Regulation & Policy
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Deep Dive
In an era of rising rates, policies to strengthen power system flexibility can lower costs
The right policies can provide grid flexibility, which reduces demand-driven rate spikes and protects consumers while allowing utilities to build out the grid, experts say.
By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 29, 2025 -
FERC rejects Tri-State’s large load tariff over retail jurisdiction issues
The decision comes as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is considering a U.S. Department of Energy proposal for interconnecting data centers and other large loads to the grid.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 29, 2025 -
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TrendlineTop 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 -
US partners with Westinghouse, Cameco and Brookfield on $80B nuclear deployment
Westinghouse AP1000 reactors will be utilized in a national deployment that will create more than 100,000 construction jobs, the companies said.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 28, 2025 -
Opinion
Maryland should resist rewriting utility monopoly laws
The state should embrace competition, innovation and accountability from power distributors, generators and utility regulators, writes Adam Dubitsky, state director for the Land & Liberty Coalition of Maryland.
By Adam Dubitsky • Oct. 28, 2025 -
The image by AsNuke is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Google-NextEra, Santee Cooper announcements signal new life for defunct nuclear projects
“Restarting a once fully operational plant is the fastest path to unlock large-scale nuclear power to meet AI growth in the near-term,” Google said Monday.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 28, 2025 -
Kentucky utility, AG challenge PJM’s regional cost allocation plan for DOE ‘emergency’ orders
Load-serving entities shouldn’t be required to pay for costs they didn’t cause, East Kentucky Power Cooperative and Kentucky’s attorney general told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 28, 2025 -
Opinion
What utilities need to get right to scale generative AI
To use artificial intelligence safely and at scale, utilities need to start with the right architecture, define a data strategy and build the right compliance foundations, write Vijay Narayan and Syama Sundar Peesapati of Cognizant.
By Vijay Narayan and Syama Sundar Peesapati • Oct. 27, 2025 -
Residential electricity prices up more than 6% in August: EIA
Developers, analysts and policy professionals see growing cause for concern as costs rise.
By Meris Lutz • Oct. 27, 2025 -
Retrieved from WIRES Group.
Surging load growth requires flexibility, new approaches: FERC’s See
“There's a pretty broad range, in my view, of what ‘just and reasonable’ can be, especially when we have new situations and urgency,” FERC Commissioner Lindsay See said.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 27, 2025 -
US electric utilities entering investment ‘super-cycle,’ says Morningstar DBRS
U.S. electric utilities will spend $1.4 trillion from 2025 to 2030, the firm said. They face challenges around data center demand forecasting, rising rates and regulatory lag.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 27, 2025 -
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By Michael Menendez, Senior Partner, Energy & Utilities, West Monroe • Oct. 27, 2025 -
Retrieved from U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Trump taps Swett to lead FERC
Under Republican Laura Swett’s leadership, FERC can “strengthen market design and unlock billions in private investment to meet record demand,” said EPSA President and CEO Todd Snitchler.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 24, 2025 -
FirstEnergy expects peak load to grow 45% by 2035 on data centers
In the first nine months this year, electric sales grew 1% from the same period in 2024 but were essentially flat on a weather-adjusted basis. The company anticipates “more meaningful” increases starting in the fourth quarter.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 24, 2025 -
The week in 5 numbers: The electricity price report everyone is talking about
Plus utility identity fraud, turbine backlogs and more.
By Meris Lutz • Oct. 24, 2025 -
$1.6B in clean energy investments were rolled back in September: E2
More than $24 billion in clean energy investment has been withdrawn so far this year, according to E2. The group said $11 billion in new projects were announced over the same period.
By Diana DiGangi • Oct. 23, 2025 -
Opinion
Gas reliance will worsen the energy affordability crisis
Utilities and regulators should consider other options before investing in gas plants and making customers pay the inflated price, writes Cassady Craighill, technical education director at GridLab.
By Cassady Craighill • Oct. 23, 2025 -
PJM poised to add more storage following surplus interconnection reform
The grid operator’s new fast-track interconnection review is dominated by gas but also includes about 2.3 GW of storage projects that could be online much sooner.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 23, 2025 -
Retrieved from FERC.
NERC president warns of ‘five-alarm fire’ for grid reliability
“The reliability of the power grid remains extremely high, but, paradoxically, the risks to reliability continue to mount,” the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s Jim Robb told federal regulators.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 22, 2025 -
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s industry partnerships slashed
The latest round of sweeping layoffs could significantly impede CISA’s relationships with critical infrastructure organizations in healthcare, energy, water, finance and other sectors.
By Eric Geller • Oct. 22, 2025 -
Opinion
States should think twice before taking steps to exit PJM
If officials believe the PJM Interconnection capacity market is not ensuring resource adequacy, or is doing so at excessive prices, they should turn their efforts to market reforms, writes former FERC Chair Joseph Kelliher.
By Joseph Kelliher • Oct. 22, 2025 -
Maryland’s EmPOWER efficiency program not meeting low-income goals: OPC
Most utilities in the state are on track to meet emissions goals associated with the efficiency program. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is not.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 22, 2025 -
DOE cancels $700 million in battery and manufacturing project grants
A DOE spokesperson said the projects had missed milestones and would not provide a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.
By Diana DiGangi • Oct. 21, 2025 -
FERC rejects NV Energy plan to allow free exit from interconnection study
Geothermal projects have surged to 3.3 GW in NV Energy’s interconnection queue, which grew 30% in the last three months.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 21, 2025 -
NorthWestern plans ‘large load’ tariff for Montana data centers
Advocates say the utility plans to serve at least three data centers that could scale up to a load of 2,250 MW — nearly twice its current peak. NorthWestern said it is in talks with potential data center customers but has no agreements.
By Ethan Howland • Oct. 21, 2025 -
Opinion
To keep power affordable, regulators must rethink who pays — and when
A growing body of evidence shows that widespread residential electrification can actually reduce average rates, but only under the right conditions, write Becky Li and Joe Daniel of RMI.
By Becky Li and Joe Daniel • Oct. 20, 2025