ERCOT: Time to build more transmission in Texas Panhandle

Growing wind generation has overwhelmed transmission line capacity built from the Texas Panhandle into the state's dense population centers.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 24, 2015

Climate Change: Why every utility, regulatory body, and DER company needs a point person for it

A look at how DER, and all of the different components and aspects of smart grid, fit into climate strategies and action plans.

Sept. 23, 2015

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

3 Midwest utilities set up competitive transmission developers

The new companies — affiliates of Ameren, Westar, and BHE — will target transmission projects in organized markets.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 23, 2015

SDG&E disrupts power to 115,000 to avoid wider blackouts

Last weekend, the California Independent System Operator directed SDG&E to immediately shed 150 MW of load.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 23, 2015

Portland General Electric could join CAISO Energy Imbalance Market

PGE reportedly turned away from the Northwest Power Pool to take advantage of millions in savings being realized by the imbalance market.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 22, 2015

Lincoln, Neb. muni approves $2.25 fixed charge increase

Lincoln Electric System wants to shift recovery of fixed costs for grid maintenance and upgrades to the fixed charge portion of the residential customer bill over the next eight to ten years.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 22, 2015

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

PG&E repairing grid as California wildfires leave thousands without power

Pacific Gas & Electric had almost 13,000 customers without power as three wildfires in its service territory have damaged infrastructure.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 17, 2015

ISO-NE: Reliability improved, but more gas capacity needed for upcoming winter

The grid operator's 2015 regional system plan focuses on the need for greater investment in the electric sector as well as building more natural gas pipeline capacity.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 17, 2015

Joe Biden at SPI: 'We are on the cusp of something huge'

In the first executive office visit to a solar conference, Vice President Joe Biden praised the renewable energy sector and took aim at its fossil fuel opponents.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 17, 2015

Competitive transmission firm GridLiance acquires lines in Oklahoma, Missouri

Formed last year as the country's first competitive transmission provider focused on the public power sector, GridLiance recently announced its first two acquisitions.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 16, 2015

New Hampshire opens regulatory discussion on grid modernization

New Hampshire regulators are seeking comments on how the state's power grid can be made more resiliant, flexible and incorporate more DERs.

By Robert Walton • 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

Why microgrids need standards

In the C&I category, they can happen now, writes Powerit Solutions CEO Kevin Klustner.

By Kevin Klustner • 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

PPL reaches rate settlement to fund $5B infrastructure plan

Customers will see their bills increase about $7.50/month, but the fixed fee portion will not rise.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 10, 2015

Growing NY wind power spurs proposal for transmission line under Lake Champlain

Anbaric and National Grid had want to construct a 60-mile, $600 million transmission line to bring wind energy from New York to Vermont.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 9, 2015

Wyoming wind held back by transmission backlog, avian deaths

Builders in limbo on 5,100 MW-plus of potential while bickering over tax credits, regulations continues

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 9, 2015

Utilities spent $17B on the grid in 2013. So why has reliability gotten worse?

A new Berkeley Lab study finds that more money doesn't necessarily mean fewer, or shorter, outages.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 4, 2015

After multiple outages, CPUC orders SCE to do full inspection of Long Beach grid

Four outages in two months raise questions about the utility’s management of reliability.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 4, 2015

Puerto Rico's electric utility PREPA reaches deal with bondholders

PREPA has reached a deal to restructure more than $5 billion in bonds.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 3, 2015

Mass. utilities target TOU rates, DER integration in grid modernization filings

Similar to California and New York, utilities in Massachusetts are being asked to envision what the electric grid of the future will look like.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 2, 2015

CA regulators fine PG&E $50K for lax security in Metcalf substation burglary

Substations are critical assets for the grid, but regulators said PG&E wasn't protecting one properly when it was burglarized last year. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 2, 2015

MISO transmission plan includes more than 350 projects totaling $2.4B

It is the same amount as was proposed last year, but more would be spent on baseline reliability.

By Robert Walton • Sept. 2, 2015

Plans to join PacifiCorp with CAISO grid move closer to reality

A joint system would expand renewables use and reduce coal use across six Western states.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 1, 2015