FERC rejects $1.1B Bridgepoint-Energy Capital Partners private equity deal on competition concerns

London-based Bridgepoint said Monday it expects ECP will soon refile an application at FERC, with a closing on the deal expected in the second quarter.

By Ethan Howland • March 4, 2024

Nevada regulators set to approve NV Energy’s $2B IRP amendment, including new gas resources

Critics say the utility has used the integrated resource plan amendment process to advance projects with insufficient scrutiny.

By Robert Walton • March 1, 2024

Explore the Trendline➔

Electricity Supply and Demand

After nearly two decades of flat demand, U.S. electricity consumption reached an all-time high in 2024 and is expected to continue rising. This trendline brings together the best of Utility Dive’s coverage of emerging trends in supply and demand and the decisions being made today that will impact the power system for years to come. 

By Utility Dive staff

2024 PJM Outlook: Tough choices loom on capacity market, plant retirements, transmission planning

Ensuring that enough new generation comes online to replace retiring power plants is a key issue that threads through PJM’s expected focus this year, stakeholders and observers said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 29, 2024

SPP proposes renewable, thermal resource accreditation reforms aimed at bolstering reliability

The Southwest Power Pool’s current accreditation for wind, solar and storage fails to account for their reliability value decreasing as more are added to the grid, according to the grid operator.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 27, 2024

Congressional action on energy permitting remains stuck, but states, developers are finding solutions

States are resolving local objections to projects through community engagement while transmission developers are making innovative use of existing rights-of-way to bypass permitting logjams.

By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 27, 2024

New England capacity prices rise almost 40% in most recent auction

Clean energy resources made up 40% of the total capacity commitments, according to ISO New England, and no coal plant met the auction clearing price.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 23, 2024

PJM, 3 other RTOs propose steps to improve gas-electric sector coordination, boost reliability

Market enhancements, operational improvements and regulatory reforms are needed to improve gas-electric coordination, according to grid operators serving much of the U.S.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 22, 2024

5 takeaways from the investor-owned utility sector’s day on Wall Street

Utilities will likely issue equity this year to fund the energy transition’s record capital spending, Edison Electric Institute officials said.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 21, 2024

With FERC approval in hand, Vistra poised to close on $6.3B Energy Harbor buy

Energy Harbor’s assets will be added to Vistra Vision, which will have 6.4 GW of nuclear generation, 5 million retail customers, and 2.4 GW of renewable energy and energy storage projects.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 20, 2024

Domestic uranium enrichment gets $2.7B boost from US Senate

The Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 funds conventional and advanced U.S. uranium enrichment capabilities, but the bill faces an uncertain future in the U.S. House of Representatives.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 16, 2024

Salt River Project seeks 2.5 GW clean power, 1.2 GW peak capacity amid rapid Phoenix-area growth

The utility expects to add more than 2 GW of solar and 1 GW of battery storage by the mid 2020s, and by 2032 it plans to retire more than 1.3 GW of capacity at four coal plants.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 15, 2024

GETs could facilitate 6.6 GW of clean energy in five PJM states, saving $1B a year: RMI

Grid-enhancing technologies can be used to increase the capacity of the existing transmission system, providing a quick, low-cost pathway for bringing new generation online, RMI said in a report Thursday.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 15, 2024

State officials blame federal regulation for higher energy prices: ‘Customers are getting hurt.’

Proposed federal limits on fossil fuel power plants will further raise costs and weaken reliability, three state energy officials told a U.S. House subcommittee on Wednesday.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 15, 2024

ISO New England proposes capacity market changes, further 2-year delay for upcoming auction

Moving to a “prompt/seasonal” model of procuring energy resource commitments would better reflect changing demand and available supply, the New England grid operator said.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 13, 2024

Municipal utilities boost engagement with hyper-local tactics

For municipal utilities, a strong connection to the community is fostering greater customer engagement. From local collaborations to community events, see how smaller utilities are taking a hyper-local approach.

Feb. 12, 2024

CAISO seeks FERC approval to cancel 2024 interconnection study process

As it deals with an interconnection backlog, the California Independent System Operator hasn’t started studying last year’s interconnection requests, which totaled 350 GW, the grid operator told FERC on Thursday.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 9, 2024

PJM set to hold capacity auction in June after receiving mixed FERC decisions

FERC-approved changes to PJM’s capacity auction will likely boost capacity prices and help the grid operator acquire capacity during the energy transition, according to an ESAI Power analyst.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 9, 2024

EPA tightens annual soot standard as TVA, other utilities say science doesn’t back change

The agency expects almost all counties will meet the revised fine particulate matter standard, a fact the U.S. Chamber of Commerce disputed.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 7, 2024

Lessons from NuScale’s terminated project will help pave the way for advanced nuclear energy

The advanced nuclear innovation ecosystem remains strong, with a portfolio of public and private investments, multiple technology pathways and diverse business models.

By Judi Greenwald, Jeremy Harrell and Jessica Lovering • Feb. 6, 2024

FERC approves ISO-NE day-ahead reserve initiative, in boost to flexible resources

The plan will provide increased revenue to flexible resources like energy storage that can provide reserves to meet any unexpected real-time power supply needs.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 5, 2024

Xcel proposes 3.6 GW renewables, 600 MW storage in Midwest but spurs concerns with gas plans

The new combustion turbines, part of a plan to add 2.2 GW of gas peaking capacity, “will only run when needed, meaning they’ll have very low emissions, in line with our long-term carbon goals,” an Xcel spokesperson said.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 5, 2024

FERC approves PJM capacity accreditation, modeling reforms aimed at boosting reliability

“PJM’s development of a new framework that seeks to assess the patterns, drivers, and probabilities of reliability risk across all hours of the year is an important advancement,” FERC Commissioner Allison Clements said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 1, 2024

2024 US power sector outlook

The U.S. clean energy transition is expected to accelerate in 2024 but faces question around transmission, financing, federal elections and other issues.

By Utility Dive staff • Jan. 31, 2024

Entergy wins, wind developers lose with MISO, SPP transmission constraints: NBER paper

Without the constraints, two Entergy utilities would have had $930 million less in operating profits in 2022, a possible incentive to oppose new transmission, the paper said.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 31, 2024

The collapse of NuScale’s project should spell the end for small modular nuclear reactors

Although there were problems specific to the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems project, the financial challenges and cost trends witnessed in that case will afflict any small modular nuclear reactor.

By M.V. Ramana • Jan. 31, 2024