PJM sees need for thermal power plants to protect against blackout risks amid rising electrification

PJM said its study shows transmission, energy storage and emerging technologies will be needed to handle the evolving grid across its footprint.

By Ethan Howland • May 19, 2022

NERC sounds alarm on solar tripping in 'sobering' summer reliability report

Electric grid operators may struggle with resource shortages, droughts and extreme temperatures this summer, according to North America's grid watchdog.

By Robert Walton • May 19, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Grid Resiliency

Utilities and grid operators are facing increasing threats from climate change as well as cyber and physical attacks, and are deploying a variety of responses to meet the rising challenges.

By Utility Dive staff

ERCOT says grid is ready for summer, but extreme weather and generator outages could challenge reliability

Southwest Power Pool and PJM Interconnection have also indicated they expect sufficient energy resources to meet peak electricity demand, while the Midcontinent ISO anticipates a generation shortfall.

By Robert Walton • May 18, 2022

California governor floats 5-GW, $5.2B 'reliability reserve' amid possible electricity shortfalls

“We also need to be mindful [that] we need to accelerate projects, particularly because we have been changing our modeling and we are now recognizing some new factors and challenges,” Newsom said Friday.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 17, 2022

After calls for conservation and generator failures, Texas' grid survived the weekend. It's still May.

Additional demand response resources should be put in place now, say experts who anticipate a difficult summer for Texas grid operations.

By Robert Walton • May 16, 2022

White House cyber executive order still has unfinished business

The Biden administration is up against key hurdles in its effort to raise software security standards and establish zero trust across federal agencies.

By David Jones • May 13, 2022

Storage to play key role in Hawaii grid reliability as coal plant nears retirement, experts say

Both utility-scale and distributed storage will provide unique benefits to the state's grid, said panelists at the Hawaii Energy Conference last week.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 12, 2022

Reliably hitting 85% clean electricity has huge implications for California — and the rest of the country

If the country's largest economy can hit its clean energy goals and retire more natural gas generation despite challenges like extreme weather and deployment bottlenecks, so can any other state, the author writes.

By Daniel Esposito • May 10, 2022

Interior department releases proposed auction details for California offshore wind development

The proposal includes more than 370,000 acres that could potentially offer more than 4.5 GW of offshore wind energy.

By Kavya Balaraman • Updated May 26, 2022

Colonial Pipeline faces nearly $1M in penalties as federal regulator discloses probable violations

The Transportation Department’s pipeline safety regulator scrutinized control room management, which may have contributed to the fuel disruptions from the 2021 ransomware attack.

By David Jones • May 9, 2022

Gov. Newsom open to extending Diablo Canyon nuclear plant's life, but analysts differ on feasibility and need

Changing course on the planned retirement of the nuclear plant would be surprising given California's efforts to procure new electricity resources to replace it, one expert said.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 5, 2022

The fight for a national clean energy transmission system emerges on three fronts

DOE’s multi-part transmission study, FERC’s refocus on transmission planning, and macrogrid advocacy efforts could produce an interconnected nation ready for net zero electricity by 2035, industry, government and other experts say.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 3, 2022

DOE advances $2.3B grid resilience funding program for states, tribes

The funding comes as the U.S. is seeing more frequent and longer power outages, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

By Ethan Howland • April 28, 2022

Cyber agencies renew warnings of Russia-linked threats against industrial targets

Separately, the U.S. is expanding the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative to include experts on industrial control systems.

By David Jones • April 22, 2022

Energy sector on high alert after discovery of new malware targeting industrial control systems

Federal agencies warn the vulnerability could allow hackers to "gain full system access" to some control devices.

By Robert Walton • April 18, 2022

Managing high-volume infrastructure deployment

Learn how industry experts are creating a distributed, decarbonized and digitized electric grid.

April 18, 2022

Arizona regulators deny SRP gas plant expansion, citing community impacts and insufficient supporting evidence

Salt River Project said the decision creates a near-term resource issue and that it will continue to evaluate its "generation and market options."

By Robert Walton • April 13, 2022

Reliability concerns drive need for energy market design reforms, but regions diverge in FERC proceeding

Filings from FERC proceedings show a one-size-fits-all reform can't sufficiently address regional market diversity, but federal guidelines can target growing uncertainties and costs from rising variable and distributed resource penetrations.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 11, 2022

This is not a dress rehearsal: What critical infrastructure owners and operators can do right now to defend against nation-state threats

Grid modernization has created a complex ecosystem of network-connected equipment. Fortunately, there are immediate actions that industrial operators and utilities can take.

April 11, 2022

NERC's mock cyberattack reveals 'urgent need' to bolster grid restoration communication systems

In the event of an attack and widespread outage, "the loss of communications would essentially halt the grid restoration process," according to a North American Electric Reliability Corp. report.

By Robert Walton • April 8, 2022

California approves $11.7M vehicle-to-grid pilots in PG&E footprint

The programs will support the build-out of bidirectional charging equipment, which regulators say can provide broader resiliency benefits.

By Kavya Balaraman • Updated May 6, 2022

Constellation NewEnergy agrees to pay $4.7M to settle allegations it violated CAISO's market rules

FERC said the retail energy provider failed to provide power twice when called upon by the California grid operator in 2017.

By Ethan Howland • March 30, 2022

Hawaiian Electric to revisit Maui capacity planning amid supply chain concern

The utility has identified a portfolio of measures — including a battery bonus program — it believes will ensure that Maui continues to receive reliable electric service.

By Kavya Balaraman • March 24, 2022

FBI: US energy sector faces 'reconnaissance, scanning' by Russian hackers; 5 companies targeted

Russian hackers may be exploring the potential for attacks on the U.S. energy sector, and several companies have experienced "abnormal scanning" activities, according to the the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

By Robert Walton • March 23, 2022

White House repeats warnings to critical infrastructure sectors about possible Russia cyber retaliation

The broad warnings come after federal authorities convened more than 100 critical infrastructure organizations to share classified cyberthreat information.  

By David Jones • March 22, 2022