Energy Department provides $100 million for energy research centers
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide $100 million in funding for 42 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs in energy. The EFRC program, established by DOE’s Office of Science in 2009, brings together researchers from universities, nationa... Read More »Pennsylvania bill to allow alternative ratemaking options signed into law
Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law last week a bill that allows utilities to propose alternative ratemaking approaches, which include decoupling, performance-based rates, formula rates, and multiyear rates. Any changes to existing rate-making mechanisms would require approval by the Pennsylvania Publ... Read More »GAO recommends Energy Department improve Strategic Petroleum Reserve management
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report, recommending that the Department of Energy (DOE) take steps to modernize the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The report found that the Long-Term Strategic Review DOE conducted in 2016 did not identify an optimal size for th... Read More »Southern California Edison pushes for major expansion of EV charging station infrastructure
Southern California Edison (SCE) is adding thousands of additional charging stations to their Charge Ready program, a pilot program to increase availaility of charging ports for passenger electric vehicles (EV). Since 2016, SCE has installed 1,000 charging stations throughout their service area of S... Read More »EIA study finds cost, efficiency benefit in high-voltage power lines for integrating renewable sources
While contending that the existing grid has limits, a new study from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) determined that high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power lines could be configured to meet renewable integration with a number of benefits. Those benefits include cost effectivene... Read More »Solar guide seeks to educate, enhance buying experience
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recently launched a new online tool designed to educate solar consumers while enhancing the buying experience. The free guide offers those interested in going solar a one-stop shop to better understand the basics of solar energy and ownership option... Read More »Lisa Murkowski