US Summer Generating Capacity Increases by 75 GW Since 2025: FERC
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reports U.S. generating capacity will rise by roughly 75 GW this summer, led by solar, wind and battery projects, while retirements slow to about 8 GW—more than a 50% reduction year‑over‑year. Regional additions are strongest in ERCOT (26 GW), the Western Electric Coordinating Council (13 GW) and MISO (11 GW), improving the grid’s reliability outlook. However, low Colorado River water levels threaten up to 4.5 GW of hydro capacity, and price forecasts show wholesale power averaging $46.81/MWh, a 5% dip from last year. FERC also addressed data‑center interconnection rules, PJM upgrade cost disputes, and a proposal to broaden blanket authorizations for routine gas projects.
AEP, Other Ohio Utilities Could Own Nuclear Power Plants Under State Bill
Ohio lawmakers introduced H.B. 862, allowing utilities such as American Electric Power and FirstEnergy to own nuclear generation facilities despite the state’s usual ban on utility‑owned power plants. The bill requires a long‑term, customer‑signed power purchase agreement and mandates that...
76% of Americans Want Stronger Utility Oversight
A new PowerLines poll shows 76% of Americans want elected officials to tighten utility oversight, while confidence in state regulators has slipped to 29%, down from 38% a year earlier. Utilities submitted $9.4 billion in rate‑increase requests in the first quarter,...
Nuclear Fuel Is the Weak Link in US Energy Security: Centrus CMO
U.S. nuclear power, supplying about 20% of electricity, relies heavily on foreign enriched uranium, with roughly 25% of fuel imported and Russian sanctions set for full effect in 2028. Prices for uranium enrichment have nearly tripled since 2022, threatening electricity...
In-State Geothermal Could Save California $44B Annually: CATF
A Clean Air Task Force report estimates that deploying next‑generation geothermal systems in California could slash annual electricity supply costs by up to $44 billion—about a 52% reduction—by 2045, the state’s deadline for 100% carbon‑free retail sales. The analysis shows that...
Funding for California’s Signature Virtual Power Plant Remains Uncertain
California’s flagship Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) virtual power plant faces an uncertain future after Governor Gavin Newsom’s biennial budget revision eliminated funding for 2027. The administration proposes moving current DSGS participants to the Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP), a...
PJM Accelerates Backstop Auction Amid Uncertainty over Data Center Cost Allocation
PJM Interconnection announced it will move its one‑time backstop reliability auction forward to September, accelerating the timeline originally set for March. The auction, intended to address a surge in data‑center load, now targets roughly 9 MW of capacity, a sharp cut...
PJM Gets Emergency Approval to Curtail Data Centers, Large Loads During Hot Weather
PJM Interconnection received an emergency order from the U.S. Department of Energy allowing it to curtail data centers and other large loads that have on‑site backup generation. The directive covers a three‑day window starting May 18, as PJM anticipates less than...
Pennsylvania Releases ‘First-of-Its-Kind’ Large-Load Model Tariff
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission issued a final order creating a pioneering model tariff for large‑load customers such as data centers, applying to loads over 50 MW individually or 100 MW in aggregate. The non‑binding framework requires utilities to charge “but‑for” upgrade...
Early EPC Project Integration Helps Utility Owners Meet Grid Demands
Utilities facing more frequent outages are turning to early integration of engineering and construction within the engineer‑procure‑construct (EPC) model to boost project efficiency. By assigning a single EPC contractor to manage design, right‑of‑way acquisition, material procurement, and construction, utilities reduce...
DOJ May Intervene in NAACP Lawsuit over xAI’s Data Center Gas Turbines
The U.S. Department of Justice announced it may intervene in the NAACP’s lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech over alleged Clean Air Act violations. The case centers on a gas‑powered plant in Southaven, Mississippi, where 46...
Crux Gets $500M Debt Facility for Clean Energy Investments
Crux announced a $500 million debt financing facility from Nuveen Energy Infrastructure Credit to fund tax‑driven clean‑energy investments. The company says the clean‑energy tax‑equity market grew 23% year‑over‑year, reaching roughly $36.6 billion in 2025 despite recent curtailments of Inflation Reduction Act credits....
Q1 Saw Net Loss of 5,900 Renewable Energy Manufacturing Jobs: EDF Report
The Environmental Defense Fund reported that Q1 2026 saw a net loss of 5,900 renewable‑energy manufacturing jobs despite a $1.1 billion increase in overall investment. Canceled projects accounted for $1.4 billion, while new commitments added $2.5 billion and created 2,200 positions. The job decline...
Security Beyond CIP: When ‘Low Impact’ Doesn’t Mean Low Risk
The article argues that NERC CIP’s “low impact” classification is a reliability label, not a cyber‑risk rating, and that utilities are increasingly treating these sites as security priorities. As the grid incorporates more distributed energy resources, simultaneous failures of multiple...
Fluence Energy Signs Master Supply Agreements with Two ‘Major’ Hyperscalers
Fluence Energy announced master supply agreements with two major, unnamed hyperscalers, marking early progress on its data‑center strategy. Despite a Q1 net loss of $29 million and revenue below forecasts, the company reported a record $5.6 billion order backlog, up 11% and...
Con Edison to Spend $29B Shoring up NYC Area Grid as Electrification Rises
Consolidated Edison announced a $29 billion capital plan through 2030 to upgrade substations and other grid assets across New York City and its suburbs. The bulk of the spend—about $27.2 billion—targets its primary utility, CECONY, while Orange & Rockland will receive roughly...
Making AI Work for Utilities Means Treating Technology as a Partner, Not a Replacement
AI promises grid reliability, but utilities find success only when AI is treated as a partner rather than a plug‑and‑play tool. Dominion Energy’s Sean Burri notes that modest models succeed when tied to enterprise strategy, robust data governance, and workforce...
Hyperscalers Driving Record Clean Energy Deals: CEBA CEO
U.S. corporate clean‑energy procurement reached a record 27 GW in 2025, driven largely by hyperscalers Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft. CEBA reports that these four firms account for roughly 75% of the new capacity, each securing 4‑6 GW of wind, solar, nuclear...
Constellation Energy Enters 5 GW of Nuclear, Gas, Battery Capacity in PJM Queue
Constellation Energy reported a pipeline of 5 GW of nuclear uprates, gas‑fired generation and battery storage awaiting placement in the PJM Interconnection queue. The company is holding off on advancing projects until PJM clarifies rules on load colocations and a proposed...
Vistra Adds 4.5 GW of Capacity in Line with ‘Reasonable’ Forecasts for PJM, ERCOT
Vistra announced 4.5 GW of new capacity—spanning gas, nuclear uprates, coal‑to‑gas conversions and renewables—to meet its view of modest load growth in PJM and ERCOT. The company projects 5‑6% annual demand increase in ERCOT and 2‑3% in PJM through 2030, lower...
PPL ‘Advanced’ Data Center Pipeline Grows to 28.3 GW in Pennsylvania
PPL Electric reported its "advanced" stage data‑center pipeline surged 12% to 28.3 GW for 2034, up from 25.2 GW three months earlier. The utility expects 0.6 GW to come online this year and 20.7 GW by 2030, with 5 GW already under construction in Pennsylvania....
Competitive Power Markets Have Delivered. Abandoning Them Would Be a Mistake.
Competitive wholesale electricity markets, exemplified by PJM, have spurred billions in private generation investment and created a 40% surplus in Pennsylvania, while Virginia’s vertically integrated model leaves it the nation’s largest electricity importer. The author argues that rising power prices...
Owning the Full Stack: What U.S. Storage Has to Figure Out Next
The article argues that U.S. energy storage is moving beyond cell chemistry competition to system‑level integration, where providers must deliver complete, domestically sourced hardware, software, cybersecurity, and service. Utilities now evaluate speed of deployment, reliability, supply‑chain resilience, and integration with...
Modern Billing Systems Put More Power Behind Utility Rates
Utilities are turning rate design into a cost‑reduction tool, using dynamic pricing to align demand with grid conditions. Although 80% of U.S. customers have advanced meters, only about 10% are on time‑varying rates because legacy billing systems cannot handle complex...
Resilient Grid Design Can Change What Happens when Storms Hit
Power outages cost the U.S. economy about $67 billion annually, with weather responsible for roughly 80 % of major events. Although utilities have improved crew coordination and monitoring, the distribution system’s legacy design limits resilience. New grid‑edge automation—fault‑discriminating reclosers, automated underground restoration,...
Why Procurement Has Become a Grid Reliability Issue: ULE
Utilities are increasingly seeing equipment lead times—especially for medium‑voltage gear and transformers—turn into a critical reliability bottleneck. Projects that have completed design often stall when key components arrive late, forcing crews to wait and budgets to swell. The industry is...
Eversource CEO: ‘We Are Resisting Data Centers’
Eversource Energy CEO Joe Nolan told investors the utility will actively resist new data‑center development in its New England service area, warning that such loads would push wholesale electricity prices higher. The company reported ISO‑NE wholesale prices rising to $112.71...
Evergy Expects Retail Sales to Rise up to 8% Annually on Data Center Growth
Evergy raised its retail‑sales growth forecast to 7‑8% annually through 2030, driven by a surge in data‑center and other large‑load customers. New electric service agreements have lifted total large‑load contracts to 2.5 GW, up from 1.9 GW three months earlier, with an...
NRG Close to Completing 415-MW Gas Plant Backed by Texas Energy Fund
NRG Energy is set to finish a 415‑MW simple‑cycle gas unit at its TH Wharton plant in Houston this month, the latest step in a trio of Texas Energy Fund‑backed projects that together add 1.5 GW of capacity. The state‑backed fund...
EDAM Is ‘Solid and Stable’ so Far, Says CAISO
The California Independent System Operator’s Extended Day‑Ahead Market (EDAM) launched on Friday and is operating smoothly, with prices across all commodities staying within expected ranges. Transfer volumes hit 600 MW, and all market areas passed 100% of the resource sufficiency test....
Competitive Markets Are Best for Virtual Power Plants, Consumers
Virtual power plants (VPPs) thrive when third‑party providers compete, delivering lower costs and grid resilience. Successful VPPs in Puerto Rico and California have scaled to hundreds of megawatts, showing tangible reliability benefits. A Brattle Group analysis estimates nationwide VPP deployment...
Exelon Lowers Utility Spending to Ease Electric Affordability Issues
Exelon announced a $350 million reduction in its 2024 capital spending plan, redirecting funds toward transmission infrastructure to help keep electric bills low. The utility will increase transmission investment by $1.5 billion, targeting a 16% annual growth in the transmission rate base...
PJM Floats Options for Capacity Market Overhaul
PJM Interconnection released a white paper outlining three reform frameworks for its capacity market, aiming to secure reliable power supplies across its 13‑state region. The proposals include stabilizing the existing market with long‑term contracts (Path A), introducing differential reliability that could...
PSEG CEO: Nuclear Outlook for New Jersey Improves on Lifting of Moratorium
PSEG CEO Ralph LaRossa said New Jersey’s nuclear outlook has improved after Gov. Mikie Sherrill lifted the state moratorium and created a nuclear task force. However, LaRossa warned that any new nuclear projects will require long‑term federal financial, permitting and siting...
Nuclear Reaches 41% of TVA’s Power Supply
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s nuclear fleet provided 41% of its power in the first half of fiscal 2026, up from 31% a year earlier. Nuclear generation produced 33,772 GWh, while net income rose to $658 million, a 23% increase. Interim CEO Mike...
Xcel Energy: Google Deal Sets Template for Large Load Tariff Strategy
Xcel Energy’s pending deal with Google for a near‑1 GW data center in Minnesota will serve as a template for large‑load tariffs in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico and Wisconsin. Under the agreement, Google funds all infrastructure, and Xcel is filing similar tariffs...
Duke Energy Added 2.7 GW of Contracted Data Centers in Q1
Duke Energy announced it has signed 2.7 GW of new data‑center service agreements in Q1, bringing its total executed contracts with data centers to 7.6 GW, most of which are already under construction. The utility also highlighted a 7.8 GW high‑confidence pipeline of...
‘Supplemental’ Municipal Utility Begins Solar-and-Storage Installs in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor launched the Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility (A2SEU), a supplemental municipal utility that began installing solar‑plus‑storage systems for about 150 homes in the Bryant neighborhood, with plans to reach 1,000 homes by 2027. The pilot, supplied by FranklinWH...
NERC Issues Level 3 Alert, Mandates Action to Address Data Center Load Losses
The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) issued a rare Level 3 alert on May 5, citing immediate risks from data‑center computational loads that can abruptly drop or oscillate demand. The alert mandates seven specific actions—such as detailed load modeling, commissioning processes,...
America’s Load Growth Moment Is a Chance to Scale Distributed Energy
U.S. electricity demand is projected to increase by about 128 GW over the next five years, creating one of the steepest load‑growth curves in recent memory. Traditional utility planning that targets only 50 hours of peak capacity would over‑invest in under‑utilized infrastructure,...
California Subpoenas Golden State Wind over Trump Lease Deal
California’s Energy Commission has issued a subpoena to Golden State Wind, demanding full details of its recent lease‑buyout with the U.S. Interior Department that paid roughly $120 million to terminate a 2 GW offshore wind lease. The deal, also mirrored in other...
Dominion Upbeat on Offshore Wind as Cost Estimate Eases, Sales Rise
Dominion Energy is pressing ahead with the 2.6‑GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, now about 75% complete and slated for June 2027. The capital budget slipped to roughly $11.4 billion after the Trump‑era stop‑work order was lifted and Supreme Court tariffs...
The AI Electric Grid Calls for a Mixed‑fleet Transmission Strategy
The rapid expansion of hyperscale AI data centers is creating unprecedented transmission challenges for U.S. utilities, as loads of hundreds of megawatts to over a gigawatt appear in already constrained corridors. At the same time, the renewable generation needed to...
ISO New England Trims 10-Year Forecast Based on Electrification Outlook
ISO New England’s latest CELT report projects regional electricity consumption to increase 9% over the next decade, reaching 127,660 GWh by 2035, roughly 0.9% annually. The forecast trims earlier expectations—down from a 17% rise projected in 2024 and an 11% rise...
Nuclear Power on a Faster Timeline Is Possible. Here Is How Utilities Can Make It Work.
Applied Atomics, founded by former SpaceX engineers, is importing a vertical‑integration model to nuclear power development. By owning design, manufacturing and operational knowledge, the company aims to compress feedback loops that traditionally cause costly delays. Safety is engineered into the...
The ADA Deadline Just Moved. Utilities Still Need to Act.
On April 20, 2026 the Department of Justice extended the ADA Title II web‑accessibility compliance deadline for state and local utilities to April 26, 2027 for entities serving 50,000 or more residents, and to April 26, 2028 for smaller districts. The rule mandates that all public‑facing websites,...
Elevated Infrastructure: Champion Fiberglass® Supports Reliable Power at Luxury Mountain Resort Town
Wasatch Peaks Ranch, a 12,740‑acre luxury ski and golf resort, required a durable underground power conduit capable of surviving extreme altitude, temperature swings, and heavy snowfall. After evaluating PVC, the project team chose Champion Fiberglass® conduit for its lightweight, high‑temperature...
Southern Co. Electricity Sales Soar on 42% Data Center Growth
Southern Company posted a 2.3% year‑over‑year rise in retail electricity sales for Q1 2026, driven largely by a 42% surge in data‑center power consumption. The utility now has 11 GW of large‑load contracts, up from 10 GW at the end of 2025,...
New England Transmission Owners Ask FERC for Increased ROE
New England transmission owners, led by Eversource and Avangrid, have petitioned FERC to raise the base return on equity (ROE) for transmission investments to 11.39%, up from the 9.57% level set in March. The companies argue the current ROE is...
Without Wildfire Reform, California Utilities Could See Credit Impacts: Edison International
Edison International warned that without new California wildfire liability reforms, utilities could see credit rating downgrades that would raise borrowing costs across the state. A state‑commissioned report proposes a $4 billion outlay and three pathways—hardening, expanded insurance, and a fortified Wildfire...