DOE mulls changes to Biden-era transformer rule, raising utility concerns

Utility associations supported the 2024 efficiency requirements for distribution transformers and oppose their repeal. The rule may threaten national security, DOE says.

By Robert Walton • July 29, 2026

Behind the New York data center pause is legislation that could impact existing facilities

Legislation that’s been put on the back burner while the moratorium is in effect would require large data centers to procure at least a third of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and might impact those with water-intensive cooling, analyses show.

By Joe Burns • July 28, 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

Community solar can bridge California’s energy affordability gap

Regulatory complexities are thwarting innovation and keeping electricity bills for the majority of Californians far too high, writes Ardi Arian, CEO of Renewable America.

By Ardi Arian • July 28, 2026

PJM board proposes backstop capacity auction, data center curtailment plans

FERC’s response to the proposals will likely “influence utility capital investment, data center development timelines and the allocation of reliability risks and costs,” ClearView Energy Partners said.

By Ethan Howland • Updated July 28, 2026

Utility profits in the crosshairs amid affordability concerns

As states target utilities’ return on equity, Pepco’s rate case in Maryland, where the consumer advocate is arguing for an ROE cut, is being closely watched.

By Herman K. Trabish • Updated 8 hours ago

States cannot be granted filing rights under Section 205 of the Federal Power Act

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should reject a proposal that states share “filing rights” with the PJM Interconnection and its transmission owners, former FERC Chairman Joseph Kelliher writes.

By Joseph Kelliher • July 27, 2026

Trump’s ‘vindictive’ use of energy, other grants sparks backlash

The administration nixed $7.6 billion in clean energy grants last year “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state,” the U.S Department of Energy said in court documents.

By Robert Walton • July 27, 2026

FERC will impose reforms if PJM fails to adopt changes by September, chairman warns

There appears to be broad support for strengthening the independence of the grid operator’s board, possibly by moving to an advisory stakeholder process, and giving states more influence. Some also called for codifying the public interest in PJM’s mission.

By Ethan Howland • July 24, 2026

DOE’s new power export rule at odds with ‘energy emergency’ findings: Public Citizen

“Any export of power ... necessarily makes that power unavailable to domestic customers,” potentially contributing to inadequate supplies for a region, Public Citizen said. 

By Ethan Howland • July 23, 2026

FERC eyes ‘grid-enhancing technology’ incentives: Chairman Swett

Data centers, competition in the transmission sector and PJM Interconnection governance reform were other key topics at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing.

By Ethan Howland • July 23, 2026

Don’t gut the utility model just as we need it most

Cutting utility returns won't lower electric bills and will leave us with a more fragile power grid, writes Scott Aaronson, former secretary of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council.

By Scott Aaronson • July 22, 2026

3 practical steps to ensure the US industrial boom runs on electricity

Long-term electricity procurement, on-site generation, efficiency and flexibility can give manufacturers more ways to manage their energy bills, writes the World Wildlife Fund’s Cihang Yuan.

By Cihang Yuan • July 21, 2026

FERC fails to shield PJM consumers from data center transmission costs: ratepayer advocates

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s large load “show cause” order for the PJM Interconnection fails to address cost allocation of network upgrades, advocates from five states said.

By Ethan Howland • July 21, 2026

Data centers drove $6.3B in PJM capacity auction costs: market monitor

In the PJM’s last four capacity auctions, data center-related capacity charges were nearly half of the $63.6 billion in total charges, Monitoring Analytics says.

By Ethan Howland • July 20, 2026

PJM capacity auction results compound ‘alarm bells’: FERC Chairman Swett

At its monthly meeting, FERC set data center reliability standard deadlines, ordered CAISO and SPP to report on “seams” issues and advanced a complaint over cost recovery for a New Jersey power line.

By Ethan Howland • July 17, 2026

Indiana regulators investigate utility ROEs, ‘trackers’ in affordability review

AES, American Electric Power, CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy and NiSource could be affected under a “more consumer-oriented utility commission policy,” Paul Patterson, a Glenrock Associates equity analyst, told Utility Dive.

By Ethan Howland • July 16, 2026

Retail electric rate increases outpace inflation with prices set to rise higher

Regulators approved 64% of the dollar value of revenue increase requests over the past five years, suggesting today’s rate cases will continue to raise bills, according to a recent report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

By Brian Martucci • July 16, 2026

The grid’s fastest-growing resource isn’t generation. It’s flexibility.

The technology is there. The institutions are not. FERC’s July 23 technical conference on the PJM Interconnection’s governance is where that gap gets addressed — or doesn’t, writes Jeanine Johnson, a former member of the grid operator’s board.

By Jeanine Johnson • July 15, 2026

PJM capacity prices hit price cap, reserve shortfall grows

“The outcome demonstrates that the current system doesn’t work to bring online new capacity or stimulate demand response, the two things we need the most,” Aurora Energy’s Julia Hoos told Utility Dive, warning of “an intervention doom loop.”

By Ethan Howland • July 15, 2026

Pennsylvania data centers face increased oversight under new law

Data centers will now have to provide annual energy usage reports to the state, and the PJM Interconnection will need to give state regulators additional insight into its demand forecasting.

By Diana DiGangi • July 14, 2026

Utilities requested $9.2B in rate hikes in Q2: PowerLines

Dominion Energy in Virginia is seeking about $1.5 billion in increases across three rate requests, the report said. Oncor in Texas requested the largest single increase in Q2 at $1.2 billion, driven largely by transmission and distribution investments.

By Ethan Howland • July 14, 2026

DHS proposes new critical infrastructure security framework

The Trump administration eliminated the previous framework in 2025, sparking backlash from experts and infrastructure operators.

By Eric Geller • July 14, 2026

Illinois governor signs laws on utility bill transparency, financial assistance

Alignment between the state’s progressive governor and Republican state lawmakers underscores a bipartisan consensus on the urgency of addressing public anger over electricity bills.

By Meris Lutz • July 14, 2026

PG&E faces $22M penalty for Mosquito Fire under proposed agreement

The 2022 fire burned more than 75,000 acres and dozens of structures. A subsequent investigation of PG&E’s infrastructure found violations of state rules for the design, construction and maintenance of overhead electrical lines.

By Meris Lutz • July 13, 2026

Former FERC officials concerned about Supreme Court Slaughter decision impacts

“Stripping those agencies of their independence will leave consumers exposed to the worst aspects of competitive markets without the protections of informed regulatory review,” said former FERC Chair Jon Wellinghoff.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 10, 2026