Governors seek more influence over PJM amid ‘crisis of confidence’

Nine governors representing the majority of electric customers in the grid operator’s footprint said they want a say in filling two vacant board seats. 

By Ethan Howland • Updated July 18, 2025

Trump taps Project 2025 contributor to fill vacant FERC seat

David LaCerte works at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. He served during Trump’s first term and helped on Project 2025, the conservative road map to “deconstruct the Administrative State.”

By Ethan Howland • July 17, 2025

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

With Blackstone venture, PPL is ‘biggest winner’ from data center summit

The Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, which President Trump attended, touted heavy investments in AI and power infrastructure. Jefferies analysts said PPL scored a victory there.

By Ethan Howland • July 17, 2025

Law judge calls for Minnesota PUC to reject $6.2B Allete private equity deal

The proposed private equity model isn’t in the public interest, an administrative law judge said.

By Ethan Howland • July 16, 2025

Georgia Power’s new IRP keeps coal plants online to serve data centers

The integrated resource plan approved by regulators on Tuesday also calls for up to 4,000 MW of renewable resources by 2035 and more than 1,500 MW of storage.

By Robert Walton • July 16, 2025

Google Cloud to pour more than $25B into AI infrastructure across PJM

The investment will expand the hyperscaler’s data center footprint across the largest U.S. power grid over the next two years.

By Matt Ashare • July 15, 2025

The regulator’s dilemma: balancing grid modernization with rising power bills

Load growth and aging infrastructure require investment, but customer electricity prices are up 4.5% nationally, almost twice the 2.4% national inflation rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 15, 2025

Solar continues to dominate new generation ... for now

The United States added about 12 GW of generating resources between January and April of this year, mostly from solar, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

By Meris Lutz • July 15, 2025

Will FERC stand up for competitive power markets? Our grid depends on it.

With hundreds of billions of dollars expected to be spent on grid projects, it’s time for FERC to reaffirm its commitment to market competition — and prevent utility self-dealing.

By Andrew Waranch • July 14, 2025

Ignoring customers is unsustainable and bad policy

Enabling flexible customer demand can drive significant system-wide benefits while mitigating the cost or timing of expensive system upgrades.

By Kent Chandler, Chris Villarreal and Michael Giberson • July 11, 2025

Environmental, consumer advocates sue Bonneville for joining SPP’s day-ahead market

Plaintiffs say the agency's decision to join Markets+ will increase the risk of blackouts compared to joining CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market or a “no-action” alternative.

By Ethan Howland • July 11, 2025

Misaligned interconnection, transmission planning could hurt competitive markets: FERC’s Chang

Getting generation online as quickly as possible is a key priority, according to Commissioner Judy Chang. “We should plan, design, permit — all faster."

By Ethan Howland • July 11, 2025

Ohio regulators approve AEP data center interconnection rules

The Ohio PUC ordered the utility to file updated tariffs and lift a moratorium on connecting new data centers as soon as possible.

By Meris Lutz • July 10, 2025

Power providers urge FERC to reject PacifiCorp adding $1.7B in wildfire liabilities to transmission rates

The Berkshire Hathaway utility’s plan to recover its potential liabilities is illegal and would create rate shock, according to a complaint at the federal agency.

By Ethan Howland • July 9, 2025

There aren’t enough AI chips to support data center projections, report says

High-end forecasts are “not credible,” according to London Economics International, which called its report a “sanity check” on demand growth projections. 

By Robert Walton • July 9, 2025

Load growth, plant retirements could drive 100x increase in blackouts by 2030: DOE

The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday published a methodology for assessing grid reliability, but clean energy advocates say it likely exaggerates the risks of blackouts.

By Robert Walton • July 8, 2025

FERC rejects MISO, SPP plan to broaden scope of interregional transmission planning

One dissenting commissioner said regulators "should not stand in the way of simple solutions" that would improve study accuracy.

By Ethan Howland • July 7, 2025

How AI can improve utility storm response with increased reliability, lower ratepayer costs

With extreme weather increasing, AI can make storm response more efficient and effective for utilities, ratepayers, vendors, regulators and the various governments involved.

By Hari Vasudevan • July 7, 2025

Federal agencies, including FERC and DOE, revoke environmental review rules

The agencies eliminated all references to consider climate change, environmental justice and other key environmental issues in their permit reviews, Earthjustice said.

By Ethan Howland • July 1, 2025

SPP secures funding for second phase of Markets+ development

So far, eight power entities have signed on to funding agreements detailing how market implementation costs will be recovered.

By Robert Walton • July 1, 2025

Affordability a ‘formidable challenge’ as load shifts to tech, industrial customers: ICF

The consulting agency expects electricity prices to rise as much as 25% in some regions through 2030 due to necessary grid expansion, wildfire hardening and other infrastructure projects.

By Brian Martucci • June 30, 2025

State utility regulators urge FERC to slash ROE transmission incentive

Limiting the 0.5% extra return on equity to three years — or ending it — could lower utility income by millions annually, the utilities say.

By Ethan Howland • June 30, 2025

Electrical manufacturers publish ‘digital substation’ standards

“There are interoperability questions and there's a need for technical guidance for utilities interested in installing these ... self healing grid technologies,” NEMA Senior Vice President Patrick Hughes said.

By Robert Walton • June 27, 2025

How risk-spend efficiency puts AI at the center of utility investment strategy

As risks grow in both intensity and complexity, utilities that adopt this approach can shift from reactive planning to proactive strategy and face the future with greater confidence.

By Adam Cornille • June 26, 2025

Oncor to propose rate increase, says 5-year capital expenditures could ‘soar’ by $12B

If Texas regulators approve the rates, customers would see monthly bills rise 4.7%. Almost half of that would go to recovering storm-related costs, the utility said.

By Robert Walton • June 26, 2025