Transmission & Distribution
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Island-wide outage on Kaua'i: Clouds block solar recovery after generator's cable failure
Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative's largest generator tripped offline on Sunday, leading to a power outage followed by continued rolling blackouts.
By Robert Walton • July 23, 2019 -
New Hampshire Supreme Court strikes down appeal for Northern Pass transmission permit
Gov. Chris Sununu, R, a long-time supporter of the project, says "it is time to move on," to other transmission projects that will bring clean energy to New England.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 22, 2019 -
13,000 without power following explosion at Madison Gas & Electric substation
The transmission company that owns and operates the equipment responsible for both fires says it identified a potential problem at the Blount Street substation during a routine inspection just days before the fire occurred.
By Max Witynski • UPDATED: July 23, 2019 at 11:05 a.m. -
Berkeley sets historic law banning natural gas from new buildings
Berkeley is the first U.S. city to pass such a measure, designed to curb GHG emissions and prepare new buildings for electric infrastructure.
By Kristin Musulin • July 18, 2019 -
Tri-State, Delta-Montrose reach potential settlement on buyout costs
Earlier this month, Delta-Montrose Electric Association asked a Colorado district court for a temporary restraining order against Tri-State Generation and Transmission, as members looked at the cost to buy out of their contract.
By Robert Walton • July 17, 2019 -
Regulators unanimously approve Georgia Power plan, adding 80 MW storage
The plan also calls for shuttering four coal units and increasing renewables by 72%, but some environmentalists said the utility still relies too much natural gas and could do better on efficiency.
By Robert Walton • July 17, 2019 -
PG&E's grid inspections revealed almost 10K problems: Report
Of those problems, 1,000 posed safety risks severe enough to necessitate immediate attention.
By Robert Walton • July 16, 2019 -
ConEd: Failed relay systems, not transmission equipment, caused NYC blackout
More than 70,000 New York City residents were without power Saturday evening, after a portion of Consolidated Edison's grid failed despite built-in redundancies.
By Robert Walton • July 16, 2019 -
Cause of weekend NYC outage still unknown; ConEd to investigate why grid failed to isolate probem
72,000 customers on the West Side of Manhattan lost power Saturday evening, on the anniversary of the much-larger 1977 outage.
By Robert Walton • July 15, 2019 -
NV Energy will utilize power shutoffs to reduce wildfire risks
The strategy is similar to utilities' approach in California. While high winds are typically the main force behind a proactive power shutoff, NV Energy says "no single factor" will drive its decisions.
By Robert Walton • July 15, 2019 -
California Gov. Newsom to sign $21B wildfire liability bill today
Critics say the plan to help utilities pay wildfire damage liabilities has been rushed through the state legislature.
By Robert Walton • July 12, 2019 -
Democratic AGs press for PJM CEO focused on climate, states' rights
Maryland, Delaware and D.C.'s attorneys general want the grid operator to have a president who won't treat state clean energy preferences as "out-of-market distortions."
By Iulia Gheorghiu • July 11, 2019 -
PG&E knew of wildfire risks for years, WSJ reports, citing company documents
Experts say the revelations in the Wall Street Journal's report could provide additional ammunition to those bringing claims against the bankrupt, embattled utility.
By Robert Walton • July 11, 2019 -
Severe weather, cyber, physical attacks: DOE targets better utility, pipeline preparedness
The department is seeking information on "consensus-based codes, specifications, standards, and other forms of guidance," for improving the resilience of electric systems.
By Robert Walton • July 10, 2019 -
California Senate passes $21B wildfire fund legislation, as Newsom pushes for final vote Friday
Some customer advocates are concerned by the bill's accelerated passage, and say it weakens utility accountability.
By Robert Walton • July 09, 2019 -
Deep DiveSolar + wind + storage developers 'gearing up' as hybrid projects edge to market
A "wave" of new projects is coming to use wind, solar and battery storage in ways that will stabilize grids, increase efficiencies and lower power costs.
By Herman K. Trabish • July 09, 2019 -
Delta-Montrose files restraining order against Tri-State, as others examine buy out costs
The order seeks to restrain Tri-State Generation and Transmission's attempts to place itself under federal regulation, which members see as an attempt by the utility to avoid state oversight.
By Robert Walton • July 03, 2019 -
California tees up wildfire liability bill as utility, consumer groups diverge on solutions
AB 1054 would create a fund to help utilities pay for wildfire liability claims, if they're not responsible for sparking the blaze, but opponents say it strips away important protections.
By Robert Walton • July 03, 2019 -
Deep DiveDiversifying the Northeast power mix: Is offshore wind + storage key to the region's reliability?
As more New England states roll out offshore wind mandates, bringing the technology to scale is a portfolio priority.
By Herman K. Trabish • July 02, 2019 -
Senate passes cybersecurity bill to decrease grid digitization, move toward manual control
Lawmakers suggest that moving toward "retro" technology on some strategic points could decrease vulnerabilities, inspired in part by a 2015 blackout in Ukraine.
By Robert Walton • July 01, 2019 -
Virginia regulators approve revised Dominion IRP, but warn about understated costs
Customer advocates called the State Corporation Commission's decision "unconscionable." The utility says warnings of higher bills tell "only part of the story."
By Robert Walton • June 28, 2019 -
Transitioning US to 100% renewables by 2030 will cost $4.5 trillion: Wood Mackenzie
Including existing nuclear plants would reduce the price by almost $500 billion, while other savings are possible with a longer time frame to allow for technological advancements, the consulting firm said.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • UPDATED: July 1, 2019 at 7:34 a.m. -
Florida mandates 10-year storm protection plans for utilities, sparking cost concerns
A bill signed Thursday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis could make it easier for utilities to underground power lines and pass those charges on to customers.
By Robert Walton • June 28, 2019 -
Massachusetts regulators approve state's largest clean energy procurement
The Department of Public Utilities approved long-term contracts for more than 9.5 million MWh of annual hydropower from Quebec.
By Robert Walton • June 27, 2019 -
CalFire: PG&E power lines sparked Tuesday blaze
The fire, now contained, burned more than 2,500 acres. Pacific Gas & Electric said is investigating what caused a power line to fall.
By Robert Walton • June 27, 2019
