Transmission is ‘best low-risk, high-growth’ way to play the AI-energy boom, says Sempra CEO

Sempra utility Oncor says it could be selected to build a “significant portion” of more than $13 billion in transmission projects planned for the Permian Basin of Texas through 2038.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 7, 2024

Trump win is ‘setback’ for climate protection, but clean energy advocates say progress will continue

Trump’s victory means a Republican will be selected to lead FERC, which will likely work to rein in transmission incentives, said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen's Energy Program.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 6, 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

US should add 35 GW of interregional power transfer capacity to boost energy adequacy: NERC

NERC said its new study “demonstrates a significant opportunity to optimize reserve use during extreme weather events and shows how transmission can maximize the use of local resources, including storage and demand response.”

By Robert Walton • Nov. 5, 2024

FERC’s Rosner pushes state flexibility in transmission planning rehearing order

Rosner said his top priorities are grid reliability balanced with affordability, managing the energy transition and supporting gas and transmission infrastructure development.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 1, 2024

States should procure power supplies outside PJM capacity auctions: FirstEnergy CEO

Capacity concerns come amid a surge in data center development, with FirstEnergy receiving more than 60 service inquiries larger than 500 MW this year.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 31, 2024

Exelon’s ‘high probability’ data center load has nearly doubled to 11 GW, CEO says

Meanwhile, the PJM Interconnection’s plan to delay an upcoming capacity auction “sends a clear message that [market] reform is definitely needed,” CEO Calvin Butler said.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 31, 2024

SPP OKs $7.7B transmission plan targeting ‘generational challenges’ with power supply and demand

The projects have benefit-cost ratios of at least 8 to 1 and are expected to pay for themselves within three years, according to the Southwest Power Pool.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 30, 2024

US district court rules Texas transmission law favoring incumbent utilities unconstitutional

The ruling is a win for NextEra Energy and LS Power transmission subsidiaries as well as the East Texas Electric Cooperative.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 29, 2024

CenterPoint acquires smaller generators to aid in grid restorations, following Hurricane Beryl criticism

An independent analysis of CenterPoint’s July storm response included 77 recommendations, two-thirds of which the utility has already completed or is in the process of implementing.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 29, 2024

How will the presidential and Senate election outcomes affect FERC and its policies?

The FERC chairman plays a key role in setting the agency’s agenda, but even if Donald Trump wins, the commission could have a Democratic majority for at least 18 months.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 29, 2024

APS, Duke, other utilities pursue new climate resilience strategies as some await upcoming tools

APS and Duke, along with Central Hudson Gas & Electric, PacifiCorp and Puget Sound Energy, see different paths to reach resilience planning’s potential while awaiting EPRI metrics to address uncertainties.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 28, 2024

Where the wires meet the road: Fixing missed opportunities for long-distance transmission

We need to find ways to better integrate the planning of transmission and the siting of transmission from the get-go so that we don’t end up in situations where ideal pathways for transmission are missed.

By Adam Kurland • Oct. 28, 2024

AEP Ohio reaches agreement with stakeholders on data center interconnection rules

The rate proposal comes as half of surveyed utilities are facing data center service requests for more than 1,000 MW each, according to an EPRI report.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 24, 2024

DTE on pace for more than $4B in reliability, smart grid investment this year

A September audit concluded DTE’s electric power restoration times are “worse than average.” Utility officials say their proposed investment plan will deliver “dramatic improvement.”

By Robert Walton • Oct. 24, 2024

Utilities’ hidden clean energy tax is at the heart of our energy challenges

Ending utility self-funding is central to FERC’s efforts to change utilities’ incentives and push them to tackle more ambitious high-voltage projects.

By Ari Peskoe • Oct. 24, 2024

Nearly 100 utilities’ credit ratings downgraded since 2020 as wildfire risks grow

Rising insurance and mitigation costs threaten utilities' financial stability, but there may be hope on the horizon, according to a report from Charles River Associates.

By Emma Penrod • Oct. 23, 2024

AI, data center load could drive ‘extraordinary’ rise in US electricity bills: Bain analyst

Utility revenue requirements to serve growing data center electricity demand could increase customer bills by 1% annually through 2032, according to Bain & Company.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 23, 2024

DOE selects nearly $2B in projects for grid resilience funding

The projects will boost transmission capacity by more than 7.5 GW, accelerate interconnection for clean energy and spark over $4.2 billion in public and private investment, according to DOE.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 18, 2024

FERC bars payments for ‘deadband’ reactive power, plus 4 other open meeting takeaways

Renewable energy trade groups, Public Service Enterprise Group and other generators opposed the agency’s decision on reactive power.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 18, 2024

BPA plans $3 billion in transmission projects, including 500-kV lines

The planned transmission across Oregon and Washington comes as the Southwest Power Pool and California Independent System Operator aim to expand wholesale power markets in the West.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 16, 2024

From aggregation to action: Implementing effective behind-the-meter control strategies with Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS)

Discover how implementing a DERMS solution will help you utilize BTM DERs for grid reliability

Oct. 15, 2024

Tribal nations want utility-scale clean energy, but upfront costs pose a barrier

The deposit required to remain in an interconnection queue can cost tribes $5 million dollars on short notice, says Chéri Smith, CEO of the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy.

By Diana DiGangi • Oct. 14, 2024

AEP Ohio urges PUC to reject ‘Hail Mary’ data center tariff proposal from Amazon, others

Google, Microsoft and Meta joined Constellation Energy and other organizations last week in proposing terms for connecting “electricity-intensive” customers to the grid.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 14, 2024

PJM aims to fast-track reliability projects in interconnection queue

The PJM Interconnection’s plan to allow a limited number of reliability-oriented generating projects to enter an interconnection study process early next year sparked concerns from some stakeholders, including Invenergy.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 9, 2024

Opportunities and obstacles for the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission

The memorandum of understanding that established the collaborative is remarkable for the sheer number of states involved and the fact that it covers three independent system operators: ISO-NE, NYISO and PJM.

By Ryan Cross • Oct. 9, 2024