Five-year US load growth forecast surges 456%, to 128 GW: Grid Strategies

U.S. electricity demand is forecast to increase 15.8% by 2029, according to a new report from Grid Strategies, which called the findings “shocking.” Six regions of the country are driving the growth.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 6, 2024

When TOU rates aren’t enough: BGE, other utilities expand active managed charging for rising EV load

With over 3 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads, managed charging pilots need to be scaled before infrastructure upgrade costs start rising, analysts and utility executives agree.

By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 4, 2024

Explore the Trendline➔

Electricity Supply and Demand

After nearly two decades of flat demand, U.S. electricity consumption reached an all-time high in 2024 and is expected to continue rising. This trendline brings together the best of Utility Dive’s coverage of emerging trends in supply and demand and the decisions being made today that will impact the power system for years to come. 

By Utility Dive staff

Mitsubishi Electric subsidiary invests $86M in switchgear factory

The company is building a 160,000-square-foot facility in the Pittsburgh area to meet growing demand for transmission and distribution grid products.

By Joelle Anselmo • Dec. 4, 2024

NYSERDA, Clean Path NY developers terminate contracts underpinning 175-mile transmission line

Clean Path NY developer Forward Power says it “remain[s] committed to New York’s energy transition” despite the loss of the project’s renewable energy credit purchase and sale agreement.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 3, 2024

With Maryland’s electric grid ‘battered and getting worse,’ state offers $15M to boost resilience

The Resilient Infrastructure for Sustainable Energy program plans to fund electric utility weatherization efforts, monitoring and control technologies, undergrounding and other grid-hardening investments.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 2, 2024

Duke pauses consideration of DOE loan program with Trump election, new Congress

Given the uncertainties around future Department of Energy lending, it makes sense to delay a review of potential benefits from the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment program, Duke Energy told North Carolina regulators.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 2, 2024

2025 utility marketing trends: Meeting the needs of the modern customer

As 2025 approaches, utility marketers must prepare to embrace trends in artificial intelligence (AI), hyper-convenience and energy equity to stay agile.

Dec. 2, 2024

EPRI, Kraken advance DER interoperability standards to boost virtual power plant deployment

“Without interoperability standards, VPPs cannot reach scalability, affordability, and reliability as soon or as efficiently as they will be needed,” said Arshad Mansoor, CEO of the Electric Power Research Institute.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 27, 2024

New York City faces potential electricity resource shortfalls in 2033, 2034: ISO

Transportation and building electrification, along with commercial projects like data centers and chip fabrication, are driving peak demand higher, according to the New York Independent System Operator.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 26, 2024

Affordability, data center growth and more: 9 state utility regulators reveal their top challenges

Utility commissioners from across the U.S. say their most pressing issue is balancing affordability with the utility spending required to meet demand growth and maintain reliability.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 26, 2024

APS, 3 other Arizona utilities to join Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+

Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services say they expect to begin participating in the new  day-ahead and real-time energy market as early as 2027.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 25, 2024

Indiana Michigan Power, Amazon, Google, others agree on large load interconnection rules

The agreement comes as the American Electric Power utility expects its peak demand to roughly double to 8 GW by 2030, driven by hyperscaler data center growth. 

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 25, 2024

As bitcoin’s price and energy demand surge, Texas requires some miners to register with utility commission

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wants his state to be “an oasis" for bitcoin. But utility regulators say they need greater visibility into the stress that mining operators put on the electric grid. 

By Robert Walton • Nov. 25, 2024

Unleashing the power of dynamic distribution pricing (Part 2)

We can't wait to implement dynamic distribution pricing while until we scale monitoring and analytics devices — here's how utilities can start implementing pilots now.

By Amaani Hamid and Emma Rodvien • Nov. 25, 2024

FERC expands states’ role in regional transmission planning, cost allocation

“It is a … ‘Kumbaya’ moment, where there's actually remarkable agreement between what the states wanted and what a bipartisan FERC provided,” Grid Strategies’ Rob Gramlich said.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 22, 2024

Local transmission spending soars nationwide amid ‘serious absence of cost containment’

In New England, Eversource and National Grid are advancing two local projects totaling $724 million as state utility regulators push for more oversight.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 20, 2024

Not just a ‘boondoggle’: State regulators, industrial companies push for cost effective transmission

Proactive planning, incentives and competitive solicitations can help control transmission costs, the Brattle Group’s Johannes Pfeifenberger said.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 19, 2024

Texas PUC approves $3B Oncor system resiliency plan

Texas lawmakers authorized System Resiliency Plan filings last year and Oncor’s was the first to be approved. Regulators are also considering submissions from AEP, Texas-New Mexico Power and Entergy.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 18, 2024

FERC urged to shield AES Ohio customers from expected grid costs due to 1.5-GW Amazon data center

Language in a proposed agreement between AES Ohio and Amazon is “ambiguous,” leaving residential ratepayers without adequate protections, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel said.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 18, 2024

Trump taps North Dakota Gov. Burgum to run Interior, new national energy council

President-elect Donald Trump said his administration will “dramatically” increase baseload power generation, which “will reduce the cost of electrical bills that continue to skyrocket for citizens and small businesses.”

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 18, 2024

How to capture the full value of VPPs for a changing grid

VPPs can be key to navigating industry challenges — but only if they are fully leveraged.

Nov. 18, 2024

FERC approves MISO, SPP transmission plan expected to spur 29 GW of renewables

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agreed the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue transmission projects should be built by incumbent utilities without cost caps.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 15, 2024

Natural gas supply is a bulk power reliability risk this winter: NERC

Gas producers have taken “a multitude of proactive measures to prepare for winter weather," Natural Gas Supply Association CEO Dena Wiggins said.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 15, 2024

State utility regulators urge Congress to fund advanced transmission technologies

“Five years ago, people thought grid-enhancing technologies were unproven and risky,” DOE’s Jigar Shah said. “Today, I think people believe that they're mainstream enough to deploy at scale.”

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 14, 2024

Advanced DSM - broader, bigger, better

Learn how DSM is being reshaped as a powerful new tool that can not only reduce demand, but also shape it and even grow it to meet economic and environmental goals.

By Raegan Bond, Partner, Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, Philippe Dunsky, President and Founder, Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors • Nov. 11, 2024