City’s adoption of efficiency metric signals less reliance on third-party building certifications

Developers could still use LEED or other certifications to meet green building goals in Alexandria, Virginia, but the energy use intensity metric gives them an option just focused on efficiency.

Data center growth has helped PG&E cut rates 11% since 2024, CEO says

But California's “regressive” wildfire policies have become a burden for ratepayers, CEO Patti Poppe said.

DTE Energy’s 5-year spending plan jumps 20% on data center, reliability investments

The company's 2026-2030 investment plan clocks in at $36.5 billion, up from $30 billion it identified in its 2025-2029 outlook.

Hidden assets: Why data centers don’t have to be the villain

Conventional wisdom treats data centers as inflexible monsters. That characterization made sense a decade ago, but not now, writes GridX CCO Scott Engstrom.

CISA seeks critical infrastructure sector input on cyber-incident reporting rule

CISA announced a series of town hall meetings with affected industries about the pending rule. The one for the energy and nuclear sectors is scheduled for March 9.

Trump administration moves to require 100% domestic materials in EV chargers

Renewable energy advocates say the proposal would further delay the buildout of charging station infrastructure and undermine U.S. competitiveness.

Treasury issues FEOC guidance, clarifies material assistance cost ratio

The notice offers interim safe harbor guidance for calculating a project or component’s material assistance cost ratio, or MACR, and provides relevant MACR thresholds.

AEP contracted large load pipeline doubles to 56 GW

American Electric Power’s data center pipeline in Texas surged to 36 GW by the end of December, from 13 GW in the third quarter.

DOE ‘does not have a plan’ for oversight of billions in energy funds: GAO

Since the IIJA appropriated about $21.5 billion of “no-year appropriations” for clean energy demonstration projects, DOE will “have an ongoing need to solicit and review applications for additional projects,” the U.S. Government Accountability Office said.

Transmission drives Exelon’s capital spending plan to $41.3B

Exelon has a “line of sight” on $12 billion to $17 billion of transmission buildout over the next 10 years that isn’t included in its current capital plan, a company official said.

Data centers pursue on-site power as affordability tops utility concerns: BofA

Hyperscalers are looking to secure power fast, “firm and smooth with storage, then layer in solar as the lowest-cost marginal energy,” wrote Bank of America Securities analyst Dimple Gosai.

The rate case for grid resilience: Why climate change isn’t just about storms

Utilities that delay resilience investments hoping that global climate mitigation efforts will reduce the need for local hardening are taking a dangerous gamble, writes Kai Karlstrom, director of solutions engineering at Repath.

At $103B, Duke claims largest spending plan of any regulated US utility

The company is already deploying more than $1 billion in capital every month, CEO Harry Sideris said. Its North Carolina utility has a rate case pending.

TVA board, remade by Trump, votes to keep coal plants open

There has been a “significant change in the regulatory outlook, particularly for coal, and that creates both the opportunity and the need for us to revisit these decisions,” said TVA CFO Tom Rice.

300-MW Ameren fast-track project hits snag on DOE transmission funding uncertainty

It’s unclear if the U.S. Department of Energy will help fund a set of 345-kV projects in the Great Plains region, leaving Ameren Missouri in doubt about potential interconnection costs for its project.

New Mexico VPP bill would allow third-party aggregators to participate

If the bill becomes law, the state’s three investor-owned utilities would need to offset 15% of peak demand and allow customers to lock in rates for five years.

Updated Feb. 12, 2026

Minnesota’s distributed capacity procurement decision could shape the grid far beyond its borders

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission should approve a framework that supports open, competitive participation, writes Coalition for Community Solar Access CEO Jeff Cramer.

FERC rejects AEP request to sell capacity in upcoming auction

Critics argued AEP utilities were trying to offload capacity they acquired to serve data centers that didn’t materialize. FERC appeared to echo that rationale, saying AEP’s “problem” is simply excess capacity resulting from “its own business decisions.”

Updated Feb. 11, 2026

Growing demand will be met mainly by solar: EIA

The Energy Information Administration expects solar generation to jump 17% this year and an additional 23% in 2027.

Electrification is outpacing investment. A federal trust fund could close the gap.

A federal trust fund for energy infrastructure could facilitate grid expansion and maintenance, writes Zane Kinsky, a Clean Energy Leadership Institute 2025 Fellow.

CAISO shifts transmission focus to reliability to meet peak demand growth

The California Independent System Operator detailed this shift in a report prepared for the governor and legislature as part of preparations for launching a new Western regional organization to oversee electricity markets.

Data centers can tap batteries, microgrids for faster interconnection: NEMA

Battery systems are “increasingly critical” for data center operators willing to pay a premium for resilience and faster time to power, industry analysts say.

Polish power grid hack offers lessons for critical infrastructure operators, CISA says

The targeted Polish wind and solar farms used OT control devices from multiple companies, including Hitachi, Mikronika and Moxa, but all of the devices used default passwords.

EPA extends coal ash landfill monitoring, cleanup deadlines

The Environmental Protection Agency’s action is part of a broad push by the Trump administration to support fossil-fueled power plants.

New York City adopts 2025 energy codes with focus on electrification, efficiency

The NYC Energy Conservation Code enhances requirements for backup electric heating, mandates air-leak testing for all buildings and places demand response requirements for commercial water heating and lighting.