Grid Security & Reliability
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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 Robert Walton • Jan. 9, 2026 -
Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo via Getty Images
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 Meris Lutz , Robert Walton , Ethan Howland , Diana DiGangi • Jan. 8, 2026 -
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TrendlineAI 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 -
Courtesy of GE Vernova
OpinionHow 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 -
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 Ethan Howland • Jan. 6, 2026 -
Eric Geller/Utility Dive
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 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
OpinionUsing 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 -
R. Eskalis/NIST. Retrieved from NIST.
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 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
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 -
Retrieved from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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 Ethan Howland • Dec. 19, 2025 -
The image by Steven Baltakatei Sandoval is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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 Ethan Howland • Dec. 17, 2025 -
Samuel Corum via Getty Images
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 -
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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 -
Courtesy of Georgia Power
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 -
Getty Images
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 -
OpinionCertainty 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 Diana DiGangi • Dec. 8, 2025 -
iStock / Grand Warszawski
Sponsored by OBMHow flexible loads are revolutionizing grid capacity
Meeting surging power demand without new generation: the controllable load opportunity.
Dec. 8, 2025 -
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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 -
Getty Images
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 Diana DiGangi • Dec. 4, 2025 -
Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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 Diana DiGangi • Dec. 3, 2025 -
Getty Images
OpinionWhy 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 -
Retrieved from U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
China seeks long-term vulnerabilities in US energy systems: House panelists
“Today's electricity grid is too often a hodgepodge of digital tools sitting atop an analog foundation, creating seams where adversaries can slip in,” Carnegie Mellon’s Harry Krejsa said.
By Ethan Howland • Dec. 3, 2025 -
Nathan Howard via Getty Images
OpinionSolving PJM’s data center problem
The grid operator must stop buying capacity for new data centers. Instead, it can provide them with only interruptible service until they bring their own capacity, write Tom Rutigliano and Claire Lang-Ree of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
By Tom Rutigliano and Claire Lang-Ree • Dec. 2, 2025 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Americans lost more power last year than any year in previous decade: EIA
The annual average of 11 hours of electricity interruptions was nearly double the annual average of the last ten years, with hurricanes a leading cause.
By Diana DiGangi • Dec. 2, 2025 -
Brent Stirton via Getty Images
Deep DiveUtilities, regulators look to accelerate pilots to achieve speed-to-innovation
Stakeholders say clear cost limits, timelines and parameters for scaling can overcome the inertia of a traditionally risk-averse industry.
By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 1, 2025
