Data centers can vanish from the grid in seconds; reliability rules need to catch up

The loss of more than 3 GW of data center demand in Virginia shows why policy must address operational behavior, not just costs, writes AIxEnergy.io founder Brandon Owens.

By Brandon Owens • Aug. 25, 2026

US-Canada trade war threatens electricity imports, prices

If Canada opts to reduce or eliminate electricity exports to New England, the impact would be largely financial — at least under typical weather conditions, according to the region's grid operator. A previous 25% tariff in 2025 lasted only a day.

By Robert Walton • Updated Aug. 25, 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

Commonwealth Fusion Systems aims to complete demonstration reactor with $1B funding round

CEO Bob Mumgaard said the reactor, SPARC, is now “about 80% complete.” Experts remain divided over how soon they believe fusion technology could be commercialized.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 24, 2026

Microsoft, PowerHouse Hillwood dispute data center service agreements

Data center agreements in Wisconsin fail to protect ratepayers, Microsoft says. Separately, PowerHouse Hillwood has accused Exelon’s ComEd of using monopoly power to quash an agreement for an Illinois data center.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 24, 2026

PJM eyes option to jumpstart surplus interconnection pathway

PJM’s surplus interconnection process has produced limited results while MISO and SPP are studying about 15 GW and 14 GW, respectively — mostly battery storage. PJM's current rules hinder hybrid projects, observers say.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 21, 2026

Electric co-ops press for repeal of gas power plant emissions rules

“We are anxious to see action on this,” said National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson. “We all understand that natural gas is the go-to for new generation in this country.”

By Diana DiGangi • Aug. 20, 2026

FERC approves SPP ‘topology optimization’ plan for cutting grid congestion

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s power market has saved nearly $100 million this year under a similar approach for topology reconfiguration.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 20, 2026

Pennsylvania dangles permitting carrot for data centers that bring their own power

Under a new permitting framework for loads over 25 MW, applicants that commit to abide by the state’s recently introduced infrastructure development standards for data centers will receive preferential treatment.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 19, 2026

ISO-NE to review ‘asset condition’ transmission projects under proposal filed at FERC

The class of projects, which are chosen and built by transmission owners, mainly to replace aging infrastructure, with limited oversight, have long been a source of complaint by New England states and ratepayer advocates.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 18, 2026

FERC approves MISO cost recovery plan for transmission projects built in PJM

In its decision affecting Exelon and Duke Energy utilities, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected calls to require the planned projects to go through a bidding process.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 17, 2026

Dominion ordered to directly assign some transmission costs to data centers

The Virginia State Corporation Commission said it may use an upcoming docket to weigh whether this policy “could or should” also apply to more upstream transmission costs.

By Diana DiGangi • Aug. 12, 2026

PJM eyes data center, crypto reliability requirements after 3.8 GW of load trips offline

The PJM Interconnection is considering setting “ride-through” standards after data centers tripped offline in Northern Virginia on July 22, the latest and largest such event in PJM’s history, the grid operator said.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 12, 2026

Competitive transmission delivers benefits for the AI economy and customers

A group of incumbent utilities asked FERC to suspend competitive bidding for some transmission projects. The responsive filings are in, and the record does more than rebut the complaint — it dismantles it, writes Jim Rossi of Vanderbilt Law School.

By Jim Rossi • Aug. 10, 2026

The utility billing system is preventing rate and program innovation

Utilities are spending billions to modernize the grid, but the system responsible for billing customers is not keeping up, writes GridX Chief Commercial Officer Scott Engstrom.

By Scott Engstrom • Aug. 7, 2026

Texas data center pause puts 20% of US pipeline at risk of delay: BNEF

The longer the moratorium stays in place, the greater the risk to Texas’ data center boom, analysts at Bloomberg NEF said.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 6, 2026

California DER wholesale market participation could grow 2+ GW from CAISO ‘accounting change’: advocate

Behind-the-meter batteries and other aggregated DERs could get another lift from a related rulemaking at the California Public Utilities Commission, but a final ruling is unlikely before next year, a regulatory expert told Utility Dive.

By Brian Martucci • Aug. 5, 2026

$20B in federal climate grants unblocked by appeals court

A divided court rejected the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to reclaim Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants “based solely on a policy disagreement” with the Inflation Reduction Act. 

By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 5, 2026

PSEG offers large load supply proposals in PJM’s bilateral contracting process

Also, Public Service Enterprise Group is “encouraged” by potential changes to the utility business model in New Jersey, CEO Ralph LaRossa said.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 5, 2026

Facing an estimated 474 GW of interconnection requests, Texas hits pause on data centers

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called for an audit of all data centers in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas interconnection queue, leading the grid operator to delay its Batch Zero review process.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 5, 2026

America’s permitting crisis lives at City Hall

Every month a city spends re-reviewing a battery it has already certified safe is time wasted when that resource could be adding capacity to the grid or lowering a family's bill, writes Base Power COO Justin Lopas.

By Justin Lopas • Aug. 4, 2026

Eversource Q2 income plunges on transmission ROE, offshore wind charges

Jefferies analysts cast doubt on Connecticut Light and Power’s $1 billion advanced metering infrastructure proposal, which has a negative benefit-to-cost ratio.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 4, 2026

AEP secures 13 GW of gas turbines as generation ‘central’ to growth plans

Turbines are “a scarce resource and will become increasingly more valuable,” AEP’s Bill Fehrman said. “We're going to continue to be aggressive in our positions on this.”

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 3, 2026

PJM files backstop auction plan at FERC to meet capacity shortfall

The proposal aims to fill a capacity shortfall driven by surging data center demand, which could grow by 70 GW by 2038, according to the PJM Interconnection. The success of the plan depends on states taking steps to protect their retail customers from cost shifts, it said.

By Ethan Howland • Aug. 3, 2026

Leading the agentic grid transformation

The strategic priorities shaping the future of intelligent utility operations.

By Sandy Simon, Partner, Energy & Utilities, West Monroe • Aug. 3, 2026

Texas approves AI data center co-location next to wind farm, with curtailment caveats

A final order in the case could offer an early template for other large behind-the-meter loads, requiring rapid curtailment during grid emergencies while limiting participation in demand response programs.

By Marlene Wilden • July 30, 2026