In a move that could be seen as the first step in a burgeoning nationwide trend, “Order Instituting Rulemaking to Modernize the Electric Grid for a High Distributed Energy Resource Future,” a new rulemaking launched by the...
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), San Francisco, is facilitating the commercialization of microgrids across the Golden State, in part to secure backup power ahead of wildfire season, particularly within...
Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), San Francisco, issued a proposal laying the foundation for the state’s effort to better integrate electric vehicles (EVs) as a grid resource. The proposal,...
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order stating that California will phase out the sale of new gasoline-powered cars within the next 15 years. “The transportation sector is responsible for more than half of...
August 2020 is a month many Californians will probably prefer to forget. Wildfires, heat waves and power outages highlighted the state’s continuing need to diversify, even after years of pioneering leadership in the field of...
No state has been impacted more by the growing threat of wildfires than California, and utilities there have felt the heat as many of the most devastating fires were caused by their own faulty equipment and poor maintenance...
PG&E, California’s largest utility, is buckling under the pressure from its role in multiple deadly wildfires. As it strives to emerge from the protection of bankruptcy, filed for in the aftermath of the fires, the utility...
California has long been a leader in the field of renewable energy. Its pioneering role has not come without controversy. Recently, energy regulators approved a solar program in the state’s capitol city that endured some...
Hollywood, Calif., is the original movie-making mecca. Sunshine-filled days established it as a place to make films year-round. What better setting to build a museum celebrating the industry? It didn’t happen fast, but it...
Sadly, combating wildfires has become as much a part of the fight against global warming as tapping into renewable power. Utilities in California have become painfully familiar with this new reality. On Feb. 7, the state’s...
The path towards change isn’t always straight. As the federal government rolls back the standard on light bulb efficiency, at least one state is moving forward. Last month, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of...
When California rings in 2020, it will become the first state with legislation covering internet of things (loT) devices. Signed into law in September 2019, SB-327 Information Privacy: Connected Devices, was enacted in...
Following the unprecedented power blackout by PG&E during the week of Oct. 7 that affected almost 800,000 homes and businesses, up to a total of 2 million people in the state, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)...
Silicon Valley is known for disruption, so when the mayor of the high-tech industry’s hometown, San Jose, suggested a split from the major utility there, it wasn't entirely out of character. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)...
Contractors are increasingly getting involved in workforce development initiatives aimed to attract more millennials and Gen Zers to the industry. In California, an industry coalition is stepping up recruitment efforts with...
While “virtual” is a term most often associated with the reality of video games, it can also be used to describe a new and efficient source of power. In March, the online energy software firm, Advanced Microgrid Solutions...
A recent administrative law judge ruling in California may pave the way for more private-sector development of the state's mandated distributed energy storage system projects. In September 2016, the state passed Assembly Bill...
In a historic move, California became the first state in the U.S. requiring solar power to be installed on all new homes and residential buildings built in 2020 and beyond. This so-called solar mandate, passed in early...
Already a pioneer in the field of clean energy, California has raised the bar again. In August, the state legislature approved a bill that, by 2045, requires 100 percent of retail energy sales to come from zero-carbon sources...
An investigation by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) has concluded that four 2017 wildfires in Northern California were caused by trees coming into contact with power lines. CalFire has also...
