Why natural gas supply will be crucial in preventing winter power outages

Grid operators say enhanced coordination and upgraded operational tools will be tested in keeping gas-fired plants online through the coldest months.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 2, 2016

Report: California needs to invest $5B in transmission to support renewables goals

Staff of the California Energy Commission found areas where more than 40,000 MW of wind, solar and geothermal resources could be developed.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 2, 2016

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 Stories from Utility Dive

Power demand is rising amid dramatic shifts in federal energy policy, but technology and markets continue to push the grid toward cleaner, more distributed resources. 

By Utility Dive staff

AEP refocuses on regulated utilities, renewables with $17B investment

The company will spend $17.3 billion on regulated entities and contracted renewables as it moves away from merchant plant ownership. 

By Robert Walton • Nov. 2, 2016

NextEra to buy Texas Transmission for $2.4B in bid for full control of Oncor

Texas Transmission Holdings has a 20% stake in Oncor Electric Delivery, a regulated utility NextEra is attempting to purchase.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 1, 2016

How new transmission can unlock 10 times more renewables for the Eastern U.S.

The Eastern Interconnect can handle 30% renewables within a decade, but hotly-contested power line construction will be key.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 27, 2016

Michigan energy choice bill could see lame duck vote following Chamber endorsement

The bill would amend utility planning processes, modestly increase the renewables mandate, and place new rules on alternative energy suppliers. 

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 26, 2016

Wisconsin utility predicts $4B in transmission investments

American Transmission Co. sees transmission project spending as high as $4 billion over the next 10 years, including $1.3 billion on network projects to address specific reliability needs

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 25, 2016

Dominion, Army Corps could be at impasse over transmission line

A proposed Surry-Skiffes Creek transmission line would cross the James River near Jamestown, but needs the Army Corps of Engineers to sign off.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 25, 2016

Sacramento muni begins talks to join CAISO Energy Imbalance Market

Joining the Western EIM would save Sacramento Municipal Utility District customers $2.5 million annually, according to a utility report.

By Krysti Shallenberger • Oct. 24, 2016

Northern Pass transmission project moves forward with New Hampshire PUC settlement

Northern Pass will be allowed to operate as a public utility once its secures the federal and local approvals necessary for its project.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 21, 2016

Clinton endorses linking US grid to Mexico, Canada in third presidential debate

In response to a leaked transcript of the Democratic candidate calling for a "hemispheric market," Clinton replied, "I was talking about energy."

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 20, 2016

How the coming boom in electric and self-driving vehicles will transform the grid

A new BNEF report imagines a world where fleets of autonomous electric vehicles provide services to the grid, but getting there requires utilities to be proactive. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 19, 2016

Mexico grid operator considers joining western EIM

Mexico's El Centro Nacional de Control de Energia and California ISO will embark on a benefits assessment for market implementation. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 19, 2016

Time & place: How a new locational DER metric helps utilities defer grid investments

Central Hudson is using a simplified valuation scheme to deploy pilots and integrate distributed resources into utility planning.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 18, 2016

EIA: Hurricane Matthew interrupted power to millions, but grid largely stood firm

The storm also briefly took some nuclear plants offline, spiking outage rates.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 18, 2016

Eyeing hydro imports, New York regulators call for transmission expansion

Congestion in western New York limits the state's ability to import Canadian hydro, an essential part of its plan to hit 50% renewables by 2030.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 18, 2016

Big Sky solar: On the long, hard road to net metering reform in Montana

Years of legislative wrangling have achieved little lasting reform, but recent utility talks behind closed doors could point a way forward.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 13, 2016

Sniper attack on Utah substation highlights grid vulnerability

A substation owned by Garkane Energy Cooperative came under fire last month, resulting in 13,000 outages.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 13, 2016

Southeast utilities avoid direct hit from Hurricane Matthew, but thousands of outages remain

About 550,000 remained without power in Duke's service territory on Sunday night, though most Florida customers had been restored.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 10, 2016

Maryland's REV: How utility regulators plan to tackle business model, DER reforms

New York and California have begun broad reviews of how the utility sector operates, but both those states operate their own marketplace. Maryland must deal with PJM, potentially complicating its transformation.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 10, 2016

Over 470,000 FPL customers without power as Hurricane Matthew skirts Florida coast

The National Hurricane Center downgraded the storm to a category 3, but it remains a threat to the southeast coast.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 7, 2016

EIA: US residential electricity prices set to decline for first time since 2002

But if gas prices follow EIA projections, the trend will likely reverse next year. 

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 7, 2016

The new offshore wind playbook: Inside the feds' plan to spur 86 GW by 2050

Rapidly declining costs and proximity to load centers are expected to help make offshore wind a major resource in the next decades. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 6, 2016

Energy Future retail, generation units emerge from bankruptcy

Luminant and TXU Energy have emerged from Chapter 11, but the regulated side of Energy Future Holdings, which includes Texas utility Oncor, is still undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 6, 2016

FERC trims MISO transmission returns

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission cut return on equity for MISO transmission owners to 10.3% from the previous 12.38%. 

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 5, 2016