PJM data center colocation plan takes fire from Vistra, data center group, others

“Even a customer that brings sufficient co-located generation to meet its load cannot avoid curtailment risk,” the Data Center Coalition told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “It is unclear why a customer would pursue this pathway at all.”

By Ethan Howland • March 27, 2026

Southeast, lower-cost PJM states offer model for affordable grid expansion

The vertically integrated utility model shows it is possible to build new generation and protect customers from steep rate increases, writes former FERC Commissioner Bernard McNamee.

By Bernard L. McNamee • March 26, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Cybersecurity of the Grid

In addition to presenting opportunities for growth, AI is exacerbating cyber threats with more sophisticated malware that is easier than ever to build and deploy. The rise of distributed energy resources also creates more opportunities for attack. 

By Utility Dive staff

Michigan, New York lawmakers consider virtual power plant bills

The proposals would prohibit utility ownership of participating distributed energy resources and require reasonable access for third-party aggregators.

By Brian Martucci • March 25, 2026

PJM’s crisis has a simple solution: Copy what works in regulated states

The competitive market was supposed to produce lower prices, but when faced with the first big demand shock in decades, it delivered chaos, writes Power for Tomorrow President Brad Viator.

By Brad Viator • March 25, 2026

Pepco Holdings CEO talks rising demand, affordability and PJM market reforms

Adding power supplies in PJM — including utility-owned generation — is one way to address affordability challenges, says Pepco Holdings CEO Tyler Anthony.

By Ethan Howland • March 25, 2026

Puget Sound’s vehicle-to-home charging pilot combines demand response, peak shaving, resilience

The test will use electric vehicle batteries for demand response and residential peak shaving while also making their storage capacity available during power outages.

By Brian Martucci • March 24, 2026

DOE extends emergency operations at 2 Indiana coal plants

Since December the plants “have proven critical” to operations in the Midcontinent ISO region, DOE said. Sierra Club says they cost consumers almost $200,000 per day.

By Robert Walton • March 24, 2026

Maryland ratepayer advocate calls for greater transmission oversight as costs rise

Costs to customers in the state could reach $5.4 billion for transmission built from 2031 through 2035, compared with $7.1 billion spread over the previous 20 years, according to the advocate.

By Ethan Howland • March 24, 2026

5-year waits and rising costs: How demand is redefining the gas turbine market

Lengthy lead times are likely to continue for now, and reliability in that environment depends on early, informed decisions, writes Electric Power Research Institute Senior Program Manager Bobby Noble.

By Bobby Noble • March 23, 2026

‘Emergencies’ requiring coal plants to stay open need not be imminent, DOE tells court

States, environmental groups and others have sued the U.S. Department of Energy over its repeated emergency orders to run the J.H. Campbell plant in West Olive, Michigan, saying it failed to show the emergency need.

By Ethan Howland • March 23, 2026

DOE taps SoftBank arm to develop 9.2 GW of gas generation in Ohio

SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japan’s SoftBank Group, is also investing $4.2 billion with AEP Ohio to upgrade and build new transmission lines in Southern Ohio.

By Robert Walton • March 20, 2026

FERC rejects RWE complaint over PJM interconnection practices

The agency also slashed New England’s transmission return on equity and said it would allow two Indiana utilities to spread costs stemming from DOE emergency orders keeping coal plants online across MISO’s northern and central regions.

By Ethan Howland • March 20, 2026

Winter storms underscore data center threats to grid reliability, affordability

Demand from the data center boom, combined with worsening extreme weather events, put our electric system at heightened risk, writes Union of Concerned Scientists Senior Manager Mike Jacobs.

By Mike Jacobs • March 19, 2026

DOE emergency orders for fossil plants complicate utility planning, experts say

Lawyers and officials are divided on whether the “stay-open” orders threaten states’ ability to regulate their own energy systems. Environmental groups put the cost to ratepayers in the hundreds of millions, and growing.

By Brian Martucci • March 19, 2026

Battery developers, local officials ask New York to roll back Con Edison BESS methodology

“The grid has been built to serve customers, not to host battery storage anywhere, at any scale,” a Con Edison official told Utility Dive.

By Brian Martucci • March 18, 2026

Democratic House bill aims to overturn Trump electricity policies

The bill, backed by 122 House members, would reinstate clean energy tax credits and grants while aiming to speed grid interconnection to an expanded transmission system.

By Ethan Howland • March 18, 2026

Utilities weigh regional resource adequacy under new Western market

Kalia Savage, CAISO’s liaison to the energy imbalance market entities, warned the grid operator to “remain mindful of stakeholder bandwidth ... given the number of complex initiatives underway.”

By Diana DiGangi • March 18, 2026

13 DOE emergency orders have cost Americans $235M, Sierra Club says

The Energy Department's 90-day orders to keep six retiring fossil-fueled power plants online are adding millions to customer utility bills, according to the Sierra Club.

By Robert Walton • March 18, 2026

As data centers go off-grid, utilities face new cost and planning risks

Industry disclosures suggest that by the end of the decade, a meaningful share of new data center capacity could be partially or fully self-supplied, write Brandon Owens and Morgan Bazilian.

By Brandon Owens and Morgan Bazilian • March 17, 2026

Utilities have made $200B+ in profit since 2021, new report says

Investor-owned utilities criticized the Energy and Policy Institute report’s methodology, which shows utilities earning above the allowed returns on equity.

By Brian Martucci • March 17, 2026

FERC approves SPP merger of interconnection, transmission planning

“This proposal will get transmission built smarter and connect new generation faster,” said David Rosner, a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

By Ethan Howland • March 17, 2026

Mass. governor orders state to pursue 15 GW of resources, including storage, VPPs

The executive order also calls for a review of existing gas and oil storage capacity and utilization, including how the Everett LNG import terminal helps meet the region’s energy needs.

By Robert Walton • March 17, 2026

PPL Electric reaches $275M rate case settlement, including data center tariff

Under the proposal, average residential customer bills would increase 4.9%. Data centers and other large loads would need to sign agreements of not less than 10 years with provisions intended to protect other customers.

By Ethan Howland • March 16, 2026

IOUs work to interconnect 39 GW of data center, manufacturing load: EEI

Duke Energy, Northern Indiana Public Service and Xcel Energy are among the utilities with major data center projects in their service territories, the Edison Electric Institute told federal regulators.

By Ethan Howland • March 13, 2026

DOE offers $1.9B for transmission reconductoring, advanced tech

The SPARK funding opportunity renames the Biden-era Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program.

By Robert Walton • March 13, 2026