Utility energy efficiency investment hit record $8.8B in 2023: ACEEE

Utilities are investing more than ever to reduce bills and cut emissions, but the increases are concentrated in just a few states, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy concluded in its policy scorecard. 

By Robert Walton • March 19, 2025

Schneider Electric, NVIDIA, ETAP collaboration set to advance data center efficiency, operations

The digital twins will analyze inputs, like those from mechanical, thermal and electrical systems, to help operators manage data center facilities in real-time, the companies say.

By Joe Burns • March 18, 2025

California PUC approves battery storage safety rules

The rules require battery storage facility owners to develop emergency response and emergency action plans.

By Robert Walton • March 17, 2025

Utilities should consider heat pump-specific rates to encourage adoption: ACEEE

Winter discounts and technology-specific electric rates can help homeowners save money with heat pumps, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy said.

By Robert Walton • March 12, 2025

21 House Republicans oppose cutting clean energy credits to pay for tax cuts

“Both our constituencies and the energy industry alike remain concerned about disruptive changes to our nation’s energy tax structure,” the letter led by Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., said.

By Lamar Johnson • March 11, 2025

Amazon expands use of in-house AI tools to conserve water, reduce energy use

The tools have helped identify underground water leaks, faulty energy meters and malfunctioning refrigeration equipment at its facilities, the company says.

By Brian Martucci • March 11, 2025

Avista, PG&E, Ameren AI demonstrations show great potential – but are other utilities ready?

New artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms can optimize complexities across the power system if utilities and regulators can make data more accessible — and protect it, experts say.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 7, 2025

Massachusetts cuts $500M from state’s energy efficiency program

Eversource Energy thanked state regulators “for listening to customer concerns about affordability and taking the difficult action.”

By Robert Walton • March 5, 2025

Massachusetts to deploy 100 bidirectional EV chargers in first-of-its-kind ‘V2X’ pilot

The program is available for residential, commercial, municipal and school customers and could add 1.5 MW of flexible grid capacity by September 2026, program partners said.

By Brian Martucci • March 4, 2025

10 years of grid modernization: Major progress, stubborn challenges

Improving energy affordability and grid reliability can guide the way on modernizing the grid for tomorrow’s challenges, according to Grid Forward’s Bryce Yonker.

By Bryce Yonker • Feb. 28, 2025

Grid equipment manufacturers anticipate 2% annual US load growth through 2050

Federal policy and incentives will play a key role in meeting the demand, according to National Electrical Manufacturers Association CEO Debra Phillips.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 26, 2025

Fortress backs behind-the-meter gas turbines to support AI hyperscalers

New APR Energy plans to deploy 100 MW of mobile gas turbines in support of an unnamed data center hyperscaler, and more similar deals are on the way, officials said.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 25, 2025

Are utility demand response program costs outstripping their benefits in California?

California Public Utilities Commission policy has been pushing customers to choose utility-run supply-side DR programs over third-party options that face pressure to keep costs low.

By Collin Smith • Feb. 24, 2025

Trump pauses implementation of new DOE appliance efficiency standards

“The people, not the government, should be choosing the home appliances and products they want at prices they can afford,” said Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 24, 2025

Torus, Rocky Mountain Power sign MOU for 70-MW C&I demand response capability

The agreement could add a major commercial and industrial component to RMP’s Wattsmart Battery program, hailed by the Energy Department as one of the country’s most sophisticated virtual power plants.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 21, 2025

DeepSeek called a net positive for data centers despite overcapacity worries

More efficient AI models could reduce demand for liquid cooling retrofits while accelerating adoption, boosting the industry’s longer-term fortunes, experts say.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 20, 2025

The AI energy challenge is coming to a head

There must be a seismic shift in how the industry defines and measures AI advancement, pivoting our idea of technological evolution from raw computing power to energy efficiency.

By Krishna Rangasayee • Feb. 20, 2025

Texas regulators move virtual power plant pilot development to ERCOT

The aggregated distributed energy resource pilot currently provides about 25.5 MW of energy and almost 20 MW of other reserve services to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas market.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 19, 2025

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