Utility Dive

Don’t miss our preview of what’s ahead for the utility industry in 2026. From renewable energy to grid modernization, discover the trends shaping the future of energy. Read the full report: utilitydive.com/news/utility-e…

Renewables remain cheapest, but their LCOE is rising: Lazard Utility-scale solar’s levelized cost of electricity ranges between $40/MWh and $98/MWh, while combined cycle gas ranges between $51/MWh and $129/MWh, said a report from Lazard. utilitydive.com/news/renewable…

PJM capacity auction results compound ‘alarm bells’: FERC Chairman Swett At its monthly meeting, FERC set data center reliability standard deadlines and ordered CAISO and SPP to report on “seams” issues. utilitydive.com/news/pjm-capac…

Google inks deal for massive Arkansas solar and storage project With a target completion date of 2029, the project is expected to deliver 2.5 GW of generation and 2.9 GWh of battery storage to the regional grid, the tech giant said. utilitydive.com/news/google-in…

Sunrun ‘distributed data center’ pilot taps its home solar and battery network The announcement comes as ratepayer and clean energy advocates push capacity-hungry hyperscalers to subsidize residential solar, batteries and energy efficiency. utilitydive.com/news/sunrun-di…

The June 18 show cause orders finally take aim at the load interconnection mess. But the customers who get power faster will be the ones who show up ready to flex, writes Shalin Savalia, a senior electrical engineer. utilitydive.com/news/data-cent…

Retail electric rate increases outpace inflation with prices set to rise higher Regulators approved 64% of the dollar value of revenue increase requests over the past five years, a Lawrence Berkeley National Lab report says. utilitydive.com/news/retail-el…

Indiana regulators investigate utility ROEs, ‘trackers’ in affordability review AES, American Electric Power, CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy and NiSource could be affected under a “more consumer-oriented utility commission policy,” one analyst said. utilitydive.com/news/indiana-u…

ESS Tech launches 1.2-MWh sodium-ion battery ‘building block’ system The announcement marks the latest in a string of sodium battery developments as utilities and customers look for new sources of grid-tied and behind-the-meter capacity. utilitydive.com/news/ess-tech-…

The grid’s fastest-growing resource isn’t generation. It’s flexibility. The technology is there. The institutions are not. FERC’s July 23 technical conference on PJM's governance is where that gap gets addressed — or doesn’t, writes Jeanine Johnson. utilitydive.com/news/grid-flex…

Virginia SCC weighs Dominion data center transmission cost allocation “Regardless of the cost allocation methodology ... there remains a glaring cross-class subsidization occurring to the benefit of new [large load] customers," said an SCC attorney. utilitydive.com/news/virginia-…

PJM capacity prices hit price cap, reserve shortfall grows “The outcome demonstrates that the current system doesn’t work to bring online new capacity or stimulate demand response, the two things we need the most,” Aurora Energy’s Julia Hoos said. utilitydive.com/news/pjm-capac…

The distribution grid can be the unlikely hero of affordability Distributed capacity has turned the distribution grid into a platform for capacity growth and increased grid utilization, not a cost center driving up rates, writes Sparkfund’s Pier LaFarge. utilitydive.com/news/distribut…

DHS proposes new critical infrastructure security framework The Trump administration eliminated the previous framework in 2025, sparking backlash from experts and infrastructure operators. utilitydive.com/news/dhs-propo…

Utilities requested $9.2B in rate hikes in Q2: PowerLines Dominion Energy in Virginia is seeking about $1.5 billion in increases across three rate requests, the report said. Oncor in Texas requested the largest single increase in Q2 at $1.2 billion. utilitydive.com/news/utility-r…

Illinois governor signs laws on utility bill transparency, financial assistance Alignment between the state’s progressive governor and Republican state lawmakers underscores a bipartisan consensus on the urgency of public anger over electricity bills. utilitydive.com/news/illinois-…

Pennsylvania data centers face increased oversight under new law Data centers willl now have to provide annual energy use reports to the state, and the PJM Interconnection will need to give state regulators additional insight into its demand forecasting. utilitydive.com/news/pennsylva…

ChargePoint, Optimus Energy plan to expand EV charging network in Southeast US The new chargers, with 200 additional charging ports, will primarily be installed in high-demand markets, with many of the sites planned for locations near restaurants & shops.utilitydive.com/news/chargepoi…

PG&E faces $22M penalty for Mosquito Fire under proposed agreement The 2022 fire burned more than 75,000 acres and dozens of structures. A subsequent investigation of PG&E’s infrastructure found violations of state rules for overhead lines. utilitydive.com/news/pge-wildf…

Texas PUC approves ‘ride-through’ rules for data centers “Voltage and frequency excursions on the transmission network create reliability concerns, which increase with the interconnection of each new large computational load,” wrote a PUC staffer. utilitydive.com/news/texas-puc…

What can best ease transmission bottlenecks? More transfer capacity, DOE says. Transmission congestion added $12 billion in wholesale power costs in 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy said in a draft report on U.S. transmission needs. utilitydive.com/news/transfer-…