Danly calls FERC transmission proposal coercive and discriminatory, highlights roadblocks

In addition, it’s unclear that competition works in the transmission sector, FERC Commissioner James Danly said Thursday at a WIRES meeting.

By Ethan Howland • April 29, 2022

Could NextEra's $55M winning bid for SPP's transmission project be among the last of its kind?

FERC's proposed transmission reforms would effectively kill the limited competition that exists, according to Ari Peskoe, a Harvard Law School professor.

By Ethan Howland • April 27, 2022

Explore the 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 to meet the rising challenges.

By Utility Dive staff

Oregon regulators approve utility wildfire mitigation plans but question Idaho Power omissions

The PUC approved plans from PacifiCorp and PGE. It also approved Idaho Power’s plan, but with conditions, including requiring the utility to provide a more thorough analysis of cost and risk mitigation assumptions.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 26, 2022

FERC proposes expanded state role in effort to spur transmission development

"The proposal aims to facilitate states' influence and buy-in to regional planning and cost allocation," FERC Commissioner Allison Clements said.

By Ethan Howland • April 22, 2022

Arizona legislature advances bill restricting retail competition in effort to promote reliability

Clean energy advocates opposed the bill for restricting customer choice, lacking reliability initiatives and further challenging the legal precedent for distributed solar within a public utility's territory.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • April 21, 2022

New York approves transmission contracts to advance Clean Path NY, Champlain Hudson projects

The Public Service Commission also expanded a key development program for distributed solar in the state.

By Robert Walton • April 20, 2022

How composite core conductors reduce the costs of transmission projects

The performance benefits of composite core conductors are clear, as are the considerations for using them in designing cost-effective transmission projects.

April 18, 2022

Google invests $9.5B in US offices and data centers

The investments come at a time when the data center industry is booming and the company is pursuing 100% clean energy for every hour of the day.

By Sebastian Obando • April 14, 2022

Reliability concerns drive need for energy market design reforms, but regions diverge in FERC proceeding

Filings from FERC proceedings show a one-size-fits-all reform can't sufficiently address regional market diversity, but federal guidelines can target growing uncertainties and costs from rising variable and distributed resource penetrations.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 11, 2022

MISO finds broad benefits to building $10.4B of transmission projects to support 53 GW of clean energy

The projects are the first part of an expected transmission expansion across the grid operator's footprint.

By Ethan Howland • April 7, 2022

Customers, advocacy groups and elected officials oppose ConEd's proposed double-digit rate increase

The utility says it is investing in clean energy, but advocates for struggling customers say electric and gas rate increases of 11.2% and 18.2%, respectively, are unacceptable.

By Robert Walton • April 5, 2022

To enhance reliability, Texas regulators will consider standardizing distribution system interconnections

The Public Utility Commission of Texas standardized transmission interconnection rules more than two decades ago and is now considering a similar move for distribution-level resources.

By Robert Walton • April 4, 2022

Connecticut regulators want grid pilots to 'fail fast' in new approach to energy innovation

The program aims to "streamline and reduce barriers" to the deployment of advanced energy technologies on distribution systems run by Eversource Energy and United Illuminating.

By Robert Walton • April 1, 2022

New York adjusts standby, buyback rate methodologies, sweetening value proposition for NYC storage

"We expect that the rates that result from this methodology will have significantly reduced fixed charges that will improve the value for storage," Advanced Energy Economy's Danny Waggoner said.

By Robert Walton • March 24, 2022

FERC lowers PG&E's transmission return on equity to 9.3% in move that could affect national build-out

FERC's action reflects a more consumer-oriented viewpoint at the agency and could influence state ROE decisions during the energy transition, according to experts.

By Ethan Howland • March 23, 2022

Local versus regional transmission planning: A false dichotomy

Both regional and local transmission planning and infrastructure are indispensable to achieving a cleaner and more resilient energy grid, the author writes.

By Larry Gasteiger • March 21, 2022

How grid operators are leaving F-gases, fossils and inefficiency behind

For heavy emitting sectors, such as the electricity industry, pressure is intensifying to find solutions to slash emissions and lower its carbon footprint.  

March 21, 2022

CAISO approves nearly $3B of transmission projects to prepare for California's clean energy goals

The plan represents a massive increase in spending compared with an average of $217 million earmarked for transmission in the last five years.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 18, 2022

Senate bill directs FERC to bolster interregional transmission planning, require GHG reporting

The legislation provides direction to FERC as it considers changing its transmission rules, former FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said.

By Ethan Howland • March 18, 2022

Puerto Rico emerges from bankruptcy, but its electric utility is still struggling with $9B in debt

Last week Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi canceled a debt restructuring plan for the island's utility that consumer advocates say would have raised power rates for almost five decades.

By Robert Walton • March 16, 2022

A 'conservative' approach to Texas grid operations is raising costs for consumers: ERCOT market monitor

The expanded use of reliability unit commitments to ensure sufficient reserves is distorting wholesale markets in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, observers warn.

By Robert Walton • March 15, 2022

State regulators, utilities back MISO plan to allocate multi-value transmission costs to subregions

Illinois Industrial Energy Consumers and other industrial groups oppose the grid operator's proposal, however.

By Ethan Howland • March 9, 2022

Pruning the thorns in transmission and generator interconnection reform

The clean transition no longer lacks capital, but it suffers from regulation that discourages its efficient use, the authors write.

By Jennifer Chen and Devin Hartman • March 8, 2022

Golf course transmission reroute case could upend decades of precedent, Texas regulators say

As the state's population grows, particularly in rural areas, the Public Utility Commission of Texas faces new challenges in siting transmission projects.

By Robert Walton • March 7, 2022

2021 deals position US to be a global hydrogen leader: BloombergNEF

While records were broken for U.S. clean energy investment last year, the Energy Information Administration says more policy action will be needed for renewable sources to surpass natural gas and petroleum in the U.S. by 2050.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • March 4, 2022