The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on May 29 approved a portfolio of transmission upgrades designed to ease grid congestion, lower electricity costs, and improve the delivery of renewable energy across the state. The decision follows the commission’s review of the 2025 Grid Enhancing Technologies Report, submitted by Minnesota’s major transmission owners under a 2024 state…...
The New York Public Service Commission on April 16 adopted comprehensive cybersecurity regulations for electric, gas, steam, and water utilities, establishing one of the most stringent frameworks in the U.S. to safeguard critical infrastructure and customer data. The action advances statutory requirements under state law directing utilities to strengthen privacy protections while addressing growing cyber…...
President Donald Trump on Nov. 24 issued an executive order to establish the Genesis Mission, a national effort led by the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate artificial intelligence across U.S. science and energy innovation. The action advances the administration’s push to strengthen domestic innovation and reduce dependence on foreign competitors. The mission will mobilize…...
Amazon announced a landmark plan on June 9 to invest at least $20 billion in Pennsylvania to expand its data center infrastructure, aiming to support the accelerating demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing technologies. The initiative marks the largest private sector investment in the state’s history and is expected to create over 1,250…...
The U.S. Energy Department on April 3 announced plans to position the U.S. as a global leader in (AI) and reduce energy expenditures by co-locating new energy infrastructure and data centers on its lands. The department issued a request for information to explore the potential utilization of federal lands for AI infrastructure expansion to support…...
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Dec. 17 published the draft National Cyber Incident Response Plan, or NCIRP, update for public comment. This update tackles significant changes in cyber operations and policy since NCIRP was released in 2016. The 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy requested for an update of the 2016 National Cyber Incident Response…...
The U.S. Energy Department on Oct. 30 highlighted its efforts to ensure trustworthy development of artificial intelligence, or AI. A memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year with the U.S. Commerce Department facilitates collaboration on safety research, development, testing, analysis and examination of innovative AI systems and models. On Oct. 24, the Biden Administration issued…...
The Biden administration on Aug. 9 highlighted five key cyber enabled technologies that it will prioritize to enhance the digital ecosystem for a secure energy future. In line with the National Cybersecurity Strategy’s pledge to the cyber enabled foundations of the energy transition, the administration is committed to ensuring that the digital ecosystem remains equipped…...
There is a growing focus on enhancing oversight, transparency, and stakeholder engagement in the integrated resource planning process for electric utilities across various states. The pursuit for a low-carbon future is driving the need for innovative policy initiatives to maximize…Read the full report…...
There is a growing focus on enhancing oversight, transparency, and stakeholder engagement in the integrated resource planning process for electric utilities across various states. The pursuit for a low-carbon future is driving the need for innovative policy initiatives to maximize renewable energy utilization and maintain grid reliability. Integrated resource plans (IRPs) that utilities file with state commissions identify the optimal mix of resources required to serve customers over a long-term planning horizon.
Evolving electric system reliability needs that stem from the anticipated unprecedented growth in intermittent resources have prompted a closer scrutiny of resource adequacy (RA) issues. The increasing share of renewables to facilitate a lower-carbon grid, coupled with fossil generation retirements and increased demand for electrification, pose emerging challenges to the ability of system operators to meet reliability requirements. RA ensures that the planned resource mix is sufficient to meet the future system capacity needs and maintain grid reliability.
