Xcel must begin pole replacement in Texas as court weighs Smokehouse Creek fire lawsuit

An injunction requires Xcel Energy to inspect no fewer than 35,000 poles per year and replace those considered a fire risk within a court-mandated time frame while the litigation proceeds. A trial is scheduled for April 2027.

DOE loans Southern $26.5B for 5 GW of new gas, other grid investments

Calling it the largest loan in the agency’s history, DOE said it aims to deliver over $7 billion in cost savings for Georgia Power and Alabama Power customers.

Governors are promising lower power bills. Here’s the only credible path to deliver.

If we treat every new megawatt like it must be served with new poles, wires, substations and peakers, we will lock in another decade of rate shock, write Jigar Shah and Arnab Pal from Deploy Action.

Massachusetts’ least-cost 2050 peak power mix is combustion-free: report

But a top official with a regional independent power producer group said the focus now, amid rising demand, should be on “energy addition, not retirement or replacement.”

Solar and wind PPA prices up 9% in 2025, set to continue rising with energy demand

Meanwhile, energy storage agreements have emerged as a fast-growing new product category.

Constellation Energy sees surging power, capacity prices in 2025

Average day-ahead electricity prices in the PJM West region, for example, jumped 49% in 2025, Constellation Energy said in its earnings report.

NRG has ‘zero interest’ in speculative new capacity build: CEO

“We are not going to do anything that doesn't meet our unlevered [12-15%] hurdle rate that we've announced, full stop,” said CEO Larry Coben.

Rivian partners with EnergyHub on managed EV charging

Rivian drivers will be able to participate in passive and active managed utility charging programs, company officials told Utility Dive.

Updated Feb. 25, 2026

PJM proposes behind-the-meter reforms in data center colocation effort

The planned reform threatens the economic viability of new combined heat and power generation at industrial facilities in the PJM Interconnection, according to trade groups.

The New England grid passed one winter test, but market reforms are still needed

Constructive collaboration across business and government should be celebrated while the region works to fine-tune its market to sustain existing investments and drive new ones, writes NEPGA President Dan Dolan.

Natural gas equipment bottleneck is easing: Jefferies

“We expect at least 19 GW of total available equipment capacity by 2028, increasing to 49 [GW] and 76 GW by 2029 and 2030,” Jefferies said.

Dominion Energy details its $65B, 5-year spending plan

Data center demand is driving load forecasts and robust capital spending plans as Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind nears the finish line, company executives said Monday.

Entergy Texas seeks gas generation to meet 1 GW of new demand

The utility issued a request for proposals seeking gas-fired resources capable of being online by 2032 to meet “significant industrial and residential growth.”

ConEd eyes $38B in capital spending through 2030

The downstate New York utility company sees robust demand growth from electric vehicles and buildings amid heightened reliability challenges and affordability concerns.

The false promise of cheap and reliable coal

Colorado’s youngest coal-fired generating unit will not produce power, or savings, anytime soon. The problems with Comanche Unit 3 highlight the hazards of relying on coal, write clean energy advocates Anna Adamsson and Leslie Glustrom.

PPL spending plan jumps 15%, to $23B, on transmission, grid hardening

A PPL-Blackstone Infrastructure joint venture is in talks with hyperscalers to supply their data centers with generation, including options that could be built quickly, a company official said.

New Jersey regulators take first step to reform electric utility business model

Performance-based ratemaking, multiyear rate plans and lower utility returns are all options the Board of Public Utilities plans to consider. It recently approved hiring a consultant to assist a potential overhaul.

What the Supreme Court tariff ruling means for construction

The court decision could drive a modest reduction in price escalation for electrical systems and fixtures, but materials-specific tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper products remain in place, experts said. 

House bill would make it harder for DOE to mandate efficient appliances

The Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act could see a floor vote this week. 

The electricity paradox: Driving affordability means infrastructure investment

Energy abundance, AI competitiveness and consumer affordability are not in conflict, but the power sector needs to show that growth can lower bills, not raise them, write Ray Gifford and Matt Larson from Wilkinson Barker Knauer. 

VPP vs. VPP: Customer-owned DER aggregators challenge Xcel-owned batteries in Minnesota docket

The Minnesota decision could affect how regulators see virtual power plants nationwide.

As load grows, Southern raises spending plan to $81B

The utility company’s large load pipeline now sits at 75 GW, with 10 GW fully contracted.

States sue Energy Department for terminating $8B in clean energy funding

The Trump administration unlawfully bypassed Congress and made politically motivated cuts to programs created through the IRA and IIJA, the lawsuit claims.