Quantum computing is coming fast. Are utilities ready?

“The load profile is different from anything utilities have planned for before,” said Aparna Prabhakar, chief strategy and sustainability officer, energy management, for Schneider Electric.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 14, 2026

Texas hits new peak demand record, but supply constraints will limit growth

Ascend Analytics says more than 80% of new large loads seeking interconnection will not have matching generation online by 2030, even as data centers and industrial demand continue to surge.

By Marlene Wilden • Aug. 12, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 Stories from Utility Dive

Power demand is rising amid dramatic shifts in federal energy policy, but technology and markets continue to push the grid toward cleaner, more distributed resources. 

By Utility Dive staff

Evergy has 3 GW of large loads signed and a 5-GW generation pipeline

The company is in “advanced discussions” with large-load customers representing another 1 to 2 GW, CEO David Campbell said during a second-quarter earnings call.

By Diana DiGangi • Aug. 11, 2026

California DER wholesale market participation could grow 2+ GW from CAISO ‘accounting change’: advocate

Behind-the-meter batteries and other aggregated DERs could get another lift from a related rulemaking at the California Public Utilities Commission, but a final ruling is unlikely before next year, a regulatory expert told Utility Dive.

By Brian Martucci • Aug. 5, 2026

Battery-eligible New Jersey VPP program begins to take shape

Utility-owned storage could help mitigate grid congestion, a utility manager said at a July stakeholder meeting. Another said customer-centric program design is crucial to reducing attrition.

By Brian Martucci • Aug. 4, 2026

$700M microgrid bill has state energy office, electrical manufacturer support

The bill would make microgrids and distributed energy resources eligible for state energy program grants and establish state-run grid resilience programs.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 4, 2026

How PG&E scaled home energy reports into wide-ranging energy reduction and bill savings

Learn how this approach can support savings, affordability and peak flexibility.

By Vanessa Richter • Aug. 3, 2026

Texas approves AI data center co-location next to wind farm, with curtailment caveats

A final order in the case could offer an early template for other large behind-the-meter loads, requiring rapid curtailment during grid emergencies while limiting participation in demand response programs.

By Marlene Wilden • July 30, 2026

V2G could deliver 15 times more value than one-way managed EV charging: report

The U.S. fleet of bidirectional-capable electric vehicles is growing, and regulatory reforms could help utilities unlock $7 billion in potential value, according to an E3 analysis.

By Brian Martucci • July 29, 2026

BNEF chip-based model pegs US data center demand at 207 GW by 2033

A base model anticipates U.S. data center demand of about 118 GW by 2030. As potential demand and proposed data center size both grow, so does the complexity in forecasting, analysts said.

By Robert Walton • July 28, 2026

How procurement strategy can strengthen electrification programs

How smarter procurement can reduce costs and strengthen electrification programs.

By Troy Sherman, Director of Products, Franklin Energy • July 27, 2026

Ford, Global Power Products debut home backup solution

More than 800 electric utilities have approved GPP’s GenerLink transfer switch, which provides backup power for outlets and hardwired appliances at significantly lower cost than a standby generator, Ford says.

By Brian Martucci • July 22, 2026

3 practical steps to ensure the US industrial boom runs on electricity

Long-term electricity procurement, on-site generation, efficiency and flexibility can give manufacturers more ways to manage their energy bills, writes the World Wildlife Fund’s Cihang Yuan.

By Cihang Yuan • July 21, 2026

$215B in annual energy cost savings starts with heat pumps: ACEEE

Building and other electric efficiency measures would reduce growing peak demand by 20% on average through 2050, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

By Robert Freedman • July 21, 2026

What data center developers need to know about FERC’s large load directives

The June 18 show cause orders finally take aim at the load interconnection mess. But the customers who get power faster will be the ones who show up ready to flex, writes Shalin Savalia, a senior electrical engineer.

By Shalin Savalia • July 16, 2026

The grid’s fastest-growing resource isn’t generation. It’s flexibility.

The technology is there. The institutions are not. FERC’s July 23 technical conference on the PJM Interconnection’s governance is where that gap gets addressed — or doesn’t, writes Jeanine Johnson, a former member of the grid operator’s board.

By Jeanine Johnson • July 15, 2026

Texas PUC approves ‘ride-through’ rules for data centers

“There is no debate that voltage and frequency excursions on the transmission network create reliability concerns, which increase with the interconnection of each new large computational load,” wrote a PUC staffer.

By Diana DiGangi • July 13, 2026

Illinois regulators approve ComEd VPP under new clean energy law

The program will discharge power from small batteries during events like the early-July heatwave that pushed PJM Interconnection demand to near-record levels.

By Brian Martucci • July 8, 2026

PJM’s rate increase is here. What’s your strategy?

Learn how a holistic energy strategy helps utilities control costs, improve reliability and unlock revenue. 

July 6, 2026

6 ways to get digital upgrades right for your customers

Overcome these six common challenges when designing your digital front door to improve CX.

By Leah Garris • July 6, 2026

DOE wants to ‘permanently end’ appliance efficiency requirements

A proposed rule would create an “obstacle course of restrictions” bogging down the Department of Energy’s appliance efficiency program, a consumer advocate said.

By Robert Walton • Updated July 2, 2026

Eversource launches targeted load management pilots in Massachusetts

The programs address specific substations with high solar penetration or summer-peak congestion issues. They could expand in the coming years, a spokesperson said.

By Brian Martucci • July 1, 2026

Utilities are not spending enough on low-income household efficiency: ACEEE

Energy efficiency becomes more important as prices rise because it is “one of the only direct levers” a household has to reduce its bills, said Anna Johnson, senior policy manager at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

By Robert Walton • June 29, 2026

Why energy and utilities are moving from ‘systems’ mindset to a ‘connected platform ecosystems’ mindset powered by Vertical AI

How leading providers are connecting customer, workforce and grid operations into one Vertical AI ecosystem.

June 29, 2026

Data centers are ready to negotiate flexibility for speed

Hyperscalers want their data centers online and utilities want to provide interconnections, but experts say both are still looking for common operating guidelines.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 26, 2026