DOE’s national labs reportedly consider layoffs amid budget cuts

Proposed budget cuts could lead to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory each laying off around a thousand employees.

Trump’s big bill is ‘tough but constructive’ for renewables: NextEra

Analysts on an earnings call were skeptical of NextEra’s claims that the company could avoid losing tax credits for its projects.

Meta to power Texas data centers with 600-MW solar plant

The facility’s owner, Enbridge, will invest $900 million to finish the power plant near San Antonio. 

FERC approves $16.4B Constellation-Calpine deal

As part of the deal, Constellation Energy agreed to sell four power plants in the PJM Interconnection to reduce its ability to exert market power.

GM, Redwood Materials sign deal to deploy energy-storage batteries

The partnership will create low-cost batteries to power AI data centers and other applications.

US electricity demand to grow 2.5% annually through 2035: BofA Institute

Building electrification, data centers, industrial growth and electric vehicles are among the factors contributing to growth, according to the prediction.

Energy Department’s flawed grid study props up expensive, zombie power plants

The most effective way to maintain grid reliability is to let planners plan, markets work and utilities build the resources they’ve already identified as the most affordable path forward.

Enphase Energy looks to third-party financing to boost business

CEO Badri Kothandaraman said the company expects “safe harbor” purchases to accelerate later in the year ahead of a sharp sales contraction in 2026.

FERC approves MISO, SPP fast-track interconnection reviews

Gas-fired power plants will likely make up most of the projects selected for the expedited reviews, according to ClearView Energy Partners.

Updated July 24, 2025

Microgrid ‘energy parks’ could ease strain from rising power demand, report says

Several such sites are already in the works, including the $1 billion Meitner Project in Texas, which is developing wind, solar and hydrogen resources.

PJM capacity prices set another record with 22% jump

The Trump administration will likely seize on the auction results to justify keeping thermal power plants, namely coal, in PJM from retiring, according to analysts with Capstone.

DOE cancels $4.9B conditional loan commitment for Grain Belt Express

Invenergy, the project's developer, said earlier this month that the proposed 800-mile line was “the target of egregious politically motivated lawfare.”

Booming solar and storage are propping up Puerto Rico’s grid this summer

What started as a modest pilot program is now the first virtual power plant of its kind in the region, advocates say.

The IRA rollback is a disaster for energy. Industry leaders must move fast.

Project changes will require meticulous due diligence involving legal and finance teams. Those who can show robust tracking and tracing protocols may be among the biggest winners.

Texas must balance speedy data center buildout with risk of stranded costs: stakeholders

All loads should pay for a portion of transmission, “regardless of whether they're co-located or have behind the meter generation,” said Clif Lange, general manager of South Texas Electric Cooperative.

Wood Mackenzie sees extended ‘sunset’ for costly coal power

Coal is more expensive than gas or renewables in the United States, but a slowdown in the buildout of those alternatives will likely extend its use, the firm’s report said.

FERC rejects MISO petition to limit market monitor’s transmission planning oversight

The dispute grew out of Potomac Economics’ criticism of assumptions the Midcontinent Independent System Operator used to justify a roughly $22 billion transmission expansion plan.

PJM leadership openings are an opportunity to chart a new course

Rather than addressing the root causes of its problems, the organization blames states for supply and infrastructure shortages, often defending the very policies that are driving up customer costs.

AI-powered attacks rise even as companies prioritize AI security risks

Security executives are concerned about flaws in AI agents but also eager to see them replace humans in some roles, according to a new report.

Ionna tops 3K contracted battery charging bays with new partnership

The Wawa convenience store chain is the latest company to join the automaker-led joint venture aimed at expanding EV charging infrastructure.

Why the nuclear energy renaissance is real — and necessary

The technologies, economics and motivations driving the modern nuclear revival differ fundamentally from what came before.

Governors seek more influence over PJM amid ‘crisis of confidence’

Nine governors representing the majority of electric customers in the grid operator’s footprint said they want a say in filling two vacant board seats. 

Updated July 18, 2025

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.

Southern Co. taps SwissDrones for unmanned helicopter monitoring

A recent executive order from President Donald Trump may allow other utilities to follow suit in using unmanned aircraft for grid inspections.

Trump wants to use AI to prevent wildfires. Utilities are trying. Will it work?

The president wants to remake wildfire policy with an increased emphasis on technology and a new, consolidated federal wildland fire service. Experts have mixed reactions.

Updated July 23, 2025