Battery-eligible New Jersey VPP program begins to take shape

Utility-owned storage could help mitigate grid congestion, a utility manager said at a July stakeholder meeting. Another said customer-centric program design is crucial to reducing attrition.

By Brian Martucci • Aug. 4, 2026

$700M microgrid bill has state energy office, electrical manufacturer support

The bill would make microgrids and distributed energy resources eligible for state energy program grants and establish state-run grid resilience programs.

By Robert Walton • Aug. 4, 2026

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

America’s permitting crisis lives at City Hall

Every month a city spends re-reviewing a battery it has already certified safe is time wasted when that resource could be adding capacity to the grid or lowering a family's bill, writes Base Power COO Justin Lopas.

By Justin Lopas • Aug. 4, 2026

Exelon ‘high probability’ data center load falls 40%

The drop to 11 GW reflects Exelon’s ability to weed out speculative projects through “transmission security agreements,” said CFO Jeanne Jones.

By Ethan Howland • Updated July 31, 2026

30-MW Nebraska microgrid gets a non-lithium battery boost

Lincoln Electric System is energizing a 3-MW/12-MWh zinc-based battery to support the Nebraska state Capitol complex and other critical infrastructure.

By Brian Martucci • July 28, 2026

Renewables, storage can meet one-third of US industrial heat demand: report

The UC Berkeley analysis should be welcome news for a manufacturing industry that is heavily reliant on natural gas, with its volatile prices, said Jose Dominguez, one of the report’s authors.

By Meris Lutz • July 23, 2026

SRP to propose up to 1.7-GW mixed-resource project to its board in September

The Marigold Energy Center, about 45 miles south of Phoenix, would include 400 MW of battery storage, 600 MW of solar generation, up to 675 MW of gas generation and a new substation.

By Robert Walton • July 21, 2026

Google inks deal for massive Arkansas solar and storage project

With a target completion date of 2029, the project is expected to deliver 2.5 GW of generation and 2.9 GWh of battery storage to the regional grid, the tech giant said.

By Lamar Johnson • July 16, 2026

ESS Tech launches 1.2-MWh sodium-ion battery ‘building block’ system

The announcement marks the latest in a string of sodium battery developments as utilities and customers look for new sources of grid-tied and behind-the-meter capacity.

By Brian Martucci • July 14, 2026

KEMA Labs: Why quality will define the future of the power sector

KEMA Labs (CESI Group): Independent testing, inspection and certification to keep power grids resilient amid global supply chain pressures.

By Mr. Antonio Boccuni, Marketing & Intelligence Manager at KEMA Labs (CESI Group) • July 13, 2026

What the US can learn from Australia’s home battery boom

Australia's home battery boom offers the U.S. a blueprint for the data center energy surge.

By Sarah Russell-Smith, PhD, GM of Flex, Octopus Energy US • July 13, 2026

Illinois regulators approve ComEd VPP under new clean energy law

The program will discharge power from small batteries during events like the early-July heatwave that pushed PJM Interconnection demand to near-record levels.

By Brian Martucci • July 8, 2026

New Jersey increases transmission oversight in ‘affordability’ push

New Jersey’s governor signed bills that aim to cut transmission owners’ return on equity, establish data center tariffs and require state approval for “supplementary” transmission projects.

By Ethan Howland • July 8, 2026

Massachusetts utilities ink contracts for 4.5 GWh of energy storage

One project, set for a former fossil power plant site, reflects the diverging fortunes of New England’s offshore wind and energy storage industries.

By Brian Martucci • July 7, 2026

Eversource launches targeted load management pilots in Massachusetts

The programs address specific substations with high solar penetration or summer-peak congestion issues. They could expand in the coming years, a spokesperson said.

By Brian Martucci • July 1, 2026

Can zinc-based batteries scale into US storage buildout?

Support from the U.S. Department of Energy will be critical to the industry’s near-term success as customers look to lithium alternatives, International Zinc Association officials told Utility Dive.

By Brian Martucci • June 30, 2026

Data centers are ready to negotiate flexibility for speed

Hyperscalers want their data centers online and utilities want to provide interconnections, but experts say both are still looking for common operating guidelines.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 26, 2026

ASHRAE to tackle data centers, thermal systems at annual conference

The engineering society’s annual meeting, starting this weekend in Austin, Texas, will have programs on managing energy costs and integrating energy storage projects, among others.

By Joe Burns • June 26, 2026

445 GW — mainly solar, storage — to come online by 2030 as demand growth surges: ICF

PJM and ERCOT have no spare capacity for demand growth beyond 2027, the consulting firm said. Demand response and GETs can help meet an expected 39% jump in U.S. electric use by 2035, it suggests.

By Ethan Howland • June 26, 2026

3 home energy providers offer 16.8 GW of distributed capacity to utilities, hyperscalers

An executive for Sunrun said active “distributed power plant” programs like one in Puerto Rico underscore the resource’s potential.

By Brian Martucci • June 24, 2026

US sees record Q1 2026 energy storage installations amid rosy outlook

Relative certainty around tax policy and demand from large load customers are among factors driving the country’s energy storage boom, according to two reports out this month.

By Brian Martucci • June 23, 2026

Budderfly and Viridi team up to install ‘fail-safe’ batteries at commercial facilities

Coupled with other efficiency measures offered through Budderfly’s energy-as-a-service solution, on-site batteries can reduce facilities’ energy expenses by up to 70%, Budderfly CEO Al Subbloie said. 

By Joe Burns • June 22, 2026

EVs are already on your grid. Visibility is the missing piece.

The flexible loads utilities need exist on your system, but you can't manage what you can't see.

By NewGen's Strategic Analytics Team • June 22, 2026

Peak Energy, GM partner to scale domestic sodium-ion battery supplies

Peak cofounder and CEO Landon Mossburg told Utility Dive the technology is “purpose-built” for AI data centers and grid-scale applications.

By Brian Martucci • June 16, 2026

Energy Dome, Salt River Project to build 19-MW CO2 battery system

The project is expected to come online in 2029 and store enough energy to power around 4,275 homes for 10 hours, Salt River Project said.

By Diana DiGangi • June 16, 2026