From labor to components, America must bring grid modernization home

If the U.S. does not reshore every layer of the grid, it will never be able to power the AI economy it intends to lead, writes Peak Nano CEO Jim Welsh.

By Jim Welsh • March 2, 2026

Public takeover of Tucson Electric Power would cost $4B, Brattle finds

A city-run utility would increase electric bills by $5.8 billion over 20 years, according to a study commissioned by the utility. “No one believes TEP’s accounting,” public power proponents countered.

By Robert Walton • March 2, 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

The hidden capacity in field crews

Digital tools help field teams work safer, faster and smarter to strengthen grid reliability.

March 2, 2026

PSEG sees investment opportunity as NJ eyes adding in-state generation

A bill was introduced this week in the New Jersey Legislature that would require a solicitation for gas-fired generation.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 27, 2026

Xcel must begin pole replacement in Texas as court weighs Smokehouse Creek fire lawsuit

An injunction requires Xcel Energy to inspect no fewer than 35,000 poles per year and replace those considered a fire risk within a court-mandated time frame while the litigation proceeds. A trial is scheduled for April 2027.

By Emma Penrod • Feb. 26, 2026

Constellation Energy sees surging power, capacity prices in 2025

Average day-ahead electricity prices in the PJM West region, for example, jumped 49% in 2025, Constellation Energy said in its earnings report.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 25, 2026

Dominion Energy details its $65B, 5-year spending plan

Data center demand is driving load forecasts and robust capital spending plans as Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind nears the finish line, company executives said Monday.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 24, 2026

ConEd eyes $38B in capital spending through 2030

The downstate New York utility company sees robust demand growth from electric vehicles and buildings amid heightened reliability challenges and affordability concerns.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 24, 2026

PPL spending plan jumps 15%, to $23B, on transmission, grid hardening

A PPL-Blackstone Infrastructure joint venture is in talks with hyperscalers to supply their data centers with generation, including options that could be built quickly, a company official said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 23, 2026

Evergy’s capital spending plan jumps 24%, to $21.6B, driven by generation

Evergy this month signed electric service contracts totaling 1.9 GW with Google, Meta and Beale Infrastructure, with at least one more contract expected this year, company officials said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 20, 2026

Southern California Edison expects ‘muted’ 2026 growth as wildfire costs roll in

Chief Financial Officer Maria Rigatti told investors the company sees mounting wildfire costs as a one-time setback that won't impact future growth.

By Emma Penrod • Feb. 20, 2026

As load grows, Southern raises spending plan to $81B

The utility company’s large load pipeline now sits at 75 GW, with 10 GW fully contracted.

By Diana DiGangi • Feb. 20, 2026

FirstEnergy 5-year spending plan jumps 30%, to $36B, driven by transmission

FirstEnergy is seeking a U.S. Department of Energy loan to pay half of a $2.5 billion gas-fired power plant planned for West Virginia.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 19, 2026

CenterPoint peak load to jump 50% by 2029 — 2 years earlier than previously expected

Demand is growing faster than previously anticipated and is on pace to double CenterPoint’s peak load by the middle of next decade, CEO Jason Wells said.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 19, 2026

PGE in $1.9B deal to buy PacifiCorp’s Washington utility operations

The deal could yield system resilience, transmission and clean energy investment opportunities as well as new large load customers, Portland General Electric officials said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 18, 2026

Entergy sees traditional and high-tech industrials driving sales growth

The New Orleans-based company’s five regional utilities expect 8% annual sales growth through 2029 as data centers and new heavy industrial projects come online.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 17, 2026

Data center growth has helped PG&E cut rates 11% since 2024, CEO says

But California's “regressive” wildfire policies have become a burden for ratepayers, CEO Patti Poppe said.

By Emma Penrod • Feb. 17, 2026

DTE Energy’s 5-year spending plan jumps 20% on data center, reliability investments

The company's 2026-2030 investment plan clocks in at $36.5 billion, up from $30 billion it identified in its 2025-2029 outlook.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 17, 2026

Transmission drives Exelon’s capital spending plan to $41.3B

Exelon has a “line of sight” on $12 billion to $17 billion of transmission buildout over the next 10 years that isn’t included in its current capital plan, a company official said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 13, 2026

AEP contracted large load pipeline doubles to 56 GW

American Electric Power’s data center pipeline in Texas surged to 36 GW by the end of December, from 13 GW in the third quarter.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 13, 2026

At $103B, Duke claims largest spending plan of any regulated US utility

The company is already deploying more than $1 billion in capital every month, CEO Harry Sideris said. Its North Carolina utility has a rate case pending.

By Emma Penrod • Feb. 12, 2026

Top 2026 events for engineers

Stay ahead of the curve and don't miss out on the leading 2026 events for power and electrical engineers and professionals.

Feb. 9, 2026

Consumers Energy plans over $17B in capital spending in next 5 years

Executives did not provide a substantive update on the DOE’s “emergency” orders to continue running a 1.6-GW coal plant the company had planned to retire, but they hinted that they would eventually shut it down to “drive cost savings.”

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 6, 2026

Xcel Energy pursuing large load tariffs in 4 states amid data center growth

The company expects to sign contracts on 6 GW of data centers by the end of 2027, CEO Bob Frenzel said. Xcel is partnering with NextEra Energy and GE Vernova to speed its development of new generation.

By Emma Penrod • Feb. 6, 2026

AI, ICE protests and karaoke: DistribuTECH comes to San Diego

“As an industry, we’ve gone from ‘Keep the lights on and stay out of the news,’ to now being the lead story for energy independence, national security and AI development,” said Del Misenheimer, GE Vernova’s VP and CEO of grid automation and software.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 4, 2026