Drones are the next big security challenge for critical infrastructure

The same capabilities that make drones operationally valuable for utilities also make them effective tools for threat actors, writes SkySafe Chief Revenue Officer Melissa Swisher.

By Melissa Swisher • Aug. 26, 2026

Data centers can vanish from the grid in seconds; reliability rules need to catch up

The loss of more than 3 GW of data center demand in Virginia shows why policy must address operational behavior, not just costs, writes AIxEnergy.io founder Brandon Owens.

By Brandon Owens • Aug. 25, 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

Bills rise when utilities use conflicting forecasts to drive gas and electric investment

Integrated planning can lower costs to ratepayers by reducing duplicative spending, and New York could lead the way, write experts at Current Energy Group and Advanced Energy United.

By Brad Cebulko and Sarah Steinberg • Aug. 24, 2026

ERCOT aims to complete Texas governor’s data center audit by December

The pause on new data center interconnections could impact the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ upcoming long-term load forecast and reliability assessment, officials said Thursday.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 21, 2026

FERC approves SPP ‘topology optimization’ plan for cutting grid congestion

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s power market has saved nearly $100 million this year under a similar approach for topology reconfiguration.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 20, 2026

The Western energy market must shift as power flows evolve, say experts

The WECC-1 RAS “does not consider south-to-north flows, and frankly, it is something I'm worried about,” said Bonneville Power Administration system dispatcher Chris Sanford during a Western Market Seams workshop.

By Diana DiGangi • Aug. 19, 2026

2026 Q2 roundup: Utilities emphasize project execution and ratepayer protections

Executives tried to show they can secure the equipment needed to meet rising demand without shifting costs to existing customers as politicians take aim at data centers ahead of the midterm elections.

By Meris Lutz • Aug. 17, 2026

Why AI is arriving at the most difficult moment for North America’s grid

Why grid readiness may determine the future of the AI economy.

Aug. 17, 2026

From grid hardening to grid intelligence: The next era of wildfire resilience

Another summer of evacuation orders and smoke-filled skies across the country as hundreds of wildfires are burning. Technology is helping to mitigate grid impacts.

By Amith Kota, Chief Technology Officer, and Lisa Magnuson, Chief Marketing Officer • Aug. 17, 2026

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 • Updated Aug. 17, 2026

PJM eyes data center, crypto reliability requirements after 3.8 GW of load trips offline

The PJM Interconnection is considering setting “ride-through” standards after data centers tripped offline in Northern Virginia on July 22, the latest and largest such event in PJM’s history, the grid operator said.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 12, 2026

Pay-as-you-go batteries: ‘One weird trick’ for the distribution grid?

Battery leases with low or no up-front costs are attractive in markets with well-developed virtual power plant programs and persistent grid congestion, but experts see them taking off elsewhere, too.

By Brian Martucci • Aug. 11, 2026

Building a more resilient distribution grid: improving reliability and storm recovery

The future of grid reliability is proactive, not reactive. Learn how leading utilities are building resilience before the next storm hits.

By Susan Gates • Aug. 10, 2026

Texas data center pause puts 20% of US pipeline at risk of delay: BNEF

The longer the moratorium stays in place, the greater the risk to Texas’ data center boom, analysts at Bloomberg NEF said.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 6, 2026

Facing an estimated 474 GW of interconnection requests, Texas hits pause on data centers

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called for an audit of all data centers in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas interconnection queue, leading the grid operator to delay its Batch Zero review process.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 5, 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

Leading the agentic grid transformation

The strategic priorities shaping the future of intelligent utility operations.

By Sandy Simon, Partner, Energy & Utilities, West Monroe • Aug. 3, 2026

Converging geopolitical and enterprise risks in energy: What leaders need to anticipate now

Geopolitical developments are significantly reshaping North American energy risk and requiring leaders to adapt operations and strategies.

Aug. 3, 2026

Edison CEO: California utilities face credit downgrades without wildfire reforms

With four weeks left in the legislative session, CEO Pedro Pizarro acknowledged the possibility California lawmakers will not pass wildfire liability reforms this year.

By Emma Penrod • July 31, 2026

DOE mulls changes to Biden-era transformer rule, raising utility concerns

Utility associations supported the 2024 efficiency requirements for distribution transformers and oppose their repeal. The rule may threaten national security, DOE says.

By Robert Walton • 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

The electric meter is growing a brain: Why AMI 2.0 is the grid’s next big leap and what you should do about it

The first wave of smart meters are near retirement and new meters with edge computing capabilities are arriving. Utilities have crucial equipment decisions ahead.

By Kevin Hernandez • July 27, 2026

People are critical infrastructure, too. Utilities must do more or lose talent to tech.

With so much riding on America's AI ambitions, utility workforce strategy must have a place alongside generation, transmission and capital planning, writes Stefan Hirniak, president of Specialist Staffing Group US.

By Stefan Hirniak • July 23, 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

US data center electricity use could more than double by 2030: report

Policy responses “reflect a tension between furthering state-level economic development interests and balancing local community health and environmental concerns,” the Kansas Health Institute report states.

By Robert Walton • July 21, 2026