| 2018 was a whirlwind for the electric power sector, complete with policy upheavals, market disruption and a whole lot of political drama in Washington.
Our top stories of the year illustrate that, with a number focusing on the growing competitiveness of renewable energy and storage, the decline of coal-fired generation, and the many policy surprises that came out of the federal government this year.
Looking ahead to 2019, many of the year's events will likely be connected to the stories here, just as this year, one of our most read pieces was on the 'incredible' prices in Xcel’s 2017 renewable energy solicitation.
Utility Dive will be back on Jan. 2 with the top ten trends to watch in 2019. Until then, enjoy this list of our best coverage from the year that was.
Best,
Gavin Bade
Senior Reporter, Utility Dive
Twitter | E-mail Top stories UPDATED The nominee told Texas lawmakers that renewable energy "screws up the whole physics of the grid" and portrayed industry lawsuits with environmental groups as a "constant battle between liberty and tyranny." |
Installation of more than 2,200 MWh of storage will be the first time a utility directly replaces multiple major fossil fuel generators with batteries. |
Deep Dive The commission directed grid operators to develop rules that would allow storage to participate in the wholesale energy, capacity and ancillary services markets and could put it on equal footing with other resources. |
Deep Dive A federal order to keep coal and nuclear plants from retiring could reshape the government's relationship with the power sector, regulators and analysts say. |
Deep Dive Regulators didn't just kill a coal and nuclear bailout — they preserved FERC's critical policymaking independence. |
The utility withdrew all the cash from its revolving credit lines on Nov. 13, a move financial experts say could presage a bankruptcy filing or other serious financial problems for the utility. |
Deep Dive The landmark June 29 order echoes longstanding arguments from the coal and gas sector, but observers say it could end up a boon for renewables and nuclear. |
Deep Dive Experts say a recent DHS briefing that warned hackers could cause widespread blackouts may have overstated the threat. |
The failure of high-profile ballot initiatives in Arizona and Washington came amid wins for renewable energy supporters in key gubernatorial races. |
Deep Dive Time- and location-based price signals can guide customer usage, but electricity subscriptions could give more control. |
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