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    ERCOT’s large load queue jumped almost 300% last year

    Data centers make up more than 70% of the total. The surge has “outgrown the process that was established for reviewing these large loads,” an Electric Reliability Council of Texas official said.

  • An American flag waving on a tall flagpole against a partly cloudy sky, with power lines and utility poles in the background and palm leaves visible at the edge of the frame.
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    Unsplash / Lino Thaesler

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    Sponsored by TS Conductor

    From policy to performance: The regulatory push for advanced conductors

    With grids feeling the strain and modernization top of mind, regulators are turning to advanced conductors to guide utilities.

  • Craig Station, a 1,285-megawatt, three-unit, coal fired power plant in Moffat County, Colorado. The power plant's units were constructed by Colorado Ute Electric Association.
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    The image by arbyreed is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    DOE orders 446-MW Colorado coal unit to keep running

    It will cost about $21 million to run the Craig Unit 1 for 90 days, according to an estimate by Grid Strategies. The unit is offline and requires repairs, Tri-State, one of the plant’s owners, said.

  • A home battery system is installed by Base Power.
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    Permission granted by Base Power
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    Opinion

    Programmatic alignment is key to scaling residential battery demand response

    Utilities, battery manufacturers, technology providers and customers all operate under different incentive structures, writes Uplight’s Sneha Vasudevan.

  • A round building with a large G and more buildings behind a U.S. and a Texas flag.
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    Ron Jenkins via Getty Images
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    Alphabet acquires clean energy developer Intersect for $4.75B

    The acquisition follows a prior partnership between Google and Intersect and represents a new tactic the tech giant’s parent company is adopting in its decarbonization strategy.

  • Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant in Seabrook, NH
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    "Seabrook station nuclear power plant" by Jim Richmond is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    ISO-NE proposes capacity market overhaul with shift to ‘prompt’ auction

    ISO New England aims to switch to buying capacity a month ahead of time instead of three years in advance. This framework would make its load forecasts and other key metrics more accurate, according to the grid operator.

  • A group of wind turbines in the water of IJsselmeer under a cloudy sky.
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    4 of 5 offshore wind farms challenge Trump administration stop work order

    The December stop work order is estimated to be costing the projects anywhere from $1 million to $5 million per day.

    Updated 31 minutes ago
  • A rendering of Hydrostor's 500 MW/4 GWh Willow Rock Energy Storage Center.
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    Courtesy of Hydrostor
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    Hydrostor secures key permit for 500 MW, 8-hour California energy storage facility

    The installation would be the Canadian company’s first grid-scale deployment of its “advanced compressed-air energy storage” technology.

  • A building rooftop covered in solar panels.
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    Permission granted by LeFrak
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    Opinion

    Rooftop solar is booming, but not in the communities that need it most

    Prioritize community-led promotions and education strategies to have far-reaching impacts, writes Planno CEO Daniel Domingues.

  • Service technicians work to install transmission towers.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    ESIG task force recommends transmission reforms for a more reliable, efficient grid

    Scenario-based planning can reduce over- and under-building, while input from state officials may ease permitting challenges later in development, experts said.

  • An American flag and a flag bearing the seal of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (which features an eagle holding a shield with elements of a skyline on it) flank a large upright square panel bearing the same CISA seal. On the wall to the right of the panel and the flags, a row of digital clocks shows the time in the four major U.S. time zones.
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    Eric Geller/Utility Dive
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    CISA loses key employee behind early ransomware warnings

    The future of a program that has helped prevent an estimated $9 billion in economic damages is now unclear. The agency sent more than 2,100 warnings in 2024, helping prevent ransomware attacks on energy utilities and others.

  • R.M. Schahfer Generating Station in Wheatfield, IN.
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    The image by Chris Light is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    DOE orders Indiana coal units totaling more than 950 MW to run past retirement dates

    The Energy Department’s "emergency” orders affect generating units that Northern Indiana Public Service Co. and CenterPoint Energy planned to shutter on Dec. 31.

  • Dominion offshore wind turbine Virginia
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    Courtesy of Dominion Energy
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    Senate Democrats end permitting reform talks over offshore wind freeze

    The move comes after the Trump administration ordered work to halt on five offshore wind projects totaling 7 GW. The freeze on offshore wind construction “wrecks the trust needed with the executive branch for bipartisan permitting reform,” the senators said.

  • A nuclear power plant.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Energy industry dealmaking soared in 2025 on large utility, IPP mergers

    The dollar value of energy industry mergers and acquisitions increased fivefold since 2024, driven by several large mergers that reshaped the utility and energy industries, according to PwC.

  • Workers installing solar panels on a residential homes roof.
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    Prepaid leases, data center dollars key for DERs in 2026: Enphase executive

    Analysts expect a residential solar-and-storage market already trending away from customer ownership to shift rapidly toward the lease and subscription model next year.

    Updated Dec. 24, 2025
  • A "smart" thermostat on a wall.
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    Home efficiency upgrades could offset data center loads while creating jobs: report

    A report from AnnDyl shows significant potential benefits for local grids, employment and utility ratepayers when data center companies invest in residential energy efficiency.

  • Offshore wind turbines generate electricity
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    Trump administration halts all large-scale offshore wind projects under construction in US

    The action affects five major offshore wind farms under development in federal waters, including the 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind. The administration cited classified “national security risks” for the move.

    Updated Dec. 22, 2025
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Using scenario modeling to address uncertainty in the clean energy transition

    Scenario modeling and forecasting gives us the ability to answer multiple “what-ifs” and explore many futures before committing to one, making it a crucial tool during the energy transition, writes Kaushik Telgaonkar.

  • An electric substation with power lines in a grassy area.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Why the SPEED Act may slow down after passing the House

    In January, lawmakers face the expiration of a temporary government funding deal and impending midterms, complicating the bill's advancement. But observers say there is more urgency now than ever before to reform energy infrastructure permitting.

  • Buildings burn in the distance.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Texas sues Xcel over Panhandle fires

    The state is asking for monetary compensation, as well as court orders preventing Xcel from recovering fire costs from customers and from marketing its equipment as safe.

    Updated Dec. 22, 2025
  • Solar panels and wind turbines in a desert landscape.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    What the Western REC registry shake-up means for corporate clean energy

    The process of rebuilding the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System creates near-term uncertainties and risks, Roger Ballentine of Green Strategies writes. 

  • A large entrance sign that reads "Gate A, NIST, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce" is mounted on a rock base and surrounded by grass and trees. In the background to the left of the sign, there is a commercial building.
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    R. Eskalis/NIST. Retrieved from NIST.
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    NIST adds to AI security guidance with cybersecurity framework profile

    Organizations have a new resource to map AI considerations onto the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s most famous security blueprint.

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    Retrieved from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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    FERC members raise alarms about PJM failure to meet reliability target

    PJM says several factors could close the capacity shortfall, including a new load forecast next month that could be significantly lower than the last due to stricter vetting of potential large loads and a reduced economic outlook.

  • Steam billows from a cement cooling tower next to a power plant.
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    The image by Peretzp is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    FERC orders PJM to craft large load colocation rules

    The decision is a win for independent power producers with gas-fired and nuclear power plants in the PJM Interconnection, according to Capstone analysts.

  • Stacks from a power plant seen next to a river.
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    Jeff Swensen via Getty Images
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    The week in 5 numbers: PJM did it again

    In other news, 2025 is shaping up to be another record year for new energy storage installations. With Ford entering the market, the industry expects continued growth, despite some bumps in the road. 

  • Fire damaged power lines are viewed at dawn during the Bridge Fire in Wrightwood, California.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    California PUC lowers utilities’ return on equity by 0.3 percentage points

    During a hearing to vote on the proposal, commissioners discussed the difficulty of balancing affordability for ratepayers with the need for utilities to access capital as they manage wildfire risk.

    Updated Dec. 19, 2025