Maryland utilities are working to aggregate up to 440 MW of flexible load resources, such as residential thermostats, distributed batteries, and electric vehicles, to support state-mandated virtual power plants and load management programs. The Distributed Renewable Integration and Vehicle Electrification Act requires utilities to develop vehicle-to-grid charging and VPP plans. Utilities like BGE, Pepco, Delmarva, and Potomac Edison are implementing time-of-use tariff proposals and pilot programs to increase customer participation in grid flexibility initiatives. The Maryland Public Service Commission has accepted modified time-of-use tariffs but rejected pilot proposals, ordering utilities to refile them for further clarity. The goal is to integrate customer-owned devices into utility operations while providing incentives and maintaining customer control, ensuring the success of demand-side management programs and distributed energy resource integration efforts in reducing peak load in a locationally relevant manner.
Author: Utilitydive
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Colorado Legislature sends ‘advanced transmission technology’ bill to governor
Colorado lawmakers recently passed legislation requiring regulated utilities to consider advanced transmission technologies to improve grid efficiency, with a focus on increasing the state's ability to import/export electricity, speeding up new generation/load hookup, and reducing wildfire risk. The bill mandates utilities to include analysis of these technologies in their 10-year transmission plans, as research shows they can save customers money and free up capacity. Similar requirements are being implemented in other states like Virginia to enhance their grids. The organization released a report on October 24, likely discussing climate-related issues.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/colorado-advanced-transmission-technology-gets-bill/817545/
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Distributed batteries get legislative, utility lift in California
Ava Community Energy launched a $11.25 million incentive program in California for residential customers to install solar and battery storage systems, allowing customers to share up to 80% of their home batteries. The program offers rebates for both income-qualified and non-income qualified customers, aiming to make electrification more affordable and maintain grid stability. California legislators are advancing a bill to update state resource adequacy rules to include distributed energy devices like residential batteries and electric vehicles, with monthly participation payments provided to customers who participate. Despite funding cuts for the Demand Side Grid Support program, a successful large battery-based virtual power plant, changes will not impact the SmartHome Battery program.
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Rooftop solar reaches 20% of Puerto Rico’s generation mix
In 2025, rooftop solar capacity in Puerto Rico reached 1.5 GW, surpassing natural gas as the second-largest generation source, driven by electricity reliability issues. Distributed generation resources, particularly rooftop solar with battery systems, have seen significant growth. LUMA Energy, the island's grid operator, is working to transform and stabilize the grid. Distributed battery storage has also increased, reaching a total energy capacity of 2,864 megawatt hours. Despite setbacks like Hurricane Maria, rooftop solar generation has steadily increased, contributing to Puerto Rico's total generation capacity exceeding 7 GW.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/rooftop-solar-puerto-rico-generation-mix-eia/816499/
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California approved a gas pipeline solution. Now comes the hard part.
California utilities are facing challenges in transitioning away from fossil fuels, with Senate Bill 1221 proposing the creation of "decarbonization zones" to retire gas pipelines and promote electric appliances. Despite potential exclusions based on certain criteria, the bill aims to realign incentives to prioritize climate goals over profit. The success of SB 1221 hinges on regulators using their authority to focus on pollution burden, vulnerability, and transparency in project data, ensuring that climate action aligns with lower bills and prudent spending of ratepayer dollars. This bill represents a step towards meeting climate goals and controlling costs associated with gas pipeline replacements, with a specific focus on low-income communities.
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Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind begins delivering power
The 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, the largest offshore wind farm in the U.S., has begun delivering power to the grid despite delays caused by the Trump administration. With bipartisan support and additional turbines planned for installation, Virginia is poised to become a major player in offshore wind energy. The company behind the project emphasizes the importance of avoiding delays to minimize costs and maintain progress in the data center capital of the world. Despite missed deadlines, there is political momentum and stakeholder support for the project to move forward, highlighting the optimism for the project's current standing.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/coastal-virginia-offshore-wind-begins-delivering-power/815874/
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Enhanced geothermal deployment could be compressed to under 3 years: report
Enhanced geothermal projects ranging from 100 MW to 500 MW can be operational within three to six years, significantly reducing conventional development timelines. The Department of Energy is supporting geothermal development through funding opportunities for next-generation field-scale tests. Geothermal energy is a reliable renewable source with a capacity factor above 80%, and its decreasing costs combined with firm capacity value are strengthening the economic case. Fervo Energy's Cape Station geothermal plant in Utah, benefiting from technology transfer from the oil and gas industry, demonstrates the potential for rapid and scalable development of enhanced geothermal projects in the U.S.
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New Jersey announces 355-MW storage procurement, solicits 645 MW more
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has approved incentives for three transmission-connected battery energy storage projects totaling 355 MW, with plans for an additional 645 MW of standalone storage or solar-plus-storage. This fulfills the state's goal of procuring 1 GW of bulk energy storage by summer and 2 GW by 2030, with projects set to participate in PJM Interconnection's capacity auction next year. The projects, located at operating or retired fossil power plants, aim to save ratepayers over $169 million by moderating wholesale electricity prices during peak demand. New Jersey's push for energy storage is driven by strong market fundamentals and high capacity prices, with support from political leadership and plans to use funds from the regional greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program for ratepayer bill credits.
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Washington, California and Québec collaborate on linking carbon markets
Washington is joining California and Québec in a multi-jurisdictional carbon emissions trading market, aiming to reduce greenhouse gases more efficiently. The draft agreement focuses on information sharing, accounting, and cooperation, with the goal of driving long-term, cost-effective investment in decarbonization. The Climate Commitment Act, established in 2021, sets a target to reduce Washington's greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2050. Public input and assessments are required before formal entry into the linkage agreement, with the potential for a linked carbon emissions trading market by 2027. The partnership aims to create a larger, more stable market for emissions allowances, bringing substantial benefits to the state's cap-and-invest program, economy, and communities as it works to decarbonize and meet emissions reduction goals.
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Massachusetts’ least-cost 2050 peak power mix is combustion-free: report
A report by Synapse Energy Economics for the Massachusetts Clean Peak Coalition suggests that Massachusetts can fully decarbonize peak generation by 2050 at a lower cost than continuing to run fossil-fuel peaker plants. The report recommends a portfolio of clean peaking resources including demand-side resources, energy storage, and wind generation. Challenges remain in fully decarbonizing the electricity system, particularly with the shift to a winter-peaking system and the current design of ISO New England's capacity market favoring fossil-fuel generators. The coalition is unsure if recent changes to the grid operator's capacity accreditation model will benefit decarbonization efforts in Massachusetts, but a peak generation portfolio combining wind, energy storage, and demand response could serve winter peaks at a lower cost than the current combustion-dominated generation mix. Regulators and policymakers need to focus on energy efficiency, longer-duration energy storage, addressing community concerns around wind siting, and considering climate and public health impacts to build this portfolio cost-effectively and explore alternatives to fossil peakers and combined heat and power plants.