The failed nomination of Ron Binz to be the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which was formalized with his withdrawal from consideration last month, was unprecedented in Washington. The role of FERC has never been the subject of public of political interest – and I’d argue that few people (in Congress or otherwise)… Keep reading →
The solar industry has been very hot. Record amounts of new solar capacity have been installed over the past two years. The accelerating pace of adoption of solar panels for distributed generation (installed at the point of use, rather than sold into the power grid) and the downward trend of module prices have created exuberance… Keep reading →
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Top Partner Rankings highlight US companies, municipalities, schools and government organizations that use clean, renewable sources of electricity to power their operations. “Using green power helps reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and supports the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide. Usage amounts reflect U.S. operations only and… Keep reading →
Quick Take: When it comes to the pending electricity revolution, many utilities dither or postpone or explain away (“It may have happened to every other industry. But it will NEVER happen to us. Because we’re special.”) Many environmental groups, on the other hand, are stepping up. They are not just saying that something must change.… Keep reading →
By transferring a portion of a commercial building’s electricity expenses to its property tax bill, Demeter Power is paving the way for an expansion of distributed solar generation in small- to medium-sized commercial buildings. Demeter Power, a provider of financing solutions for commercial distributed generation, has been awarded $500,000 through the Department of Energy’s SunShot… Keep reading →
The utility business model is changing from one of large, centralized generators that own and run entire power systems – from plants, to transmission, to distribution – to one involving more distributed generation and more players offering innovative products, services, and most importantly, customer savings. But crafting the right policies and regulations will be cornerstones… Keep reading →
The death of the traditional utility business model has been highly exaggerated, to butcher the Mark Twain quote. But that doesn’t mean change won’t happen, and when it does, those companies with a strong ‘ecosystem of innovation’ will be faster to pivot and more likely to survive. The drumbeat of warnings has grown louder that… Keep reading →
We’re only eight months into the year, and utility-scale solar installations in the United States have already surpassed the total for all of last year. Data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [PDF] shows 1,774 megawatts of new Big Solar capacity as of the end of August – compared to 1,476 MW for the entire… Keep reading →
The success of distributed solar generation is one of the surprising twists in the ongoing drama of shifting US power markets, and now the revolution is set to come to wind power. United Wind started the road toward an anticipated half a billion dollars in financing by 2017 for distributed wind installations this week with… Keep reading →
IBM is looking to capture a share of Europe’s growing “smart” electricity market. IBM has inked a deal with the metering division of EOn, Germany’s largest utility, to deliver a data and analytics platform, the Intelligent Energy Service Enablement Platform, for Smart Grid customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with plans to expand offerings to… Keep reading →
