 2020 has been a year of tremendous disruption for electric utilities, and for the world in general. But while the COVID-19 pandemic may have temporarily slowed some of the larger trends driving the power sector, the overall transition to a cleaner, more distributed future continues.
This can be seen in the continued expansion of renewables, storage and distributed energy resource options across the country, along with new state and federal policies to drive them.
Utilities and states are increasingly setting ambitious carbon reduction goals and taking action to reduce the consequences from extreme weather and other climate risks.
2020 also saw continuing challenges for coal and gas, increasing sophistication of cyber threats, emerging trends in rate design, and the continued rise of electric vehicles. Increased electrification is also raising questions about the role of utilities and future impacts on the power grid.
As shown by the stories below, and the trends they represent, 2020 was a pivotal year that will shape the future of the power sector. During these unprecedented times, we appreciate your support as we continue to make sense of the biggest stories that define the sector.
As we enter into 2021, we kindly ask that you consider sharing our newsletter with your teammates and colleagues, to help them stay more informed in the new year. Share this link to get them signed up: https://www.utilitydive.com/signup/insiders/?signup_referred_by=5f93078d7aa51972095c9316
 Larry Pearl
Senior Editor, Utility Dive
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Deep Dive As virtual power plants develop, there is a growing debate about the degree to which the future of distributed energy management will be controlled by large utilities or third-party aggregators. |
Deep Dive The ability to provide long-term storage could give power-to-gas technologies an edge as renewables grow on the grid, some experts say. But larger questions remain around the infrastructure and policies to support it. |
Utility Dive took a closer look at how climate risks are threatening utilities — and how much it's going to cost to mitigate them. |
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| Deep Dive To accelerate EV charging infrastructure deployment, former competitors are working together, but new questions threaten to lead to dissension. |
Deep Dive Momentum is building behind time-of-use rates, but longstanding doubts about whether they are fair remain unresolved, threatening new efforts. |
Shareholders grilled the utility on its long-term investment plans, questioning why the company is lagging behind others in its renewable energy buildouts. |
An environmental justice group has called for renewables and battery storage to replace fossil fuel peaking units in New York City. Generators say the transition is already underway. |
Deep Dive The California Public Utilities Commission has opened a rulemaking to "manage" a transition away from natural gas. But questions remain on what that transition will look like. |
Increased wind, solar and natural gas generation is forcing coal-fired plants to run their units in a way they were not designed to, or shut down. |
Cybereason created a fake industrial control network to study how hackers target utilities. "It is only a matter of time before a catastrophic event occurs," the Boston-based security firm concluded. | | |
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