US annual electricity consumption to grow 55% by 2050: NEMA

The group representing electrical equipment manufacturers expects data center energy consumption to grow 300% over the next 10 years.

By Robert Walton • May 13, 2026

Con Edison to spend $29B shoring up NYC area grid as electrification rises

New York City and its suburbs are not seeing an influx of data centers like other parts of the country, but building and transportation electrification is driving gradual demand growth.

By Brian Martucci • May 12, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Cybersecurity of the Grid

In addition to presenting opportunities for growth, AI is exacerbating cyber threats with more sophisticated malware that is easier than ever to build and deploy. The rise of distributed energy resources also creates more opportunities for attack. 

By Utility Dive staff

Making AI work for utilities means treating technology as a partner, not a replacement

In an era when reliability indices directly shape regulatory ratings, AI's predictive capability becomes a measurable operational asset, but only when people know how to use it, writes Sean Burri, a Dominion Energy infrastructure engineer.

By Sean Burri • May 12, 2026

SPP, PJM, CAISO anticipate being able to meet power demand this summer

The regions in each organization’s footprint are likely to see higher-than-average temperatures this summer, but supply is expected to reliably meet demand.

By Diana DiGangi • May 12, 2026

Resilient grid design can change what happens when storms hit

Improve your storm response with targeted design approaches on the distribution grid.

By Kumar Chandran • May 11, 2026

Modern billing systems put more power behind utility rates

Rate design can reduce grid costs, but first utilities need upgraded billing systems.

By Galen Erickson, Kurt Coutain, Emma Rodvien • May 11, 2026

Why procurement has become a grid reliability issue: ULE Group

Critical grid work becomes harder for utilities to keep on budget when schedules are repeatedly disrupted by missing or delayed equipment, writes ULE Group President Danielle Pirrone.

By Danielle Pirrone • May 8, 2026

PJM floats options for capacity market overhaul

“The current situation is not tenable,” PJM President and CEO David Mills said. “The region has years, not decades, to make these choices deliberately.” The grid operator lays out three options, including shifting to an energy market model, in a white paper.

By Ethan Howland • May 7, 2026

NERC issues Level 3 alert, mandates action to address data center load losses

Computational loads pose “immediate risks,” the grid watchdog said. Certain grid participants must take seven actions by Aug. 3 in response. 

By Robert Walton • Updated May 5, 2026

ISO New England trims 10-year forecast based on electrification outlook

Annual electricity consumption will grow about 9% by 2035, reflecting “more conservative assumptions around future adoption of electric vehicles and heat pumps,” the grid operator said.

By Robert Walton • May 4, 2026

TransAlta seeks $19.9M for Centralia plant’s first DOE ‘emergency’ order

The plant didn’t produce electricity, but TransAlta spent money keeping it “available” instead of retiring it as planned. It will cost another $23 million to repair it, TransAlta told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

By Ethan Howland • May 1, 2026

Wildfires weigh on PG&E as California sees modest large load demand

California must spread the word that it is “open for business,” CEO Patti Poppe said of recent interactions with data center developers. The California Energy Commission forecasts 1.8 GW of new data center load in CAISO by 2030.

By Emma Penrod • April 30, 2026

Major critical infrastructure supplier reports cyberattack

Itron, which claims to have contracts with more than 7,700 utility providers in 100 countries, said it “has not observed any subsequent unauthorized activity within its corporate systems” nor unauthorized access to customer data.

By Eric Geller • April 28, 2026

Extended heat wave could cripple New York’s grid this summer: NYISO

Electric reliability margins will be “the lowest ... in recent history” at just 417 MW available under baseline summer conditions, the New York Independent System Operator said Friday.

By Robert Walton • April 28, 2026

What load growth demands of resource planning

Utilities and grid operators are facing load growth projections that would have seemed implausible just five years ago.

April 27, 2026

Grid modernization’s overlooked constraint: From data gaps to data advantage

Grid modernization is limited by data—see how utilities are fixing it.

April 27, 2026

AI data centers are upending utility load planning

Utilities need planning frameworks to account for uncertain load profiles, while developers must be clear about how their facilities perform, writes Mark Knipfer at Integrated Environmental Solutions.  

By Mark Knipfer • April 24, 2026

Alaska’s energy challenges require a national response

Alaska energy modernization should be treated as a national infrastructure priority, writes Northwest Public Power Association CEO Kurt Miller.

By Kurt Miller • April 22, 2026

What does Trump’s wartime powers flex mean for transformers and other grid equipment shortages?

Spencer Pederson of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association told Utility Dive the move was a “step in the right direction,” but its impact will depend on details and funding. In the meantime, distribution transformer backlogs are running a year or more.

By Robert Walton • April 22, 2026

Sudden data center load losses prompt NERC alert, recommendations

The reliability watchdog is concerned about a series of “widespread and unexpected” customer-initiated load reductions in 2024 and 2025 during which 1,000 MW or more dropped off the bulk power system.

By Robert Walton • April 21, 2026

MISO expects load to jump 35% by 2035 on data center growth

However, data center development plans "widen uncertainty" in the long-term outlook, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator cautioned. Utilities need more dynamic planning models to cope, Stephanie Chesnick Cutter of EY told Utility Dive.

By Ethan Howland • April 20, 2026

How do you know your power market and grid data is reliable? 9 questions to ask

Not just any data will do when high-impact decisions rely on accurate info. Here’s what to look for.

April 20, 2026

The single-platform utility: A competitive advantage in the age of AI

Many utilities still run different technological worlds without a common platform and data foundation. Learn how a single platform can increase business speed while reducing risks and costs.

By Oracle • April 20, 2026

PJM proposes adding 14.9 GW with bilateral contracts, central procurement

In the first part of a two-phase plan, the grid operator would help match buyers, including data centers and other large loads, with sellers of new generation. States and utilities may seek to lower the procurement target over affordability concerns.

By Ethan Howland • April 13, 2026

As EV load grows, utilities use managed charging to harness flexibility, lower costs

Active managed charging can delay costly system upgrades while saving individual customers money on their bills, utilities, automakers and aggregators say, but a lack of standardized data-sharing is slowing adoption.

By Herman K. Trabish • Updated April 10, 2026