Another axe has fallen in Europe over renewable energy subsidies. Just last month, Italy announced that it will cut its feed-in tariffs (FIT) for certain renewable energy plants – not only for future plants, but also for existing plants with valid FIT guarantees. German lawmakers also recently approved an extensive revision of the country’s renewable… Keep reading →
The changing utility business model has been a major theme in the news and industry circles this year, with many bemoaning that fact that as distributed generation and energy efficiency proliferate, utilities sell less of their product. The trend has even been dramatically called the “utility death spiral.” Scary. But while these are certainly challenges… Keep reading →
As states like Colorado decriminalize marijuana use for personal consumption and several states move forward with medical use legislation, the subsequent explosion of indoor grow operations has gotten utilities’ attention. There is a concern the energy-intensive “indoor agriculture” could put sustained stress on power grids. “This is just a staggering amount of electricity,” says Bruce Bugbee,… Keep reading →
The US military consumed 90 million barrels of oil last year which cost $15 billion, and military fuel consumption is expected to increase with the adoption of the F-35 combat aircraft, the Littoral Combat Ship, and the KC-46A tanker aircraft, that “will all consume more fuel than the platforms they will replace.” As a result,… Keep reading →
As recently as 2002, no system in America could gather and share real-time emergency situation information on power and natural gas infrastructure — a weakness exposed by the widespread destruction by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. A team of Energy Department experts remedied this situation by developing a system to do just that, and are now being recognized for their work. They… Keep reading →
Texas both produces and consumes more energy than any state in the U.S. It controls one-quarter of U.S. proven oil reserves. Energy companies looking to grow or to establish a U.S. presence set up operations in Texas. The primary electricity transmission system in Texas is independent of the rest of the country (a long-time source… Keep reading →
As Americans brace for warmer weather – and the tornadoes, droughts and hurricanes that come with it – the question remains: are utilities prepared to handle the stress of ever increasing inclement weather? Like weather patterns, every utility requires unique ingredients to successfully navigate storm-related outage prevention and restoration strategy. However, at the foundation of… Keep reading →
The days of merely managing wires and selling a commodity are winding down for utilities. These companies must now compete with or embrace technology and services that give customers greater control over the systems that power their homes, making it easier to reduce energy consumption, increase efficiency and ultimately save money. Google’s acquisition of smart… Keep reading →
A little over two years ago we reported that utility-scale energy storage could be “around the corner” thanks to flow-battery technology that relies on a rare earth mineral called vanadium. That vision leapt closer to reality last week. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced it will partner with energy storage… Keep reading →
A post-Hurricane Sandy storm has been brewing in New Jersey since PSE&G filed an infrastructure-hardening project with the Board of Public Utilities last year. The utility is seeking $3.9 billion to fortify power grid infrastructure flooded during the hurricane. The BPU is balking at the price and questioning the extent to which customers will benefit… Keep reading →
