Opinion
The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders
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Lessons from launching New Jersey’s largest utility-led EV program
Growing PSE&G’s electric vehicle initiative from a pilot to a full-scale program required flexibility and persistence, writes Dawn Neville, the utility’s senior manager of electric transportation.
Dawn Neville • Jan. 29, 2026 -
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How utilities can prepare for the next wave of data center growth
The U.S. grid is unprepared to handle data center power needs. Utilities want to invest, but permitting hurdles remain a major impediment, writes Nexans North America President Tim King.
Tim King • Jan. 28, 2026 -
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GHG Protocol proposal risks slowing clean energy expansion
Proposed changes to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol would make it more difficult for companies to report renewables use and could discourage procurement, according Lesley Hunter and Jeffrey Gorham of the American Council on Renewable Energy.
Lesley Hunter and Jeffrey Gorham • Jan. 27, 2026 -
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The new equation for energy security in 2026
Energy systems will be shaped by those who build resilient, diversified portfolios that balance reliability, policy, emissions, cost and independence, writes Honeywell Process Technology CEO Ken West.
Ken West • Jan. 26, 2026 -
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Massachusetts can make ‘bottom-up’ distribution reforms for a better grid
Adopting a distribution system operator, or DSO, structure would make the grid cleaner, more flexible and more affordable, writes Corrin Moss.
Corrin Moss • Jan. 22, 2026 -
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Project finance is the missing link for the nuclear buildout we need
This model fuels nearly every major energy infrastructure investment and should be applied to nuclear, too, writes Ruhani Arya of Bank of America.
Ruhani Arya • Jan. 21, 2026 -
A PJM backstop auction could fill the large load supply gap: Talen CEO
Reliability backstop auctions should not be a permanent, ongoing market feature, but they are the answer to today’s problem, writes Talen CEO Mac McFarland.
Mac McFarland • Jan. 20, 2026 -
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The data center dependency crisis: When our grid can’t function without big tech
We're sleepwalking into a future where our electric grid depends on the voluntary cooperation of private technology companies because the short-term benefits are too attractive to resist, writes Mothusi Pahl of Hartwell and Loche.
Mothusi Pahl • Jan. 16, 2026 -
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America’s new power barons: Who will rule the AI-grade megawatt megasector?
The winning model will be hybrid: gas for firmness, renewables for optics and cost, and storage for stability, writes NOVUS Energy Advisors’ Emily Easley.
Emily Easley • Jan. 15, 2026 -
Retrieved from Gregory Cooper/National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Why winning the AI race requires systems intelligence, not just electric capacity
The future won’t belong to the nations with the most generating capacity, but to those with the best grid coordination, writes Evan Caron, co-founder of Montauk Capital.
Evan Caron • Jan. 14, 2026 -
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America’s energy innovation crossroads: Why federal investment matters now
Meeting the United States’ energy challenges will require a federal investment of $25 billion for Department of Energy R&D by 2030, writes Clean Tomorrow Senior Director of Policy Evan Chapman.
Evan Chapman • Jan. 13, 2026 -
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Building security into energy infrastructure by design is lower cost and more effective
Data centers and their energy partners would be wise to ramp up cybersecurity efforts to match the pace of development, writes Leo Simonovich of Siemens Energy.
Leo Simonovich • Jan. 12, 2026 -
Courtesy of GE Vernova
How VPPs can help data centers connect to the grid faster
Virtual power plants can be developed quickly to satisfy data center demand, but reaching the scale required to meet soaring load growth will require new commercial models, according to RMI.
Jesse Cohen, Mark Dyson and Lauren Shwisberg • Jan. 8, 2026 -
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The next-gen retail energy mix: Aligning supply portfolios with customer expectations
Retail energy providers must move beyond managing kilowatt-hours and toward orchestrating portfolios that reflect both the realities of modern supply and the values of modern customers, writes Tamara Grose of VertexOne.
Tamara Grose • Jan. 7, 2026 -
Permission granted by Base Power
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.
Sneha Vasudevan • Jan. 6, 2026 -
Permission granted by LeFrak
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.
Daniel Domingues • Jan. 5, 2026 -
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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.
Kaushik Telgaonkar • Dec. 23, 2025 -
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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.
Roger Ballentine • Dec. 22, 2025 -
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Energy evolution: Meeting the demands of an AI-powered world
By pairing human expertise with AI-driven insights and forging collaborations across industries, we can build an energy ecosystem that is reliable and affordable for all, EPRI’s Remi Raphael writes.
Remi Raphael • Dec. 19, 2025 -
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Hybrid heating: A bridge to decarbonization or a road to obsolescence for gas utilities?
Combining heat pumps with gas furnaces can help manage winter peaks, lower energy costs and cut carbon emissions. But this approach requires well-structured regulatory frameworks and cost-recovery mechanisms, West Monroe experts write.
Andrew Biondi, Margaret Oloriz and Estelle Mangeney • Dec. 18, 2025 -
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New role for nuclear power emerges in New York energy plan
New York’s recently-approved energy plan indicates that new nuclear power plants could lower the cost of reaching a carbon-free power system by 2040, Clean Air Task Force advocates write.
Kasparas Spokas and John Carlson • Dec. 17, 2025 -
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Coordinating short-, ultra-long-duration storage unlocks maximum clean energy value
The United States needs to integrate short-duration energy storage with multi-day storage to build a secure, reliable grid, Noon Energy’s Aric Saunders writes.
Aric Saunders • Dec. 16, 2025 -
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Thermal batteries are ready. Our electricity rules aren’t.
Exposing thermal batteries to real-time market signals would help lower system costs and strengthen America’s manufacturing base and AI infrastructure, write Katherine Hamilton and Isaac Brown of the Thermal Battery Alliance.
Katherine Hamilton and Isaac Brown • Dec. 15, 2025 -
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CCS generation projects are coming. New ways to track and claim their emissions must follow.
Clean energy buyers need a mechanism to claim the low-carbon attributes of carbon capture and storage to advance this method of reducing CO2 emissions from electric generation, NorthBridge Group experts write.
Iain Kaplan and Gustaf Michaelsen • Dec. 12, 2025 -
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To power the AI revolution, we need a grid built for speed
Advancing AI requires utility incentive reforms that value digital upgrades like advanced metering and distributed energy resource management systems, Schneider Electric’s Jeannie Salo writes.
Jeannie Salo • Dec. 11, 2025
