Why procurement has become a grid reliability issue: ULE

Critical grid work becomes harder for utilities to keep on budget when schedules are repeatedly disrupted by missing or delayed equipment, writes ULE Group President Danielle Pirrone.

By Danielle Pirrone • May 8, 2026

EDAM is ‘solid and stable’ so far, says CAISO

The Extended Day-Ahead Market’s prices are falling within expected ranges, with steady transfer volumes in its footprint, according to the California Independent System Operator.

By Diana DiGangi • May 7, 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

Exelon lowers utility spending to ease electric affordability issues

Exelon is shifting its spending away from utility operations while boosting planned transmission expenditures, company officials said during an earnings call on Wednesday.

By Ethan Howland • May 7, 2026

AEP eyes exit from PJM, SPP over slow generation interconnection

American Electric Power’s review of its market options comes amid a surge in customer demand across its multistate footprint. Its utilities have contracts for 63 GW of new large load by 2030.

By Ethan Howland • May 6, 2026

America’s load growth moment is a chance to scale distributed energy

The fastest approach to expand the grid is via the distribution system, using front-of-meter storage to precisely target substations and feeders that need relief, writes Jigar Shah of Deploy Action.

By Jigar Shah • May 5, 2026

Pennsylvania House unanimously passes advanced transmission technology bill

State regulators could require utilities such as PPL Electric, PECO Energy and FirstEnergy to integrate ATTs into proposed projects. Similar laws have been signed in at least nine states with more bills pending.

By Ethan Howland • Updated May 7, 2026

Dominion upbeat on offshore wind as cost estimate eases, sales rise

CEO Robert Blue said the 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind farm, which began producing some electricity in March, should be fully operational by 2027 and generate approximately $5 billion in fuel savings over 10 years. The utility’s fuel and other energy-related costs jumped 67% in Q1.

By Brian Martucci • May 4, 2026

The AI electric grid calls for a mixed‑fleet transmission strategy

In the AI-era planning environment, hybridization is not a compromise — it is the engineering approach best aligned with real world system needs, timelines and locational realities, writes NYISO planning engineer Anees Jeddy.

By Anees Jeddy • May 4, 2026

New England transmission owners ask FERC for increased ROE

Eversource, Avangrid and other New England utilities seek an 11.39% return on equity weeks after FERC set it at 9.57%. Higher ROE is needed to attract capital given “current risk conditions,” such as the Iran war and supply chain constraints, they said.

By Ethan Howland • Updated May 1, 2026

FirstEnergy opposes key part of PJM data center backstop procurement plan

The PJM Interconnection’s planned backstop auction is flawed, said CEO Brian Tierney. Separately, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration will oppose rate hike requests that fail to meet affordability criteria.

By Ethan Howland • April 30, 2026

Meta deal adds to Entergy’s $57B, 4-year capital plan

Entergy’s 2026-2029 capital plan is more than 30% higher than what the company announced three months ago, and it has a pipeline of 7-12 GW of potential data center load.

By Robert Walton • April 30, 2026

CAISO expects ‘solid launch’ for EDAM, first Western day-ahead market

Mike Wilding of PacifiCorp, EDAM’s inaugural participant, told Utility Dive that 90 days of parallel operations in preparation for launch have given him confidence that “the market is working as intended and as designed.”

By Diana DiGangi • April 29, 2026

Capacity cost explosion: What PJM’s $80B bill means for the AI buildout

To avoid an era of grid instability, electric-sector stakeholders must fast-track replacement generation, deploy grid-enhancing technologies and pass permitting reform, writes EnerKnol’s Shahid Mahdi.

By Shahid Mahdi • April 29, 2026

DTE proposes $474M Michigan electric rate hike

The utility also made a conditional promise to freeze rate hikes for two years if its request is approved. State legislators are weighing a proposal to increase the minimum time between rate cases from one to three years.

By Robert Walton • April 24, 2026

Economic development group pushes Congress on permitting reform

In a ‘fly-in’ this week, the Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy emphasized the economic benefits of faster permitting as electricity demand rises.

By Brian Martucci • April 23, 2026

PJM market monitor opposes waivers for Constellation’s Three Mile Island nuclear restart

Constellation needs the waivers from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to fully deliver power as soon as the unit restarts, possibly next year. It has a 20-year deal to sell all the energy, capacity and clean energy attributes to Microsoft for data centers.

By Ethan Howland • April 23, 2026

CenterPoint to energize 8 GW of data center load by 2029

Houston is now “firmly established as a location of choice for some of the world's largest hyperscalers,” CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells said in the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

By Robert Walton • April 23, 2026

Alaska’s energy challenges require a national response

Alaska energy modernization should be treated as a national infrastructure priority, writes Northwest Public Power Association CEO Kurt Miller.

By Kurt Miller • April 22, 2026

What does Trump’s wartime powers flex mean for transformers and other grid equipment shortages?

Spencer Pederson of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association told Utility Dive the move was a “step in the right direction,” but its impact will depend on details and funding. In the meantime, distribution transformer backlogs are running a year or more.

By Robert Walton • April 22, 2026

New England states urge FERC to advance $1.5B in ratepayer refunds

Governors and utility regulators asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to dismiss a request by Eversource and Avangrid to stay the refund order while a court weighs an appeal. The dispute has already spawned 15 years of litigation. 

By Ethan Howland • April 21, 2026

La Plata Electric CEO: Why Western utilities are moving toward regional markets

Following its transition into the Southwest Power Pool, LPEA expects an immediate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of roughly 20%, along with reduced wholesale power costs, writes Chris Hansen.

By Chris Hansen • April 20, 2026

MISO expects load to jump 35% by 2035 on data center growth

However, data center development plans "widen uncertainty" in the long-term outlook, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator cautioned. Utilities need more dynamic planning models to cope, Stephanie Chesnick Cutter of EY told Utility Dive.

By Ethan Howland • April 20, 2026

The grid is under pressure from two directions. Your customers own the answer.

AI is straining the bulk system. EVs are stressing local feeders. Flexibility can solve both.

April 20, 2026

Congress presses DOE’s Wright on Energy Star, permitting reform

Energy Secretary Chris Wright didn’t offer plans for DOE’s full takeover of the Energy Star program. He agreed to work with Congress on methane rules and permitting reform.

By Diana DiGangi • April 17, 2026

FERC tees up June decision on data center interconnection reform

Other open meeting takeaways: Chairman Swett is “perplexed” on PJM backstop auction, the agency rejected a renewable developer’s $44-million waiver request, and zombie dockets die.

By Ethan Howland • April 17, 2026