The regulator’s dilemma: balancing grid modernization with rising power bills

Load growth and aging infrastructure require investment, but customer electricity prices are up 4.5% nationally, almost twice the 2.4% national inflation rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 15, 2025

Will FERC stand up for competitive power markets? Our grid depends on it.

With hundreds of billions of dollars expected to be spent on grid projects, it’s time for FERC to reaffirm its commitment to market competition — and prevent utility self-dealing.

By Andrew Waranch • July 14, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 Stories from Utility Dive

Power demand is rising amid dramatic shifts in federal energy policy, but technology and markets continue to push the grid toward cleaner, more distributed resources. 

By Utility Dive staff

Adapting utility tariffs for data center driven load growth

Data center development is driving unprecedented electricity demand growth. Read how this is creating operational, financial and regulatory challenges and opportunities.

By Eric Brooks and Justin Stevens • July 14, 2025

Ignoring customers is unsustainable and bad policy

Enabling flexible customer demand can drive significant system-wide benefits while mitigating the cost or timing of expensive system upgrades.

By Kent Chandler, Chris Villarreal and Michael Giberson • July 11, 2025

Environmental, consumer advocates sue Bonneville for joining SPP’s day-ahead market

Plaintiffs say the agency's decision to join Markets+ will increase the risk of blackouts compared to joining CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market or a “no-action” alternative.

By Ethan Howland • July 11, 2025

Misaligned interconnection, transmission planning could hurt competitive markets: FERC’s Chang

Getting generation online as quickly as possible is a key priority, according to Commissioner Judy Chang. “We should plan, design, permit — all faster."

By Ethan Howland • July 11, 2025

Ohio regulators approve AEP data center interconnection rules

The Ohio PUC ordered the utility to file updated tariffs and lift a moratorium on connecting new data centers as soon as possible.

By Meris Lutz • July 10, 2025

Avoid the ‘standing’ land mine in FERC appeals

The Entergy Arkansas case involving a Midcontinent Independent System Operator proposal highlights how standing works — and the risk of failing to prepare to meet its threshold requirements.

By Jackson A. Myers and Zakary Kadish • July 10, 2025

PHMSA grants work for America. Let’s keep them funded.

By repairing and replacing gas pipelines, the federal program helps municipal and community-owned utilities lower energy costs, create jobs and cut emissions, but its funding expires next year.  

By Dave Schryver • July 9, 2025

Trump seeks tighter restrictions on wind and solar with executive order

The order seeks to “ensure that policies concerning the ‘beginning of construction’ are not circumvented” by wind and solar projects.

By Diana DiGangi • July 9, 2025

Power providers urge FERC to reject PacifiCorp adding $1.7B in wildfire liabilities to transmission rates

The Berkshire Hathaway utility’s plan to recover its potential liabilities is illegal and would create rate shock, according to a complaint at the federal agency.

By Ethan Howland • July 9, 2025

PJM market monitor urges FERC to set conditions on $12B NRG, LS Power deal

Without the conditions, the independent market monitor said it would oppose the transaction because it would increase NRG’s ability to affect electricity and capacity prices.

By Ethan Howland • July 8, 2025

Load growth, plant retirements could drive 100x increase in blackouts by 2030: DOE

The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday published a methodology for assessing grid reliability, but clean energy advocates say it likely exaggerates the risks of blackouts.

By Robert Walton • July 8, 2025

Trump rolls out tariffs for Japan, South Korea, others ahead of Aug. 1 deadline

Several countries on the list are major suppliers to the U.S. of battery components and electrical transformers.

By Philip Neuffer • July 7, 2025

JPMorgan launches carbon market blockchain app

In a bid to boost data standardization and transparency, the bank is working with three global carbon registries to test the viability of tokenizing the voluntary carbon market.

By Lamar Johnson • July 7, 2025

FERC rejects MISO, SPP plan to broaden scope of interregional transmission planning

One dissenting commissioner said regulators "should not stand in the way of simple solutions" that would improve study accuracy.

By Ethan Howland • July 7, 2025

How regulators can protect hydrogen customers while enabling innovation

By asking key questions, regulators can distinguish between fruitful and wasteful hydrogen projects. And by taking a holistic view and engaging with others, they can bring stability to the industry.

By Dan Esposito and Mike O’Boyle • July 2, 2025

Whatever happens with the IRA, energy storage is here to stay

The electric grid needs flexibility, speed and stability. Energy storage offers all three.

By Arun Muthukrishnan • July 1, 2025

New Jersey seeks 1 GW of transmission-scale storage

The Garden State’s solicitation is part of a plan to have 2 GW of storage by 2030.

By Brian Martucci • July 1, 2025

Federal agencies, including FERC and DOE, revoke environmental review rules

The agencies eliminated all references to consider climate change, environmental justice and other key environmental issues in their permit reviews, Earthjustice said.

By Ethan Howland • July 1, 2025

Trump attacks on NRC independence pose health, safety risks

The exodus of key personnel at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will jeopardize its ability to oversee the nuclear power fleet and slow the licensing of new facilities to a crawl.

By Edwin Lyman • June 30, 2025

Affordability a ‘formidable challenge’ as load shifts to tech, industrial customers: ICF

The consulting agency expects electricity prices to rise as much as 25% in some regions through 2030 due to necessary grid expansion, wildfire hardening and other infrastructure projects.

By Brian Martucci • June 30, 2025

State utility regulators urge FERC to slash ROE transmission incentive

Limiting the 0.5% extra return on equity to three years — or ending it — could lower utility income by millions annually, the utilities say.

By Ethan Howland • June 30, 2025

FERC’s Christie calls for dispatchable resources after grid operators come ‘close to the edge’

“You never know about the next time, and there's going to be a next time,” Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Mark Christie said about grid operators' ability to avoid blackouts this week.

By Ethan Howland • June 27, 2025

Eight utility regulators challenge DOE order keeping Michigan coal plant open

The department’s invocation of emergency powers to interfere with state and regional utility planning is unprecedented, according to the challenge.

By Ethan Howland • June 26, 2025