National Grid, GridCARE partnership could cut ‘time to power’ for large loads in New York

The initiative aims to boost grid utilization and keep bills in check in a region that has drawn high-profile data center and advanced manufacturing projects.

By Brian Martucci • April 1, 2026

Expect retail electricity prices to rise further: LBNL/Brattle

Record investor-owned utility rate increase requests and approvals last year “suggest additional near-term price increases absent policy/market actions,” according to an analysis.

By Robert Walton • April 1, 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

PECO seeks $429M rate hike, partly to reduce power outages

PECO’s capital expenditure to net plant ratio is higher than that of 16 peer utilities, indicating a higher risk level, said a Brattle Group representative who testified in support of the rate request.

By Ethan Howland • April 1, 2026

Oncor, LCRA propose up to 244 miles of 765-kV Texas transmission

The proposal supports Texas’ effort to build a network of high-voltage transmission lines to serve growing demand in the Permian Basin.

By Robert Walton • March 31, 2026

Before we build more gas pipelines, we need better data

Building energy infrastructure takes years, billions of dollars and massive political capital. Better data costs a fraction of that, write researchers at three universities.

By Burçin Ünel, Anamika Dubey and Chiara Lo Prete • March 30, 2026

Ameren begins testing dynamic line rating technology

A pilot with Heimdall Power anticipates 30 sensor units that clamp directly onto transmission lines to monitor real-time conditions. Ameren said 15 have already been deployed to some of its most congested lines.

By Robert Walton • March 30, 2026

AMP, ratepayer advocates oppose ROE, rates proposed for $1.1B AEP-FirstEnergy transmission project

The proposed rates fail to protect ratepayers from data center-driven transmission costs, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

By Ethan Howland • March 30, 2026

PJM data center colocation plan takes fire from Vistra, data center group, others

“Even a customer that brings sufficient co-located generation to meet its load cannot avoid curtailment risk,” the Data Center Coalition told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “It is unclear why a customer would pursue this pathway at all.”

By Ethan Howland • March 27, 2026

Winter Storm Fern highlighted need for expanded interregional transmission, Senate hears

Some regions saw prices of hundreds of dollars per megawatt-hour, while neighboring areas experienced negative power prices. “There was power not being used at all because the transmission was not available,” said Liza Reed of the Niskanen Center think tank.

By Robert Walton • March 27, 2026

Southeast, lower-cost PJM states offer model for affordable grid expansion

The vertically integrated utility model shows it is possible to build new generation and protect customers from steep rate increases, writes former FERC Commissioner Bernard McNamee.

By Bernard L. McNamee • March 26, 2026

50 GW of data centers online at end of 2025, with MISO seeing strongest growth: FERC

ERCOT, the Southwest Power Pool and the Southeast also saw rapid growth, but not as much as the 43% annual growth in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator region since 2020, FERC said.

By Ethan Howland • March 26, 2026

Data center buildouts slowed late last year

“Power and electrical equipment is still the main driver of construction delays,” said Gordon Dolven, CBRE data center research director.

By Matt Ashare • March 25, 2026

Pepco Holdings CEO talks rising demand, affordability and PJM market reforms

Adding power supplies in PJM — including utility-owned generation — is one way to address affordability challenges, says Pepco Holdings CEO Tyler Anthony.

By Ethan Howland • March 25, 2026

Maryland ratepayer advocate calls for greater transmission oversight as costs rise

Costs to customers in the state could reach $5.4 billion for transmission built from 2031 through 2035, compared with $7.1 billion spread over the previous 20 years, according to the advocate.

By Ethan Howland • March 24, 2026

Better grid utilization could save customers $170B: Brattle report

However, the report’s lead author said that “we need regulatory models that reward utilities for pursuing this opportunity.”

By Brian Martucci • March 23, 2026

DOE taps SoftBank arm to develop 9.2 GW of gas generation in Ohio

SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japan’s SoftBank Group, is also investing $4.2 billion with AEP Ohio to upgrade and build new transmission lines in Southern Ohio.

By Robert Walton • March 20, 2026

FERC rejects RWE complaint over PJM interconnection practices

The agency also slashed New England’s transmission return on equity and said it would allow two Indiana utilities to spread costs stemming from DOE emergency orders keeping coal plants online across MISO’s northern and central regions.

By Ethan Howland • March 20, 2026

To strengthen power reliability in extreme weather, diversify grid resources

More expensive, less reliable power need not be our unavoidable fate, writes NextGen Energy CEO Kimberly Johnston.

By Kimberly Johnston • March 18, 2026

Democratic House bill aims to overturn Trump electricity policies

The bill, backed by 122 House members, would reinstate clean energy tax credits and grants while aiming to speed grid interconnection to an expanded transmission system.

By Ethan Howland • March 18, 2026

As data centers go off-grid, utilities face new cost and planning risks

Industry disclosures suggest that by the end of the decade, a meaningful share of new data center capacity could be partially or fully self-supplied, write Brandon Owens and Morgan Bazilian.

By Brandon Owens and Morgan Bazilian • March 17, 2026

FERC approves SPP merger of interconnection, transmission planning

“This proposal will get transmission built smarter and connect new generation faster,” said David Rosner, a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

By Ethan Howland • March 17, 2026

Mass. governor orders state to pursue 15 GW of resources, including storage, VPPs

The executive order also calls for a review of existing gas and oil storage capacity and utilization, including how the Everett LNG import terminal helps meet the region’s energy needs.

By Robert Walton • March 17, 2026

Data center demand spike could drive 79% ERCOT price hike in 2027: EIA

In a high-demand scenario, data centers could drive 2025-2027 annual load growth 15% higher in Texas and 4.7% higher in PJM Interconnection, the Energy Information Administration said.

By Robert Walton • March 16, 2026

5 things you need to know about advanced conductors

A closer look at the technology reshaping transmission.

By Jason Huang, CEO, TS Conductor • March 16, 2026

IOUs work to interconnect 39 GW of data center, manufacturing load: EEI

Duke Energy, Northern Indiana Public Service and Xcel Energy are among the utilities with major data center projects in their service territories, the Edison Electric Institute told federal regulators.

By Ethan Howland • March 13, 2026