DTE inks first data center deal to grow electric load 25%

The utility has a five-year, $30 billion investment pipeline to potentially serve 8.4 GW of data center load, officials said Thursday.

Bloom Energy says it’s on track for 2 GW annual production capacity

The California-based fuel cell company sees opportunity in serving AI data centers looking for on-site power.

A hydrogen ‘do-over’ for California

Getting hydrogen to work as an energy resource will require broadening the type of hydrogen we can live with, writes Melanie Davidson, former head of clean fuels strategy at San Diego Gas & Electric.

FERC rejects Tri-State’s large load tariff over retail jurisdiction issues

The decision comes as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is considering a U.S. Department of Energy proposal for interconnecting data centers and other large loads to the grid.

US falls 1 place in ACEEE’s global energy efficiency rankings

The country improved its total score in the organization’s recurring ranking by making “significant reductions in energy intensity and substantial investments in energy efficiency,” but it lost ground as other countries made larger gains. 

Are sodium-ion batteries finally ready to compete with lithium?

Proponents say sodium-ion batteries degrade more slowly, operate more efficiently and have lower fire risk. But high-profile failures cloud the U.S. market while China moves aggressively to develop the technology. 

Mainstreaming AI data center flexibility

Software solutions can protect AI workload service-level agreements and still allow data centers to respond to grid needs, writes Arushi Sharma Frank, adviser to Emerald AI.

Wholesale food giant completes largest rooftop solar project to date

The array atop a United Natural Foods’ California distribution center is expected to meet approximately 80% of the facility's electricity needs. Other grocery companies have also turned to solar energy.

US partners with Westinghouse, Cameco and Brookfield on $80B nuclear deployment

Westinghouse AP1000 reactors will be utilized in a national deployment that will create more than 100,000 construction jobs, the companies said.

Kentucky utility, AG challenge PJM’s regional cost allocation plan for DOE ‘emergency’ orders

Load-serving entities shouldn’t be required to pay for costs they didn’t cause, East Kentucky Power Cooperative and Kentucky’s attorney general told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

OpenAI warns White House of China’s energy dominance

China will account for nearly 60% of global renewables growth in the next five years, according to the International Energy Agency.

Google-NextEra, Santee Cooper announcements signal new life for defunct nuclear projects

“Restarting a once fully operational plant is the fastest path to unlock large-scale nuclear power to meet AI growth in the near-term,” Google said Monday.

Utilities see AI as tool for grid modernization but lack expertise, survey finds

National Grid Partners’ “utility innovation” survey, now in its second year, found 42% of respondents planning artificial intelligence deployments by 2027.

Maryland should resist rewriting utility monopoly laws

The state should embrace competition, innovation and accountability from power distributors, generators and utility regulators, writes Adam Dubitsky, state director for the Land & Liberty Coalition of Maryland.

Caltrain ridership up 47% after electrification

The public transit operator says electrification allowed it to expand overall system capacity while reducing travel times and enabling more frequent service at stations.

Residential electricity prices up more than 6% in August: EIA

Developers, analysts and policy professionals see growing cause for concern as costs rise. 

PG&E avoids ‘big bets’ as data center demand softens

The company remains focused on improving its credit rating, CEO Patti Poppe said.

US electric utilities entering investment ‘super-cycle,’ says Morningstar DBRS

U.S. electric utilities will spend $1.4 trillion from 2025 to 2030, the firm said. They face challenges around data center demand forecasting, rising rates and regulatory lag.

Wind PPA prices rising faster than solar under Trump administration

New tariffs could add another 10% to 15% to power purchase agreement prices in the months to come, a Trio analyst said.

Surging load growth requires flexibility, new approaches: FERC’s See

“There's a pretty broad range, in my view, of what ‘just and reasonable’ can be, especially when we have new situations and urgency,” FERC Commissioner Lindsay See said.

What utilities need to get right to scale generative AI

To use artificial intelligence safely and at scale, utilities need to start with the right architecture, define a data strategy and build the right compliance foundations, write Vijay Narayan and Syama Sundar Peesapati of Cognizant.

In ‘unusual’ move, DOE proposes rule to expand FERC’s authority over large loads

Reactions were mixed. Analysts said they expected investor-owned utilities and possibly some states to object, while a former FERC chair questioned the impact on grid reliability and costs for other customers. 

The week in 5 numbers: The electricity price report everyone is talking about

Plus utility identity fraud, turbine backlogs and more.

Trump taps Swett to lead FERC

Under Republican Laura Swett’s leadership, FERC can “strengthen market design and unlock billions in private investment to meet record demand,” said EPSA President and CEO Todd Snitchler.

FirstEnergy expects peak load to grow 45% by 2035 on data centers

In the first nine months this year, electric sales grew 1% from the same period in 2024 but were essentially flat on a weather-adjusted basis. The company anticipates “more meaningful” increases starting in the fourth quarter.