utilities

Achieving future grid reliability requires a proactive approach rather than reacting to events. Leading utilities are focused on building resilience in distribution grids by improving infrastructure before severe storms occur.

PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. grid operator, has proposed a plan to address data centers causing rising utility bills for other customers in its 13-state region. The plan shifts responsibility to states and regulated utilities to enforce measures requiring data centers to secure necessary resources.

Federal officials have issued a national advisory warning of cyber threats to public water systems following recent cyber incidents targeting multiple utilities in Minnesota.

Los Angeles fire survivors and consumer advocacy groups accuse Gov. Gavin Newsom of attempting to help utilities reduce wildfire-related costs through a secretive, last-minute effort. The criticism is linked to ads highlighting rising home insurance rates and a broken FAIR Plan, urging residents to contact state representatives to address the issue.

States are targeting utilities' return on equity amid affordability concerns. The consumer advocate in Maryland is arguing to cut Pepco's ROE in an ongoing rate case.

The first wave of smart meters is nearing retirement, with new meters featuring edge computing capabilities entering the market. Utilities must make critical equipment decisions as AMI 2.0 represents a significant advancement for the grid.

President Trump expanded the Ratepayer Protection Pledge to include power companies, datacenter developers, cooperatives, and state governments, aiming to prevent rising energy costs from affecting household bills. The initiative, now covering 80% of US power delivery, requires entities to cover costs of energy demands from datacenters, with over 200 additional signatories joining the effort.

Trump is expanding his AI data center pledge to protect consumers from rising electricity bills. Nearly 200 additional utilities, developers, and governors have joined, covering 80% of U.S. power delivery.

Extreme heat is increasingly disrupting businesses, with North America experiencing twice as many heat waves since the mid-20th century. Utilities are modernizing power grids to meet air-conditioning demand, while AI data centers drive growth in cooling technologies. Construction and transportation sectors face rising costs and productivity challenges due to heat-related disruptions.

A utility-funded group claiming to represent California wildfire survivors has launched social media ads urging lawmakers to address rising wildfire costs. The group was established by utilities responsible for six of the state's most destructive fires.

A utility-funded group in California, linked to utilities that caused six of the state's most destructive wildfires, has started paying for social media ads urging lawmakers to address rising wildfire costs. Wildfire survivors are angered by the group's claim to represent them.

Byron Donalds, a Republican congressman running for Florida governor, announced legislation requiring data centers to source electricity and water from private providers to prevent utility cost increases. The proposal aligns with a voluntary initiative from President Trump and addresses concerns about AI infrastructure's impact on local resources and communities.

Ken Fujiyama, a gubernatorial candidate, proposes to provide 100,000 vacant lots facing gravel roads without utilities for sale at $50,000 each.

California's Public Utilities Commission voted to lower the temperature threshold from 100 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, preventing utilities from cutting power to delinquent customers during heatwaves. The decision addresses concerns about climate change intensifying heatwaves and limiting access to power for unpaid bills.

Industry leaders are seeking to support local retailers, according to a study that highlights the financial challenges retailers face, including overhead, rent, utilities, manufacturing, and shipping costs.

Tina Grandinetti is a candidate for State House District 20. The article highlights rising costs in housing, healthcare, insurance, groceries, utilities, and transportation.

PJM has implemented a rate increase, prompting a discussion on how a holistic energy strategy can help utilities manage costs, enhance reliability, and generate revenue.

AI is transforming the power grid as new large energy loads are emerging rapidly, but grid upgrades require years. Fast storage solutions are being proposed to address this gap.

A rotation into value stocks followed a soft US jobs report, lifting Brazil and South Korea as healthcare, utilities, and staples sectors rallied. The Dow closed at a record 52,900, while chips fell for a third day (SMH −4.54%) as growth stocks underperformed.

A shift in asset investment planning can help utilities quantify wildfire risk and defend mitigation plans to regulators, stakeholders, and the public. Jeff Pauska at IFS Copperleaf highlights this approach as a tool for addressing wildfire challenges.

A quarter of UK water groups have underspent their investment allowances, even as they argue higher customer bills are necessary to fund infrastructure improvements. The underutilization of allocated funds coincides with a strained water network.

California faces a decision on whether to allocate nearly $200 million to upgrade public schools' heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and plumbing systems or to return the funds to the state’s largest utilities to reduce customers' monthly bills by about a dollar.

A mid-70s grandmother is being romance scammed by someone she met on TikTok after her husband's death, leading her to sell belongings and become financially unstable. The family is struggling to intervene as she refuses to acknowledge the scam, and her utilities were nearly shut off, causing family conflict.

Hyperscalers aim to have their data centers operational while utilities seek to provide interconnections, but both parties are still seeking common operating guidelines to align their goals.

Paying bills on time is the most effective way to improve credit scores, according to personal finance expert Sara Rathner. This includes credit cards, loans, utilities, and rent. Setting up alerts or autopay can help avoid late payments, which can significantly lower credit scores if overdue by more than 30 days.

Three home energy providers offer 16.8 GW of distributed capacity to utilities and hyperscalers. A Sunrun executive highlighted a Puerto Rico program as an example of the potential.

Drought conditions persist in the Carolinas despite mandatory water restrictions implemented over a month ago. Recent rainfall has not significantly alleviated the drought affecting the water basin supplying utilities.

A policy paper titled 'The Productive State' proposes reversing 40 years of privatization by having the government take control of failing utilities, issue 'bonds for shares,' and establish state competitors. The plan is part of a 'Manchesterism' blueprint released as Andy Burnham prepares to be sworn in as an MP.

Andy Burnham pledges to nationalize utilities if he replaces Starmer at No. 10, echoing Jeremy Corbyn's policies. The statement positions Burnham as advocating for a larger state role in Britain's economy.

The California Attorney General has launched the 'Affordability Response Team' to tackle rising costs of groceries, gas, and utilities. The team also aims to combat scams that exploit Californians by taking their money.

Federal regulators approved a plan to expedite grid access for large energy users, including AI data centers, to address surging demand. The decision, supported by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, aims to enhance U.S. competitiveness in AI but faces concerns from utilities and clean energy advocates over regulatory authority and renewable energy priorities.

Federal regulators approved a plan to expedite grid connections for large energy users, including AI data centers, to address surging demand. The move, backed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, aims to enhance U.S. competitiveness in AI but faces concerns from utilities and clean energy advocates about grid management and renewable energy priorities.

Federal regulators approved a plan to expedite grid connections for large energy users, including AI data centers, to address surging demand. The decision, supported by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, aims to boost U.S. AI competitiveness but faces concerns from utilities and clean energy advocates over grid management and renewable energy goals.

Federal regulators approved a plan to expedite grid connections for large energy users, including AI data centers, to address surging demand. The decision, backed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, aims to bolster U.S. competitiveness in AI against China but faces concerns from utilities and clean energy advocates about grid management and renewable energy goals.

Utilities have transitioned to digitized billing systems but now face the challenge of making these systems more user-friendly and human-centered. The article highlights that merely achieving functional digitization is no longer sufficient, emphasizing the need for improved customer experience.

Andy Burnham's potential agenda as PM includes public control of water and energy to improve performance and reduce bills. Critics warn this could cost taxpayers billions.

In May, three sectors—information, utilities, and construction—experienced wage growth exceeding inflation, while other sectors like healthcare and education saw job growth but stagnant wages. Inflation rose to 4.2%, outpacing overall private-sector wage growth at 3.4%, with employment declines in the information sector and labor shortages in utilities and construction driving wage increases.

Virginia passed a law encouraging utilities to offer load-shedding programs for large power users, but facilities face challenges in deciding to participate. The law aims to promote demand response initiatives, yet significant hurdles remain for customers seeking to use generators in these programs.

The New York State Legislature passed a one-year moratorium on data centers to pause permits. The law requires new rules for utilities, energy efficiency goals, community benefits, and labor standards for new data centers.

Utilities in PJM Interconnection have invested nearly $6 billion to install 12 million smart meters aimed at improving energy efficiency for customers. However, these meters are not sharing data in most of PJM’s 13-state territory, creating a problem.