Renewables
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2026 US power sector outlook
Read Utility Dive's road map to the year ahead for FERC, affordability, renewable energy, distributed energy resources and more.
By Meris Lutz • Jan. 30, 2026 -
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Deep DiveCustomers, don’t expect electric bill relief in 2026: ‘The cake is baked.’
Energy affordability has long been a problem for the poorest Americans, but now middle-income families are starting to feel the squeeze.
By Robert Walton • Jan. 30, 2026 -
Courtesy of GE Vernova
GE Vernova Q4 gas turbine orders surge 74%
Wind turbine orders increased 8% in 2025 — mainly outside the U.S. — despite the Trump administration’s efforts to stifle offshore wind development.
By Brian Martucci • Jan. 30, 2026 -
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NERC forecasts peak demand to rise 24% on new data center loads
“The system is changing faster than the infrastructure needed to support it,” said John Moura, NERC's director of reliability assessments and performance analysis.
By Robert Walton • Jan. 30, 2026 -
Katich, David. (2020). "WAPA DSW HEC operations being completed mid-air". Retrieved from Western Area Power Administration.
DOE nixes $1.8B loan to Arizona Public Service for transmission, renewables and storage
“Additional de-obligations are in process but cannot be publicly disclosed until finalized,” said Olivia Tinari, deputy press secretary for DOE’s Office of Public Affairs.
By Diana DiGangi • Jan. 29, 2026 -
Retrieved from Senate EPW on January 29, 2026
Republican, Democratic senators call for project certainty at permitting reform hearing
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said permitting talks could resume if the Trump administration stops its moves to thwart wind and solar projects.
By Ethan Howland • Jan. 29, 2026 -
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Sam Altman-backed Exowatt launches arm to power data centers with renewables
The company said ExoRise will provide customers with solar and battery infrastructure that supports “behind-the-meter and off-grid deployment” with a focus on the U.S. Southwest.
By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 28, 2026 -
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With Vineyard Wind ruling, 4 of 5 offshore wind projects win relief from Trump freeze
Project developers said despite their outreach, the government “refused to discuss the supposedly new information about national security impacts” cited as the reason for halting construction, or what they might do to mitigate them.
By Diana DiGangi • Jan. 28, 2026 -
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Solar manufacturing gains momentum in US, but shifting policies pose challenges
“You’ve seen pretty distinct growth and investment ... But we still have a long way to go as an industry in terms of reshoring,” said Scott Moskowitz, vice president of market strategy and public affairs at manufacturer Qcells.
By Michelle No • Jan. 27, 2026 -
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OpinionGHG Protocol proposal risks slowing clean energy expansion
Proposed changes to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol would make it more difficult for companies to report renewables use and could discourage procurement, according Lesley Hunter and Jeffrey Gorham of the American Council on Renewable Energy.
By Lesley Hunter and Jeffrey Gorham • Jan. 27, 2026 -
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Deep DiveIn 2026, virtual power plants must scale or risk being left behind
The AI data center frenzy is shifting utilities’ focus to large-scale generation. But advocates say flexible, distributed energy resources still provide the biggest bang for the buck, according to our 2026 DER outlook.
By Herman K. Trabish • Jan. 27, 2026 -
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DOE funding bill ignores some of Trump’s requested cuts
The White House asked that Congress zero out the solar and wind energy programs of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, but Congress provided $320 million to those two Energy Department programs.
By Diana DiGangi • Jan. 23, 2026 -
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Deep DiveCan power demand boost renewables above policy obstacles in 2026?
The industry is navigating new FEOC rules and steeling itself for the end of some IRA credits. But load growth and rising electricity bills present opportunity, according to experts in our renewable energy outlook.
By Diana DiGangi • Jan. 22, 2026 -
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images via Getty Images
New Jersey governor orders state to accelerate solar, storage and virtual power plants
Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who was sworn in Tuesday, also ordered regulators to study how to “modernize” the traditional electric utility business model, including by making utility profits “less dependent on capital spending.”
By Robert Walton • Jan. 21, 2026 -
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Global wind power additions to decline 6% in 2026: WoodMac
A development slowdown in China will drive the decline, but policy challenges in the United States will also “curb wind’s buildout,” according to analysis from Wood Mackenzie.
By Robert Walton • Jan. 15, 2026 -
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OpinionAmerica’s new power barons: Who will rule the AI-grade megawatt megasector?
The winning model will be hybrid: gas for firmness, renewables for optics and cost, and storage for stability, writes NOVUS Energy Advisors’ Emily Easley.
By Emily Easley • Jan. 15, 2026 -
Courtesy of Mott MacDonald
Judge grants (another) injunction to offshore developer amid Trump’s war on wind
Some analysts predicted a similar outcome on Jan. 16 in a separate case that would allow Dominion to continue construction on its 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.
By Meris Lutz • Jan. 13, 2026 -
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
Trump pulls US from key climate treaty, 65 other global organizations
The U.S. will exit the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and several other global bodies focused on climate, energy and sustainable development.
By Zoya Mirza • Jan. 12, 2026 -
Retrieved from X.
Illinois sets 3-GW energy storage target, requires utilities to develop virtual power plants
Electricity bills in Illinois rose 15% last year. A new law aims to reduce energy costs by incentivizing new resources, expanding solar and growing efficiency programs.
By Robert Walton • Jan. 9, 2026 -
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Emboldened Virginia Democrats focus on clean energy, affordability
Their proposals include bills intended to increase renewables and energy storage, expand utility efficiency programs and improve load forecasting.
By Diana DiGangi • Jan. 8, 2026 -
Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo via Getty Images
Utilities under pressure: 6 power sector trends to watch in 2026
Facing rising demand and aggressive load growth projections, utilities are rolling out massive spending plans. Now they'll have to walk a fine line with regulators and ratepayers.
By Meris Lutz , Robert Walton , Ethan Howland , Diana DiGangi • Jan. 8, 2026 -
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4 of 5 offshore wind farms challenge Trump administration stop work order
The December stop work order is estimated to be costing the projects anywhere from $1 million to $5 million per day.
By Diana DiGangi • Updated Jan. 8, 2026 -
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OpinionRooftop solar is booming, but not in the communities that need it most
Prioritize community-led promotions and education strategies to have far-reaching impacts, writes Planno CEO Daniel Domingues.
By Daniel Domingues • Jan. 5, 2026 -
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Prepaid leases, data center dollars key for DERs in 2026: Enphase executive
Analysts expect a residential solar-and-storage market already trending away from customer ownership to shift rapidly toward the lease and subscription model next year.
By Brian Martucci • Updated Dec. 24, 2025 -
Courtesy of Dominion Energy
Senate Democrats end permitting reform talks over offshore wind freeze
The move comes after the Trump administration ordered work to halt on five offshore wind projects totaling 7 GW. The freeze on offshore wind construction “wrecks the trust needed with the executive branch for bipartisan permitting reform,” the senators said.
By Ethan Howland • Dec. 23, 2025
