Regulation & Policy
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2024 Elections
Clean energy, sustainable investors brace for second Trump presidency
Experts expect private sector work on ESG issues and the clean energy transition to continue, albeit at a slower pace, under a reelected Donald Trump.
By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 7, 2024 -
Opinion
How good data can fuel carbon capture and storage adoption for power plants
CCS is vital to complying with recent EPA emissions mandates, but slow permitting and inadequate data are delaying deployment.
By John Tombari • Nov. 7, 2024 -
Trendline
The Energy Transition to Renewables
New policy and business actions are giving a significant boost to renewable energy in the U.S., but opposition is growing and grid interconnection, permitting, labor and other challenges remain.
By Utility Dive staff -
2024 Elections
Trump win is ‘setback’ for climate protection, but clean energy advocates say progress will continue
Trump’s victory means a Republican will be selected to lead FERC, which will likely work to reign in transmission incentives, said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen's Energy Program.
By Robert Walton • Nov. 6, 2024 -
AEP, others press for FERC guidance on ‘gargantuan’ issue of data center colocation
Google is interested in colocation to meet its data center needs, not to avoid grid costs, said Brian George, the company's U.S. federal lead for global energy market development.
By Ethan Howland • Nov. 4, 2024 -
FERC rejects interconnection pact for Talen-Amazon data center deal at nuclear plant
Chairman Willie Phillips dissented from the decision on the “first of its kind” co-location proposal, saying it could harm national security and grid reliability.
By Ethan Howland • Nov. 4, 2024 -
FERC’s Rosner pushes state flexibility in transmission planning rehearing order
Rosner said his top priorities are grid reliability balanced with affordability, managing the energy transition and supporting gas and transmission infrastructure development.
By Ethan Howland • Nov. 1, 2024 -
States should procure power supplies outside PJM capacity auctions: FirstEnergy CEO
Capacity concerns come amid a surge in data center development, with FirstEnergy receiving more than 60 service inquiries larger than 500 MW this year.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 31, 2024 -
Exelon’s ‘high probability’ data center load has nearly doubled to 11 GW, CEO says
Meanwhile, the PJM Interconnection’s plan to delay an upcoming capacity auction “sends a clear message that [market] reform is definitely needed,” CEO Calvin Butler said.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 31, 2024 -
2024 Elections
Future of IRA, shape of permitting reform hinge on upcoming election, experts say
Bipartisan permitting reform may be abandoned in the event of a federal electoral sweep, while the “looming fiscal cliff” endangers the Inflation Reduction Act, analysts say.
By Diana DiGangi • Oct. 30, 2024 -
US district court rules Texas transmission law favoring incumbent utilities unconstitutional
The ruling is a win for NextEra Energy and LS Power transmission subsidiaries as well as the East Texas Electric Cooperative.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 29, 2024 -
2024 Elections
How will the presidential and Senate election outcomes affect FERC and its policies?
The FERC chairman plays a key role in setting the agency’s agenda, but even if Donald Trump wins, the commission could have a Democratic majority for at least 18 months.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 29, 2024 -
5 governors call for PJM capacity market rule changes to reduce ‘unnecessary’ consumer costs
LS Power has identified 4.4 GW in potential capacity and storage projects in PJM totaling $8 billion but said unstable market rules hinder investment decisions.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 28, 2024 -
Deep Dive
APS, Duke, other utilities pursue new climate resilience strategies as some await upcoming tools
APS and Duke, along with Central Hudson Gas & Electric, PacifiCorp and Puget Sound Energy, see different paths to reach resilience planning’s potential while awaiting EPRI metrics to address uncertainties.
By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 28, 2024 -
Opinion
Where the wires meet the road: Fixing missed opportunities for long-distance transmission
We need to find ways to better integrate the planning of transmission and the siting of transmission from the get-go so that we don’t end up in situations where ideal pathways for transmission are missed.
By Adam Kurland • Oct. 28, 2024 -
Sponsored by Sense
Grid edge intelligence: Another critical tool for wildfire mitigation
Grid edge intelligence offers a critical toolset for managing risks steming from increasingly dry conditions coupled with aging grid infrastructure.
Oct. 28, 2024 -
NRC removes ‘quantitative health objectives’ from proposed advanced reactor licensing rules
The change will “create a more flexible regulatory framework where applicants could show they meet the intent of complete evaluation of plant safety without having to use a specific set of tools,” an industry analyst said.
By Brian Martucci • Oct. 25, 2024 -
NYC comptroller proposes stopping pensions’ private market investments in fossil fuels
The funds would be the first U.S. public pension plans to have exclusions on investing in fossil fuel infrastructure like pipelines and liquefied natural gas terminals.
By Lamar Johnson • Oct. 24, 2024 -
AEP Ohio reaches agreement with stakeholders on data center interconnection rules
The rate proposal comes as half of surveyed utilities are facing data center service requests for more than 1,000 MW each, according to an EPRI report.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 24, 2024 -
Opinion
Utilities’ hidden clean energy tax is at the heart of our energy challenges
Ending utility self-funding is central to FERC’s efforts to change utilities’ incentives and push them to tackle more ambitious high-voltage projects.
By Ari Peskoe • Oct. 24, 2024 -
Power plant owners back PJM capacity auction delay but warn of waning investor confidence
FirstEnergy told FERC it may be time to adopt policies that drive responsibility for developing dispatchable resources back to the states.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 23, 2024 -
Nearly 100 utilities’ credit ratings downgraded since 2020 as wildfire risks grow
Rising insurance and mitigation costs threaten utilities' financial stability, but there may be hope on the horizon, according to a report from Charles River Associates.
By Emma Penrod • Oct. 23, 2024 -
Opinion
Accelerating utility rate case filings with generative AI
By leveraging generative AI, utilities can draw on a wealth of information to construct more robust and evidence-backed rate proposals.
By Huzaifah Basrai • Oct. 22, 2024 -
Deep Dive
With Palisades and Three Mile Island units set to restart, could more retired reactors follow?
Much depends on the retired plants’ condition, decommissioning status and reactor technology, experts say.
By Brian Martucci • Oct. 22, 2024 -
PJM floats options for fast-track interconnection for shovel-ready projects
The plan may face challenges at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and in courts for giving a preference to certain generating projects, some PJM stakeholders said.
By Ethan Howland • Updated Oct. 21, 2024 -
CFTC issues final guidance for listing carbon credits on voluntary markets
The final guidance includes standards to ensure carbon credits are not subject to manipulation and have their contract terms monitored.
By Lamar Johnson • Oct. 21, 2024