The Latest
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Virtual power plants helped save the grid during heat dome
It costs far less — and takes less time — to aggregate existing customer-sited resources than it does to build new dispatchable generation or storage. “Light bulbs are starting to go off,” said one expert.
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Sponsored by Kraken
Bridging the digital divide: Overcoming the challenges of serving C&I utility customers in a data-driven era
Old systems can’t handle modern C&I needs — it’s time to bridge the digital divide.
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The image by Sam Nash is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Georgia Power’s new IRP keeps coal plants online to serve data centers
The integrated resource plan approved by regulators on Tuesday also calls for up to 4,000 MW of renewable resources by 2035 and more than 1,500 MW of storage.
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With Blackstone venture, PPL is ‘biggest winner’ from data center summit
The Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, which President Trump attended, touted heavy investments in AI and power infrastructure. Jefferies analysts said PPL scored a victory there.
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Law judge calls for Minnesota PUC to reject $6.2B Allete private equity deal
The proposed private equity model isn’t in the public interest, an administrative law judge said.
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Trump unveils $92B in energy and AI investments for Pennsylvania
Google, Blackstone and FirstEnergy announced multibillion-dollar Pennsylvania projects at the summit, including new data centers and new gas plants to power them.
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Opinion
So you’re thinking about buying an electric school bus
From working with a utility to choosing a charger, five insights to improve the decision-making.
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Google Cloud to pour more than $25B into AI infrastructure across PJM
The investment will expand the hyperscaler’s data center footprint across the largest U.S. power grid over the next two years.
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Lydian Energy lands $233M in financing for 550 MW/1.1 GWh of Texas storage
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said it expects to have nearly 14,000 MW of storage on its system by September, up from about 10,000 MW last year.
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Deep Dive
The regulator’s dilemma: balancing grid modernization with rising power bills
Load growth and aging infrastructure require investment, but customer electricity prices are up 4.5% nationally, almost twice the 2.4% national inflation rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Solar continues to dominate new generation ... for now
The United States added about 12 GW of generating resources between January and April of this year, mostly from solar, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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Data center activity ‘exploded’ in Texas, spiking reliability risks: monitor
AI data centers have power demand patterns similar to steel mills, with “very fast, very large ramps,” according to David Penny, director of reliability services for Texas RE.
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The image by Dlthwave is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Google to buy up to 3 GW of hydro power from Brookfield
The technology company will begin by buying power from dams totaling 670 MW in the PJM Interconnection, where power supplies are tight.
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What’s next for advanced nuclear technology?
An overview of the five varieties of advanced reactor that stand out right now.
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Oregon legislature passes first-in-nation microgrid framework
Supporters say the Oregon model could set an example for other states concerned about grid reliability and rising costs.
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Opinion
Natural gas: The workhorse of American energy dominance and security
Natural gas is a vital export to allies in Europe and Asia, a backstop for grid reliability during peak demand and a bridge fuel that complements the integration of renewable resources.
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Nuclear could replace wind power at Lava Ridge site in Idaho
Sawtooth Energy and Development said it plans to build a 462-MW nuclear power plant on public land previously earmarked for a wind farm that President Trump halted his first day in office.
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Environmental, consumer advocates sue Bonneville for joining SPP’s day-ahead market
Plaintiffs say the agency's decision to join Markets+ will increase the risk of blackouts compared to joining CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market or a “no-action” alternative.
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Opinion
Will FERC stand up for competitive power markets? Our grid depends on it.
With hundreds of billions of dollars expected to be spent on grid projects, it’s time for FERC to reaffirm its commitment to market competition — and prevent utility self-dealing.
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Misaligned interconnection, transmission planning could hurt competitive markets: FERC’s Chang
Getting generation online as quickly as possible is a key priority, according to Commissioner Judy Chang. “We should plan, design, permit — all faster."
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Opinion
Ignoring customers is unsustainable and bad policy
Enabling flexible customer demand can drive significant system-wide benefits while mitigating the cost or timing of expensive system upgrades.
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There aren’t enough AI chips to support data center projections, report says
High-end forecasts are “not credible,” according to London Economics International, which called its report a “sanity check” on demand growth projections.
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Trump seeks tighter restrictions on wind and solar with executive order
The order seeks to “ensure that policies concerning the ‘beginning of construction’ are not circumvented” by wind and solar projects.
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Solar generation expected to rise by a third this summer: EIA
Solar is expected to account for 7% of total U.S. generation in 2025 and 8% in 2026, the Energy Information Administration said Tuesday.
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Ohio regulators approve AEP data center interconnection rules
The Ohio PUC ordered the utility to file updated tariffs and lift a moratorium on connecting new data centers as soon as possible.
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Load growth, plant retirements could drive 100x increase in blackouts by 2030: DOE
The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday published a methodology for assessing grid reliability, but clean energy advocates say it likely exaggerates the risks of blackouts.