Utilities

Fossil fuels

Booming power demand is slowing climate progress for US utilities

Sierra Club analysis finds that U.S. utilities are planning a huge expansion of fossil gas-plants — a shift that’s incompatible with climate goals.

By Jeff St. John . 9 October 2024

Turbines from the Mount Storm Wind Farm behind Dominion's Mount Storm coal power plant in West Virginia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Heat pumps

Mass. regulator orders National Grid to set lower winter rate for heat pumps

The decision instructs the state’s second-largest utility to develop a more affordable wintertime electricity rate for customers who have a heat pump.

By Sarah Shemkus . 4 October 2024
EV charging

California’s backlogged grid is holding up its electric truck dreams

Electric truck-charging projects face years of waiting to get the power they need. Clean-transport advocates say regulators must push utilities harder to speed up.

By Jeff St. John . 23 September 2024
Energy efficiency

One way to help the grid? Smarter air conditioning for big buildings

Startups like Parity use software to make building HVAC systems more energy efficient — and to shift power demand to help relieve utility grids during heatwaves.

By Jeff St. John . 18 September 2024
Policy & regulation

Switching California from gas to electricity, one neighborhood at a time

Clean-energy advocates hope a bill awaiting Governor Newsom’s signature will jump-start projects that shut down gas pipelines and help homes and businesses go electric.

By Jeff St. John . 16 September 2024
Virtual power plants

California could cut utility bills with distributed energy. Why isn’t it?

Rooftop solar, batteries, EVs, and smart thermostats could help rein in rising grid costs — if only California could pass policies to make it happen.

By Jeff St. John . 10 September 2024
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
Utilities

Duke Energy’s plans for more gas gain traction with former critics

North Carolina’s state ratepayers advocate and clean energy developers have endorsed the proposal, though some still have concerns.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 3 September 2024
Policy & regulation

California electric bill relief plan would gut low-income energy programs

Advocates say a last-minute push to rein in utility bills would crush useful clean energy programs — and not help the state’s energy affordability crisis.

By Jeff St. John . 29 August 2024
Utilities

North Carolina approves Duke Energy’s controversial green tariff plan

The proposal will allow some large customers to pay to speed up construction of new solar farms. Duke Energy intends to formalize the program soon.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 14 August 2024
Utilities

Don’t blame clean energy for rising electric bills

A new report links rising U.S. power bills to fossil gas price spikes and utility incentives — not solar, wind, and batteries, as clean energy foes suggest.

By Jeff St. John . 15 July 2024