Smaller, public utilities see growth potential in data centers, but there are risks: APPA

Utility leaders can take steps to attract potentially lucrative large loads while mitigating risks for existing customers, the American Public Power Association says.

By Brian Martucci • April 24, 2025

Clean energy groups urge FERC to reject MISO interconnection plan for replacing retiring power plants

However, Alliant Energy, other utilities and state utility regulators support the proposal to create a new pathway for connecting replacement generation to the grid.

By Ethan Howland • April 21, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Grid Resiliency

Utilities and grid operators are facing increasing threats from climate change as well as cyber and physical attacks, and are deploying a variety of responses to meet the rising challenges.

By Utility Dive staff

Cold-weather grid performance improves, plus 4 other FERC open meeting takeaways

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Mark Christie defended the PJM Interconnection amid an uproar over its capacity market.

By Ethan Howland • April 18, 2025

The US is facing unprecedented load growth. Here’s how we ensure resource adequacy.

Adding sufficient resources fast enough to reliably meet the growth will require an array of demand- and supply-side resources as well as stronger transmission interconnection planning.

By Samuel Newell • April 17, 2025

Trump administration ordered to resume IRA funding

The decision, which stated federal agencies lacked authority to pause funding, follows the president’s executive order to freeze the money on his first day in office. 

By Kate Magill • April 17, 2025

NERC proposes cold weather reliability standard

Quickly addressing generator freezing issues “will help ensure that the grid is better equipped to withstand and recover from extreme cold weather,” the North American Electric Reliability Corp. said.

By Robert Walton • April 14, 2025

The AI infrastructure race hits a political reality check

The AI-driven data center boom has created demand for land, electricity and water, a dynamic that has spawned growing opposition from communities, utility grid operators and regulators.

By Joe Brettell and Jeff Berkowitz • April 10, 2025

Trump directs FERC, other agencies to add 5-year sunsets to energy-related regulations

The executive order is “impossible to implement [and] blatantly illegal,” according to Harvard Law School’s Ari Peskoe.

By Ethan Howland • April 10, 2025

FERC urged to reject proposed ROE, incentives for $3B Valley Link transmission project

Transource Energy, Dominion Energy and FirstEnergy contend the incentives are needed to reduce the project’s risks.

By Ethan Howland • April 7, 2025

US electricity demand will grow 50% by 2050, electrical manufacturer study finds

Data centers and transportation electrification will drive U.S. electricity demand about 2% higher each year for the next quarter century, according to a new analysis completed for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

By Robert Walton • April 7, 2025

ChargeScape and the future of energy management

ChargeScape is an automotive joint venture providing EV-grid integration software to power utilities.

April 7, 2025

How FERC is working to boost power supplies while managing the price tag

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has focused on reforms to transmission planning and grid interconnection rules while approving market expansions.

By Amy Akers • April 4, 2025

SPP to rely on demand response to help bridge shrinking power supplies: CEO Nickell

“Excess generating capacity is dwindling, and it's dwindling to a point where it's becoming dangerous,” the Southwest Power Pool’s Lanny Nickell said Thursday.

By Ethan Howland • April 4, 2025

DOE offers 16 locations for possible data center, energy infrastructure development

The federal government is seeking input on data center “power needs, timelines, and approaches to co-locating energy sources with data centers or sources for surplus interconnection capacity.”

By Robert Walton • April 4, 2025

A market-based path to unlocking interconnection queues

When a scarce resource like grid access is given away administratively rather than allocated based on economic value, the result is always the same: inefficiency, congestion and delays.

By Terry Harvill and August Ankum • April 2, 2025

PacifiCorp aims to add 4.7 GW renewables, 1.7 GW storage by 2031

Given changing federal policies, the utility company may keep several coal-fired units operating longer than expected, according to its latest resource plan.

By Ethan Howland • April 2, 2025

ISO New England issues transmission RFP to access new wind resources

The grid operator wants to upgrade the transmission system between northern Maine, where wind generation is expected to be built, and demand centers in southern New England.

By Robert Walton • April 1, 2025

We asked 100 utility program leaders for their top challenges and opportunities. Here’s what they said.

Grid modernization, growing demand and artificial intelligence are among the top issues facing electric utility leaders, according to an ICF survey.

By Justin Mackovyak • March 31, 2025

White paper points to carbon capture as possible data center solution

Pairing carbon capture with natural gas-fired generation could prove cost-competitive with other baseload options, like nuclear and battery storage, according to a Carbon Direct white paper.

By Emma Penrod • March 31, 2025

Utilities should develop data center tariffs to protect consumers, decarbonize: SWEEP

Rising data center electricity demands threaten utility decarbonization efforts, potentially requiring fossil fuel generation and pulling renewables away from other electrification efforts, per a Southwest Energy Efficiency Project report.

By Robert Walton • March 28, 2025

Moody’s upgrades PG&E on reduced credit risks from wildfires

“In the backdrop of the recent LA wildfires, we expect any legislative and regulatory actions resulting from the state's continued wildfire risk will remain supportive for utilities,” Moody's said.

By Ethan Howland • March 28, 2025

Schneider Electric to invest $700M in US manufacturing

The investment will help expand production of electric grid equipment and research into microgrids and AI-driven automation.

By Kate Magill • March 27, 2025

US energy infrastructure gets a D+ from American Society of Civil Engineers

The energy sector’s 2025 Infrastructure Report Card grade dropped from the C-  it received in 2021, with ASCE citing several threats facing the aging grid.

By Diana DiGangi • March 27, 2025

Outsmarting outages: AI predicts disruptions before they happen

As the energy landscape evolves with renewable resources and electric vehicles, the predictive outage model equips utilities with the agility needed to prioritize maintenance based on real-time data.

By Michael Juchno and Zaki Arifulla • March 27, 2025

Span unveils at-the-meter load control device for utilities

The SPAN Edge device will be used in a Pacific Gas & Electric residential customer virtual power plant this year.

By Ethan Howland • March 26, 2025