William Driscoll

Virginia utility’s grid utilization of 33% to 41% shows room for flexible load and generation: my latest story for PV Magazine USA #EnergySky

Watchdog group predicts utilities will oppose transmission reform that could yield 200 GW of clean energy: While clean energy trade groups back a bipartisan permitting and transmission bill, a utility watchdog group predicts utilities will oppose the bill’s key transmission provisions. #EnergySky

Even in the 33 states where some utilities allow cost-saving meter socket adapters for distributed resource installations, other utilities block their use. Advocates argued why one Maine utility should allow MSAs, to benefit all utility customers. #EnergySky pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/10/15/m...

Battery energy storage failures are down 98% since 2018 and continue to decline, the research institute EPRI has found. #EnergySky

RMI and GridLab call for PJM to shift to an energy-centric market to speed new generation: The groups see a transition by PJM to an energy-centric market as the best approach despite its challenges. A paper by Brattle for Google also endorses an energy-only market; other papers oppose the concept.

Electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid capability could reduce grid costs by up to $7 billion per year by 2030, says a report, and a GM executive has called on other automakers, utilities and energy policymakers to collaborate to reach that potential. #EnergySky pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/07/30/g...

Over 60% of U.S. adults aged 30-79 without diagnosed heart disease "have an indication for statin therapy under the 2026 ACC/AHA dyslipidemia guideline." The greatest total expansion of eligibility resulted from considering the risk of a heart attack over the next 30 years in adults aged <60 years.

Flexible interconnection of MW-scale solar advances in eight states. Kate Tohme, David Golembeski, David Gahl and Vaughan Woodruff shared their views on "Flex Ix" opportunities and challenges at the Coalition for Community Solar Access conference. #EnergySky pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/06/09/f...

Renewables advocate becomes Delaware legislator, secures law to adopt model interconnection procedures: Delaware requires utilities to upgrade their interconnection procedures for distributed solar and storage to align with model procedures from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. #EnergySky

Dynamic pricing of electricity in California, along with price-responsive residential and commercial equipment, would lead to a solar-friendly load shape while reducing peak demand and customer bills, says a report from Berkeley Lab. pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/05/26/s... #EnergySky

Much more community solar could be built in upstate and western New York to bring solar bill savings to more customers, if utilities offered flexible interconnection as an option for solar developers, the New York Solar Energy Industries Association has projected. pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/05/11/n...

Rooftop solar in Australia has reached a high system capacity and is prompting rapid growth in home batteries. To explore how to transfer that success to the U.S., a study group of U.S. regulators met with energy sector leaders in Australia. #EnergySky pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/05/06/l...

Open Markets Institute and Mission:data allege that utilities are blocking virtual power plant aggregators from accessing the meter data they need to provide a VPP. The groups call for using antitrust law to “pry open” VPP markets. #EnergySky

Louisiana is projected to add 12 GW of utility-scale solar by 2035: The state's solar deployment is expected to decline from 2028 through 2030 due to expiring tax credits and then rise steadily through 2035, with associated employment impacts and tax revenues for local communities. #EnergySky

As governors of PJM states “have expressed alarm over capacity prices” that drive up electric bills, retail providers that can quickly deploy thousands of distributed batteries can make consumers “the primary source of new capacity,” says the author of a new report. (My latest for PV Mag) #EnergySky

Remote inspection of new residential solar and/or storage installations can yield improved code compliance and safety, compared to on-site inspection. In Texas, installers can hire an approved third-party remote inspector. @permitpower.bsky.social #EnergySky

States can control the retail cost of electricity by promoting virtual power plants, consisting of distributed batteries and other resources. VPPs can reduce the need for costly new generating capacity and can be deployed “within months,” said industry veteran Jigar Shah and a co-author. #EnergySky

“Direct transfer trip,” a costly approach to ensure that distributed generation shuts down during a power outage, can make solar projects uneconomical. A national lab report points to a combination of inverter-based approaches as a viable alternative. #EnergySky pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/02/26/n...

A study led by two energy lawyers documents the causes of “lagging” battery energy storage deployment in the Eastern U.S. and recommends 15 policy solutions that could help scale BESS deployment. Study lead authors are Miles Farmer and Kim Smaczniak at Roselle LLP. (My latest story for PV Mag USA)

Adding 78 GW more solar and 54 GW more battery storage in the PJM grid region than projected in a status quo scenario would drive a 20% reduction in system costs and improve reliability through 2035, says a study for @advancedenergyunited.org conducted by @synapseenergy.bsky.social. #EnergySky

Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again. #Pinks #ProudBlue

New Jersey is now a “top ten” state for interconnecting distributed solar and storage, said nonprofit group IREC, as projects with an export capacity of up to 2 MW will now qualify for a more streamlined interconnection process. #EnergySky pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/02/03/n...

National lab projects enhanced geothermal cost could decline to $100/MWh by 2035. Declining costs could make the technology a stronger competitor to solar plus storage. A national lab atlas shows wide potential for enhanced geothermal deployment in the U.S. (My latest for PV Magazine USA) #EnergySky

My statement on the funding deal.

Navajo Power’s 750 MW solar + storage project secures Navajo Nation land lease. Looking at development opportunities beyond the 750 MW project, Navajo Power’s CEO said that expanded transmission capacity in the region would better position the Navajo Nation as a regional energy player. #EnergySky

Utah’s enactment of a plug-in solar law last year has prompted the safety certification body UL to begin developing a safety standard for the equipment, said the law’s sponsor. Legislators in twenty-two states are discussing plug-in solar legislation, a nonprofit co-founder said. #EnergySky

"ICE will leave Minnesota if you hand over your voter rolls" tells you everything you need to know. This was never about immigration or fraud. It was always about rigging elections.

Yale Divinity School selects LUMA Solar roofing shingles for a 200 kW roof. Company President Robert Allen explains the technology in my PV Mag story, with input from architectural firm Bruner/Cott. #EnergySky pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/01/19/y...

Given state-level interest in plug-in solar, the Clean Energy States Alliance has published an in-depth guidebook to help state policymakers working to allow households to use the systems. #EnergySky

Grid-forming inverters significantly enhance grid stability, national lab finds. This story quotes Anderson Hoke and Jin Tan with the National Laboratory of the Rockies and covers related work by the UNIFI Consortium and ESIG (Energy Systems Integration Group). #EnergySky

China is outpacing the U.S. toward 100% renewables for all energy uses and is on pace to reach that standard by 2051, versus 2148 for the U.S., projects a study of 150 countries by Stanford professor Mark Jacobson. #EnergySky pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/01/09/u...

More than 25 GW of large-scale generating projects reached an interconnection agreement in the ERCOT grid region in 2024. Berkeley Lab said ERCOT’s “connect and manage” approach “is likely one reason” for the grid operator’s success. @josephrand.bsky.social @tnorris.bsky.social #EnergySky

Up to 21 GW of solar in California: A water district serving the western San Joaquin Valley has established a blueprint for developing solar, storage and transmission on lands that “can no longer sustain irrigated agriculture.” (My latest story for PV Magazine USA) #EnergySky

New York State’s Build-Ready program, designed to clear hurdles to solar or storage deployment on previously developed sites, has faced challenges well beyond the expiration of tax credits under the OBBBA tax and spending law, according to a program review. (My latest for PV Mag.) #EnergySky

Flexible interconnection is one of the most impactful, cost-effective tools for enabling distributed energy resource deployment, said a joint filing by the Solar Energy Industries Association and others. (My latest for PV Mag.) #EnergySky

A solar + storage playbook for New York City Mayor-elect Mamdani: The New York Solar Energy Industries Association executive director joined Mamdani's transition team in November. The “partnership” with the mayoral administration “presents an historic opportunity,” says NYSEIA. #EnergySky

The Rutgers University rural agrivoltaics program has advised New Jersey regulators on the design of a pilot agrivoltaics program. Projects receiving support will need to track data on agricultural production on fields with and without solar installations. My latest story for PV Mag USA. #EnergySky

A New York Power Authority plan shows the financial challenges for building solar, saying the levelized cost of building a solar project far exceeds the expected revenue from selling power. Project success may depend on the price NYPA can get for the renewable energy credits it sells. #EnergySky

Smart inverters enable more distributed solar to be added to the grid, and some rural co-ops are evaluating smart inverter standards as more co-op members become prosumers. My latest for PV Mag USA. #EnergySky

When a New Jersey gas unit’s air pollution permit is up for renewal, state law allows the public to recommend ways for the unit to reduce its emissions, such as adding batteries. That’s what @cleanenergygroup.bsky.social has done. My latest story for PV Magazine USA. #EnergySky

California study finds electrification can put downward pressure on electric rates: Wide adoption of electric vehicles can lower rates by about 3 cents per kWh, if the needed distribution grid upgrades are built efficiently and with cost constraints. My latest story for PV Magazine USA. #EnergySky

Virginia expands access to community solar: A change to a utility’s proposed approach to minimum billing opens community solar to more Virginia customers, while a potential 150 MW increase in the amount of community solar capacity is within reach. My latest for PV Magazine USA. #EnergySky

The Solar and Storage Industries Institute has endorsed grid operator SPP’s proposal to reform interconnection by building transmission, identifying promising areas for transmission interconnection, and inviting interconnection applications. My latest for PV Magazine USA. #EnergySky

Two approaches to prevent queue-jumping by thermal generation: Grid Strategies LLC and American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) found evidence that priority transmission access offered by three grid operators has yielded generating portfolios “heavily weighted” to thermal resources. #EnergySky

Plan now for faster clean energy support in a future presidential administration, a report says. The authors seek to enable construction of federally supported clean energy projects during a single presidential administration. (My latest for PV Mag USA) #EnergySky pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/11/21/p...

PJM agrees with many of RMI's recommendations for speeding transmission interconnection, and reported interconnection study progress. Even so, a GridLab report found PJM's capacity costs would have been lower with just 10% of queued renewable and storage projects. (My latest for PV Mag) #EnergySky

In Puerto Rico, residential solar and storage growth outpaces utility-scale developments: Puerto Rico has reached 1.3 GW of residential solar and 185,000 residential batteries, while utility-scale solar and storage projects are gearing up. My latest for PV Magazine USA. #EnergySky

In Virginia and New Jersey, solar and storage goals include surplus interconnection: Incoming governors in both states campaigned on broad clean energy platforms, while Advanced Energy United sees underused points of interconnection as the best solar and storage opportunity in Virginia. #EnergySky

Illinois to add 3 GW of batteries, saving consumers $12 billion over 20 years by reducing capacity costs. Transmission improvements to speed renewable deployment are also in the works. #EnergySky

While other utilities are “dabbling” with solar, Florida Power & Light is combining solar and storage as a “workhorse” technology, said Stephen Smith, executive director of @cleanenergy.org--showing what a committed utility can do. My latest for PV Magazine USA. @maggieshober.bsky.social #EnergySky