Southern Co. taps SwissDrones for unmanned helicopter monitoring

A recent executive order from President Donald Trump may allow other utilities to follow suit in using unmanned aircraft for grid inspections.

By Diana DiGangi • July 18, 2025

Governors seek more influence over PJM amid ‘crisis of confidence’

Nine governors representing the majority of electric customers in the grid operator’s footprint said they want a say in filling two vacant board seats. 

By Ethan Howland • Updated 6 hours ago

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

Trump taps Project 2025 contributor to fill vacant FERC seat

David LaCerte works at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. He served during Trump’s first term and helped on Project 2025, the conservative road map to “deconstruct the Administrative State.”

By Ethan Howland • July 17, 2025

Trump wants to use AI to prevent wildfires. Utilities are trying. Will it work?

The president wants to remake wildfire policy with an increased emphasis on technology and a new, consolidated federal wildland fire service. Experts have mixed reactions.

By Emma Penrod • July 17, 2025

Law judge calls for Minnesota PUC to reject $6.2B Allete private equity deal

The proposed private equity model isn’t in the public interest, an administrative law judge said.

By Ethan Howland • July 16, 2025

The regulator’s dilemma: balancing grid modernization with rising power bills

Load growth and aging infrastructure require investment, but customer electricity prices are up 4.5% nationally, almost twice the 2.4% national inflation rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 15, 2025

Will FERC stand up for competitive power markets? Our grid depends on it.

With hundreds of billions of dollars expected to be spent on grid projects, it’s time for FERC to reaffirm its commitment to market competition — and prevent utility self-dealing.

By Andrew Waranch • July 14, 2025

Adapting utility tariffs for data center driven load growth

Data center development is driving unprecedented electricity demand growth. Read how this is creating operational, financial and regulatory challenges and opportunities.

By Eric Brooks and Justin Stevens • July 14, 2025

Ignoring customers is unsustainable and bad policy

Enabling flexible customer demand can drive significant system-wide benefits while mitigating the cost or timing of expensive system upgrades.

By Kent Chandler, Chris Villarreal and Michael Giberson • July 11, 2025

Environmental, consumer advocates sue Bonneville for joining SPP’s day-ahead market

Plaintiffs say the agency's decision to join Markets+ will increase the risk of blackouts compared to joining CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market or a “no-action” alternative.

By Ethan Howland • July 11, 2025

Misaligned interconnection, transmission planning could hurt competitive markets: FERC’s Chang

Getting generation online as quickly as possible is a key priority, according to Commissioner Judy Chang. “We should plan, design, permit — all faster."

By Ethan Howland • July 11, 2025

Ohio regulators approve AEP data center interconnection rules

The Ohio PUC ordered the utility to file updated tariffs and lift a moratorium on connecting new data centers as soon as possible.

By Meris Lutz • July 10, 2025

Avoid the ‘standing’ land mine in FERC appeals

The Entergy Arkansas case involving a Midcontinent Independent System Operator proposal highlights how standing works — and the risk of failing to prepare to meet its threshold requirements.

By Jackson A. Myers and Zakary Kadish • July 10, 2025

PHMSA grants work for America. Let’s keep them funded.

By repairing and replacing gas pipelines, the federal program helps municipal and community-owned utilities lower energy costs, create jobs and cut emissions, but its funding expires next year.  

By Dave Schryver • July 9, 2025

Trump seeks tighter restrictions on wind and solar with executive order

The order seeks to “ensure that policies concerning the ‘beginning of construction’ are not circumvented” by wind and solar projects.

By Diana DiGangi • July 9, 2025

Power providers urge FERC to reject PacifiCorp adding $1.7B in wildfire liabilities to transmission rates

The Berkshire Hathaway utility’s plan to recover its potential liabilities is illegal and would create rate shock, according to a complaint at the federal agency.

By Ethan Howland • July 9, 2025

PJM market monitor urges FERC to set conditions on $12B NRG, LS Power deal

Without the conditions, the independent market monitor said it would oppose the transaction because it would increase NRG’s ability to affect electricity and capacity prices.

By Ethan Howland • July 8, 2025

Load growth, plant retirements could drive 100x increase in blackouts by 2030: DOE

The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday published a methodology for assessing grid reliability, but clean energy advocates say it likely exaggerates the risks of blackouts.

By Robert Walton • July 8, 2025

Trump rolls out tariffs for Japan, South Korea, others ahead of Aug. 1 deadline

Several countries on the list are major suppliers to the U.S. of battery components and electrical transformers.

By Philip Neuffer • July 7, 2025

JPMorgan launches carbon market blockchain app

In a bid to boost data standardization and transparency, the bank is working with three global carbon registries to test the viability of tokenizing the voluntary carbon market.

By Lamar Johnson • July 7, 2025

FERC rejects MISO, SPP plan to broaden scope of interregional transmission planning

One dissenting commissioner said regulators "should not stand in the way of simple solutions" that would improve study accuracy.

By Ethan Howland • July 7, 2025

How regulators can protect hydrogen customers while enabling innovation

By asking key questions, regulators can distinguish between fruitful and wasteful hydrogen projects. And by taking a holistic view and engaging with others, they can bring stability to the industry.

By Dan Esposito and Mike O’Boyle • July 2, 2025

Whatever happens with the IRA, energy storage is here to stay

The electric grid needs flexibility, speed and stability. Energy storage offers all three.

By Arun Muthukrishnan • July 1, 2025

New Jersey seeks 1 GW of transmission-scale storage

The Garden State’s solicitation is part of a plan to have 2 GW of storage by 2030.

By Brian Martucci • July 1, 2025

Federal agencies, including FERC and DOE, revoke environmental review rules

The agencies eliminated all references to consider climate change, environmental justice and other key environmental issues in their permit reviews, Earthjustice said.

By Ethan Howland • July 1, 2025