Bipartisan coalition launches Congressional Battery Storage Caucus

The new group in the U.S. Congress aims to educate lawmakers about storage and push legislation to boost the industry.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 27, 2015

From theory to practice: The challenges in moving to 'Utility 2.0'

Executives from four major utilities spoke at ESNA 2015 about the trials and tribulations of putting more new technology on their grids. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 27, 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

California's new demand response future begins

The state's new Demand Response Auction Mechanism could bring a vast array of resources into the power management fold.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 26, 2015

Pennsylvania PUC approves PECO's $274M reliability, microgrid program

The Philadelphia-based utility's proposal includes up to $100 million for a microgrid pilot to enhance grid resiliency. 

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 26, 2015

What comes after net metering: Hawaii's latest postcard from the future

Hawaii regulators offered two new remuneration schemes for rooftop solar in a landmark decision last week, along with new guidance on time of use rates.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 22, 2015

Stem, HECO partner on 1 MW battery storage pilot in Hawaii

Installations will be aimed at cutting commercial-industrial scale customers’ peak demand charges and providing grid support services.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 21, 2015

What's the value of energy storage? It's complicated

Experts at ESNA's conference last week discuss the complications of valuing storage.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 20, 2015

While VC funding grows for smart grid and efficiency, energy storage falls

Overall funding for storage is down, but the good news is nearly all of the VC funding from Q3 2015 happened in the U.S.

By Davide Savenije • Oct. 20, 2015

Primer: The now and future impacts of energy storage

As renewables penetration grows, utilities will see the need for storage to move generation to when consumers use the most electricity.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 20, 2015

ESNA 2015: Inside California's energy politics, the FERC Order 745 case, and the coming storage cost shift

Utilities and storage providers remained upbeat in the final day of ESNA, but not everything was sunny in San Diego.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 16, 2015

ESNA 2015: Why energy storage is key to a future with 'no more gas turbines'

The first days of the Energy Storage North America conference showed a sector brimming with optimism.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 15, 2015

Honey, I shrunk the grids: The emergence of 'nanogrids'

The falling cost of energy storage and solar panels is fueling the growth of “nanogrids,” small systems that often serve a single building, according to new research.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 14, 2015

Why battery storage is 'just about ready to take off'

Energy storage is following solar sector market trends and offers opportunities, challenges and choices to utility planners. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 13, 2015

Developers add energy storage to Ohio solar project after law changes

The project is being touted as the largest storage project in Ohio and the largest solar+storage facility in the U.S.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 13, 2015

Green Charge Networks to bring aggregated energy storage into CAISO market

The move will help the state meet its new 50%-by-2030 renewables mandate. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 13, 2015

Kentucky utility installs home storage for demand response pilot program

The Kentucky municipal utility, serving 14,000 customers, is looking to reduce its carbon emissions by 25% by testing out a pilot program using energy storage widgets. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 9, 2015

IRS may redefine investment tax credit for energy projects

New definitions could affect rooftop solar, energy storage and other demand side resources. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 7, 2015

Report: North Carolina utilities, regulators behind the curve on storage

A new report from a North Carolina clean energy group outlines the main barriers holding back wider deployment of storage technologies. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 6, 2015

Residential energy storage: The industry's next big thing

Utility-scale storage projects have been getting big press lately, but the market for small residential installations is poised to explode – and upend the energy market landscape.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 6, 2015

NextEra CEO: Energy storage will replace gas peakers post-2020

NextEra CEO Jim Robo spoke about the company's future to an the audiance at a New York conferance, which includes focusing on gas pipelines, competitive transmission and energy storage.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 1, 2015

SoCalEdison unveils new storage buys and RFO for distributed energy

The utility's request for offers officially names storage as an "eligible preferred resource."

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 30, 2015

How storage will shape the future of concentrated solar power

CSP may not be the hottest topic in the solar or storage sectors, but its backers point out that it offers large scale renewable generation that is in many cases fully dispatchable.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 29, 2015

Moody's: Falling battery prices are bad news for merchant generators

Battery prices have dropped 50% since 2010, and if the slide continues, will decrease peak energy and capacity prices for independent power producers, according to Moody's Investor Services.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 29, 2015

New York funds 5 clean energy projects under REV for $175M

The largest of the projects will be a 100 MW wind farm being developed by RES America Developments in Chautauqua County.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 28, 2015

How to become the 'Utility of the Future?' Industry experts weigh in

The key to creating the utility of the future is combining consumer demands with emerging technology in smart grids, energy efficiency and distribution generation, experts said during the 2015 Solar Power International conference. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 28, 2015