Interest in modernizing gas utility planning continues to grow as regulators, utilities, and other stakeholders assess the implications of decarbonization goals for existing distribution systems. Recent developments reflect efforts to address gas infrastructure planning, customer impacts, and deployment of lower-emission alternatives.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on May 28 restored affirmative defense protections under federal air permitting regulations following a federal court ruling that overturned a 2023 Biden administration rule. The move relieves manufacturers, power producers, and other industrial facilities from potential liability for excess emissions caused by unavoidable events such as equipment malfunctions, emergencies, or…...
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator on May 27 advanced a fourth round of projects under its Expedited Resource Addition Study, or ERAS, program, continuing efforts to speed new generation development as utilities confront rising electricity demand and tightening reserve margins across the Midwest and South. The latest cycle includes seven projects totaling about 3.7 gigawatts…...
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on May 26 approved a site permit for Xcel Energy to develop the Sherco South and West Battery Energy Storage Project, a 600-megawatt battery facility planned at the site of the Sherburne County Generating Station in Becker, Minnesota. The decision advances Minnesota’s efforts to replace retiring coal-fired generation with battery…...
Utilities and regulators across the Western U.S. are advancing interconnection reforms, transmission expansion, and wildfire mitigation measures as rapid load growth and climate-related risks place increasing…Read the full report …...
Utilities and regulators across the Western U.S. are advancing interconnection reforms, transmission expansion, and wildfire mitigation measures as rapid load growth and climate-related risks place increasing pressure on grid reliability. Recent actions by grid operators, federal regulators, and state policymakers indicate a growing emphasis on modernizing interconnection and transmission planning processes while embedding wildfire resilience into long-term reliability planning.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration on May 19 highlighted projections showing electricity demand from data center servers rising sharply through 2050, driven by expanding artificial intelligence applications and deployment of high-powered computing infrastructure across the commercial sector. In its Annual Energy Outlook 2026, released April 8, the agency projects server-related electricity consumption could climb to…...
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on May 18 approved a broad set of safeguards governing how Xcel Energy may serve future high-demand electricity customers, including data centers and industrial facilities, as Minnesota prepares for rapid growth in electricity demand. The action implements a state law requiring very large customers to pay the full costs associated…...
Recent developments in the low-carbon fuel sector reflect efforts to expand domestic biofuel production and advance market-based clean fuel programs designed to…Read the full report …...
Recent developments in the low-carbon fuel sector reflect efforts to expand domestic biofuel production and advance market-based clean fuel programs designed to reduce transportation emissions.
