A new report on California's advanced energy policies has a lot of good things to say, but also sees considerable room for improvements that remove bureaucratic stumbling blocks for real economic and environmental benefits.

Wind energy has been getting a lot of attention as the industry has successfully flourished in regions around the world. But a recent research report contends large-scale wind generating capacity may be seriously overestimated.

In the early days of the smart grid, most pioneers used purpose-built RF mesh networks for smart metering and distribution automation. In the past two years, however, cellular technology has emerged as a viable option. Click to find out why, and to learn about three cellular deployment strategies utilities are implementing in their smart grid programs today.

Edison Electric Institute's annual snapshot of U.S. transmission projects reveals that transmission investment continues to grow and is expected to reach $15.1 billion this year. Why the growth? Just over three-fourths of all the projects were in support of renewable resources.

We call storage the game-changer and we bemoan the high cost of batteries, pumped hydro and other techniques. A story on a new electric "storage heater" introduced in the UK has us wondering why the electric power industry isn't doing more with thermal storage.

President Obama on Monday made MIT physicist and former Clinton Administration energy undersecretary Ernest Moniz his choice to replace Steven Chu as head of the Department of Energy. The choice was lauded by many, but not everyone.

That "quiet war" in cyberspace is over. The U.S. energy sector is under attack, and there isn't any indication the situation is going to improve. In this AOL Energy interview with IBM security ace Andy Bochman, he outlines what utilities should be doing right now to shore up their IT and cybersecurity operations.

With stimulus spending on the wane in the U.S., some feel the smart grid market has plateaued. But has it? A new report from ABI Research reveals utility smart grid spending worldwide nearly doubled in 2012. Click for a look at what utilities were buying.

A startup out of Oakland, California is selling a device that clamps onto transmission lines to make them smart. Skeptical? The idea has enough merit that Tennessee Valley Authority is piloting it and Southern Company is about to start tests.

As states increasingly look to utilities to play an active role in supporting building energy codes, this new report from a coalition of energy efficiency advocates provides guidance for how state regulatory commissions and energy offices can best develop and evaluate such efforts. The report was developed by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) Evaluation, Measurement and Verification Forum; the Institute for Market Transformation; and IEE, an institute of the Edison Foundation.

If you think electricity markets and deregulation are difficult to explain, you'll enjoy this video by the 6-year-old daughter of an employee at Current Utilities, an electricity broker.

As this video details, PG&E is on the forefront of testing applications for smaller-scale storage such as batteries. The utility recently deployed a two-megawatt sodium-sulfur battery pilot project at its Vaca Dixon substation to test potential applications of energy storage on the grid. is also installing a four-megawatt battery at the end of a distribution feeder in San Jose, to test applications including improving service reliability and power quality to customers.

EPRI says its research on using drones for faster and more accurate power line damage evaluation after major storms has taken a big step forward with the successful test flights of two prototypes earlier this month. EPRI is also working on integrating data and information gathered by the flying monitors with utility operations.

This is a video case study of S&C's work on the Coram Wind Farm in Mojave, California. S&C procured and constructed the electrical systems needed to connect new wind turbines to the grid at the 104 MW site.

There's a little problem with home energy management products: Since manufacturers don't use a common form of communication there's no guarantee devices from different makers will be interoperable or that there will be interoperability between the products and the grid. The EISA is trying to do something about it.

Unlike that other awards show, we won't keep you on edge for hours wondering who our smart grid winners are this week. Click here for an unusually short list of project wins and to see which smart grid companies made MIT Technology Review's "most disruptive" list and who Fortune ranked No. 1 "most admired" among electric and gas utilities.

When you're a smart grid specialist, everything looks like a smart grid problem. But a new study by university and lab researchers suggests the best way to enhance grid reliability and synchronization may be to tune the generators.

An ambitious new blueprint calling for "transformational thinking" and bold action to address the country's water challenges faces some major hurdles, according to Neil Strother of Pike Research. Utilities will need to step it up, but getting Congress on board could be among the biggest challenges, he says.

California's crusade to incorporate more renewables into its energy mix may have been so successful it backfires - and causes serious problems for grid reliability. And some officials are warning those problems could show up within a couple of years, or sooner.

It's been a long time coming, but Silver Spring Networks has announced the terms of its initial public offering. Click for thoughts on what it could mean for the company as well as its competitors.