Report: California utilities delaying efforts to map power lines seen as potential wildfire cause

The Bay Area News Group conducted a review of the decade-long project, finding the companies have repeatedly asked to slow down the efforts.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 25, 2017

Exelon's Pepco nets partial rate increase from Maryland regulators

The utility wanted to raise electric distribution rates by almost $69 million for reliability upgrades, but the Maryland Public Service Commission allowed a revenue increase of only $34 million.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 23, 2017

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

Illinois regulators tighten rules for retail electricity marketers

The Illinois Commerce Commission aims to strengthen consumer protection requirements governing the sale and marketing of alternative retail electricity.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 23, 2017

Winter reliability strong, RTOs tell FERC, undermining DOE NOPR justification

Secretary of Energy Rick Perry has repeatedly said the threat of outages justifies his agency's controversial cost recovery proposal, but market leaders told regulators they have the risks under control.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 20, 2017

PJM approves $1B in transmission upgrades

One $200 million project aims to reinforce 69-kV transmission lines to maintain reliable supplies for more than 15,000 customers in Union County, N.J.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 19, 2017

Western EIM accrues $40M in benefits for members in Q3, says California grid operator

Total benefits produced by the voluntary regional market pencils out to $254.98 million since it was launched in 2014. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 19, 2017

Chatterjee sets pipelines, grid resilience as priorities for FERC chairmanship

The acting chairman laid out his plans for the federal regulatory body in a speech at the Energy Bar Association on Tuesday.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 18, 2017

Connecticut regulators open investigation on Eversource, Avangrid pipeline practices

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) also sent a letter to FERC asking it to open a formal investigation into allegations that the two utilities artificially constrained pipeline capacity.

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 17, 2017

Massachusetts AG reviewing report on Eversource, Avangrid constraining pipelines

While not a formal investigation, a spokesperson said Attorney General Maura Healey considers the report "concerning" and that it demands "careful assessment and analysis."    

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 17, 2017

California solar pilot shows how renewables can provide grid services

A utility-scale solar pilot project demonstrated how solar can compete with natural gas over grid services and cost. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 16, 2017

Responsible gas utility planning meets irresponsible market analysis

Thomas Kiley, CEO of the Northeast Gas Association, writes Eversource and Avangrid did nothing wrong on the Algonquin pipeline, where a new report accuses them of artificially withholding capacity.

By Thomas Kiley • Oct. 16, 2017

California officials begin probing PG&E's role in massive wildfires

State regulators have directed Pacific Gas & Electric to preserve all evidence possibly related to a wind storm and subsequent fire.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 16, 2017

PREPA contractor: Progress slow, materials limited in power restoration

Less than 15% of Puerto Rico has power more than three weeks after Hurricane Maria, and Whitefish's progress updates depict a long restoration process to come. 

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 16, 2017

FERC approves Atlantic Coast, Mountain Valley, rejecting broader pipeline review

The orders filed late Friday argue FERC should act only on individual applications, stressing that regulators are "not engaged in regional planning."

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 16, 2017

California wildfires leave 100K in the dark

Massive wildfires are burning through the state's Wine Country, claiming more than 20 lives and more than 3,500 structures. 

By Krysti Shallenberger • Oct. 12, 2017

Transmission developers power forward in West as move to single market inches along

New lines are moving ahead and new deals are being closed, despite political pushback against California’s plan for a new regional market.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 12, 2017

Eversource, Avangrid artificially constrained gas pipeline capacity for years, report argues

Withholding of pipeline capacity cost New England electricity customers $3.6 billion over the past three years, researchers estimate. Eversource called the report a “complete fabrication.”

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 11, 2017

A bipartisan view on modernizing the US electric grid

Congress must incentivize power industry innovations yielding cleaner and more customized energy services, the Republican and Democratic co-chairs of the Grid Innovation Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives write.

By Robert E. Latta, Jerry McNerney • Oct. 11, 2017

How did Florida utilities do with Irma outages, PSC asks customers

The Public Service Commission invited customers to submit comments on how long it took to restore their power and how well their utility kept them informed throughout Hurricane Irma.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 11, 2017

PREPA forgoes mutual aid, opting for little-known contractor

By the time municipal utilities gathered to offer assistance to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, it had already signed on Montana-based Whitefish Energy to do grid repairs. 

By Gavin Bade • Oct. 10, 2017

Why utilities need to respond now to the EV boom

Utilities can either embrace electric vehicle growth or be caught "flat-footed" when new power demand materializes, an RMI report warns. 

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 9, 2017

FERC terminates inquiry on cybersecurity controls for grid control centers

The agency said current cybersecurity measures provide sufficient protection from cyberattacks and some of the proposed modifications could pose operational risks.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 6, 2017

A trio of storms could mean grid modernization in hard-hit areas

Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas all have an opportunity to reassess their power system.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 5, 2017

What's the weather forecast for your utility's brand reputation?

How comfortable a utility is in adopting an authentic, multi-channel communications approach is a major driver today in how well its brand weathers storms.

Oct. 5, 2017

Survey: Most utility executives say cybersecurity is a top concern

57% of the respondents to a new Accenture survey listed interruptions to the power supply from cyberattacks as their most serious concern.

By Peter Maloney • Oct. 5, 2017