‘Interconnection processes must evolve’ to handle DER influx: DOE

The DER interconnection roadmap issued in the last days of the Biden administration envisions interconnection wait times under one day for <50-kW systems and 25% shorter power outage durations by 2030.

By Brian Martucci • Jan. 24, 2025

Trump freezes IRA funding

The White House issued a memo to clarify the funding pause, specifying that it pertains only to aspects of the law mentioned in Section 2 of the executive order.

By Kate Magill • Updated Jan. 23, 2025

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

AI improvements, DERs and new generation needed to meet power demand: USEA panel

“Serving data center load is absolutely a national security challenge,” said NERC President and CEO Jim Robb.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 22, 2025

Appeals court directs FERC to strip ROE transmission adder from Duke, FirstEnergy Ohio utilities

The Sixth Circuit appeals court also upheld FERC's decision ending the extra return on equity in the state for American Electric Power and Dayton Power.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 21, 2025

FERC approves SPP’s Markets+ Western power market, plus 3 other open meeting takeaways

“This is extremely important … in facilitating the efficient use of generation and transmission, ultimately to benefit consumers,” FERC Commissioner Judy Chang said.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 17, 2025

Texas PUCT approves Entergy’s $137M system resiliency plan

However, regulators declined to give conditional approval to $198 million in system hardening and fire mitigation projects Entergy wants to fund through the Texas Energy Fund.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 17, 2025

AEP, DTE and 6 other utilities win $22.9B in conditional loan guarantees from DOE

If finalized, the loan guarantees would support investments in transmission, energy storage, grid modernization, gas pipelines and more.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 16, 2025

DOE nominee Wright aims to boost power supplies to lower costs

“I'm 100% committed to growing our electricity grid and our energy production and removing those barriers that are standing in the way,” said Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Energy.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 16, 2025

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.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 16, 2025

The 47th presidency offers hope for permitting reform

Republicans and President-elect Trump should take the win that a permitting reform compromise bill offers, and they should do this in the first 100 days of the new administration.

By Jonathan Chanis • Jan. 16, 2025

PJM’s proposal to unlock unused interconnection capacity gains broad support

The PJM Interconnection’s plan to revise its Surplus Interconnection Service rules could free up 26 GW for a July capacity auction, clean energy trade groups said Monday.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 14, 2025

Biden orders Energy, Defense departments to lease sites for AI data centers, clean energy generation

The executive order calls for using “categorical exclusions” to rapidly site data centers and power generation.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 14, 2025

AEP to sell stake in transmission companies to KKR-PSP consortium for $2.8B

American Electric Power plans to use proceeds from the sale of 19.9% of AEP Ohio Transmission and AEP Indiana Michigan Transmission for its five-year, $54 billion capital spending plan.

By Ethan Howland • Jan. 10, 2025

Public Citizen challenges cost allocation for $546M PSE&G transmission project

A recent $6.6 million settlement agreement between the New Jersey utility and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission details “harrowing fraud” that makes the project’s costs imprudent, according to the advocacy group.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Jan. 10, 2025

Data centers drive growth, risk for PG&E, Constellation, NorthWestern: BofA

Electric utilities that can increase earnings related to data center energy demand should see their share prices rise in 2025, according to Bank of America Global Research.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 8, 2025

9 US electric power sector issues to watch in 2025

From rising electricity prices and demand to emerging opportunities and challenges around nuclear energy, virtual power plants, renewables and more, we’ve highlighted nine of the most important issues for the year ahead.

By Robert Walton, Ethan Howland, Diana DiGangi, Larry Pearl, Brian Martucci • Jan. 8, 2025

Microgrids boost grid reliability, lower costs: Colorado road map

Rising transmission costs and extreme weather impacts prompted a fresh look at the benefits of self-contained grids for rural Colorado communities.

By Brian Martucci • Jan. 7, 2025

Midwest to lead in ‘build, baby, build’

MISO has proven itself as a national leader in regional transmission planning — and other regions should take note.

By Ted Thomas • Jan. 7, 2025

FERC should bar transmission owners from planning local transmission over 100-kV: complaint

A coalition including Industrial Energy Consumers of America and ratepayer advocates from Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia called for the use of independent transmission planners.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 20, 2024

Texas scraps $1B performance credit mechanism proposal as reliability benefits questioned

"We’ve spent countless hours evaluating the PCM — up until, literally, my last open meeting,” Commissioner Lori Cobos said Thursday. She announced her retirement in December.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 20, 2024

A path to equitable permitting reform: Fast-tracking clean energy while empowering communities

For a sustainable future, the U.S. must adopt a more just permitting reform model — one that accelerates clean energy projects while centering environmental justice, community engagement and resilience.

By Shriya Pai • Dec. 19, 2024

‘Good riddance’ says Oklahoma governor as DOE nixes 7 national transmission corridors, refines 3

The Biden administration is considering federal support for transmission development in certain areas, but many landowners have opposed the plan, including in Oklahoma and Kansas.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 17, 2024

MISO board approves $22B regional transmission plan with 765-kV backbone

“Our Tranche 2.1 portfolio … is a major leap forward for the [Midcontinent Independent System Operator] footprint, and in particular our Midwest region,” MISO’s Jeremiah Doner said.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 13, 2024

Grid constraints limit near-term data center growth in Northwest: NPCC panelist

Gas-fired generation could meet data centers’ immediate power needs and transition to backup generation over time, panelists told the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

By Ethan Howland • Dec. 12, 2024

Can regulators protect small customers from rising transmission costs for big data centers?

Federal-state consensus is needed around whether to ring-fence non-data-center retail customers from the costs of expanding the transmission grid to meet data center load.

By Abraham Silverman, Suzanne Glatz and Mahala Lahvis • Dec. 11, 2024