Utility Dive

Dive Brief: NextEra Energy CEO and Chairman James Robo told analysts on Wednesday that political will to sell South Carolina state-owned utility Santee Cooper remains, including the support of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, despite opposition from other lawmakers. Robo did not confirm market rumors of NextEra's interest in other acquisitions, but he believes the … [Read more...] about NextEra CEO continues push for Santee Cooper buy, mulls M&A environment amid pandemic uncertainty

Co-locating battery storage with renewables could transform the power system, and a rush by utilities and developers to build "hybrids" has prompted federal regulators to respond. The U.S. boom in such projects has put over three times more hybrid capacity into development than the 4.6 GW now online and twelve times more in the pipeline, according to a new paper in Electricity … [Read more...] about 84 GW US renewables+storage pipeline has developers anxious for market integration rules

Dive Brief: Utilities responding to the challenges of COVID-19 have adapted practices developed for past emergency situations, but physical distancing requirements of the pandemic response in some instances have forced entirely new ways of approaching safety measures. Consolidated Edison has been utilizing two sets of command and support staff in separate locations, as more … [Read more...] about ConEd COVID-19 cases grow past 350 as utilities forced to adjust pre-pandemic emergency plans

Dive Brief: Skipjack Offshore Energy's 120 MW wind farm will be delayed for more than a year due to holdups with federal permitting. A lawyer for the developers wrote the Maryland Public Service Commission on Tuesday to report a revision in the project's estimated commercial operation date from November 2022 to the end of 2023. Spokespersons from Skipjack's parent … [Read more...] about Skipjack offshore wind announces 1 year delay due to federal permitting holdups

Dive Brief: With Puerto Rico under a restrictive lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, the island's utility has seen its reserve margin grow and outages fall and is "operating better than ever," according to CEO José Ortiz. And crashing oil prices mean Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) customers will also likely see electricity rates decline significantly … [Read more...] about Crashing oil prices, COVID-19 restrictions give boost to embattled Puerto Rico utility