The top 10 trends transforming the electric power sector

From the decline of coal power to the rise of energy storage, big changes are quickly taking hold in the industry.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 17, 2015

Ohio solar-storage project will be nation's largest, developer claims

S&C Electric will develop a 7-MW storage project to help an Ohio town manage peak energy use.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 17, 2015

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

EPRI, SunEdison partner to test storage in net-zero home project

SunEdison will supply battery systems for the 9 homes located in Fontata, California.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 17, 2015

Tesla battery storage tapped for Texas' first community solar project

Austin Energy's community solar project is expected to come online next year, and will utilize a 1.5 MW storage system to help integrate the power.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 16, 2015

CPUC pushed to study solar-storage further after filing pegs value at $0.25/kWh

California is at risk of improperly valuing storage unless it opens a separate regulatory track on its value, an industry group says. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 15, 2015

SoCalEdison & SolarCity partner to study aggregated distributed resources

The pilot project will study 50 homes equipped with solar, storage, controllable thermostats, and smart inverters.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 14, 2015

Open standards for utility storage tech could be published by end of year

Several large utilities have aligned themselves with an industry group known as MESA, or Modular Energy Storage Architecture, and the group hopes common standards will bring down prices and installation times.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 14, 2015

Beyond batteries: The diverse technologies vying for the bulk storage market

Batteries are hot, but utilities looking to store a lot of power may find cheaper options elsewhere.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 14, 2015

Taking aim at Tesla, CA storage firm SimpliPhi launches new battery

Options for home energy storage have been growing since Tesla announced its PowerWall product earlier this year.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2015

Brooklyn microgrid could supply residents with up to 10 MW

New York's hippest borough is at the forefront of microgrid development.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 11, 2015

Hawaii co-op, SolarCity ink deal for dispatchable power from solar-storage project

The goal is to use the power, which can be stored in a 52 MWh battery, for peak shaving purposes in the evenings. 

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 10, 2015

What's behind the 900% growth in energy storage in Q2 2015

2015 continues to look like it will be “the biggest year for U.S. energy storage deployment in history," GTM Research found in it's most recent quarterly report. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 8, 2015

CA industry group pegs value of solar-plus-storage at 25 cents/kWh

The California Energy Storage Alliance wants a special role for energy storage in state regulatory policy as it moves toward 50% renewable generation.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 8, 2015

Stem, PG&E bid aggregated energy storage into CAISO real-time market

The transaction was a part of Pacific Gas and Electric’s Supply-Side Pilot, a project which enables customer-sited, demand-side resources to participate in the California ISO wholesale markets as demand response.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 8, 2015

After changes, Palen CSP project will be trough, not tower, and will include storage

Abengoa SA has proposed to change the technology used at its Palen solar project in response to challenges to its solar tower plan.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 2, 2015

Whatever happened to Oncor's big energy storage plans?

The utility says gigawatt-scale storage can be cost effective in Texas, but the state's electricity market rules are holding the technology back.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 1, 2015

AEP invests $5M in storage software company Greensmith

The Maryland-based company offers turnkey energy storage solutions that could help the utility monetize the benefits of grid-scale batteries.

By Gavin Bade • Sept. 1, 2015

Alliant will test various solar, storage techs with demo project at Wisc. headquarters

The $5 million project located at the company's Madison offices will examine how new solar technologies work in Wisconsin's climate.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 1, 2015

Microgrids on the table as DC stakeholders look to boost reliability in nation's capital

The District of Columbia is about three weeks away from kicking off a workshop examining how microgrids can help power stability in the nation's capital.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 31, 2015

Energy Storage Assn: Renewable tax breaks not optimal, but necessary

Until the U.S. market properly values clean energy and renewable generation then some subsidies will be required, according to the head of the Energy Storage Association.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 28, 2015

Is variable pricing the way out of Hawaii's solar wars?

Rates that vary with the grid’s needs may change customer behaviors, but will they settle the cost shift question?

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 27, 2015

SolarCity wants to help utilities plan better for distributed resources

The leading national solar installer has a new, innovative framework to modernize utilities’ interconnection, planning, procurement, and data sharing practices.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 27, 2015

Siemens to construct islanding microgrid on northern California reservation

The microgrid, designed for the Blue Lake Rancheria reservation, will test microgrid management software to predict power needs and control the grid without an operator present.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 26, 2015

How demand flexibility is about to transform electricity delivery

For utilties, when consumers use energy could become just as important to their bottom lines as if they generate it themselves.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 26, 2015

GE inks deal to provide 30 MW of battery storage for CA utility

It is GE's third lithium ion storage project announced in recent months.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 25, 2015