California regulators approved some — but not all — of the power contracts that Southern California Edison wants to have with BrightSource Energy in a compromise that they say will provide the state’s residents with more affordable solar power in the run long. Read more »
California is moving ahead with what could be a precedent-setting mandate to require its utilities to invest in energy storage systems and services, which are meant to complement the growing amount of wind and solar electricity flowing into the grid. Read more »
California’s three large utilities are building out clean power, like solar, at a breakneck pace. They’ve got a mandate to hit by 2020, and it’s coming on fast. Read more »
California regulators on Thursday essentially increase the amount of solar power generation that could qualify for net metering, but they left unresolved a contentious issue over whether people who don’t have solar or other renewable energy systems are subsidizing those who do. Read more »
Two months ago we asked whether utilities should invest in solar manufacturing because Pacific Gas & Electric was proposing to do just that. The answer from California regulators, who were divided over the issue, was “no” as they voted 3-2 to deny the request on Thursday. Read more »
BrightSource Energy, which builds solar power plants and plans to do an IPO, has completed about a quarter, or 25 percent, of its first project, Ivanpah, which is on schedule to come online next year, the company said in a government filing on Friday. Read more »
After spending five years to draw up the plan and secure construction permits and a fat federal loan guarantee, Abengoa Solar cleared a final hurdle Thursday when California regulators approved its contract to sell that power to Pacific Gas and Electric. Read more »
California regulators have made significant changes to a state incentive program that will impact electric customers who use technology such as fuel cells. The changes could have a big impact on Bloom Energy, which has been a major beneficiary of the SGIP. Read more »
Going solar is an expensive undertaking, so homeowners are often eager to know whether solar adds value to their homes and if they can recoup some of the investment when they sell their homes. Read more »
California regulators have approved a program, called virtual net metering, for residents who until now have been underserved by the state’s popular solar incentive program. Read more »
California’s groundbreaking set of rules on utility customer energy data are facing comment from the smart grid industry this week, and there’s still plenty of confusion over the fine print. In short, CPUC’s rules will need to change to avoid stifling the smart grid-home energy marketplace. Read more »
Will utility customers across the U.S. be legally entitled to their own energy usage data? We’ve already seen how California is planning to tackle that tricky subject, and a Senate bill announced last week would bring the same issues to a national stage. Read more »
The California Public Utility Commission is the first major regulator to issue such sweeping guidance on how data privacy should shape the smart grid. Here is how the ruling will affect the three big California utilities, as well as tech companies, startups and telcos. Read more »
Solaria corralled political dignitaries such as California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom to show off a new headquarters and adjacent demonstration array of its solar panels in Fremont Friday. The occasion marks a milestone for a company that took a while to engineer a product that could attract customers. Read more »
Will your local utility one day go the way of dinosaurs? As more home and business owners install solar panels, wind turbines and other electricity and heat generating equipment, the roles of the utilities will change and new business opportunities will rise. Read more »
The popular California Solar Initiative (CSI) program has been so popular that it’s set to run out of money sooner than expected. What will happen if the state doesn’t authorize more money for the program? Consumers will lose some important protection from unscrupulous solar service providers. Read more »
California has led the country in solar policy and solar rooftop installations, but keeping its lead won’t be easy. The president of California Public Utilities Commission, Michael Peevey, laid out some of the challenges to promote renewable energy generation by homes, businesses, schools and government agencies. Read more »
Smart meter companies take note: the battle over smart meters in California isn’t going away, will likely get more complicated, and could impact tech companies banking on the rollout of a massive amount of smart meters connected to wireless networks. Read more »
California lawmakers have passed a bill to require all public and private utilities to get 33 percent of their electricity supplies from renewable sources by 2020. If becomes law, the legislation would make the state home to the toughest renewable energy mandate in the country. Read more »
Californians may see a big jump in their energy bills due to the fact that the state utilities’ clean power projects under contract will be billions of dollars more expensive than what the utilities would otherwise pay for power from natural gas plants. Read more »
California wants 33 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, but hitting that goal might be difficult. State regulators approved a 1 gigawatt program Thursday that they believe will help. Read more »
Cogenra has developed a concentrating PV system with a heat harvester to produce electricity and heat water. The company is one of a growing number of hybrid system developers vying for generous incentives from states such as California. Read more »
One of the most common questions often asked is how to get your app reviewed by the various iPhone blog sites around the Internet. While there is no guaranteed method, SlapApp.com’s co-founder Ryan Johnson has a few pointers to help you build a relationship with reviewers. Read more »
A group of federal researchers have dived into a project to explore animal magnetism, except it’s not what you might think — it looks into the potential effects of electromagnetic fields on marine wildlife, and could become a key reference for any environmental impact review. Read more »
In most states utilities raise electricity rates in order to pay for the installation of new gear like smart meters — so consumers basically cover the cost of the upgrade. But some consumers and PUCs aren’t so happy about those terms. Read more »
The official verdict is out — Pacific Gas & Electric’s smart meter technology has been working properly, but its customer service hasn’t. That’s the conclusion of a state-ordered report released Thursday from independent analysts at the Structure Group. Read more »
California state regulators have spent the last few years trying to revise a program that was meant to boost small-scale renewable energy generation but wasn’t popular because it wasn’t lucrative enough to attract many takers. Now, a new proposal has emerged. Read more »
Utilities know they have to figure out how to store energy produced intermittently, such as wind and solar, or store energy from fossil-fuel power plants to keep the grid loaded when wind turbines and solar energy equipment aren’t doing their best. Read more »
California regulators voted unanimously on Thursday that companies providing electric vehicle charging stations and services will not be regulated as public utilities in the state, which is expected to be one of the earliest and largest markets for plug-in vehicles. Read more »
Today on the Net: YouTube adds a vuvuzela button for World Cup fans who miss the horns while watching online videos, KickApps adds an application development suite for Facebook and licensing firm Rumblefish is pitching cheap music licenses for non-commercial use in YouTube videos. Read more »
When you plug in and juice up your battery, are you buying electricity? No charging infrastructure providers say in comments filed with the California Public Utilities Commission. You’re paying for an electric vehicle service, and regulators need to make that crystal clear. Read more »
Once again it is time to look back on the week in Mobile Tech Manor and share with you the things I learned. This week was a lot of fun, it almost makes me feel guilty that I can have so much fun doing my work. Read more »
Among the key uncertainties facing players in the nascent market for electric vehicle charging infrastructure — companies like AeroVironment, Better Place, Coulomb Technologies, eTec, and their potential investors — is the question of how utility regulators will deal with providers of charging services. But in California, expected […] Read more »
Xcel Energy’s showcase smart grid project in Boulder, Colo. has cost a lot more than originally expected, and the Colorado Public Utility Commission is now asking the utility to prove why it needs its Colorado customers to foot part of the bill. The main culprit for […] Read more »
As a rule, neither utilities nor automotive standards groups tend to win many points for speed. We’ve written before about automakers and utilities ratcheting up efforts to hash out standards for how plug-in vehicles will interact with the grid. So far they’ve stopped short of forming […] Read more »
As we predicted, northern California utility PG&E said today it plans to start investing in and owning solar projects in its home state. Under a program that will run five years, PG&E plans to build out solar photovoltaic projects that together will produce 500 MW of […] Read more »
Take the nine California entities that deal with energy — including public utility regulators, power grid operators and the state’s energy planning agency — and roll them into one streamlined Department of Energy helmed by a cabinet-level secretary. That’s what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed as […] Read more »
An engine designed almost 200 years ago could be the future of solar energy. At least that’s what San Diego county is banking on, along with Phoenix-based Stirling Energy Systems, which will be building a 1,000-MW solar plant run off of Stirling engines in the county’s […] Read more »
Those kooky solar engineers are always up for a good lark! The engineers at eSolar decided to really cut loose for this year’s birthday celebration of the firm’s founder, Bill Gross. They put together this video, which is the equivalent of an all-night drinking binge in […] Read more »
The California Public Utilities Commission moved one giant step closer in recent weeks to allowing the utilities to buy renewable energy credits — without the actual energy generated from renewable sources — in order to meet California’s renewable portfolio standard. Read more »
