New PECO Rate Hike Request Includes Proposal for Peak-Shaving Distributed Battery Program
PECO, the Philadelphia‑area utility, has filed a new rate‑hike request that bundles a proposal for a peak‑shaving distributed battery program. The filing seeks to recover costs for installing utility‑scale and behind‑the‑meter battery storage that can reduce demand spikes on the grid. Regulators will evaluate whether the proposed program delivers measurable reliability and emissions benefits. If approved, the program could set a precedent for other utilities seeking to monetize distributed energy resources.
Factor This Finance and Project Development Roundup: AES, Dimension, Georgia Power, Zelestra
The data‑center and AI boom is hitting a bottleneck as critical electrical equipment shortages threaten half of U.S. projects slated for 2024. Meanwhile, AES’s Maximo robotics unit installed over 100 MW of utility‑scale solar at the Bellefield site, marking a shift...
Form Energy and Crusoe Reach Deal for 12 GWh of AI Data Center Batteries
Form Energy and Crusoe have signed a capacity agreement to supply 12 GWh of iron‑air batteries for AI data centers, with deliveries beginning in 2027. The deal secures reserved volume, pricing and terms, and production will occur at Form Energy’s West...
Data Centers Shattered Records in 2025. So Why Is Construction Slowing Down?
Data centers in the United States set new electricity consumption records in 2025, driven by exponential growth in cloud services and AI workloads. Despite this surge, new construction projects are slowing, as utilities grapple with supply‑chain bottlenecks, labor shortages, and...
Why Shifting From AMI 2.0 to NextWave AMI Could Define the Future of Grid Intelligence
Utilities are accelerating the shift from legacy AMI 2.0 to the cloud‑native NextWave AMI, a move that promises granular, real‑time visibility across the distribution network. At the same time, battery energy storage systems are evolving from short‑term add‑ons to core...
Factor This Finance and Project Development Roundup: ArcLight, Arevon, Aypa Power, Octopus, Sol Systems
The week’s cleantech roundup highlighted a surge of initiatives aimed at modernizing the U.S. power grid. The Department of Energy announced a $1.9 billion grant program for urgent grid upgrades, while a coalition that includes Google and Tesla is pushing for...
Can This New Coalition Help Bring Down Energy Costs? – This Week in Cleantech
This week’s Cleantech roundup highlighted four pivotal energy topics. The EPA, under the Trump administration, rescinded the 2009 endangerment finding that anchored greenhouse‑gas regulation under the Clean Air Act. Exelon’s executive outlined a $38 billion capital plan that prioritizes affordability while...
One Year After Green Bank’s Demise, Court Mulls Future of Grant-Based Climate Policy
A coalition of major tech firms, including Google and Tesla, is rallying to expand U.S. power‑grid capacity as policymakers seek faster upgrades. The Department of Energy has opened a $1.9 billion funding opportunity aimed at urgently needed grid modernization projects. Parallel...
Utilities Should Focus on the Fundamentals – Emerson’s Sally Jacquemin | DTECH Interview Studio
Emerson’s power‑and‑utility leader Sally Jacquemin warns utilities to cement core infrastructure before chasing advanced technologies like AI. She likens the process to laying a concrete slab before building a house, emphasizing that digital grid fundamentals are non‑negotiable. Emerson, fresh from its...
Flexibility as a Standard? New AI Data Center Offering Will Enhance Grid Reliability
InfraPartners and Emerald AI announced a new Flex‑Ready Data Center design that embeds AI‑driven flexibility into the facility’s core architecture. The solution pairs InfraPartners’ Upgradeable Data Center platform with Emerald AI’s Emerald Conductor software to enable real‑time load modulation, reducing...
New Hampshire Lawmakers Agree the State’s Aging Dams Are a Problem but Are Divided over Who Should Pay
New Hampshire lawmakers approved House Bill 1655 on the House floor, proposing an annual $100 fee on waterfront properties adjacent to state‑owned dams and $50 for deeded waterfront access. The fee aims to fund the roughly $414 million needed to rehabilitate...
Portland General Electric Acquires $1.9B Worth of Utility Operations and Assets From PacifiCorp
Portland General Electric (PGE) announced a $1.9 billion acquisition of utility operations and assets from PacifiCorp. The deal encompasses transmission lines, generation facilities, and related infrastructure across the Pacific Northwest. PGE expects the purchase to add roughly 200,000 new customers and...