Home buyers want more information on energy usage. Utilities can help.

By positioning themselves as trusted experts for both buyers and real estate agents, utilities can speed the adoption of efficient grid technologies, say residential energy experts.

By Nathan Shannon and Scott Rosenberg • Aug. 19, 2026

Northwest council proposes 11 GW of new generation, 5 GW storage by 2032

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council estimates the portfolio for its Ninth Power Plan would have a fixed cost of $2.3 billion in 2032.

By Marlene Wilden • Aug. 18, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Data Centers and the US Grid

A look at how data centers are affecting the U.S. grid today and how new technologies and rate structures could affect that trajectory in the years to come.

By Utility Dive staff

Hyundai unifies vehicle V2X capabilities with AllDayEnergy entity

The global service signals a consistent energy management experience across Hyundai, Kia and Genesis EVs, and better use of bidirectional charging functionality. 

By Bengt Halvorson • Aug. 18, 2026

Beyond the home meter: How utilities can eliminate the EV ‘renter’s penalty’

Tying affordability measures to the customer rather than a home meter can ensure that predictable charging costs are available regardless of housing type, write experts at GRID Alternatives.

By Zach Franklin and Linda Khamoushian • Aug. 18, 2026

Colorado has provided the blueprint for integrating community power

The state is “tapping private investment and competitive market forces to deliver new grid capacity years faster and at a lower cost to customers than utility-owned infrastructure alone,” writes Common Charge Executive Director Mary Rafferty. 

By Mary Rafferty • Aug. 17, 2026

2026 Q2 roundup: Utilities emphasize project execution and ratepayer protections

Executives tried to show they can secure the equipment needed to meet rising demand without shifting costs to existing customers as politicians take aim at data centers ahead of the midterm elections.

By Meris Lutz • Aug. 17, 2026

Sunrun pursues direct-sales transition amid industry headwinds

The residential solar-and-storage provider is looking to diversify its revenue while increasing focus on “unlocking value from the customers and assets we already have,” CEO Mary Powell told investors.

By Brian Martucci • Aug. 10, 2026

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

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