Technology

Design updates, financial shakeup prompt utilities to rethink structure of NuScale's $6.1B SMR project

A number of western municipal utilities are trying to avoid getting locked into a first-of-a-kind nuclear project if its costs continue to go up.

By Matthew Bandyk • Nov. 25, 2020

Climate progress in power, 5 other sectors too slow to limit global warming: report

The World Resources Institute and ClimateWorks said efforts to bolster electrification and renewable energy must accelerate, while deforestation and agricultural production raised red flags.

By Chris Teale • Nov. 23, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Trendline

Grid Resiliency

Utilities and grid operators are facing increasing threats from climate change as well as cyber and physical attacks, and are deploying a variety of responses, with some adjustments in the age of COVID-19.

By Utility Dive staff

DOE R&D plan targets 'immediate risk' hackers present to renewable energy technologies

DOE has developed a long-term approach to improve the security of renewable energy facilities, manufacturing, buildings, and transportation, which it says are "increasingly interconnected and vulnerable to cyber-attack."

By Robert Walton • Nov. 19, 2020

Climate risks are accelerating. Here's what Duke, PG&E and 16 other utilities expect to pay.

Utility Dive took a closer look at how climate risks are threatening utilities — and how much it's going to cost to mitigate them.

By Nami Sumida • Nov. 18, 2020

'Somebody has to actually sit on the egg and hatch it' — Partnership aims to drive green hydrogen in the West

Regulators and other experts say that bringing down costs substantially will be key to deploying hydrogen at scale.

By Kavya Balaraman • Nov. 18, 2020

Utilities one of most vulnerable industries as cybersecurity IT/OT threats merge, survey finds

Not only is operational technology connected to the internet now, cyberattacks can trickle through information technology environments.

By Samantha Ann Schwartz • Nov. 17, 2020

PECO: Billions of investment at risk with Pennsylvania court's rejection of smart meter mandate

Exelon subsidiary PECO Energy installed more than a million smart meters in Pennsylvania, but a court's decision could allow customers to have them removed.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 13, 2020

Cummins and Navistar prototype hydrogen truck with 300-mile range

Werner will add the truck to its fleet and use it in regional and local delivery operations out of Fontana, California.

By Jim Stinson • Nov. 13, 2020

Fed flags climate change as financial risk, seeks transparency from banks

The declaration comes as TD Bank committed Monday to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for the projects it finances.

By Dan Ennis • Nov. 10, 2020

Larger, vertically-integrated utilities better prepared to face cyber threats, says Moody's

Smaller, publicly-owned utilities are leaning on cybsersecurity insurance to mitigate risk, according to the ratings agency.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 06, 2020

Trump, Biden want strong cyber but differ on offense vs. defense

The presidential nominees understand the urgency around cyber efforts but are split on national data protection.

By Katie Malone • Nov. 04, 2020

Hydrogen is having a moment, and power generation is leading the way

Green hydrogen fuel could facilitate decarbonization across a wide swath of industries, but experts say the utility sector will be the first to transition.

By Emma Penrod • Nov. 02, 2020

Opinion

The US power sector has prevented millions of cyberattacks in 2020 — that takes 24/7 commitment

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, recent natural disasters and looming elections create the added risk of distraction — and opportunity for attacks, write Edison International CEO Pedro Pizarro and EEI President Tom Kuhn.

By Pedro J. Pizarro and Tom Kuhn • Oct. 29, 2020

Trump sanctions against Russian institute with malware ties to US power sector only scratch at recourse

The malware, launched against a Saudi Arabia-based oil refinery in 2017, also scanned and probed at least 20 electric facilities in the U.S. in 2019.

By Samantha Ann Schwartz • Oct. 26, 2020

Trump administration funds projects to more efficiently charge and deploy electric buses

MIT, Utah State University and the Chattanooga (TN) Regional Transportation Authority each received $1.75 million grants to improve transit systems using "innovative vehicle technologies."

By Chris Teale • Oct. 26, 2020

Sponsored by Esri

Asset management starts with great data

Today's utilities face enormous challenges. They can ill afford to keep duplicate, out of date and inconsistent data.

By Bill Meehan • Oct. 26, 2020

Carbon capture and storage could reduce California emissions 15%, save $750M a year: report

Having 4.2 GW of natural gas with CCS by 2030 would lead to lower overall system costs in the state compared to a scenario without CCS that relied heavily on renewables and battery storage, the report found.

By Kavya Balaraman • Oct. 23, 2020

Honda, GM-led group develops global blockchain standard for EV grid integration

The initiative could pave the way for an expansion of the vehicle electrification market, but must support innovation in a manner that benefits entire communities and not just the wealthy few, according to one expert. 

By Thomas Gresham • Oct. 19, 2020

Pennsylvania to be a testing ground for how utilities manage distributed energy

A settlement agreement would pave the way for PPL Corp. to conduct a pilot program with broad implications for questions of utility control over rooftop solar and behind-the-meter storage.

By Matthew Bandyk • Oct. 14, 2020

Elected officials urge automakers to support cleaner cars

The Clean Cars Declaration, signed by more than 200 elected officials, called on manufacturers to drop their support for the Trump administration’s rollback of clean car standards.

By Chris Teale • Oct. 09, 2020

California's Salton Sea offers chance for US battery supply chain, despite financial, policy challenges

There are multiple advantages to building a domestic supply chain for lithium-ion batteries, including avoiding the risks of tariffs or restrictions on obtaining components from overseas, one expert said. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Oct. 06, 2020

US cybersecurity agency urges utilities to increase protections, warns of potential attacks from China

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned of potential attacks on critical infrastructure, including the power sector. "This is what we’ve been warned about," said one security professional.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 05, 2020

Calculating the total cost of ownership for electric trucks

The purchase price is an important part of justifying a buy, but some considerations aren’t so obvious.

By Amanda Loudin • Oct. 01, 2020

Flurry of grid security bills pass House, including public-private training partnership

Electric utilities support several of the measures, one of which would direct the Department of Energy to provide training to utilities to mitigate cybersecurity supply chain management risks.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 01, 2020

Sponsored by IBM

Better vegetation and weather data helps utilities navigate disasters

Precise, timely, data-driven insights can help utilities manage more disruption.