

Utilities will keep adding renewables and natural gas, but what happens to the Clean Power Plan could have a big effect on just how much of both are brought online in the coming years.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 8, 2016

After record year, U.S. energy storage forecasted to break 1 GW capacity mark in 2019

Energy storage installations were up 243% in 2015 compared with 2014, according to new GTM Research/Energy Storage Assoc. report.

By Peter Maloney • March 7, 2016

AEP taps GE software for new distribution management system

As utilities shift to a future with more distributed assets on the grid, finding systems to manage them as one is paramount.

By Peter Maloney • March 4, 2016

As Xcel pushes non-wire alternatives, solar+storage pilot sparks utility ownership debate

Everyone loves that Xcel Minnesota is considering DERs instead of traditional infrastructure, but not that the utility wants to own them itself.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 3, 2016

Green Charge deploys storage in San Diego financed by savings from peak demand reduction

Green Charge Networks is applying its benefits-sharing financing model to offer 7.4 MWh of energy storage at no cost to the school district that will host it. 

By Peter Maloney • March 2, 2016

Long live the duck — and may he fly flat

In this guest post, Jim Lazar, senior advisor at the Regulatory Assistance Project, offers new techniques to combat the dreaded Duck Curve

By Jim Lazar • March 2, 2016

To help build the 'smart city' utilities need to shed their legacy thinking

In the future, smart cities will have smart utilities. But a new report from Black & Veatch finds there's a long way to go, and the power industry is evolving slowly.

By Robert Walton • March 2, 2016

New York utilities seek non-wire alternatives in REV-inspired RFP

ConEdison and New York State Electric & Gas have each issued solicitations aimed at avoiding the need for new wires and old-style generation.

By Robert Walton • March 2, 2016

The sector favorite: Storage tops utility tech picks for second year running

Utility Dive's third annual survey of electric utility professionals shows even greater interest in energy storage.

By Peter Maloney • March 1, 2016

France's EDF will offer solar+storage product via US-based subsidiary

The giant French utility announced plans to enter the residential solar and storage market in an ribbon-cutting for a utility-scale battery project in the PJM region.

By Peter Maloney • March 1, 2016

Hawaiian Electric gears up to test EV charging station with storage

Hawaiian Electric is testing a fast charging EV station that incorporates energy storge.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 26, 2016

Sunvault-Edison Power solar+storage project in Delaware could use graphene technology

A small solar + storge project in Delaware is vying to be one of the first to incorporate graphene storage technology.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 25, 2016

German green utility LichtBlick eyes US expansion for DERMS offering

LichtBlick of Germany is expanding its DERMS tools into the residential market, including the United States.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 24, 2016

'A battery in every basement': How the lowly water heater could power the smart grid

A new coalition of co-ops, environmentalists and demand response is seeking to harness the power of a different sort of energy storage. 

By Robert Walton • Feb. 23, 2016

Partnering for success: Utilities leverage innovative vendor relationships at the grid edge

From smart meters to distribution automation and residential storage, opportunities abound for utilities bold enough to reach out to innovative third parties. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 23, 2016

JuiceBox enters residential storage fray with new solar partnerships

The most recent solar+storage partnership combines JuiceBox and Simmitri, a solar designer and installer, following a similar deal inked in January. 

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 23, 2016

First do no harm: Michigan researchers publish storage sustainability guidelines

University of Michigan researchers publish guidelines for the sustainble use of energy storage systems.

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 22, 2016

New York needs 4 GW of storage by 2030 to meet REV goals, advocacy group says

Advocacy and advisory group NY-BEST also calls for standardized safety requirements, locational pricing in new report. 

By Peter Maloney • Feb. 19, 2016

Beyond net metering: How location can help put a value on DERs

Finding the precise locational value of distributed energy resources is key to ongoing and future value-of-solar proceedings, a report said. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 18, 2016