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

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

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