FERC urged to shield AES Ohio customers from expected grid costs due to 1.5-GW Amazon data center

Language in a proposed agreement between AES Ohio and Amazon is “ambiguous,” leaving residential ratepayers without adequate protections, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel said.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 18, 2024

Trump taps North Dakota Gov. Burgum to run Interior, new national energy council

President-elect Donald Trump said his administration will “dramatically” increase baseload power generation, which “will reduce the cost of electrical bills that continue to skyrocket for citizens and small businesses.”

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 18, 2024

Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainability

Companies are pursuing increasingly ambitous sustainability goals around clean energy, but integrating rising amounts of renewables, minimizing environmental impacts, and achieving carbon reduction targets can be challenging.

By Utility Dive staff

COP29 negotiators approve Article 6.4, establish standards for global carbon market

The approval of the standards was called a “critical step” toward future climate negotiations at COP29 by the summit’s lead negotiator, Yalchin Rafiyev.

By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 15, 2024

FERC approves MISO, SPP transmission plan expected to spur 29 GW of renewables

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agreed the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue transmission projects should be built by incumbent utilities without cost caps.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 15, 2024

State utility regulators urge Congress to fund advanced transmission technologies

“Five years ago, people thought grid-enhancing technologies were unproven and risky,” DOE’s Jigar Shah said. “Today, I think people believe that they're mainstream enough to deploy at scale.”

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 14, 2024

ExxonMobil urges Trump not to withdraw from Paris Agreement again

“A second U.S. exit from the Paris Climate Agreement will have profound implications for the United States’ efforts to reduce its own emissions,” an Exxon spokesperson said.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 14, 2024

What COP29 entails for the global energy transition, business priorities

COP29 will be a “critical moment” in the global climate transition, further shaping the ESG landscape and motivating companies to ramp up sustainability initiatives, says Workiva’s chief sustainability officer.

By Mandi McReynolds • Nov. 14, 2024

ESG, climate rules at stake under a second Trump term

Several climate and ESG-related regulations at the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Labor are likely headed for the chopping block come January.

By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 14, 2024

California’s climate disclosure laws survive first legal challenge

A federal judge denied a motion for summary judgment from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that alleged the state’s climate bills — SB 253 and SB 261 — violated the First Amendment.

By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 13, 2024

PJM sees ‘easy button’ to meet power needs, but Appalachians see higher bills and more pollution

Mandates and market manipulations are keeping expensive coal online, and consumers are paying the price.

By Marcia Dinkins • Nov. 13, 2024

Trump taps former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead EPA

The Trump administration will likely roll back EPA regulations affecting fossil-fuel power plants, including a carbon emissions rule, according to Michelle Bloodworth, president and CEO of America’s Power.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 12, 2024

PNM plans to join California ISO’s day-ahead market beginning in 2027

Participating in CAISO’s planned market “is the next step in realizing the value of New Mexico’s renewable energy potential for our customers,” PNM President and CEO Don Tarry said.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 12, 2024

Rising data center loads pose grid reliability, residential cost risks: APS executive

New data center interconnection rules are being considered in Arizona and Virginia, officials said Sunday at a NARUC conference.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 11, 2024

Nuclear sector’s views on second Trump administration mixed as Rogan interview raises questions

President-elect Donald Trump enacted pro-nuclear policies during his first term and supported an “all-of-the-above” energy policy during the campaign, but some advocates fear a “divide between words and actions.”

By Brian Martucci • Nov. 8, 2024

FERC approves PJM plan to omit energy efficiency resources from capacity auctions

PJM Interconnection’s current load forecasting methodology “reasonably accounts for energy efficiency measures on the demand side,” the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Tuesday.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 8, 2024

Clean energy, sustainable investors brace for second Trump presidency

Experts expect private sector work on ESG issues and the clean energy transition to continue, albeit at a slower pace, under a reelected Donald Trump.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 7, 2024

How good data can fuel carbon capture and storage adoption for power plants

CCS is vital to complying with recent EPA emissions mandates, but slow permitting and inadequate data are delaying deployment.

By John Tombari • Nov. 7, 2024

Trump win is ‘setback’ for climate protection, but clean energy advocates say progress will continue

Trump’s victory means a Republican will be selected to lead FERC, which will likely work to rein in transmission incentives, said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen's Energy Program.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 6, 2024

AEP, others press for FERC guidance on ‘gargantuan’ issue of data center colocation

Google is interested in colocation to meet its data center needs, not to avoid grid costs, said Brian George, the company's U.S. federal lead for global energy market development.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 4, 2024

FERC rejects interconnection pact for Talen-Amazon data center deal at nuclear plant

Chairman Willie Phillips dissented from the decision on the “first of its kind” co-location proposal, saying it could harm national security and grid reliability.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 4, 2024

FERC’s Rosner pushes state flexibility in transmission planning rehearing order

Rosner said his top priorities are grid reliability balanced with affordability, managing the energy transition and supporting gas and transmission infrastructure development.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 1, 2024

States should procure power supplies outside PJM capacity auctions: FirstEnergy CEO

Capacity concerns come amid a surge in data center development, with FirstEnergy receiving more than 60 service inquiries larger than 500 MW this year.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 31, 2024

Exelon’s ‘high probability’ data center load has nearly doubled to 11 GW, CEO says

Meanwhile, the PJM Interconnection’s plan to delay an upcoming capacity auction “sends a clear message that [market] reform is definitely needed,” CEO Calvin Butler said.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 31, 2024

Future of IRA, shape of permitting reform hinge on upcoming election, experts say

Bipartisan permitting reform may be abandoned in the event of a federal electoral sweep, while the “looming fiscal cliff” endangers the Inflation Reduction Act, analysts say.

By Diana DiGangi • Oct. 30, 2024

US district court rules Texas transmission law favoring incumbent utilities unconstitutional

The ruling is a win for NextEra Energy and LS Power transmission subsidiaries as well as the East Texas Electric Cooperative.

By Ethan Howland • Oct. 29, 2024