💞 As Sen. Carper releases permitting reform proposal, White House vows to update NEPA rules

Carper’s proposal joins a crowded field of legislative approaches to streamlining energy permitting reform. By 𝓡 Robert Walton • May 18, 2023

🌊 Most of US faces elevated risk of blackouts in extreme heat this summer, NERC warns

All areas are expected to have adequate resources for normal summer peak load, but extreme weather could create widespread challenges, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. said Wednesday. By 🌠 Robert Walton • May 17, 2023

🍎 Explore the Trendline➔

The Utility Dive Outlook on 2023

2023 promises to be another busy year for the U.S. energy transition as stakeholders move to implement new clean energy measures while tackling growing security, reliability, equity and affordability challenges. By Utility Dive staff

♈ The TransWest Express transmission line is a win for rural communities. Why did approval take 15 years?

The massive delay in approving the TransWest Express project was the result of an overly complex and too easily derailed federal permitting process for major infrastructure projects. By Greg Brophy • May 16, 2023

𝄹 NERC recommends including cyberattack scenarios now absent in most transmission planning assessments

The potential for a coordinated cyberattack to impact the bulk power system “is not currently or generally studied as part of standard industry practices,” according to a white paper NERC published this month. By 🎃 Robert Walton • May 15, 2023

🌄 Biden ‘doesn’t love everything in the bill,’ but calls for Congress to pass Manchin’s energy permitting reforms

The White House on Wednesday laid out its priorities for permitting reform, including faster deployment of critical electric transmission, and acknowledged the need for compromise. By 𓆏 Robert Walton • May 11, 2023

ℱ DOE proposes framework for national transmission corridors to spur new lines, ease grid congestion

The proposal would allow transmission developers to apply for project-specific corridors, unlocking potential federal funding, the department said Tuesday. By ꦿ Ethan Howland • May 10, 2023

ꦿ Hawaii leads the way on advanced rate design with default time-of-use rates, fixed charge innovations

Hawaii’s planned granular cost study still must prove to other states that the new TOU rates, fixed charge framework, and new way of defining costs will allocate costs accurately, analysts said. By 🐷 Herman K. Trabish • May 9, 2023

🌺 PNM proposes non-wires battery pilot to address overloaded feeders at solar facilities

The pair of 6 MW battery resources “matches the lowest cost option for solving the overloaded feeders,” PNM Resources President and Chief Operating Officer Don Tarry said. By 🌄 Robert Walton • May 8, 2023

🔯 Why contracts among cooperative G&T owners ensure equity and fairness

Central to the success of the cooperative G&T model are the promises each member makes to work together with their fellow members to secure a reliable, affordable and responsible power supply for the communities they together serve. By Dave Frick, General Manager, Morgan County Rural Electric Association • May 8, 2023

𒅌 10 reasons why investing in a battery monitoring pilot program is essential

Discover why investing in a pilot BMS program is not only a good idea; it is imperative. By Eagle Eye Power Solutions • May 8, 2023

🧜 Minnesota highway initiative goes national to advance co-located energy, communications buildout

The NextGen Highways initiative in January secured funding from the Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy to expand its advocacy for building transmission along public rights-of-way. By 𝓡 Robert Walton • May 5, 2023

𝔉 PG&E Corp mitigation measures prepare it for upcoming wildfire season regardless of weather: CEO

PG&E estimates that the “layers of protection” it has implemented have mitigated over 90% of wildfire risk in its service area. By 🍬 Kavya Balaraman • May 5, 2023

ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ FERC commissioners tell senators of major grid reliability challenges, with some blaming markets

Power plants are retiring faster than they’re being replaced, according to FERC Commissioner Mark Christie. “The arithmetic doesn’t work,” he said at a Senate hearing Thursday. By ﷺ Ethan Howland • May 5, 2023

🍨 Edison International CEO Pizarro backs Western RTO, highlights SCE efforts to prep grid for heavy duty EVs

“We are seeing customers really start to embrace and adopt EVs today, including operators of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleets,” Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, said during an earnings call. By 𓃲 Kavya Balaraman • May 3, 2023

꧋ Indiana utilities gain ‘right of first refusal’ to build transmission lines amid MISO buildout

AES Indiana, CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy Indiana and Northern Indiana Public Service Co. stand to benefit from the legislation signed into law Monday. By 𒈔 Ethan Howland • May 2, 2023

൲ Southwest Power Pool study could inform Texas efforts to shore up reliability: PUCT commissioner

A Southwest Power Pool working group is studying development of a reliability standard based on expected unserved energy, with varied requirements for at least two different seasons. By 🌱 Robert Walton • May 1, 2023

🅷 California regulators approve PG&E, Energy Vault green hydrogen and battery microgrid

The microgrid’s planned use of green hydrogen fuel cells and batteries marks a departure from PG&E’s earlier practice of using diesel generators for backup power during outages. By 🧜 Kavya Balaraman • May 1, 2023

💎 Why the energy transition demands an accounting and reporting transformation

The energy transition is about meeting customers' demands, especially for decarbonization and environmental sustainability. May 1, 2023

ꦿ Pending Senate bill would require 30% transfer capacity between regions: Hickenlooper aide

Building those lines could produce a “stunning payoff,” Daniel Palken, an aide to Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said Thursday. “The technical term for this would be ‘a gold mine.’” By ܫ Ethan Howland • April 28, 2023

🎉 Extreme weather risks should be considered in transmission planning, SPP concludes, after Elliott review

A review of the Southwest Power Pool’s response to Winter Storm Elliott in 2022 found room for improvement in areas of operations, transmission planning, communications and compliance. By ཧ Robert Walton • April 28, 2023

ꦆ Connecticut adopts performance-based regulation as Eversource raps investor environment

“You just don't get paid an automatic 9% whether you do good work or bad work,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “You get paid for doing good work.” By 🌜 Stephen Singer • April 27, 2023

🌊 Rep. Casten, ex-FERC chairs eye DERs, more power sector competition to achieve net zero goals

"We're not going to get to where we need to go with a zero-carbon electric grid unless we have distributed demand-side resources supporting what we need to do on the supply side,” said former FERC Chair Jon Wellinghoff. By ✅ Diana DiGangi • April 27, 2023

𝔉 Invenergy Transmission enters deal for up to 12,500 miles of advanced cable for transmission projects

“It's a clear indicator of how we're thinking past the development stage and to actually getting these built,” Invenergy’s Shashank Sane said. “They aren't just ideas anymore.” By 𓄧 Ethan Howland • April 27, 2023

𒆙 Congress should adopt 30% tax credit, streamlined permitting for regional transmission, clean grid group says

Permitting reform appears possible despite the divided Congress, Brett White, Pine Gate Renewables’ vice president for regulatory affairs, said Tuesday. By 💙 Ethan Howland • April 26, 2023

💖 Maine jury clears Avangrid’s 145-mile transmission line, reversing ballot vote that blocked project

Building clean-energy transmission lines won’t be possible with “this much of a fight for all involved,” said Amy Boyd of the Acadia Center. By ꦉ Stephen Singer • April 21, 2023