Transmission & Distribution
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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 -
Retrieved from Public Utilities Commission of Texas.
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 -
Explore the Trendline➔
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TrendlineGrid 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 -
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OpinionA 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 -
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‘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 -
Courtesy of Google
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 -
sefa ozel via Getty Images
OpinionCan 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 -
Gerville via Getty Images
PJM expects summer peak load to grow 2% a year on average, driven by data centers
Meanwhile, it will be hard to build enough power plants and power lines to meet Virginia’s data center needs, according to a report written for state lawmakers.
By Ethan Howland • Dec. 10, 2024 -
Debra McVey via Getty Images
FERC rejects plan to shift PJM’s transmission planning protocol in win for state regulators
“These provisions violate the Commission’s independence requirement by providing … PJM [transmission owners] with undue influence over transmission planning and expansion,” FERC said.
By Ethan Howland • Dec. 9, 2024 -
Adobe Stock/yelantsevv
Sponsored by Burns & McDonnellLeveraging project development to meet energy transition targets
As utilities invest in grid modernization, they face significant challenges to complete projects.
By William Omatsone • Dec. 9, 2024 -
Courtesy of Public Service Electric and Gas
PSE&G to pay $6.6M for inaccurately reporting need for local PJM transmission project
The Public Service Enterprise Group utility didn’t give PJM accurate information about the need for a $546 million power line it built in New Jersey, per a FERC settlement.
By Ethan Howland • Dec. 6, 2024 -
YinYang via Getty Images
Five-year US load growth forecast surges 456%, to 128 GW: Grid Strategies
U.S. electricity demand is forecast to increase 15.8% by 2029, according to a new report from Grid Strategies, which called the findings “shocking.” Six regions of the country are driving the growth.
By Robert Walton • Dec. 6, 2024 -
Courtesy of General Motors
Deep DiveWhen TOU rates aren’t enough: BGE, other utilities expand active managed charging for rising EV load
With over 3 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads, managed charging pilots need to be scaled before infrastructure upgrade costs start rising, analysts and utility executives agree.
By Herman K. Trabish • Dec. 4, 2024 -
Stock Photo via Getty Images
Mitsubishi Electric subsidiary invests $86M in switchgear factory
The company is building a 160,000-square-foot facility in the Pittsburgh area to meet growing demand for transmission and distribution grid products.
By Joelle Anselmo • Dec. 4, 2024 -
Sean Pavone/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
NYSERDA, Clean Path NY developers terminate contracts underpinning 175-mile transmission line
Clean Path NY developer Forward Power says it “remain[s] committed to New York’s energy transition” despite the loss of the project’s renewable energy credit purchase and sale agreement.
By Robert Walton • Dec. 3, 2024 -
Bilanol via Getty Images
With Maryland’s electric grid ‘battered and getting worse,’ state offers $15M to boost resilience
The Resilient Infrastructure for Sustainable Energy program plans to fund electric utility weatherization efforts, monitoring and control technologies, undergrounding and other grid-hardening investments.
By Robert Walton • Dec. 2, 2024 -
bauhaus1000 via Getty Images
Duke pauses consideration of DOE loan program with Trump election, new Congress
Given the uncertainties around future Department of Energy lending, it makes sense to delay a review of potential benefits from the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment program, Duke Energy told North Carolina regulators.
By Ethan Howland • Dec. 2, 2024 -
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Sponsored by Questline Digital2025 utility marketing trends: Meeting the needs of the modern customer
As 2025 approaches, utility marketers must prepare to embrace trends in artificial intelligence (AI), hyper-convenience and energy equity to stay agile.
Dec. 2, 2024 -
Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn via Getty Images
Deep DiveEPRI, Kraken advance DER interoperability standards to boost virtual power plant deployment
“Without interoperability standards, VPPs cannot reach scalability, affordability, and reliability as soon or as efficiently as they will be needed,” said Arshad Mansoor, CEO of the Electric Power Research Institute.
By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 27, 2024 -
TomasSereda via Getty Images
New York City faces potential electricity resource shortfalls in 2033, 2034: ISO
Transportation and building electrification, along with commercial projects like data centers and chip fabrication, are driving peak demand higher, according to the New York Independent System Operator.
By Robert Walton • Nov. 26, 2024 -
Permission granted by Ethan Howland
Affordability, data center growth and more: 9 state utility regulators reveal their top challenges
Utility commissioners from across the U.S. say their most pressing issue is balancing affordability with the utility spending required to meet demand growth and maintain reliability.
By Ethan Howland • Nov. 26, 2024 -
Katich, David. (2020). "WAPA DSW HEC operations being completed mid-air". Retrieved from Western Area Power Administration.
APS, 3 other Arizona utilities to join Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+
Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services say they expect to begin participating in the new day-ahead and real-time energy market as early as 2027.
By Robert Walton • Nov. 25, 2024 -
Courtesy of Google
Indiana Michigan Power, Amazon, Google, others agree on large load interconnection rules
The agreement comes as the American Electric Power utility expects its peak demand to roughly double to 8 GW by 2030, driven by hyperscaler data center growth.
By Ethan Howland • Nov. 25, 2024 -
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As bitcoin’s price and energy demand surge, Texas requires some miners to register with utility commission
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wants his state to be “an oasis" for bitcoin. But utility regulators say they need greater visibility into the stress that mining operators put on the electric grid.
By Robert Walton • Nov. 25, 2024 -
Pexels / Diana
Sponsored by KrakenUnleashing the power of dynamic distribution pricing (Part 2)
We can't wait to implement dynamic distribution pricing while until we scale monitoring and analytics devices — here's how utilities can start implementing pilots now.
By Amaani Hamid and Emma Rodvien • Nov. 25, 2024
