VPPs could boost utilities’ credit profiles, but it’s ‘premature’ to consider impact: Morningstar DBRS

Though obstacles are impeding virtual power plants in the short term, the technology will be a plus for utilities and for reliability in the long run, the credit rating company predicts.

By Brian Martucci • May 6, 2024

Schneider Electric’s new battery energy storage system aims to boost microgrid efficiency

The system allows energy to be stored during off-peak hours, when electricity rates are lower, and used during peak demand periods, a company executive says.

By Nish Amarnath • May 6, 2024

Explore the Trendline➔

Utility Business Model Reform

Utilities and regulators around the country are exploring new business models, from updated rate structures to performance-based regulation, to meet evolving policy and business priorities.

By Utility Dive staff

NYISO launches first-in-nation DER integration program in move toward FERC Order 2222 compliance

New market rules by the New York Indepdent System Operator require participating distributed energy resources to be at least 10 kW, which critics say will significantly limit DER participation, at least initially.

By Robert Walton • Updated April 19, 2024

DOE cites cost, reliability concerns for new gas plants as it details how to meet surging power demand

Rising electricity demand will require a portfolio of resources, including energy storage, hydropower, nuclear, grid-enhancing technologies and demand-side management, DOE said.

By Robert Walton • April 18, 2024

Tackling 3 key issues can help scale virtual power plants and spur a wave of benefits, analysts say

Advanced operational software, communications standards and customer compensation are needed to scale VPP size and services, cut system and customer costs and enhance reliability, key VPP players agree.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 17, 2024

Virtual power plant adoption could save California ratepayers $550M annually: Brattle report

The report called for the state to facilitate virtual power plant growth in California, noting that “more can be achieved” to scale VPP adoption by 2035.

By Brian Martucci • April 15, 2024

DOE awards $27M for communities to plan a clean-energy future

This is the first funding round for the Energy Future Grants initiative, which launched last year to help communities plan for transportation and building electrification, microgrids and solar projects.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 12, 2024

Green Mountain Power, RMP offer strong virtual power plant blueprint: RMI webinar

VPP policy should promote widespread distributed energy resource adoption while enabling retail and wholesale market participation and preserving customer choice, webinar participants said.

By Brian Martucci • April 11, 2024

Bidirectional EV charging, VPP bill passes Maryland Assembly, heads to governor’s desk

“Pairing battery storage with renewable generation will help Maryland achieve its clean energy goals, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change,” Del. David Fraser-Hidalgo said.

By Brian Martucci • April 8, 2024

Sunnova expands virtual power plant accessibility in 6 states and Puerto Rico

The residential solar company’s announcement covers solar-and-storage customers in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island and Texas.

By Brian Martucci • April 5, 2024

Hawaiian Electric offers new incentives to customers with rooftop solar and battery storage

The company says it is streamlining programs for rooftop solar users to help the state meet its clean energy goals, but some customers could see smaller financial benefits.

By Patrick Cooley • April 3, 2024

Schneider Electric to use Mainspring Energy’s fuel-flexible generator to speed access to clean power

The generator's modularity and potential capacity represent a “sweet spot” for industries with growing interest in microgrids, including logistics and data centers, said a senior vice president for microgrids at Schneider Electric.

By Emma Penrod • April 2, 2024

Efficiency, clean energy are options for meeting demand growth before gas generation: Energy Innovation

Texas has met its 2.6% annual demand growth with wind and solar, highlighting how clean energy can handle rising electric use, per the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

By Ethan Howland • March 28, 2024

A new era of price-based demand response emerges, but utilities and regulators need proof of its potential

New load flexibility from price-based demand response programs could be invaluable if reliability and cost-effectiveness is confirmed in real-world operating conditions, stakeholders agree.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 27, 2024

New York City bill would mandate solar panels on public buildings

The legislation would require 100 MW of solar photovoltaic systems to be installed on the roofs of city-owned buildings by the end of 2025, with a broader goal of 150 MW by 2030.

By Nish Amarnath • March 13, 2024

Lessons from the UK: Transforming the US Market

The US has a unique opportunity to capitalize on grid-edge flexibility by using distributed energy resources (DERs) to balance the grid. 

By Amaani Hamid — Senior Policy Manager, Kraken • March 11, 2024

4 strategies to boost customer engagement with time-varying rates

Empower customers to be active participants in the clean energy transition with proven principles for crafting a successful Time-Varying Rates (TVR) customer experience.

By Alex Lopez, Senior Product Marketing Manager of Uplight and Brad Langley, VP of Marketing of GridX • March 11, 2024

LA City Council plans to streamline solar, battery installation review process

The move, which echoes a similar initiative in New York City, aims to help Los Angeles reach its goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035.

By Joe Burns • March 5, 2024

How utilities can unleash the power of orchestration through virtual power plants

VPPs offer utilities a powerful tool to grapple with the parallel challenges of enabling electrification and equitable decarbonization while maintaining grid reliability and resilience.

By Patty Cook and Steve Fine • Feb. 29, 2024

DOE, NARUC publish cybersecurity ‘baselines’ for utilities, distributed energy resources

The recommendations “provide a common starting point for cyber risk reduction activities,” said NARUC Executive Director Greg White.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 28, 2024

Congressional action on energy permitting remains stuck, but states, developers are finding solutions

States are resolving local objections to projects through community engagement while transmission developers are making innovative use of existing rights-of-way to bypass permitting logjams.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 27, 2024

Massachusetts order expected to boost distributed solar, could be model for other states, official says

The new rules expand net metering to government facilities, exempt certain users from program generation caps and enable net metering transfer credits between utility territories and ISO-New England load zones.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 21, 2024

Los Angeles public-private partnership aims to advance industrial solar

The decade-old Feed-in Tariff program pays property owners for solar energy, but long grid interconnection queues and lingering “mistrust” hinder adoption, a business group leader notes.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 15, 2024

NAESB to develop standardized distribution services contract to facilitate DER aggregation

The work, undertaken at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy, will help facilitate the deployment of virtual power plants.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 6, 2024

FEMA to help communities pay for net-zero energy projects post-disaster

Communities can now leverage the agency’s grant programs to install solar microgrids, heat pumps and passive cooling when rebuilding schools, hospitals, fire stations and other infrastructure in a disaster’s wake.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 2, 2024