California energy regulators have hit Pacific Gas & Electric with a record $1.6 billion penalty in the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion that left eight people dead. But at least one member of the Public Utilities Commission thinks even more dramatic action might be needed to ensure the investor-owned utility operates efficiently and safely. “The… Keep reading →
CPUC passes controversial mandate for 1.3 gigawatts of batteries, grid storage by 2020 California’s status as the vanguard in pushing energy storage technologies onto the power grid is now official. On Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved its proposed mandate (PDF) that will require the state’s big three investor-owned utilities to add 1.3… Keep reading →
Collaboration between utilities and third party software developers will be crucial in the implementation of the smart grid, bringing innovation to large energy suppliers and reliable customers for data firms.
Large utility companies need to embrace “big data analytics” to better understand the “health of our assets,” Karen Austin, the senior price president and chief information officer at Pacific Gas and Electric, said. Keep reading →
