Grid Security & Reliability

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    Opinion

    America’s energy innovation crossroads: Why federal investment matters now

    Meeting the United States’ energy challenges will require a federal investment of $25 billion for Department of Energy R&D by 2030, writes Clean Tomorrow Senior Director of Policy Evan Chapman.

    By Evan Chapman • Jan. 13, 2026
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    Permission granted by Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
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    5 takeaways from Xcel CEO Bob Frenzel’s talk at the Minneapolis Fed

    Supply chains are “actually degrading” while competition for engineering, construction and procurement services from hyperscalers is driving up costs for utilities, Frenzel said. 

    By • Jan. 12, 2026
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    Trendline

    AI in the Power Sector

    Artificial intelligence is uniquely positioned to impact the electricity industry from both ends: as the technology driving large load demand growth and as a tool with the potential to make the power system more efficient. 

    By Utility Dive staff
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    Opinion

    Building security into energy infrastructure by design is lower cost and more effective

    Data centers and their energy partners would be wise to ramp up cybersecurity efforts to match the pace of development, writes Leo Simonovich of Siemens Energy.

    By Leo Simonovich • Jan. 12, 2026
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    Sponsored by Tempo Communications

    What lies below? Beneath our streets lies treasure — and trouble.

    Mark it. Map it. Dig with confidence. One marker now can prevent disaster later.

    Jan. 12, 2026
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    Retrieved from X.
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    Illinois sets 3-GW energy storage target, requires utilities to develop virtual power plants

    Electricity bills in Illinois rose 15% last year. A new law aims to reduce energy costs by incentivizing new resources, expanding solar and growing efficiency programs.

    By • Jan. 9, 2026
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    Utilities under pressure: 6 power sector trends to watch in 2026

    Facing rising demand and aggressive load growth projections, utilities are rolling out massive spending plans. Now they'll have to walk a fine line with regulators and ratepayers.

    By , , , • Jan. 8, 2026
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    Courtesy of GE Vernova
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    Opinion

    How VPPs can help data centers connect to the grid faster

    Virtual power plants can be developed quickly to satisfy data center demand, but reaching the scale required to meet soaring load growth will require new commercial models, according to RMI.

    By Jesse Cohen, Mark Dyson and Lauren Shwisberg • Jan. 8, 2026
  • Craig Station, a 1,285-megawatt, three-unit, coal fired power plant in Moffat County, Colorado. The power plant's units were constructed by Colorado Ute Electric Association.
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    The image by arbyreed is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    DOE orders 446-MW Colorado coal unit to keep running

    It will cost about $21 million to run the Craig Unit 1 for 90 days, according to an estimate by Grid Strategies. The unit is offline and requires repairs, Tri-State, one of the plant’s owners, said.

    By • Jan. 6, 2026
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    CISA loses key employee behind early ransomware warnings

    The future of a program that has helped prevent an estimated $9 billion in economic damages is now unclear. The agency sent more than 2,100 warnings in 2024, helping prevent ransomware attacks on energy utilities and others.

    By Eric Geller • Jan. 5, 2026
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    Opinion

    Using scenario modeling to address uncertainty in the clean energy transition

    Scenario modeling and forecasting gives us the ability to answer multiple “what-ifs” and explore many futures before committing to one, making it a crucial tool during the energy transition, writes Kaushik Telgaonkar.

    By Kaushik Telgaonkar • Dec. 23, 2025
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    R. Eskalis/NIST. Retrieved from NIST.
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    NIST adds to AI security guidance with cybersecurity framework profile

    Organizations have a new resource to map AI considerations onto the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s most famous security blueprint.

    By Eric Geller • Dec. 22, 2025
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    Texas sues Xcel over Panhandle fires

    The state is asking for monetary compensation, as well as court orders preventing Xcel from recovering fire costs from customers and from marketing its equipment as safe.

    By Emma Penrod • Updated Dec. 22, 2025
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    Retrieved from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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    FERC members raise alarms about PJM failure to meet reliability target

    PJM says several factors could close the capacity shortfall, including a new load forecast next month that could be significantly lower than the last due to stricter vetting of potential large loads and a reduced economic outlook.

    By • Dec. 19, 2025
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    The image by Steven Baltakatei Sandoval is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    DOE orders 730-MW TransAlta coal plant in Washington to keep running

    The Department of Energy could issue similar emergency orders for at least five other coal-fired power plants set to shutter at the end of the month, according to Earthjustice.

    By • Dec. 17, 2025
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    Russia-linked hackers breach critical infrastructure organizations via edge devices

    “The targeting demonstrates sustained focus on the energy sector supply chain,” Amazon’s threat intelligence team wrote in a blog post Monday.

    By Eric Geller • Dec. 16, 2025
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    CISA updates cybersecurity benchmarks for critical infrastructure organizations

    The agency streamlined and supplemented goals it first issued in 2022 for critical infrastructure operators, including utilities, grid operators and power providers. 

    By Eric Geller • Dec. 15, 2025
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    Courtesy of Georgia Power
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    Grid-scale battery energy storage systems face heightened risk of cyberattack

    Experts warn that state-linked threat groups are actively searching for ways to disrupt the industry amid growing power demand in the U.S.

    By David Jones • Dec. 12, 2025
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    Initial access brokers involved in more cyberattacks, including on critical infrastructure

    A research firm also finds nation-states aligning their cyberattacks more closely with geostrategic goals.

    By Eric Geller • Dec. 9, 2025
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    The image by Chad Davis is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Opinion

    Certainty through transparency: A new planning paradigm for data center loads

    To keep pace with accelerating digital demand, we need utility frameworks that are more transparent, more flexible and more responsive, Stack Infrastructure’s Tim Hughes writes.

    By Tim Hughes • Dec. 9, 2025
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    Trump wants ‘ONE’ national AI rule as states seek to curb impacts on energy costs

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a proposal last week that would, among other things, prohibit utilities from charging residents “more” to support data center development.

    By • Dec. 8, 2025
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    iStock / Grand Warszawski

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    How flexible loads are revolutionizing grid capacity

    Meeting surging power demand without new generation: the controllable load opportunity.

    Dec. 8, 2025
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    US, allies urge critical infrastructure operators to carefully plan and oversee AI use

    New guidance attempts to temper companies’ enthusiasm for the latest exciting technology.

    By Eric Geller • Dec. 5, 2025
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    Flexible connections and BYOC could reduce data center burden: report

    A flexible approach with “bring-your-own-capacity” could connect data centers faster and save hundreds of millions in system supply costs, says a report from Camus, encoord and Princeton University’s ZERO Lab.

    By • Dec. 4, 2025
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    National Petroleum Council urges permitting reform

    A new report from the council says the deepening interdependence of the gas and electric sectors necessitates more coordination between them, along with permitting reform from the government.

    By • Dec. 3, 2025
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    Opinion

    Why wireless monitoring belongs in every utility’s security plan

    Monitoring the radio frequency spectrum closes blind spots, supports critical infrastructure protection and speeds incident response, writes Brett Walkenhorst of Bastille, a security company for wireless communication.

    By Brett Walkenhorst • Dec. 3, 2025