PECO seeks $429M rate hike, partly to reduce power outages

PECO’s capital expenditure to net plant ratio is higher than that of 16 peer utilities, indicating a higher risk level, said a Brattle Group representative who testified in support of the rate request.

By Ethan Howland • April 1, 2026

AI data centers are stressing power infrastructure. Storage is the answer.

No one wants to admit that a power system designed for normal data center behavior is struggling under AI behavior, writes TerraFlow Energy Chief Marketing Officer Amanda Simonian.

By Amanda Simonian • March 31, 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

Winter Storm Fern highlighted need for expanded interregional transmission, Senate hears

Some regions saw prices of hundreds of dollars per megawatt-hour, while neighboring areas experienced negative power prices. “There was power not being used at all because the transmission was not available,” said Liza Reed of the Niskanen Center think tank.

By Robert Walton • March 27, 2026

DOE offers $50M for tribal energy projects

The funding opportunity outlines program policy factors that can influence the selection of projects for awards, including “the degree to which the proposed project will support the supply of firm, reliable power.” 

By Diana DiGangi • March 26, 2026

DOE extends emergency operations at 2 Indiana coal plants

Since December the plants “have proven critical” to operations in the Midcontinent ISO region, DOE said. Sierra Club says they cost consumers almost $200,000 per day.

By Robert Walton • March 24, 2026

Utilities must ask AI vendors these questions to meet critical infrastructure protection standards

Utilities deploying AI tools may be creating a compliance gap that will become visible only when auditors start asking questions, writes Eric Swidey, founder of Thirty Seven Inc.

By Eric Swidey • March 24, 2026

‘Emergencies’ requiring coal plants to stay open need not be imminent, DOE tells court

States, environmental groups and others have sued the U.S. Department of Energy over its repeated emergency orders to run the J.H. Campbell plant in West Olive, Michigan, saying it failed to show the emergency need.

By Ethan Howland • March 23, 2026

Securing the last mile: Distribution visibility for a stable grid

As the last mile grows more complex, real-time distribution visibility helps utilities uncover hidden risks, validate assets and support new loads without disruption.

March 23, 2026

DOE taps SoftBank arm to develop 9.2 GW of gas generation in Ohio

SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japan’s SoftBank Group, is also investing $4.2 billion with AEP Ohio to upgrade and build new transmission lines in Southern Ohio.

By Robert Walton • March 20, 2026

Why data centers will need a ‘bring your own power’ strategy

If the AI boom is not handled correctly, we will put grid stability and public trust at odds with tech-led growth, writes Ameresco CEO George Sakellaris.

By George Sakellaris • March 20, 2026

FERC rejects RWE complaint over PJM interconnection practices

The agency also slashed New England’s transmission return on equity and said it would allow two Indiana utilities to spread costs stemming from DOE emergency orders keeping coal plants online across MISO’s northern and central regions.

By Ethan Howland • March 20, 2026

January’s Winter Storm Fern was ‘classic near-miss’ for US grid, says NERC’s Robb

“The system ran very close to the edge, leaving no room for error,” Jim Robb, president and CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., told a House subcommittee.

By Robert Walton • March 20, 2026

Winter storms underscore data center threats to grid reliability, affordability

Demand from the data center boom, combined with worsening extreme weather events, put our electric system at heightened risk, writes Union of Concerned Scientists Senior Manager Mike Jacobs.

By Mike Jacobs • March 19, 2026

To strengthen power reliability in extreme weather, diversify grid resources

More expensive, less reliable power need not be our unavoidable fate, writes NextGen Energy CEO Kimberly Johnston.

By Kimberly Johnston • March 18, 2026

Democratic House bill aims to overturn Trump electricity policies

The bill, backed by 122 House members, would reinstate clean energy tax credits and grants while aiming to speed grid interconnection to an expanded transmission system.

By Ethan Howland • March 18, 2026

Utilities weigh regional resource adequacy under new Western market

Kalia Savage, CAISO’s liaison to the energy imbalance market entities, warned the grid operator to “remain mindful of stakeholder bandwidth ... given the number of complex initiatives underway.”

By Diana DiGangi • March 18, 2026

As data centers go off-grid, utilities face new cost and planning risks

Industry disclosures suggest that by the end of the decade, a meaningful share of new data center capacity could be partially or fully self-supplied, write Brandon Owens and Morgan Bazilian.

By Brandon Owens and Morgan Bazilian • March 17, 2026

Mass. governor orders state to pursue 15 GW of resources, including storage, VPPs

The executive order also calls for a review of existing gas and oil storage capacity and utilization, including how the Everett LNG import terminal helps meet the region’s energy needs.

By Robert Walton • March 17, 2026

‘Clear warning signs’ as PJM wholesale power costs jump 54% in one year

Also, PJM’s last two base capacity auctions show a growing shortfall compared to its reserve margin targets, according to the grid operator’s market monitor. Prices will continue rising until large data center loads are addressed, it said.

By Ethan Howland • Updated March 14, 2026

US entities face heightened cyber risk related to Iran war

The military campaign against Iran is putting local governments, critical infrastructure providers and major U.S. companies at heightened risk of disruptive attacks.

By David Jones • March 11, 2026

NERC overstates reliability risks in long-term assessment: Grid Strategies

The North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s analysis uses low generation and interregional power flow assumptions but a high demand forecast, including from data centers, the consulting firm said.

By Ethan Howland • Updated March 11, 2026

MISO, SPP eye 500-kV cross-border projects to bolster reliability, save money

The proposed interregional projects would increase transfer capacity across the southern seam between the Midcontinent Independent System Operator and the Southwest Power Pool.

By Ethan Howland • March 9, 2026

2026 fire season off to ominous start after relatively mild 2025

Total acres burned fell in 2025, but the Eaton and Palisades fires were hugely destructive and raise questions about the future of California's Wildfire Fund, one expert says.

By Emma Penrod • March 6, 2026

AI is outpacing America’s power grid. Nuclear must become a national priority.

Nuclear power can scale with the needs of AI, writes Amentum’s Mark Whitney. Companies and communities relying on renewables will risk outages, higher costs and missed opportunities.

By Mark Whitney • March 5, 2026

PJM market monitor opposes Maryland power plant sale to data center company

TeraWulf’s plan to buy a power plant from GenOn faces opposition at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as hyperscalers at White House meeting pledge to bring their own generation.

By Ethan Howland • March 5, 2026