2024 ‘a pivotal year’ for virtual power plant policy: report

Following 105 policy actions nationwide last year, 2025 could see continued momentum as load begins to grow, the NC Clean Energy Technology Center and the Smart Electric Power Alliance say.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 12, 2025

Carrier unveils data center strategy, growth in Q4 HVAC sales

The company said it is working with U.S. utilities to provide an end-to-end integrated battery heat pump solution with automated controls that can run the system using stored energy during peak hours.

By Joe Burns • Feb. 12, 2025

ABB and Samsung offer user-friendly energy management platform

Samsung previously launched SmartThings Pro, which extended the smart home technology to commercial environments. 

By Robert Freedman • Feb. 12, 2025

Ameresco secures $140M energy savings project at the Denver Federal Center

The project is funded via the Inflation Reduction Act, however, which the Trump administration is working to rescind.

By Benton Graham • Feb. 11, 2025

Existing US grid can handle ‘significant’ new flexible load: report

“Flexible load strategies can help tap existing headroom to more quickly integrate new loads [and] reduce the cost of capacity expansion,” Duke University researchers said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 11, 2025

The EV managed charging problem no one wants to talk about

As EV programs grow, utilities face a choice: authorized integrations and partnerships or screen scraping.

Feb. 10, 2025

New York could reach 8.5 GW of grid flexibility in 2040 zero-emissions scenario: Brattle Group

Flexible grid resources like electric vehicles and heat pumps could help avoid marginal generation costs greater than $200/kW per year, substantially above present levels, Brattle found.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 5, 2025

US ‘needs more storage’ to ensure grid reliability, resilience: SEIA

The Solar Energy Industries Association wants to see the U.S. reach 10 million distributed energy storage installations and 700 GWh of grid-connected capacity by 2030, it said last month.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 4, 2025

Boston expands net-zero emissions requirements to new buildings, large additions

The zoning change requires most new buildings to be net zero when they open. The city previously set similar performance standards for existing buildings.

By Joe Burns • Feb. 3, 2025

2025 US power sector outlook

The second Trump administration has ramped up energy transition uncertainty. Meanwhile, electricity demand from data centers and electrification continues to grow, and the resource mix is changing.

By Utility Dive staff • Jan. 31, 2025

New MISO demand response rules could bar resources from capacity auction: Voltus complaint

"Beyond the eleventh hour" requirements by the midcontinent grid operator could keep Voltus from taking part in an upcoming capacity auction, the demand response company told FERC.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 29, 2025

Why utility leadership is necessary to scale up VPPs in the residential sector

The most effective virtual power plants are embedded within utility operations, providing utilities with direct insight into and control of the distributed energy resources in their network.

By Neil Veilleux and Nick Papanastassiou • Jan. 29, 2025

Trump freezes IRA funding

The White House issued a memo to clarify the funding pause, specifying that it pertains only to aspects of the law mentioned in Section 2 of the executive order.

By Kate Magill • Updated Jan. 23, 2025

AI improvements, DERs and new generation needed to meet power demand: USEA panel

“Serving data center load is absolutely a national security challenge,” said NERC President and CEO Jim Robb.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 22, 2025

Preparing for a resilient energy future

Utility leaders face rapid change and must address five key trends to shape a sustainable future.

Jan. 21, 2025

JLL establishes energy advisory and sustainability practice

The team will provide technical expertise on energy sourcing, efficiency and end-use optimization across the company’s business lines.

By Joe Burns • Jan. 17, 2025

ABB buys energy management platform Lumin to grow North American residential presence

The acquisition builds on a minority investment Zurich-based ABB made in Lumin in 2023.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 15, 2025

C-PACE financing can make energy efficiency upgrades more affordable – if it’s available

Interest rates as low as 7% make C-PACE attractive for building improvement projects, some experts say. But conditions for accessing it vary widely by state.

By Nish Amarnath • Jan. 13, 2025

AI applications in the energy sector — are you missing out on sustainable impact?

Despite the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence across the power and utility sector, its potential remains underutilized in many areas.

By Mike Duffy • Jan. 10, 2025

Energy Trust of Oregon awards CLEAResult 5-year building efficiency contract

The latest phase of the program outlines initiatives to guide the design of energy-efficient renovations and new construction projects, the organizations said.

By Nish Amarnath • Jan. 8, 2025

Microgrids boost grid reliability, lower costs: Colorado road map

Rising transmission costs and extreme weather impacts prompted a fresh look at the benefits of self-contained grids for rural Colorado communities.

By Brian Martucci • Jan. 7, 2025

Voltus agrees to pay $18M to settle allegations it violated MISO demand response rules

Through a program called “Scranta” — a combination of “scrape” and “Santa” — Voltus obtained data from an Ameren Illinois website without customers’ knowledge, per the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 7, 2025

Caddis Cloud Solutions, Mission Critical Group partner on data center power solutions

The partnership will streamline design and deployment while reducing equipment lead times and improving energy efficiency, Mission Critical Group’s CEO said.

By Brian Martucci • Jan. 3, 2025

From code to current: How to keep AI data centers in check for a sustainable grid

AI doesn't have to be a burden on the grid. With thoughtful strategies and a proactive approach, we can minimize the environmental and infrastructural costs of data centers.

By Manav Mittal • Jan. 3, 2025

HVAC coating boosts energy efficiency in 36 Verizon urban data centers, saving $1.28M annually

The coating, which is applied to HVAC condenser coils, could save Verizon’s data centers an additional $16 million over the next decade, Ener.co says.

By Nish Amarnath • Dec. 18, 2024