Westinghouse Electric announces new small modular reactor borrowing from its AP1000 nuclear technology

“It’s leveraging a proven technology, a very efficient and reliable techology that’s already in operation around the world,” said Patrick Fragman, Westinghouse president and CEO.

By Stephen Singer • May 4, 2023

Dominion Energy projects adding up to 9 GW of gas-fired capacity in Virginia to bolster reliability

The plan, filed Monday with state utility regulators, calls for adding more natural gas and renewables to Dominion’s portfolio, along with up to 4.2 GW of small modular reactors.

By Diana DiGangi • May 4, 2023

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

York Energy Storage aims to build $2.1B, 858-MW pumped storage project in Pennsylvania

The 1,000-acre hydroelectric project on the Susquehanna River in York County has gotten pushback from residents.

By Julie Strupp • May 3, 2023

State regulators, others urge FERC to reject PJM plan to delay upcoming capacity auctions

“Halting the markets before the commission has all of the facts before it may actually serve to delay the energy market transition … and raise prices for consumers,” the Organization of PJM States said.

By Ethan Howland • May 3, 2023

West Virginia PSC report calls for disallowing $203M in AEP cost recovery over low coal plant usage

Appalachian Power Co. and Wheeling Power failed to take steps to run three coal plants at a 69% capacity factor, a level set by state regulators, according to a report released Friday.

By Ethan Howland • May 3, 2023

Coming EPA power plant rules will put carbon capture to the test, but better oversight is needed, critics say

New CCUS has the policy, private sector and regulatory support to end claims it underperforms, but only if new EPA rules require verification through strong federal oversight, advocates and opponents agreed.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 2, 2023

FirstEnergy West Virginia coal plant purchase would lead company to retire another one, official says

“We don’t see it as a viable option for Mon Power to operate three coal-fired power plants in West Virginia,” Jon Taylor, FirstEnergy chief financial officer, said Friday.

By Ethan Howland • May 1, 2023

Idaho National Lab’s open-source microreactor design and test bed spur start-up interest

Making an open-sourced microreactor design available is “much more resilient than a centralized approach,” said Yasir Arafat, chief designer of the MARVEL reactor at the Idaho National Lab.

By Stephen Singer • April 26, 2023

Efforts to accelerate permitting could learn a thing or two from nuclear energy

In the past, the implicit assumption was that it was OK for it to take years or even decades to build energy projects because the status quo was acceptable. We know now that the status quo is not, in fact, acceptable.

By Jessica Lovering and Judi Greenwald • April 24, 2023

State regulators urge PJM to speed interconnection for new generation in face of power plant retirements

“We're rattling the foundations here,” Mike Jacobs, Union of Concerned Scientists senior energy analyst, said Friday. “And everything PJM is calling for in this moment of crisis is strengthening the status of the existing supply.”

By Ethan Howland • April 24, 2023

Bechtel nixes $1B power plant after years of permitting battles

The company said ongoing environmental lawsuits are the main reason it scrapped plans for a gas-fired electric-generating facility in Pennsylvania.

By Sebastian Obando • April 20, 2023

House hearing highlights rising bipartisan support for nuclear energy amid wave of policy actions

Nuclear advocates hope bipartisan support can advance the industry, which "has stagnated over the past decade," Rep. Jeff Duncan said.

By Stephen Singer • April 19, 2023

Cooperative utility leaders urge Congress, federal agencies to bolster grid reliability

“Demand is going up and supply is going down, and that's not a good trend if you want to maintain system reliability,” Jim Matheson, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO, said.

By Ethan Howland • April 18, 2023

FERC rejects Southwest Power Pool plan for utility self-funding of network upgrades

The self-funding proposal would create uncertainty for interconnection customers, possibly leading to canceled generating projects, the federal agency said Friday.

By Ethan Howland • April 17, 2023

NRC to regulate fusion energy systems as commercial interest grows despite ‘uncertain’ future

The private sector is developing pilot-scale commercial fusion designs even as the technology’s “precise future in the United States is uncertain,” NRC Chair Christopher Hanson said.

By Stephen Singer • April 17, 2023

Modernizing the last mile: Distribution is key to resilient power grid

Extreme weather continues to be a major threat to grid reliability and resilience.

April 17, 2023

Chinese supply chains for critical infrastructure threaten the US power grid

State and federal policymakers, utilities and other stakeholders must develop and implement effective strategies to secure supply chains while minimizing the financial impact on ratepayers.

By Brien J. Sheahan • April 14, 2023

FERC gives PJM flexibility for handling member defaults as Winter Storm Elliott complaints pile up

At least six complaints are pending at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from generators that are seeking to avoid penalties for failing to run during the late-December freeze.

By Ethan Howland • April 10, 2023

Texas Senate passes $10B plan to develop 10,000 MW of gas-fired ‘insurance’ capacity

There is broad opposition to the plan, which some critics say is a “fundamental U-turn away from the competitive electric market,” will cost consumers billions and fails to improve reliability.

By Robert Walton • April 10, 2023

Montana court vacates air permit for NorthWestern Energy’s $275M Laurel power plant

“To most Montanans who clearly understand their fundamental constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment, this is a significant project,” District Court Judge Michael Moses said Thursday.

By Ethan Howland • April 7, 2023

PacifiCorp plans to reach 7.4 GW of storage by 2029, 20 GW of wind and solar by 2032 in latest resource plan

The utility’s resource plan is expected to reduce its system's greenhouse gas emissions 70% from 2005 levels by the end of the decade and 100% by 2050.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 7, 2023

Arizona Public Service proposed interconnection process for replacing power plants stifles competition: SEIA

The solar energy trade group urged federal regulators to launch a broad investigation into interconnection rules for replacing retiring power plants.

By Ethan Howland • April 4, 2023

Bipartisan group of US senators proposes legislation to advance nuclear power

The industry and policymakers are working on several fronts to build out nuclear energy — particularly advanced reactors and small modular reactors, SMRs — to meet increasingly stringent zero-carbon goals.

By Stephen Singer • April 3, 2023

PJM plans capacity auction delays as it develops market reforms to bolster resource adequacy

“Despite the implications of auction delay, reforms are necessary to the capacity market design in order to conduct an effective Base Residual Auction,” the PJM Interconnection said Monday in an email to stakeholders.

By Ethan Howland • March 28, 2023

Reuse of coal plants can cut small modular nuclear reactor development costs by 35%: report

Re-using coal plant sites could have labor force advantages, with 77% of jobs transferable to nuclear plants with no new workforce licensing requirements, the report said.

By Stephen Singer • March 27, 2023