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Utilities

California lawmakers punt on chances to deal with utility bill crisis

Wildfire mitigation and grid expansion are driving up utility bills in California. But plans to contain those costs failed to make it through the legislative gauntlet.

By Jeff St. John . 5 September 2024

(Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

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Midwest grid operators submit $1.7B plan to build cross-border power lines

MISO and SPP are seeking approval for a joint transmission project that could unlock gigawatts of clean energy — and create a template for similar collaborations.

By Jeff St. John . 27 August 2024
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New England grid gets $389M boost to help plug in offshore wind

The region’s new Department of Energy award comes as several New England states band together to try and build more offshore wind for less money.

By Hannah Chanatry . 8 August 2024
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Prices just spiked in the biggest US power market. Blame the grid backlog.

PJM’s inability to get wind, solar, and batteries online will cause utility bills to rise for 65 million customers from the Great Lakes to the mid-Atlantic.

By Jeff St. John . 6 August 2024
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Biden admin announces $2.2B in grants to boost US power grid

The grid is overburdened, under-resourced — and vital to the energy transition. New federal funding aims to increase capacity and get more clean energy built.

By Jeff St. John . 6 August 2024
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Startup nabs $60M for high-tech cables to help speed clean energy rollout

The grid needs much more capacity to bring clean energy online. TS Conductor’s tech could help — and federal and state policies are pushing utilities to adopt it.

By Jeff St. John . 31 July 2024
Solar

Minnesota creates new ombudsperson role to help connect solar faster

Solar developers have long complained about the state’s lengthy process for connecting to the grid. The ombudsperson will work to resolve disputes.

By Frank Jossi . 11 July 2024
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New projects aim to break US barriers to digitizing the grid

U.S. utilities are just starting to deploy grid-boosting tech like Smart Wires’ SmartValve systems. A carbon-free grid will need a lot more of it to succeed.

By Jeff St. John . 20 June 2024
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Minnesota takes rare step to allow power lines alongside highways

A coalition striving to get states to approve high-voltage transmission lines along highways has won a first battle in Minnesota — and wants to expand to other states.

By Jeff St. John . 12 June 2024
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Better real-time data for the country's congested transmission lines

Dynamic-line-rating projects reveal how much power transmission lines can handle, expanding clean energy capacity without costly upgrades. The U.S. needs a lot more of them.

By Jeff St. John . 28 May 2024
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FERC passed big transmission reforms; now the hard part begins

Utilities and regulators have a lot of work ahead to enact new federal grid planning reforms — and to overcome political and financial interests.

By Jeff St. John . 20 May 2024