Top 5 challenges facing distribution utilities in 2023

In interviews with more than 30 utility leaders from organizations large and small, five challenges stood out as most top-of-mind for utilities across the United States.

Dec. 12, 2022

Manchin calls for Senate vote on permitting reform, warns of billions of dollars stranded without it

Sen. Joe Manchin wants permitting reform — including completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline — included as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. “We're trying everything humanly possible,” he said.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 9, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Electricity Supply and Demand

After nearly two decades of flat demand, U.S. electricity consumption reached an all-time high in 2024 and is expected to continue rising. This trendline brings together the best of Utility Dive’s coverage of emerging trends in supply and demand and the decisions being made today that will impact the power system for years to come. 

By Utility Dive staff

GE, LineVision form partnership to offer grid-enhancing technologies to boost existing transmission

"These technologies represent a new model of grid infrastructure investment which will accelerate the transition to a net zero grid," LineVision CEO Hudson Gilmer said Wednesday.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 7, 2022

On-peak wholesale power prices this winter expected to be more than 60% higher in some regions, EIA warns

Extreme cold or fuel supply problems could drive prices “significantly higher than forecast,” according to EIA’s December Short Term Energy Outlook.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 7, 2022

FERC urged to set interregional transfer capacity requirements to boost reliability, lower costs

Some panelists at an agency workshop were cautious. “We're not seeing a specific minimum interregional transmission capacity necessarily helping,” CAISO’s Neil Miller said.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 6, 2022

10 must-read utility sector stories from 2022

Reliability, security and affordability concerns are rising in a U.S. power sector increasingly focused on decarbonization and electrification. Utility Dive has rounded up some of our top stories so far on these and other trends in 2022.

By Larry Pearl • Dec. 5, 2022

California requires permits for large natural gas projects to enable environmental and cost scrutiny

A first-ever order holds investor-owned utility pipelines and other projects to the same standard as big electricity proposals.

By Elizabeth McCarthy • Dec. 5, 2022

ISO-New England says power system is prepared for mild winter, but plans would change in a cold snap

New England’s power system is prepared for a mild winter, but more fuel delivery or public conservation would be called for in severely cold weather, the grid operator said.

By Stephen Singer • Dec. 5, 2022

Federal appeals court orders FERC to rework MISO interconnection funding decision

The federal agency failed to adequately respond to concerns transmission owners might discriminate in favor of their own generating plants, the D.C. circuit appeals court said.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 5, 2022

Texas lawmakers want to hit brakes on electricity market redesign, bring dispatchable generation online sooner

Market reforms under consideration by the Public Utility Commission of Texas “should not be adopted” without further direction from the Legislature, said a group of 9 senators.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 2, 2022

FERC approves PJM’s ‘first-ready, first-served’ interconnection reform plan, steps to clear backlog

FERC Commissioner Allison Clements, who said she reluctantly voted in favor of PJM’s plan, called for additional measures to improve the interconnection process.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 1, 2022

SPP unveils details of proposed Western energy market, phased implementation plan

Plans for the Southwest Power Pool’s Western day-ahead and real-time markets have been in the works for about a year.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 1, 2022

Texas grid vulnerable to blackouts in extreme scenarios, ERCOT says as it adds storage to assessment

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas included battery storage for the first time in its winter resource assessment. Population growth and economic expansion are driving Texas electricity demand higher.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 30, 2022

High electricity rates impede crucial but costly technology investments to manage rising DER levels: utilities

Utilities want distribution system technologies for more DER visibility and control. But advocates want a new national stakeholder dialogue about the timing of spending for DER integration.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 29, 2022

How to create utility scale microgrids

Distributed energy resources (DERs) have emerged as a financially viable and resilient alternative to traditional generation assets and distribution.

Nov. 28, 2022

Biden requests $3B for residential solar, battery systems in Puerto Rico

Lawmakers and advocates have pressed for $5 billion. “Much more is needed,” said Laura Esquivel, Hispanic Federation vice president for federal policy.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 23, 2022

Western day-ahead market could save $1.2B a year, boost renewables output 1,800+ GWh: CAISO report

A Western day-ahead market would bring economic, reliability and environmental benefits, according to the California grid operator. CAISO plans to issue a final market proposal next month.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 23, 2022

DOE opens $13B funding opportunity for transmission expansion, smart grid integration projects

The first round of funding for the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership program includes $3.8 billion for fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 21, 2022

Distribution grid lessons learned in 2022

With the end of 2022 fast approaching, many of us in the utility industry are considering grid lessons learned over the past year.

Nov. 21, 2022

Identify investment opportunities amid ERCOT congestion

With ERCOT’s frequent congestion in West Texas, getting the precise area (or line) when trading, managing or assessing congestion is crucial.

By Rush Milam • Nov. 21, 2022

North American electric grid faces ‘unprecedented’ widespread risk this winter: NERC

Portions of the Southeast, Midwest, Texas, New England and other areas could see potential energy shortfalls in extreme weather, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 18, 2022

Inflation Reduction Act upends utility resource planning tenets: NARUC panelists

“These [IRA] incentives …. are transforming how we think about electricity procurement because these resources are going to be so cheap,” Evolved Energy Principal Jamil Farbes said.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 17, 2022

Cross-border power trade can help leaders at COP27 facilitate emissions reductions

Enhancing cross-border power trade can help achieve global greenhouse gas reduction goals by efficiently integrating low-cost renewable resources while improving electricity affordability and security.

By Jennifer Chen, Edmund Downie and Noah Kittner • Nov. 16, 2022

FERC, state regulators consider independent monitors as way to boost transmission oversight ‘gap’

A growing number of transmission projects – 63% of California grid investments – lack robust review, regulators said at a FERC-NARUC meeting in New Orleans.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 16, 2022

US can reach 100% clean power by 2035, DOE finds, but tough reliability and land use questions lie ahead

New aggressive planning is needed to identify the long-duration storage technologies and find the land to grow enough resources to reach the Biden administration’s net zero emissions goals, a DOE national lab reports.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 15, 2022