Electrical Regulations & Grid Modernization News

A Wood Mackenzie Business

GTM members benefits:

Unlimited access to our free news articles
Unlimited access to our free webinars, white papers, and videos
Special offers and discounts on Events and Squared
Updates on breaking news and current events

10.08.20 Grid Edge 36

Gonzales' project could serve as a model for California municipalities. (Photo: City of Gonzalez)

California Town Tests New Model for Microgrids

New $70 million microgrid will provide reliable, round-the-clock power at competitive rates and overcome a grid-upgrade bottleneck.

by Jeff St. John

10.07.20 Grid Edge 9

A new report identifies the need to fix gaps in planning for extreme weather and post-solar net peak grid demand.

Behind California’s Rolling Blackouts: Planning and Market Failures

A long-awaited study confirms the state’s resource adequacy system and day-ahead markets weren’t ready for a regionwide heat wave.

by Jeff St. John

10.06.20 Grid Edge 69

Enbala’s DER software platform currently orchestrates around 600 megawatts of capacity.

Generac Acquires Enbala, Boosting Plan to Harness Behind-the-Meter Energy Resources

The deal puts Generac in the business of aggregating distributed energy resources as virtual power plants.

by Jeff St. John

Swiss Army Knife of Storage: How Frequency Regulation Launched an Industry, Then Tapped Out

GTM Squared

Swiss Army Knife of Storage: How Frequency Regulation Launched an Industry, Then Tapped Out

After several quiet years, some developers are finding new ways to capitalize on frequency opportunities.

by Julian Spector | October 1, 2020

10.01.20 Grid Edge 15

Talk of the theoretical benefits of pricing carbon in electricity markets collides with real-world policy conflicts.

FERC Carbon Pricing Conference Highlights State-Federal Divide on Clean Power Policy

Wholesale market carbon prices may work better than state mandates, but can both be balanced? New York may be the first test.

by Jeff St. John

10.01.20 1

Measuring energy efficiency in terms of avoided CO2 emissions could incentivize building electrification.

Research Spotlight

This California Utility Is Now Measuring Building Electrification in “Avoided Carbon”

Sacramento’s municipal utility has introduced a new energy-efficiency metric to align efficiency, electrification and decarbonization.

by Fei Wang and Francesco Menonna

09.30.20 Grid Edge 18

California is taking steps to unlock the flexibility of its growing fleet of solar systems, batteries and electric vehicle chargers.

California’s Interconnection Rules Open Doors to Flexible Solar-Storage, Vehicle-to-Grid Charging

Revisions to Rule 21 could allow distributed energy resources to play a more active role on the California’s grid.

by Jeff St. John

09.28.20 Energy 8

Ameren Missouri plans to add 5.4 gigawatts of wind and solar over 20 years.

Ameren Sets Goal of Net-Zero by 2050, Plots Major Wind and Solar Expansion in Midwest

Ameren Missouri’s IRP calls for 5.4 GW of renewables by 2040, but it keeps some coal and retains natural gas as an option.

by Jeff St. John

Virginia’s Energy Storage Rules Are Being Written. Are They On the Right Track?

GTM Squared

Virginia’s Energy Storage Rules Are Being Written. Are They On the Right Track?

When a storage market materializes out of thin air, it’s worth paying attention.

by Julian Spector | September 25, 2020

09.23.20 Energy 26

Carbon capture and alternative fuels will be central to Southern Company's net-zero plans. (Credit: National Carbon Capture Center)

Can Gas-Fired Power Plants Coexist With a Net-Zero Target? Yes, Southern Company Insists

Southern Company has fleshed out its plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Central to the plan: gas.

by Jeff St. John

09.22.20 Grid Edge 10

Electric vehicle chargers, behind-the-meter batteries are a major untapped resource for balancing California's grid.

Unlocking California’s Gigawatt-Scale Distributed Energy Potential

California has nearly 5 GW of distributed energy resources today and may have 13.5 GW by 2025. How can they help stop rolling blackouts?

by Jeff St. John

09.21.20 Solar 22

Duke Energy opened its new 560MW Asheville combined cycle natural gas plant this year. (Photo: Duke)

‘Math Doesn’t Yet Add Up’ for Utility Decarbonization Goals: Deloitte

There are big gaps between U.S. utilities’ net-zero targets and their plans for retiring coal and gas plants.

by Jeff St. John

09.18.20 Energy Storage 22

Startup e-Zinc turned to zinc as a cheaper vehicle for long-duration storage than conventional lithium-ion chemistries. (Image credit: e-Zinc)

Can a Novel Zinc Battery Deliver Clean Multiday Backup Power?

California is testing Canadian startup e-Zinc’s long-duration technology to keep businesses powered through wildfires and outages.

by Julian Spector

09.17.20 Grid Edge 11

FERC allows full-scale market participation by batteries, EV chargers, smart appliances and more — but the rules for making that happen will be complicated.

‘Game-Changer’ FERC Order Opens Up Wholesale Grid Markets to Distributed Energy Resources

A huge opportunity for solar, batteries, EVs and other DERs — and a huge challenge to integrate utility grid operations with bulk energy markets.

by Jeff St. John

09.17.20 Grid Edge 1

A compromise emerges in a long-running battle over behind-the-meter battery incentive budgets.

California Won’t Touch Wildfire Budgets in Behind-the-Meter Battery Incentive Shift

The CPUC will retain unspent funds for wildfire-threatened customers but will push $108 million from large-scale storage to low-income communities.

by Jeff St. John

09.16.20 Solar 7

South Carolina's Energy Freedom Act formed the basis for a new approach to net-metering for rooftop solar.

Duke Energy’s SC Net-Metering Replacement Won a Crucial Ally: Rooftop Solar Companies

The utility and installers both believe the plan can keep solar attractive while minimizing the costs imposed on non-solar ratepayers.

by Julian Spector

5 Lessons From the Battery Fire Investigations

GTM Squared

5 Lessons From the Battery Fire Investigations

A lot has already changed. But there’s more work to do to prevent another calamitous failure.

by Julian Spector | September 16, 2020

09.16.20 Grid Edge 8

Major utilities including Dominion and Duke have committed to eliminating their carbon pollution by midcentury.

The 5 Biggest US Utilities Committing to Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050

Utility net-zero carbon pledges are piling up, even if the companies are a long way from kicking their fossil fuel habits.

by Jeff St. John

09.15.20 Grid Edge 1

Renewable developers say Midwest transmission planning needs fixes to unlock wind and solar capacity.

Midwest Grid Operators Seek to Unlock Clean Energy Transmission on the ‘Seam’

Power lines crossing the border of Midwestern grid operators could help bring gigawatts’ worth of stymied wind and solar to market.

by Jeff St. John

09.15.20 Energy Storage 9

Broad Reach Power switched on this battery in Odessa earlier this year for the Texas grid. (Photo: BRP)

The Race Is On to Build the Biggest Batteries in Texas

Energy storage developers once steered clear of the Lone Star State. No longer.

by Julian Spector

09.14.20 Grid Edge 4

Google is shifting to round-the-clock renewable power.

Google Pledges 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy by 2030

“We are the first major company that’s set out to do this, and we aim to be the first to achieve it,” says Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

by Jeff St. John

09.10.20 12

Just 10 percent of home heating in Michigan is done using electricity, compared to 90 percent in Florida.

Industry Perspective

How to Accelerate the Electrification of Buildings in the Midwest

Even in states with harsh winters, the economics and outlook for building electrification are changing quickly, the author writes.

by Laura Sherman

09.09.20 Grid Edge 7

FERC Order May Undermine Renewables, Energy Storage in New York’s Capacity Markets

Another setback for clean energy resources heightens tension in states considering alternatives to federally regulated markets.

by Jeff St. John

09.09.20 Energy Storage 3

Much went wrong in fighting the 2019 Arizona battery fire. It doesn't have to be that way.

How to Keep Firefighters Safe From Batteries

Energy storage developers must earn the trust of fire chiefs before the market can reach its full potential.

by Julian Spector

09.08.20 Solar 63

Winter-peaking electric heating and seasonally variable renewables make for Southeast-specific challenges.

How Duke’s Unique Energy Landscape Dictates Its Path to Net Zero

Duke’s director of integrated resource planning and analytics speaks to GTM about the utility’s options — and challenges — for getting to net zero.

by Jeff St. John

How Cheap and Abundant Can Clean Power Get?

Climate Fintech Startup Atmos Financial Puts Savings to Work for Clean Energy

Could Chile’s Auction Help Save CSP From Oblivion?

What the Coming Wave of Distributed Energy Resources Means for the US Grid

Extreme Weather Keeps Maxing Out the Grid

A Wartime Plan for Electrifying America

An Island’s Path to 100% Renewables

Are Batteries at a Turning Point?

Storage Integrator FlexGen Gains New Leadership at Crucial Time

Vestas Ventures Makes First Investment With Stake in Wooden Tower Start-Up

Vestas Launches World’s Largest Turbines as 'Big 3' Competition Ramps Up

BP, RWE and EnBW Win Big in UK Offshore Wind Leasing Round

How Cheap and Abundant Can Clean Power Get?

Climate Fintech Startup Atmos Financial Puts Savings to Work for Clean Energy

Could Chile’s Auction Help Save CSP From Oblivion?

Regulation & Policy

California Town Tests New Model for Microgrids

Behind California’s Rolling Blackouts: Planning and Market Failures

Generac Acquires Enbala, Boosting Plan to Harness Behind-the-Meter Energy Resources

Swiss Army Knife of Storage: How Frequency Regulation Launched an Industry, Then Tapped Out

FERC Carbon Pricing Conference Highlights State-Federal Divide on Clean Power Policy

This California Utility Is Now Measuring Building Electrification in “Avoided Carbon”

California’s Interconnection Rules Open Doors to Flexible Solar-Storage, Vehicle-to-Grid Charging

Ameren Sets Goal of Net-Zero by 2050, Plots Major Wind and Solar Expansion in Midwest

Virginia’s Energy Storage Rules Are Being Written. Are They On the Right Track?

Can Gas-Fired Power Plants Coexist With a Net-Zero Target? Yes, Southern Company Insists

Unlocking California’s Gigawatt-Scale Distributed Energy Potential

‘Math Doesn’t Yet Add Up’ for Utility Decarbonization Goals: Deloitte

Can a Novel Zinc Battery Deliver Clean Multiday Backup Power?

‘Game-Changer’ FERC Order Opens Up Wholesale Grid Markets to Distributed Energy Resources

California Won’t Touch Wildfire Budgets in Behind-the-Meter Battery Incentive Shift

Duke Energy’s SC Net-Metering Replacement Won a Crucial Ally: Rooftop Solar Companies

5 Lessons From the Battery Fire Investigations

The 5 Biggest US Utilities Committing to Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050

Midwest Grid Operators Seek to Unlock Clean Energy Transmission on the ‘Seam’

The Race Is On to Build the Biggest Batteries in Texas

Google Pledges 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy by 2030

How to Accelerate the Electrification of Buildings in the Midwest

FERC Order May Undermine Renewables, Energy Storage in New York’s Capacity Markets

How to Keep Firefighters Safe From Batteries

How Duke’s Unique Energy Landscape Dictates Its Path to Net Zero