PJM proposes behind-the-meter reforms in data center colocation effort

The planned reform threatens the economic viability of new combined heat and power generation at industrial facilities in the PJM Interconnection, according to trade groups.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 24, 2026

What the Supreme Court tariff ruling means for construction

The court decision could drive a modest reduction in price escalation for electrical systems and fixtures, but materials-specific tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper products remain in place, experts said. 

By Sebastian Obando • Feb. 23, 2026

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

The electricity paradox: Driving affordability means infrastructure investment

Energy abundance, AI competitiveness and consumer affordability are not in conflict, but the power sector needs to show that growth can lower bills, not raise them, write Ray Gifford and Matt Larson from Wilkinson Barker Knauer. 

By Ray Gifford and Matt Larson • Feb. 23, 2026

PPL spending plan jumps 15%, to $23B, on transmission, grid hardening

A PPL-Blackstone Infrastructure joint venture is in talks with hyperscalers to supply their data centers with generation, including options that could be built quickly, a company official said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 23, 2026

New Jersey regulators take first step to reform electric utility business model

Performance-based ratemaking, multiyear rate plans and lower utility returns are all options the Board of Public Utilities plans to consider. It recently approved hiring a consultant to assist a potential overhaul.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 23, 2026

DOE ‘emergency’ power plant orders help grid reliability: NERC official

However, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator's reliability remains at “high risk,” NERC’s John Moura said, and it's unclear whether its fast-track interconnection process will help.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 20, 2026

FirstEnergy 5-year spending plan jumps 30%, to $36B, driven by transmission

FirstEnergy is seeking a U.S. Department of Energy loan to pay half of a $2.5 billion gas-fired power plant planned for West Virginia.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 19, 2026

Improve transmission affordability by mending the regulatory gap

A two-pronged approach to planning could target inefficient spending while also spurring investments that promote beneficial transmission, writes Advanced Energy United’s Alex Lawton.

By Alex Lawton • Feb. 19, 2026

CenterPoint peak load to jump 50% by 2029 — 2 years earlier than previously expected

Demand is growing faster than previously anticipated and is on pace to double CenterPoint’s peak load by the middle of next decade, CEO Jason Wells said.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 19, 2026

CAISO requests input on large load considerations report

“We're getting a lot of questions about how the ISO manages large loads and plans for large loads,” said Danielle Mills, CAISO’s infrastructure policy development principal.

By Diana DiGangi • Feb. 18, 2026

Powering the AI era: Grid technologies for America’s rising energy demand

The electric sector should optimize existing infrastructure while also exploring emerging transmission technologies, writes the Electric Power Research Institute’s Andrew Phillips.

By Andrew Phillips • Feb. 18, 2026

PGE in $1.9B deal to buy PacifiCorp’s Washington utility operations

The deal could yield system resilience, transmission and clean energy investment opportunities as well as new large load customers, Portland General Electric officials said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 18, 2026

Entergy sees traditional and high-tech industrials driving sales growth

The New Orleans-based company’s five regional utilities expect 8% annual sales growth through 2029 as data centers and new heavy industrial projects come online.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 17, 2026

Hidden assets: Why data centers don’t have to be the villain

Conventional wisdom treats data centers as inflexible monsters. That characterization made sense a decade ago, but not now, writes GridX CCO Scott Engstrom.

By Scott Engstrom • Feb. 17, 2026

PJM board approves $11.8B transmission expansion plan

Dominion Energy utility lands $4.8-billion, high-voltage, direct-current underground project in Virginia as NextEra Energy-Exelon is awarded a $1.7-billion project in Pennsylvania.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 17, 2026

DTE Energy’s 5-year spending plan jumps 20% on data center, reliability investments

The company's 2026-2030 investment plan clocks in at $36.5 billion, up from $30 billion it identified in its 2025-2029 outlook.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 17, 2026

5 congested markets, 1 ready-to-scale solution

From ERCOT to PJM and beyond, America’s biggest grid operators contend with billions in grid congestion costs — but advanced conductors can provide urgent relief.

By Jason Huang, CEO, TS Conductor • Feb. 17, 2026

The rate case for grid resilience: Why climate change isn’t just about storms

Utilities that delay resilience investments hoping that global climate mitigation efforts will reduce the need for local hardening are taking a dangerous gamble, writes Kai Karlstrom, director of solutions engineering at Repath.

By Kai Karlstrom • Feb. 13, 2026

Transmission drives Exelon’s capital spending plan to $41.3B

Exelon has a “line of sight” on $12 billion to $17 billion of transmission buildout over the next 10 years that isn’t included in its current capital plan, a company official said.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 13, 2026

AEP contracted large load pipeline doubles to 56 GW

American Electric Power’s data center pipeline in Texas surged to 36 GW by the end of December, from 13 GW in the third quarter.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 13, 2026

Data centers pursue on-site power as affordability tops utility concerns: BofA

Hyperscalers are looking to secure power fast, “firm and smooth with storage, then layer in solar as the lowest-cost marginal energy,” wrote Bank of America Securities analyst Dimple Gosai.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 13, 2026

300-MW Ameren fast-track project hits snag on DOE transmission funding uncertainty

It’s unclear if the U.S. Department of Energy will help fund a set of 345-kV projects in the Great Plains region, leaving Ameren Missouri in doubt about potential interconnection costs for its project.

By Ethan Howland • Feb. 12, 2026

Electrification is outpacing investment. A federal trust fund could close the gap.

A federal trust fund for energy infrastructure could facilitate grid expansion and maintenance, writes Zane Kinsky, a Clean Energy Leadership Institute 2025 Fellow.

By Zane Kinsky • Feb. 11, 2026

CAISO shifts transmission focus to reliability to meet peak demand growth

The California Independent System Operator detailed this shift in a report prepared for the governor and legislature as part of preparations for launching a new Western regional organization to oversee electricity markets.

By Diana DiGangi • Feb. 10, 2026

New Jersey utilities begin to develop virtual power plants

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities asked for information from utilities on distributed energy resource hosting constraints and how new interconnections can be accelerated.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 9, 2026