Utilities

AC vs DC/shutterstock

Perhaps Thomas Edison was right after all. As new technology develops, it's time to ask the question: should be using direct current (DC) instead of alternating current (AC) power?[read more]

California's grid

Almost all of the new generation capacity in the California transmission system operator’s queue for the second half of 2013 is solar -- 97 percent, to be exact. There are 1,633 megawatts of new generation capacity in the 2H 2013 queue.[read more]

Virginia statehouse/shutterstock

Virginia enjoys bipartisan support for clean energy and sees it as a path towards economic development. But Dominion Power, the state’s largest investor-owned utility, continues to offer resistance.[read more]

energy investment/shutterstock

Without an evolution of business models, we could be left contemplating which devices in our homes and businesses get highest priority for electricity delivered from a grid that lacks resiliency and results in reduced reliability.[read more]

smart communications/shutterstock

 

Machine-to-Machine technology is revolutionizing the energy industry, and helping reduce CO2 emissions. If a new report is correct, M2M could even be a savior for climate change.[read more]

smart grid

Utilities of all sizes have various smart grid projects underway, whether installing two-way digital smart meters, deploying self-healing distribution technology or integrating data across the business operation.[read more]

thinking toward 100% renewables

Even those in favor of renewable energy have been known to debate how much of our power it can provide. But at the conference, the question was not whether we can get to 100%. Instead, speakers asked, How do we get there?[read more]

I'm just a bill, an energy efficiency bill...

The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act is tweaked from the last iteration, including an expansion of a federal loan guarantee program for energy efficiency projects and a revolving state grant program.[read more]

clean energy for NYC?

The pipeline will transfer one gigawatt, or 1000 megawatts, across the border to assist in providing electricity for the Big Apple. This project represents a sizable 10% increase in electric capacity for the New York City region.[read more]

microgrid disruptions/shutterstock

What will be the disruptive technology that starts the slow erosion of commercial businesses away from traditional electric utilities? What technology will dramatically reshape today’s power grids? Microgrids.[read more]

solar energy/shutterstock

Solar is no longer irrelevant to utility planning. It’s grown up and has earned a seat at the big kids table. But that also means the rules are going to change. The solar energy industry needs to plan accordingly.[read more]

Eagle Point solar energy

A significant factor in this case was the ability of for-profit companies like Eagle Point, but not non-profit entities like city governments, to access numerous federal and state subsidies for solar power installations.[read more]

100% Renewables in Oz?

A new study suggests that a bold-but-not-extreme carbon price could make providing all of Australia’s electricity needs cost-effective by 2030.[read more]

energy innovation/Wikimedia Commons

The relatively modest $200 million grid modernization Race to the Top would be the first of its kind for energy and could be an interesting pilot project for using similar policy models to bridge the gap between energy research and the market.[read more]

smart grid/shutterstock

Combating global warming is going to require a huge influx of green power onto the grid, both at the large scale (e.g., giant wind farms or solar power plants) and at the fragmented, distributed scale.[read more]