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FirstEnergy utilities seek West Virginia rate increase

Mon Power and Potomac Edison proposed two rate hike pathways, including one that would increase its revenue in a two-part process that aims to ease its impact on customers.

New cybersecurity industry coalition aims to lead US critical infrastructure protection

The new Alliance for Critical Infrastructure wants to change how the nation plans for a major cybersecurity crisis. Founding members include Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Consolidated Edison, Southern Co. and Xcel Energy.

ISO New England sees marginal winter benefit from behind-the-meter batteries

The grid operator’s first 10-year forecast to incorporate small, customer-sited energy storage systems finds considerable uncertainty about their role on a changing grid.

Data centers could be 33% of commercial building electricity use by 2050: EIA

In one modeled scenario, the Energy Information Administration found server electricity consumption in 2050 will be more than 16 times what it was in 2020.

High winter heating bills aren’t going away unless state policymakers act

States can help consumers switch to high-efficiency electric appliances by lowering the up-front costs and minimizing ongoing operational costs, writes Kate Shonk, policy principal at Advanced Energy United.

Combined NextEra-Dominion would have 130-GW large-load pipeline

Analysts said the deal, which could create the largest regulated electric utility in the world, marks a shift back toward an integrated utility model. The combined business would be “anchored by a more than 80% regulated business mix,” the companies said.

Pennsylvania releases ‘first-of-its-kind’ large-load model tariff

The guidelines call for utilities to charge large-load customers for upgrades that “would not have been needed ‘but for’ the interconnection” of that customer, “irrespective of whether other customers will benefit” from the infrastructure.

Updated May 18, 2026

DOE exceeded its authority with coal retirement delay, states tell appeals court

A decision in the Consumers Energy case could set a precedent for legal challenges to Department of Energy orders keeping fossil-fueled power plants from retiring.

FERC declines to stay $1.5B in refunds New England transmission owners owe to customers

“In order to support a stay, the movant must substantiate that irreparable injury is ‘likely’ to occur. Bare allegations of what is likely to occur do not suffice,” the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said in its decision. 

Updated May 18, 2026

Commercial electricity use will likely surpass residential in 2027: EIA

Meanwhile, residential prices have been growing in all regions of the United States, “and we expect this trend to continue,” the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.

DOJ may intervene in NAACP lawsuit over xAI’s data center gas turbines

It is “the policy of the United States to sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance,” a deputy assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice wrote in a court notice suggesting it might intervene.

NY’s 2027 budget includes climate, emissions reduction rollbacks: Gov. Hochul

The state plans to scrap a 2030 goal that sought a 40% reduction in emissions and replace it with a 2040 goal that aims for a 60% reduction.

How utilities can avoid data overload and turn maintenance data into action

Data collection can feel meaningless when utilities lack the tools to turn that data into improved performance or efficiency, writes Ariel Santamaria from Advanced Technology Services.

Crux gets $500M debt facility for clean energy investments

The company said it plans to use the funding to finance “tax-driven investments,” including “hybrid tax equity, accelerating the deployment of clean energy.”

Eversource misclassified $385M transmission project to avoid scrutiny: ratepayer complaint

The complaint at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission comes amid growing concern about electric affordability and calls for stricter vetting of local transmission projects.

California commission to make final decision on community solar rules

State regulators will vote on whether to finalize a proposed decision by an administrative judge rejecting changes to the Community Renewable Energy Program sought by solar advocates.

Updated May 14, 2026

US annual electricity consumption to grow 55% by 2050: NEMA

The group representing electrical equipment manufacturers expects data center energy consumption to grow 300% over the next 10 years.

Security beyond CIP: When ‘low impact’ doesn’t mean low risk

Today’s power grid was built to handle an outage at a major facility. But there is a growing risk from many smaller resources failing at once, writes Anirban Ghosh at Black & Veatch.

Q1 saw net loss of 5,900 renewable energy manufacturing jobs: EDF report

The Environmental Defense Fund cited $1.4 billion in canceled renewable energy investments stemming from federal policy shifts around renewable energy, electric vehicles, energy efficiency and tailpipe emissions. 

PJM may be ‘too big to function’: FERC Chairman Swett

Each of the 13 states in PJM, and the District of Columbia, have “fundamentally different regulatory structures, resource portfolios and politics,” FERC Chairman Laura Swett said. FERC will host a conference in July to identify potential reforms to PJM’s governance structure.

2026 Q1 roundup: Utilities divided on data centers as affordability looms large

Physics, policy and politics are beginning to constrain some of the electric utility industry’s highest aspirations for data center-driven growth, Utility Dive learned in first quarter earnings calls.

Fluence Energy signs master supply agreements with two ‘major’ hyperscalers

The agreements came earlier than expected and represented “significant progress” on the company’s “emerging data center thesis," said Jefferies analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith.

Why is the US walking away from energy efficiency?

Policymakers should set strong energy efficiency standards and reinstate tax incentives for households and businesses to make upgrades, writes Ben Evans at the U.S. Green Building Council.

Constellation Energy enters 5 GW of nuclear, gas, battery capacity in PJM queue

Some potential data center customers are pausing decision-making in the PJM Interconnection to see how the grid operator’s colocation and backstop auction rules shake out, company officials said.

Con Edison to spend $29B shoring up NYC area grid as electrification rises

New York City and its suburbs are not seeing an influx of data centers like other parts of the country, but building and transportation electrification is driving gradual demand growth.