NERC proposes cold weather reliability standard

Quickly addressing generator freezing issues “will help ensure that the grid is better equipped to withstand and recover from extreme cold weather,” the North American Electric Reliability Corp. said.

By Robert Walton • April 14, 2025

The AI infrastructure race hits a political reality check

The AI-driven data center boom has created demand for land, electricity and water, a dynamic that has spawned growing opposition from communities, utility grid operators and regulators.

By Joe Brettell and Jeff Berkowitz • April 10, 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

Trump directs FERC, other agencies to add 5-year sunsets to energy-related regulations

The executive order is “impossible to implement [and] blatantly illegal,” according to Harvard Law School’s Ari Peskoe.

By Ethan Howland • April 10, 2025

FERC urged to reject proposed ROE, incentives for $3B Valley Link transmission project

Transource Energy, Dominion Energy and FirstEnergy contend the incentives are needed to reduce the project’s risks.

By Ethan Howland • April 7, 2025

US electricity demand will grow 50% by 2050, electrical manufacturer study finds

Data centers and transportation electrification will drive U.S. electricity demand about 2% higher each year for the next quarter century, according to a new analysis completed for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

By Robert Walton • April 7, 2025

ChargeScape and the future of energy management

ChargeScape is an automotive joint venture providing EV-grid integration software to power utilities.

April 7, 2025

How FERC is working to boost power supplies while managing the price tag

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has focused on reforms to transmission planning and grid interconnection rules while approving market expansions.

By Amy Akers • April 4, 2025

SPP to rely on demand response to help bridge shrinking power supplies: CEO Nickell

“Excess generating capacity is dwindling, and it's dwindling to a point where it's becoming dangerous,” the Southwest Power Pool’s Lanny Nickell said Thursday.

By Ethan Howland • April 4, 2025

DOE offers 16 locations for possible data center, energy infrastructure development

The federal government is seeking input on data center “power needs, timelines, and approaches to co-locating energy sources with data centers or sources for surplus interconnection capacity.”

By Robert Walton • April 4, 2025

A market-based path to unlocking interconnection queues

When a scarce resource like grid access is given away administratively rather than allocated based on economic value, the result is always the same: inefficiency, congestion and delays.

By Terry Harvill and August Ankum • April 2, 2025

PacifiCorp aims to add 4.7 GW renewables, 1.7 GW storage by 2031

Given changing federal policies, the utility company may keep several coal-fired units operating longer than expected, according to its latest resource plan.

By Ethan Howland • April 2, 2025

ISO New England issues transmission RFP to access new wind resources

The grid operator wants to upgrade the transmission system between northern Maine, where wind generation is expected to be built, and demand centers in southern New England.

By Robert Walton • April 1, 2025

We asked 100 utility program leaders for their top challenges and opportunities. Here’s what they said.

Grid modernization, growing demand and artificial intelligence are among the top issues facing electric utility leaders, according to an ICF survey.

By Justin Mackovyak • March 31, 2025

White paper points to carbon capture as possible data center solution

Pairing carbon capture with natural gas-fired generation could prove cost-competitive with other baseload options, like nuclear and battery storage, according to a Carbon Direct white paper.

By Emma Penrod • March 31, 2025

Utilities should develop data center tariffs to protect consumers, decarbonize: SWEEP

Rising data center electricity demands threaten utility decarbonization efforts, potentially requiring fossil fuel generation and pulling renewables away from other electrification efforts, per a Southwest Energy Efficiency Project report.

By Robert Walton • March 28, 2025

Moody’s upgrades PG&E on reduced credit risks from wildfires

“In the backdrop of the recent LA wildfires, we expect any legislative and regulatory actions resulting from the state's continued wildfire risk will remain supportive for utilities,” Moody's said.

By Ethan Howland • March 28, 2025

Schneider Electric to invest $700M in US manufacturing

The investment will help expand production of electric grid equipment and research into microgrids and AI-driven automation.

By Kate Magill • March 27, 2025

US energy infrastructure gets a D+ from American Society of Civil Engineers

The energy sector’s 2025 Infrastructure Report Card grade dropped from the C-  it received in 2021, with ASCE citing several threats facing the aging grid.

By Diana DiGangi • March 27, 2025

Outsmarting outages: AI predicts disruptions before they happen

As the energy landscape evolves with renewable resources and electric vehicles, the predictive outage model equips utilities with the agility needed to prioritize maintenance based on real-time data.

By Michael Juchno and Zaki Arifulla • March 27, 2025

Span unveils at-the-meter load control device for utilities

The SPAN Edge device will be used in a Pacific Gas & Electric residential customer virtual power plant this year.

By Ethan Howland • March 26, 2025

Trump executive order threatens transmission, interconnection initiatives: former FERC commissioners

President Trump’s executive order compromises FERC’s independence, is “unhealthy, unwarranted, and unprecedented,” threatens power system reliability and is “plainly illegal,” the former commissioners say.

By Herman K. Trabish • March 26, 2025

New England could connect 9.6 GW of offshore wind without new infrastructure: report

ISO New England's report recommends moving some offshore wind from Maine to Boston to maximize transmission cost savings.

By Diana DiGangi • March 25, 2025

FERC approves SPP’s RTO West, plus 4 other open meeting takeaways

The White House has not directed the commission to bolster coal-fired generation, and the agency is eyeing reorganization possibilities, Chairman Mark Christie said Thursday.

By Ethan Howland • March 21, 2025

Labor-industry collaboration is key to US energy security, dominance and job growth

The power grid requires a workforce equipped to design, install and maintain a system that integrates increased energy production, new energy sources, smart grid technologies and energy storage.

By Calvin Butler and Kenneth Cooper • March 20, 2025

But first, eat your vegetables: A guide to smarter load management

Smarter load management optimizes grid performance and efficiency. Discover strategies for balanced growth.

By Kyle Kichura • March 18, 2025