Utilities

Politics

Clean energy is on the ballot in these utility regulator races

Ten states elect their public utility commissions, which make big decisions about energy. This November, the stakes are high, especially in Arizona and Louisiana.

By Julian Spector . 25 October 2024

Utilities

Maine utilities eye move to time-varying electric rates to boost electrification

"Time-of-use" rates that encourage customers to cut energy use at times of peak demand could help the state meet its electrification goals without straining the grid.

By Annie Ropeik . 14 November 2023
Utilities

Mainers reject historic bid to make for-profit utilities publicly owned

The ballot initiative aimed to bolster Maine’s energy transition, grid reliability and affordability. Utilities fought the effort with a torrent of cash.

By Julian Spector . 8 November 2023
Podcast

For Microsoft, AI is an 'unlock' for decarbonization

A conversation with Microsoft’s Hanna Grene on the many ways AI is impacting utility operations.

Play

By Stephen Lacey . 38 min . 7 November 2023
Clean energy

Kauai became a clean energy leader. Its secret? A publicly owned grid

Making the island’s utility a cooperative resulted in cheaper and cleaner power. It could hold lessons for communities around the country debating local utility control.

By Julian Spector . 7 November 2023
Utilities

Mainers will vote on replacing for-profit utilities with public power

Organizers of the ballot initiative hope to improve service and speed up the shift to clean energy by taking profits out of the utility sector.

By Julian Spector . 30 October 2023
Utilities

Utilities still moving way too slow on clean energy

Despite historic wind, solar and battery subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act, U.S. utilities remain hooked on fossil fuels.

By Jeff St. John . 16 October 2023
Hydrogen

The problem with making green hydrogen to fuel power plants

A new plant in Florida will produce green hydrogen to help power the grid. But experts warn that its approach would be wasteful and ineffective if scaled up.

By Jeff St. John . 10 October 2023
Utilities

Duke Energy will cover upfront costs of home efficiency upgrades

In what could be the largest such effort from a big investor-owned utility, the program will recoup costs over time via low on-bill payments from customers.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 4 October 2023
Utilities

These 25 utilities are united by one big goal: 80% less CO2 by 2030

Dealing with climate change means removing fossil fuels from the power grid ASAP. A diverse and growing group of utilities is leading that effort.

By Julian Spector . 28 September 2023
Long-duration energy storage

Sacramento utility rolls out its first long-duration grid batteries

The municipal utility is tapping flow batteries from ESS for on-demand clean power. The project, ESS’ biggest, will provide an early test of the tech’s potential.

By Julian Spector . 18 September 2023