Rare FERC move sparks heated debate over commission's role assessing pipeline climate impacts

FERC voted 3-2 to approve two pipeline projects after Commissioner James Danly proposed a last-minute amendment to avoid setting a precedent on examining climate impacts — and to secure his own vote.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 21, 2021

Industry presses House committee on facilitating new transmission critical to Biden climate goals

Planning, permitting and paying for new transmission capacity are essential to the Biden administration's clean energy and decarbonization goals, industry stakeholders told a House committee on Thursday.

By Robert Walton • May 21, 2021

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

Where should batteries be put to manage wind and solar power?

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab researchers found that batteries sited separately from renewables, in a nearby high-value location, added greater value to a project than tandem siting, particularly in constrained areas.

By Will Gorman • May 19, 2021

NERC identifies 4 regions facing potential summer energy shortages

Electric grids in California, Texas, New England and the Midwest may struggle to meet demand this summer despite operating improvements, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp.

By Robert Walton • May 18, 2021

Major Duke investor calls for utility to break into 3 companies, unlock up to $15B in shareholder value

Duke said in a statement it is still reviewing the proposal but added the plan "runs counter to the strategic direction" of the broader power sector's efforts to make large scale investments.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 18, 2021

Bipartisan Maine lawmakers push to create first statewide, publicly owned utility in US

Proponents say a key goal of creating such a publicly owned utility would be to make Maine the first state to reach its goal of 100% renewable energy.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Updated June 18, 2021

Transmission tax credit could unlock 30 GW of renewables, spur over $15B in private capital, report finds

The report also found the tax credit would create 650,000 "good paying jobs," in the near term, receiving support from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 14, 2021

Xcel opts for gas suppliers with lower methane emissions in Colorado

The utility announced a pilot for certified lower-emission gas, seeking to advance upstream practices of reducing methane leaks. Clean energy groups say the certifications are effectively the new "clean coal."

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 13, 2021

Agilitas Energy $1.4M Rhode Island storage project to avoid up to 8.6X costlier transmission line fix

Installing the battery will cost $1.4 million, compared to transmission line repairs that would have cost between $6 million and $12 million, according to the local utility.

By Jason Plautz • May 12, 2021

Colonial Pipeline hack highlights grid disruption risks even with IT-focused cyberattack, analysts say

Hackers unleashed ransomware on the largest refined products pipeline on the East Coast, leading to a voluntary pipeline shutdown. Experts warn that the attack highlights a security gap around critical infrastructure.

By Robert Walton • May 11, 2021

Colonial Pipeline attack embodies security risk to nation's critical infrastructure

Industry researchers suspect a Russian-linked criminal organization called DarkSide is behind the attack, though it has not publicly claimed responsibility.

By David Jones • Updated May 10, 2021

NRG discloses nearly $1B hit from Texas grid collapse

The power producer is working to recover some of is losses from the devastating winter storm that wreaked havoc with the Lone Star State's electric grid and gas pipelines.

By Scott Van Voorhis • May 7, 2021

ERCOT looks to 'restore trust,' identifies 3 unlikely summer blackout scenarios after winter disaster

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has issued a summer assessment with new details on potentially devastating scenarios, though the grid operator maintains they have little chance of occurring.

By Robert Walton • May 7, 2021

NYISO head eyes new technologies to reach zero emissions, saying renewables and storage not enough

The New York ISO is on track to distribute 70% renewable energy by 2030, its CEO says, but eliminating carbon emissions and replacing natural gas by 2040 will require the use of emerging technologies.

By Emma Penrod • May 6, 2021

Equity, security and load: FERC conference considers the challenges and potential of electrification

U.S. electricity load could double by 2050. The industry is focused on how to meet that need equitably and securely, panelists at a recent technical conference said.

By Robert Walton • May 3, 2021

Power markets are not ready to maximize infrastructure investments

The returns on capital generated from the investments made by the Biden administration's jobs plan will depend on how well they are leveraged within power markets, the author writes.

By Ben Hertz-Shargel • April 30, 2021

DOE offers over $8B in transmission loans for clean energy projects

An independent analysis identified 22 "shovel-ready" transmission projects in the U.S. that would require over $33 billion of investments to bring more than 60 GW of clean energy online.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • April 28, 2021

FERC Chair Glick might be right on transmission incentives, but his timing is not

Glick may be correct that current transmission incentives are a product and a symptom of a broken process, but the timing of a new proposal is suboptimal for a number of reasons, the author writes.

By Michael McKenna • April 28, 2021

Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan meets power system needs but leaves room for political dealing

The Biden infrastructure spend would rapidly transition the U.S. power sector in ways utilities like, but Congress is expected to seek changes.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 28, 2021

California's dilemma: How to control skyrocketing electric rates while building the grid of the future

New ideas include income-based rates, publicly-funded infrastructure, utility entrepreneurship, and customer-funded wildfire insurance.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 26, 2021

Power grid upgrades absent in Senate Republicans' $568B counter to Biden infrastructure proposal

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. Va., told reporters that Republicans were open to discussion on including broader climate policy, and that spending on roads and highways could include funds for EV infrastructure.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 23, 2021

PG&E gets initial approval to securitize $7.5B of wildfire costs, despite ratepayer impact concerns

"The only guarantee [here] is the ratepayers have to pay regardless. That’s the problem there in a nutshell," one ratepayer advocate said. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 23, 2021

PG&E, other IOUs failed on 'obligation to promote safety' during 2019 power shut-offs, regulators say

The three utilities collectively shut off power to more than 2.1 million households, businesses and other customer accounts in late 2019.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 21, 2021

Democrats tested over boosting transmission, not pipelines, as bill directs FERC to improve regional planning

One political hurdle in transmission policy is how to heighten regulatory pressure on the pipeline sector while building electric transmission as efficiently as possible, said Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill.

By Catherine Morehouse • April 20, 2021

DOE launches 100-day grid security push as Biden ends Trump ban on some Chinese-made equipment

The initiative will focus on the security of electric utilities’ industrial control systems, while also examining ways to secure the energy sector supply chain.

By Robert Walton • April 20, 2021