State utility regulators urge Congress to fund advanced transmission technologies

“Five years ago, people thought grid-enhancing technologies were unproven and risky,” DOE’s Jigar Shah said. “Today, I think people believe that they're mainstream enough to deploy at scale.”

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 14, 2024

ExxonMobil urges Trump not to withdraw from Paris Agreement again

“A second U.S. exit from the Paris Climate Agreement will have profound implications for the United States’ efforts to reduce its own emissions,” an Exxon spokesperson said.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 14, 2024

Explore the 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

What COP29 entails for the global energy transition, business priorities

COP29 will be a “critical moment” in the global climate transition, further shaping the ESG landscape and motivating companies to ramp up sustainability initiatives, says Workiva’s chief sustainability officer.

By Mandi McReynolds • Nov. 14, 2024

ESG, climate rules at stake under a second Trump term

Several climate and ESG-related regulations at the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Labor are likely headed for the chopping block come January.

By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 14, 2024

California’s climate disclosure laws survive first legal challenge

A federal judge denied a motion for summary judgment from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that alleged the state’s climate bills — SB 253 and SB 261 — violated the First Amendment.

By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 13, 2024

PJM sees ‘easy button’ to meet power needs, but Appalachians see higher bills and more pollution

Mandates and market manipulations are keeping expensive coal online, and consumers are paying the price.

By Marcia Dinkins • Nov. 13, 2024

Trump taps former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead EPA

The Trump administration will likely roll back EPA regulations affecting fossil-fuel power plants, including a carbon emissions rule, according to Michelle Bloodworth, president and CEO of America’s Power.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 12, 2024

PNM plans to join California ISO’s day-ahead market beginning in 2027

Participating in CAISO’s planned market “is the next step in realizing the value of New Mexico’s renewable energy potential for our customers,” PNM President and CEO Don Tarry said.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 12, 2024

Rising data center loads pose grid reliability, residential cost risks: APS executive

New data center interconnection rules are being considered in Arizona and Virginia, officials said Sunday at a NARUC conference.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 11, 2024

Nuclear sector’s views on second Trump administration mixed as Rogan interview raises questions

President-elect Donald Trump enacted pro-nuclear policies during his first term and supported an “all-of-the-above” energy policy during the campaign, but some advocates fear a “divide between words and actions.”

By Brian Martucci • Nov. 8, 2024

FERC approves PJM plan to omit energy efficiency resources from capacity auctions

PJM Interconnection’s current load forecasting methodology “reasonably accounts for energy efficiency measures on the demand side,” the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Tuesday.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 8, 2024

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

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

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 rein 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

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

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

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

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