Will Trump tariffs delay utility transmission, power plant plans?

FirstEnergy and other utilities warn they could be hurt by tariffs, but analysts see little immediate effect on utility capital expenditure plans.

By Ethan Howland • March 5, 2025

For transmission planning, FERC Order 1920 is our dragon

Instead of repealing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Order 100 to improve transmission planning, the focus should be on making Order 1920 as strong as possible.

By Claire Wayner • March 4, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainability

Companies are pursuing increasingly ambitous sustainability goals around clean energy, but integrating rising amounts of renewables, minimizing environmental impacts, and achieving carbon reduction targets can be challenging.

By Utility Dive staff

Striking true or overreaching? How a new executive order clouds FERC’s decisional authority

The agency's independence and credibility depend on careful adherence to the law, not alignment with shifting executive priorities, according to Lyle Larson, a partner at Balch & Bingham.

By Lyle Larson • March 4, 2025

EPA $20B funding freeze leaves ‘green bank’ nonprofits unable to pay bills

The Climate United Fund, which received a $6.97 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant, will soon become unable to make payroll or disburse funding to its contracted borrowers, said a spokesperson.

By Diana DiGangi • March 4, 2025

PPL’s Kentucky utilities propose 1.3 GW of gas, 400 MW of storage to meet data center load

The $3.7 billion plan comes as Kentucky Utilities and Louisville Gas and Electric expect their annual electric sales to jump nearly 50% by 2032.

By Ethan Howland • March 3, 2025

New England, New York grid operators prepare to collect millions in tariffs on Canadian electricity

Whether the tariffs going into effect Tuesday apply to electricity imports — and what role the ISOs must play in collecting them — is unclear, they told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, but they need to be prepared.

By Robert Walton • March 3, 2025

10 years of grid modernization: Major progress, stubborn challenges

Improving energy affordability and grid reliability can guide the way on modernizing the grid for tomorrow’s challenges, according to Grid Forward’s Bryce Yonker.

By Bryce Yonker • Feb. 28, 2025

FirstEnergy’s 5-year data center pipeline doubles to 3 GW

FirstEnergy shares fell nearly 10.5% in trading on Thursday after the company effectively lowered its earnings outlook, according to Jefferies analysts.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 28, 2025

IRA tax credit repeal would drive up electricity prices, system costs: reports

Sharply lower deployments of new generating resources could lead to power shortfalls, studies commissioned by a conservative environmental nonprofit and an electricity buyers group found.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 27, 2025

New generation is a ‘better approach’ to energy security than interregional transmission: ERCOT

Texas can add new resources “significantly faster” than interregional transmission can be brought online, Electric Reliability Council of Texas officials said Wednesday.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 27, 2025

Grid equipment manufacturers anticipate 2% annual US load growth through 2050

Federal policy and incentives will play a key role in meeting the demand, according to National Electrical Manufacturers Association CEO Debra Phillips.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 26, 2025

PSE&G large load pipeline jumps to 4.7 GW as nuclear offtake talks continue: CEO LaRossa

At the same time, Ralph LaRossa said the future of PJM’s capacity market is unclear. “I don't know if there is a PJM market anymore,” he said Tuesday.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 26, 2025

What if Bruce Lee had set federal transmission policy?

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could help unlock transmission development in three steps, including by repealing its Order 1000 on transmission planning. Enter the Dragon!

By Vincent Duane and Caitlin Shields • Feb. 25, 2025

NERC interregional transfer capability study lacks detail to drive transmission upgrades: EIPC

The Eastern Interconnection Planning Collaborative urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to set metrics that could be used to determine whether more transmission is needed between regions.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 25, 2025

Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council should appoint a ‘hydropower czar’

Federal hydropower can help meet load growth, onshore manufacturing of key defense components and help address burdensome regulations.

By Charles Yang • Feb. 25, 2025

Are utility demand response program costs outstripping their benefits in California?

California Public Utilities Commission policy has been pushing customers to choose utility-run supply-side DR programs over third-party options that face pressure to keep costs low.

By Collin Smith • Feb. 24, 2025

Zeldin begins remaking EPA amid workforce changes

Federal officials are beginning to implement executive orders related to workforce reduction. The administration also announced antitrust and climate updates.

By Jacob Wallace • Feb. 24, 2025

US governors press for infrastructure permitting reform

The governors also aim to ensure that the federal government meets its obligations for federally funded projects, the National Governors Association said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 24, 2025

Leveraging surplus interconnection could unleash 800 GW of energy the US needs today

By using existing interconnection sites to plug in low-cost clean energy sources, energy planners can increase grid reliability and lower costs.

By Cassady Craighill • Feb. 21, 2025

FERC launches colocation review, plus 6 other open meeting takeaways

Final colocation rules aren’t likely until 2026, creating uncertainty for Vistra, Talen Energy and other independent power producers, Capstone analysts said.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Feb. 21, 2025

FERC complies with major portions of Trump order on independent agencies: Christie

However, questions remain — such as how extensively the Office of Management and Budget will review agency actions, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Mark Christi said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 21, 2025

The AI energy challenge is coming to a head

There must be a seismic shift in how the industry defines and measures AI advancement, pivoting our idea of technological evolution from raw computing power to energy efficiency.

By Krishna Rangasayee • Feb. 20, 2025

Uncertainty surrounds nuclear tax credit guidance, NRC changes: Morgan Lewis

It’s not yet clear what President Trump’s Feb. 18 order reining in executive-branch agencies means for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, attorney Scott Clausen said.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 20, 2025

Indiana regulators approve ‘large load’ interconnection rules

The decision affirms a pact offered by Indiana Michigan Power, Amazon Data Services, Google, Microsoft, the Indiana ratepayer advocate and Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 20, 2025

How to reduce large load speculation? Standardize the interconnection process.

We can haphazardly continue down the path of a fragmented and increasingly untenable approach to large load-side interconnection, or we can introduce rational standardization to the process.

By Peter Freed and Allison Clements • Feb. 19, 2025