How to leverage virtual power plants for a better grid
A panel at RE+ Northeast 2025 discussed ways to maximize the value of virtual power plants so everyone on the grid wins.
Sunrise brief: Accelerating electrification through rate design
Also on the rise: California hits new milestone with EV chargers. Survey finds consumers overwhelmingly support renewables over fossil fuels. And more.
Accelerating electrification through rate design
Economist-at-large Ahmad Faruqui proposes an incremental electric rate design that encourages electrification, lowering bills and lowering utility operating costs.
California’s rate inequality is likely to worsen as energy transition advances
A new report says that the state’s investor-owned utilities charge residential electricity customers much higher prices than are paid in most of the country, impacting low- and moderate-income people the most.
Utilities seek greater fees on customers who go solar
The latest report from North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center finds a surge in proposed fees for distributed generation solar customers, as increasingly complicated structures are proposed to replace net metering.
Utilities weaken distributed solar power with policy wins
Utilities have been trying to dismantle net metering and/or wreck the economics of customer-sited solar for years. In the first quarter of 2018, they saw some significant victories.
Utilities step up attempts to increase fixed charges, minimum bills
The latest report by North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center shows that utilities are trying the same tactics to gain more revenue from and/or stop their customers from going solar. But their success rate has not changed.
Texas utility proposes bizarre fixed charges for solar customers
Under Oncor’s proposal, its customers who have PV installed would pay a fixed charge every month based on their historical demand – unless their residential bill would be higher under standard rates.
FERC proposal requires utilities to accommodate DERs, storage
The federal energy regulatory body wants to compel current wholesale electricity suppliers to let DER providers, including storage, to compete in the markets. This follows regulatory action on DER in New York and California.
NARUC approves final DER rate-design manual
Under consideration for more than a year, the final suggestions by the national regulators group offers suggestions and guidance on solar rate design
