Transmission projects bolster New York, New England summer reliability: NPCC

The region should have adequate resources to meet typical electricity demand, but some areas may need to implement emergency procedures or rely on imports during grid stress, NPCC said.

By Robert Walton • June 11, 2026

Companies are failing to keep up with AI’s sprawl, creating entry points for hackers

Three-quarters of organizations say they aren’t fully overseeing the activities of user accounts belonging to agents and other AI tools.

By Eric Geller • June 10, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Grid Resiliency

The risk from natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires and heat waves is compounded by rising demand for power that threatens to put additional strain on the grid, as well as cyber and physical attacks on critical infrastructure.

By Utility Dive staff

Not-for-profit utilities turn to energy storage as data centers drive cost, reliability concerns

Reliability, power price hedging and avoided infrastructure investment are among the top reasons for the battery push, NRECA said.

By Brian Martucci • June 9, 2026

How load flexibility buys time for America’s data center boom

In markets where supply and demand are out of balance, grid connection increasingly comes with a choice: either bring the needed power yourself, or bring flexibility, write experts at ICF.

By Shanthi Muthiah and Himali Parmar • June 9, 2026

Microsoft seeks Nevada tariff to shield ratepayers from data center costs

The proposal would require large-load customers to pay for infrastructure built specifically to serve their projects while preserving standard utility charges for broader grid services.

By Marlene Wilden • June 8, 2026

Big, power-ready facilities drive industrial real estate market

Companies are looking for modern facilities that can accommodate power-hungry automation, industrial experts said in a report first provided to Facilities Dive.

By Joe Burns • June 8, 2026

Electric sector needs firm gas supply to protect grid reliability, gas industry report says

The report, prepared for the Natural Gas Council, applauded reforms introduced following Winter Storm Uri in 2021 but said better coordination between the gas and electric sectors is still needed.

By Marlene Wilden • June 4, 2026

MISO’s resource outlook improves as forecast generation additions outpace demand growth

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator is expected to have growing capacity surpluses over the next five years, according to the OMS-MISO survey.

By Ethan Howland • June 4, 2026

What’s on the mind of EEI conference attendees? Labor, AI, affordability and more.

Utility Dive talked to registrants before the conference to hear how industry changes are impacting their work.

By Meris Lutz • June 2, 2026

Data centers can raise temperatures, energy burdens in nearby neighborhoods: ASU study

Each one-degree increase in temperature will drive a higher use of air conditioning, which in turn will put more heat into the area, creating “a feedback loop,” researchers concluded.

By Robert Freedman • June 2, 2026

Load growth can help modernize grid, but cost-shift risks are significant: Concentric

On-site generation can be an interim solution as projects await full grid interconnection, but “widespread reliance on off‑grid systems is not a durable path forward,” Concentric said in a new report.

By Diana DiGangi • June 1, 2026

MISO pushes back on utility complaint over competitive transmission bidding

The grid operator stopped short of taking a position on the complaint itself. States and consumer advocates oppose it, while at least one major data center company supports it.

By Ethan Howland • May 28, 2026

What the streaming wars can teach utilities about the AI data center boom

Utilities can avoid making the same mistakes major studios made in the Netflix era, but only if they view the AI boom as a systemwide modernization challenge rather than an overflowing queue of individual projects, writes Abbey O’Brien at Ulteig.

By Abbey O’Brien • May 27, 2026

76% of Americans want stronger utility oversight

A poll from consumer advocacy group PowerLines found broad distrust of elected officials and limited understanding of utilities’ business models. Experts told Utility Dive the disconnect could worsen.

By Brian Martucci • Updated May 21, 2026

FERC Commissioner Chang is ‘not thinking about’ breaking up PJM

“I'm interested in the successful continued operation of PJM, but definitely I want to help them get through this period,” FERC Commissioner Judy Chang told Utility Dive. She called the proposed NextEra-Dominion merger “interesting.”

By Diana DiGangi • May 21, 2026

PJM accelerates backstop auction amid uncertainty over data center cost allocation

The grid operator urged states to develop rules to shield other ratepayers from data center-driven costs, but analysts said it remains unclear how a reliability auction’s costs could be allocated only to hyperscalers.

By Ethan Howland • May 20, 2026

Data center interconnection delays complicate demand forecasting: NERC

The U.S. power grid should have sufficient resources to meet typical summer demand, but risk is growing in the shoulder seasons, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. said Tuesday.

By Robert Walton • May 20, 2026

PJM gets emergency approval to curtail data centers, large loads during hot weather

Under the Department of Energy order, the PJM Interconnection can curtail power to data centers with backup generation as a last resort before instituting rolling blackouts.

By Ethan Howland • May 19, 2026

New cybersecurity industry coalition aims to lead US critical infrastructure protection

The new Alliance for Critical Infrastructure wants to change how the nation plans for a major cybersecurity crisis. Founding members include Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Consolidated Edison, Southern Co. and Xcel Energy.

By Eric Geller • May 19, 2026

DOE exceeded its authority with coal retirement delay, states tell appeals court

A decision in the Consumers Energy case could set a precedent for legal challenges to Department of Energy orders keeping fossil-fueled power plants from retiring.

By Ethan Howland • May 18, 2026

Combined NextEra-Dominion would have 130-GW large-load pipeline

Analysts said the deal, which could create the largest regulated electric utility in the world, marks a shift back toward an integrated utility model. The combined business would be “anchored by a more than 80% regulated business mix,” the companies said.

By Robert Walton • May 18, 2026

Early EPC project integration helps utility owners meet grid demands

See how closer engineering-construction coordination improves utility project delivery.

By Sarah Simpson, Burns & McDonnell • May 18, 2026

NY’s 2027 budget includes climate, emissions reduction rollbacks: Gov. Hochul

The state plans to scrap a 2030 goal that sought a 40% reduction in emissions and replace it with a 2040 goal that aims for a 60% reduction.

By Zoya Mirza • May 15, 2026

How utilities can avoid data overload and turn maintenance data into action

Data collection can feel meaningless when utilities lack the tools to turn that data into improved performance or efficiency, writes Ariel Santamaria from Advanced Technology Services.

By Ariel Santamaria • May 15, 2026

Commercial electricity use will likely surpass residential in 2027: EIA

Meanwhile, residential prices have been growing in all regions of the United States, “and we expect this trend to continue,” the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.

By Robert Walton • May 15, 2026