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PJM Launches Major Capacity Market Reform Review as Grid Reliability Concerns Grow

PJM Interconnection on May 6 launched a broad review of its wholesale electricity markets with the release of a report outlining long-term options for maintaining grid reliability amid surging power demand, rising costs, and weakening investor confidence. The paper, titled “Powering Reliability Through Market Design,” assesses whether the existing capacity market can continue to support…...

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New England Grid Operator Forecasts 9 Percent Demand Growth Through 2035 as Electrification Accelerates

ISO New England on May 1 released its 2026–2035 Forecast Report of Capacity, Energy, Loads, and Transmission, projecting that regional electricity consumption will increase about 9 percent over the next decade, signaling a reversal of long-standing declines and highlighting growing winter reliability pressures. The grid operator projects net annual electricity use will rise from 116,679…...

EnerKnol Research PU Visual Primer Virtual Power Plants 2026 05 05 Blog preview

Visual Primer: States Turn to Virtual Power Plants to Support Grid Operations Amid Growing Demand

Virtual power plant (VPP) initiatives are expanding across U.S. states as customer-owned generation and storage are increasingly viewed as dispatchable grid assets to manage peak demand, support reliability, and meet rising electricity demand.

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Generation Projects Totaling 220 Gigawatts Enter PJM Queue Under New Interconnection Framework

PJM Interconnection on April 29 reported that 811 generation projects totaling about 220 gigawatts have applied to connect to its system under the first cycle of a redesigned interconnection process, marking a shift toward faster and more predictable project reviews as electricity demand accelerates. The application window closed April 27, and the grid operator has…...

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New York Grid Operator Warns of Record-Low Summer Reliability Margin

New York Independent System Operator on April 24 released its annual Summer Reliability Assessment, identifying a tightening supply cushion ahead of peak demand season. The grid operator projects a baseline reliability margin of 417 megawatts (MW), marking the lowest level in recent history and signaling growing pressure on the state’s power system. The assessment indicates…...

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New York Approves 343 Megawatts of Wind and Solar to Boost Clean Energy and Local Investment

The New York State Department of Public Service on April 22 announced that the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission issued final siting permits to AES Clean Power for three renewable energy projects totaling 343 megawatts across Clinton, Jefferson, and Lewis counties. The approvals mark a continued push to expand…...

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Trump Invokes Defense Production Act to Expand Energy Production, Infrastructure, Supply Chains

President Donald Trump on April 20 issued a series of presidential determinations under the Defense Production Act directing the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate domestic energy production, infrastructure, and supply chains, citing urgent national security risks tied to inadequate capacity and foreign dependence. The action follows Executive Order 14156, which declared a national energy…...

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PJM Highlights $11.8 Billion Transmission Plan Amid Rising Power Demand

PJM Interconnection on April 17 released its 2025 Regional Transmission Expansion Plan report, outlining a significant pipeline of transmission investments and planning reforms aimed at maintaining grid reliability across its multi-state footprint. The grid operator identified 122 new baseline transmission projects with an estimated cost of $11.8 billion to address shifting power flows and system…...

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Texas Regulator Issues Wildfire Mitigation Plan Blueprint for Electric Utilities

The Public Utility Commission of Texas on April 17 introduced a standardized blueprint and guidelines for electric utilities to develop wildfire mitigation plans, aiming to strengthen grid reliability and reduce wildfire risk across the state. The action follows a rule adopted in November 2025 requiring utilities to prepare plans addressing wildfire threats to electric infrastructure…...