Transmission & Distribution: Page

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    Opinion

    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
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    ‘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 • Dec. 17, 2024
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    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
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    The image by Patrick Finnegan is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    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 • Dec. 13, 2024
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    Courtesy of Google
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    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 • Dec. 12, 2024
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    Opinion

    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
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    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 • Dec. 10, 2024
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    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 • Dec. 9, 2024
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    Adobe Stock/yelantsevv

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    Sponsored by Burns & McDonnell

    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
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    Courtesy of Public Service Electric and Gas
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    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 • Dec. 6, 2024
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    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 • Dec. 6, 2024
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    Courtesy of General Motors
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    Deep Dive

    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 • Dec. 4, 2024
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    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
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    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 • Dec. 3, 2024
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    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 • Dec. 2, 2024
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    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 • Dec. 2, 2024
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    Sponsored by Questline Digital

    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
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    Deep Dive

    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 • Nov. 27, 2024
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    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 • Nov. 26, 2024
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    Permission granted by Ethan Howland
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    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 • Nov. 26, 2024
  • WAPA linemen work on a transmission line near Kingman, Arizona.
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    Katich, David. (2020). "WAPA DSW HEC operations being completed mid-air". Retrieved from Western Area Power Administration.
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    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 • Nov. 25, 2024
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    Courtesy of Google
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    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 • Nov. 25, 2024
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    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 • Nov. 25, 2024
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    Pexels / Diana

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    Sponsored by Kraken

    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
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    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 • Nov. 22, 2024
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    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 • Nov. 20, 2024