The 47th presidency offers hope for permitting reform

Republicans and President-elect Trump should take the win that a permitting reform compromise bill offers, and they should do this in the first 100 days of the new administration.

By Jonathan Chanis • Jan. 16, 2025

Surging electricity demand drives power-sector agenda

Demand growth projections are “candidly freaking out a lot of people,” including lawmakers, regulators and industry leaders, one expert said.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 16, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

AI in the Power Sector

Artificial intelligence is uniquely positioned to impact the electricity industry from both ends: as the technology driving large load demand growth and as a tool with the potential to make the power system more efficient. 

By Utility Dive staff

PJM’s proposal to unlock unused interconnection capacity gains broad support

The PJM Interconnection’s plan to revise its Surplus Interconnection Service rules could free up 26 GW for a July capacity auction, clean energy trade groups said Monday.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 14, 2025

Biden orders Energy, Defense departments to lease sites for AI data centers, clean energy generation

The executive order calls for using “categorical exclusions” to rapidly site data centers and power generation.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 14, 2025

AEP to sell stake in transmission companies to KKR-PSP consortium for $2.8B

American Electric Power plans to use proceeds from the sale of 19.9% of AEP Ohio Transmission and AEP Indiana Michigan Transmission for its five-year, $54 billion capital spending plan.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 10, 2025

Public Citizen challenges cost allocation for $546M PSE&G transmission project

A recent $6.6 million settlement agreement between the New Jersey utility and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission details “harrowing fraud” that makes the project’s costs imprudent, according to the advocacy group.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Jan. 10, 2025

Data centers drive growth, risk for PG&E, Constellation, NorthWestern: BofA

Electric utilities that can increase earnings related to data center energy demand should see their share prices rise in 2025, according to Bank of America Global Research.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 8, 2025

9 US electric power sector issues to watch in 2025

From rising electricity prices and demand to emerging opportunities and challenges around nuclear energy, virtual power plants, renewables and more, we’ve highlighted nine of the most important issues for the year ahead.

By Robert Walton, Ethan Howland, Diana DiGangi, Larry Pearl, Brian Martucci • Jan. 8, 2025

Microgrids boost grid reliability, lower costs: Colorado road map

Rising transmission costs and extreme weather impacts prompted a fresh look at the benefits of self-contained grids for rural Colorado communities.

By Brian Martucci • Jan. 7, 2025

Midwest to lead in ‘build, baby, build’

MISO has proven itself as a national leader in regional transmission planning — and other regions should take note.

By Ted Thomas • Jan. 7, 2025

FERC should bar transmission owners from planning local transmission over 100-kV: complaint

A coalition including Industrial Energy Consumers of America and ratepayer advocates from Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia called for the use of independent transmission planners.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 20, 2024

Texas scraps $1B performance credit mechanism proposal as reliability benefits questioned

"We’ve spent countless hours evaluating the PCM — up until, literally, my last open meeting,” Commissioner Lori Cobos said Thursday. She announced her retirement in December.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 20, 2024

A path to equitable permitting reform: Fast-tracking clean energy while empowering communities

For a sustainable future, the U.S. must adopt a more just permitting reform model — one that accelerates clean energy projects while centering environmental justice, community engagement and resilience.

By Shriya Pai • Dec. 19, 2024

‘Good riddance’ says Oklahoma governor as DOE nixes 7 national transmission corridors, refines 3

The Biden administration is considering federal support for transmission development in certain areas, but many landowners have opposed the plan, including in Oklahoma and Kansas.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 17, 2024

MISO board approves $22B regional transmission plan with 765-kV backbone

“Our Tranche 2.1 portfolio … is a major leap forward for the [Midcontinent Independent System Operator] footprint, and in particular our Midwest region,” MISO’s Jeremiah Doner said.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 13, 2024

Grid constraints limit near-term data center growth in Northwest: NPCC panelist

Gas-fired generation could meet data centers’ immediate power needs and transition to backup generation over time, panelists told the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 12, 2024

Can regulators protect small customers from rising transmission costs for big data centers?

Federal-state consensus is needed around whether to ring-fence non-data-center retail customers from the costs of expanding the transmission grid to meet data center load.

By Abraham Silverman, Suzanne Glatz and Mahala Lahvis • Dec. 11, 2024

PJM expects summer peak load to grow 2% a year on average, driven by data centers

Meanwhile, it will be hard to build enough power plants and power lines to meet Virginia’s data center needs, according to a report written for state lawmakers.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 10, 2024

FERC rejects plan to shift PJM’s transmission planning protocol in win for state regulators

“These provisions violate the Commission’s independence requirement by providing … PJM [transmission owners] with undue influence over transmission planning and expansion,” FERC said.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 9, 2024

Leveraging project development to meet energy transition targets

As utilities invest in grid modernization, they face significant challenges to complete projects.

By William Omatsone • Dec. 9, 2024

PSE&G to pay $6.6M for inaccurately reporting need for local PJM transmission project

The Public Service Enterprise Group utility didn’t give PJM accurate information about the need for a $546 million power line it built in New Jersey, per a FERC settlement.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 6, 2024

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

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