Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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The 2025 outlook for data center cooling
Rapidly increasing server rack densities and 24/7 uptime requirements will increase demand for liquid and hybrid cooling systems, including retrofits, these data center cooling experts say.
Brian Martucci • Jan. 22, 2025 -
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2025 Renewable Energy Outlook: Full speed ahead as second Trump administration begins
Load growth and Inflation Reduction Act spending are driving the industry forward despite the threat of federal policy reversals.
Diana DiGangi • Jan. 21, 2025 -
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2025 FERC, DOE Outlook: Surging demand growth to drive power-sector agenda
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the departments of Energy and Interior will play key roles in the Trump administration’s efforts to spur new power supplies and cut energy costs.
Ethan Howland • Jan. 16, 2025 -
Emma Penrod/Utility Dive
Hydrogen is transforming a tiny Utah coal town. Could its success hold lessons for similar communities?
The Intermountain Power Project, which aims to be the first gas power plant to use 100% hydrogen, represents a rare success story in the nation’s quest to transition former coal-producing communities to renewable energy.
Emma Penrod • Jan. 15, 2025 -
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C-PACE financing can make energy efficiency upgrades more affordable – if it’s available
Interest rates as low as 7% make C-PACE attractive for building improvement projects, some experts say. But conditions for accessing it vary widely by state.
Nish Amarnath • Jan. 13, 2025 -
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A Michigan city’s ‘sustainable energy utility’ got the green light from voters. What now?
By creating a supplemental utility that will focus on scaling up rooftop solar, battery storage and microgrids, Ann Arbor, Michigan, is taking its clean energy future into its own hands, stakeholders say.
Ysabelle Kempe • Jan. 2, 2025 -
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Texas task force aims to ‘tear down barriers’ to virtual power plant pilot as participation lags
The aggregated DER pilot, which includes Tesla and Bandera Electric as participants, aims to harness 80 MW of flexible resources on the Texas grid, but it has not reached that goal due to various limitations.
Robert Walton • Dec. 11, 2024 -
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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.
Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 4, 2024 -
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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.
Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 27, 2024 -
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Harris, Trump present ‘diametrically opposed’ impacts on ESG
“A Harris administration would be more favorable for the interests of ESG investors whereas a Trump administration would be antagonistic,” according to Morningstar Indexes’ head of strategy.
Lamar Johnson and Zoya Mirza • Nov. 5, 2024 -
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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.
Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 28, 2024 -
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With Palisades and Three Mile Island units set to restart, could more retired reactors follow?
Much depends on the retired plants’ condition, decommissioning status and reactor technology, experts say.
Brian Martucci • Oct. 22, 2024 -
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Carrots, sticks or both: State efforts to combat anti-renewables NIMBYs
In pursuit of zero-emissions electricity goals and tax windfalls from utility-scale renewables, states are taking a range of approaches to disarm opponents.
Brian Martucci • Aug. 22, 2024 -
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California pioneers new ways to ease interconnection of large DERs
Limited generation profiles in California will schedule limits to DERs during system constraints. New York, Illinois, Colorado and others are testing more flexible approaches.
Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 21, 2024 -
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Innovative solutions emerge to reduce 2.5-TW US clean energy interconnection backlog
California’s project scoring criteria, the Texas connect and manage option and SPP’s work to link system planning with the interconnection process across its multistate region could speed the clean energy expansion.
Herman K. Trabish • July 22, 2024 -
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As NVIDIA, IBM and others apply AI to boost utilities, regulatory and data privacy obstacles abound
The “move fast and break things” business model of the technology sector is meeting the regulated spending and reliability imperatives of the utility sector.
Herman K. Trabish • June 11, 2024 -
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Drive for energy permitting reform fuels tensions between climate, environmental justice advocates
A simplified permitting process would speed the deployment of clean energy, but some EJ advocates are concerned about unintended consequences.
Diana DiGangi • June 6, 2024 -
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Tackling 3 key issues can help scale virtual power plants and spur a wave of benefits, analysts say
Advanced operational software, communications standards and customer compensation are needed to scale VPP size and services, cut system and customer costs and enhance reliability, key VPP players agree.
Herman K. Trabish • April 17, 2024 -
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As states increasingly look to advanced nuclear, Wyoming, Virginia and Michigan lead the way
Their efforts are showing policymakers elsewhere how to attract emerging nuclear technologies and the skilled workers they need to operate, National Association of State Energy Officials President David Terry said.
Brian Martucci • April 17, 2024 -
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Monday’s eclipse could cut US solar output by 40 GWh. Here’s how 5 grid operators are preparing.
Grid operators are not expecting any reliability issues during the eclipse but say forecasting energy demand will be complicated. Monday “will not be a typical spring day,” MISO noted.
Robert Walton • April 4, 2024 -
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A new era of price-based demand response emerges, but utilities and regulators need proof of its potential
New load flexibility from price-based demand response programs could be invaluable if reliability and cost-effectiveness is confirmed in real-world operating conditions, stakeholders agree.
Herman K. Trabish • March 27, 2024 -
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California lawmakers backpedal on income-based utility charges as IOUs, others propose alternatives
State legislators ordered regulators in 2022 to implement an income-graduated fixed charge to protect low-income customers and shift the funding for various policy goals. A new bill would repeal that.
Herman K. Trabish • March 19, 2024 -
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2024 PJM Outlook: Tough choices loom on capacity market, plant retirements, transmission planning
Ensuring that enough new generation comes online to replace retiring power plants is a key issue that threads through PJM’s expected focus this year, stakeholders and observers said.
Ethan Howland • Feb. 29, 2024 -
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Congressional action on energy permitting remains stuck, but states, developers are finding solutions
States are resolving local objections to projects through community engagement while transmission developers are making innovative use of existing rights-of-way to bypass permitting logjams.
Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 27, 2024 -
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As wildfires losses mount, will commercial insurers decline to cover utilities?
As Xcel Energy, PG&E, Hawaiian Electric and others confront catastrophic wildfires, industry observers believe the growing risk could spur innovation in commercial insurance that ultimately benefits utilities.
Emma Penrod • Jan. 31, 2024
