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NERC: Blackouts Possible During Extreme Winter Weather
While all areas of the U.S. are expected to have adequate power supplies this winter under normal conditions, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) warned that several regions could face shortfall risks and blackouts during more extreme weather events. NERC, which oversees the security and reliability of the nation’s electric grid, recently released its annual winter reliability assessment . The report said that two trends affecting the electric supply are risi
5 days ago


PJM: Adequate Power Capacity for Winter Heating Season
PJM, the regional electric grid operator for 13 Mid-Atlantic states, says it will have enough power capacity to serve its 67 million customers this winter, but continues to warn that demand for electricity is rising faster than new generation is being added. Power consumption rises during the winter months due to heating needs, and extreme weather can also cause generation outages. This winter PJM expects to have 180,800 megawatts (MW) of capacity and is forecasting peak ele
Nov 12


Data Center Power Connection Proposals Seek Balance
As regional electric grid operator PJM and state regulators continue to grapple with questions about how to quickly add more power generation to serve rapidly increasing demand from AI data center operators without increasing existing customers’ bills, several new proposals are being floated. A proposal was recently submitted to PJM by the governors of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia, developed in conjunction with the Data Center Coalition, that would give p
Nov 12


Data Center Demand Driving Need for PA Energy Sources
Western Pennsylvania’s energy resources are coming to the forefront as shifting federal priorities and rapidly increasing demand for AI and data centers converge, speakers at the Oct. 21 PA Energy Ecosystem Conference emphasized. The conference , hosted by the Washington & Jefferson College Center for Energy Policy and Management, brought together leaders in energy, policy, and industry for a daylong discussion of the rising need for energy and how this region’s natural gas
Oct 23


Report: Electric Customers Paying Upgrade Costs for Data Centers
Electric customers in seven PJM states, including Pennsylvania, paid more than $4.3 billion in data center transmission costs in 2024, a new report found. The report from the Union of Concerned Scientists said that the costs, for local transmission upgrades made to provide transmission service directly to data centers, have contributed to rising electric bills due to a “loophole” in the current regulatory structure. The Union of Concerned Scientists is an advocacy group tha
Oct 15


Data, Crypto Growth Highlights Need for Policy Changes
Growth in data centers and cryptocurrency mining through 2030 could mean higher electric generation costs, as well as a spike in power...
Oct 7


Half of New Electric Capacity This Year Will be Solar
More than half of the new electric generating capacity expected to added to the electric grid this year will be solar, a recent U.S....
Oct 1


Data Centers A Focus for Grid Operator
The regional electric grid operator is fast-tracking development of a plan to standardize how new data centers and other large-load...
Sep 8


Pa. Saw Record Number of Power Outages in 2024
Pennsylvania electric customers experienced a sharp increase in the number of “reportable outage events” in 2024, a recently released...
Aug 28


Action Plan Pushes Data Centers as Electric Demand Soars
Projections of the increase in electric demand expected in the coming years due to the rapid growth of data centers continue to...
Aug 14


Electricity Prices Continue To Surge in PJM Region
The cost of electricity continues to climb in the Mid-Atlantic region, as grid operator PJM Interconnection works to maintain adequate...
Jul 29


DOE Report Finds U.S. Grid Faces Reliability Risks
The U.S. power grid is not ready to meet the increased energy needs of AI in the coming years, which will put national security at risk,...
Jul 29


Pa. To See Massive Data Center, Grid Investment
More than $90 billion in private investment in energy projects, data centers, and power infrastructure was the highlight of the recent...
Jul 24


U.S. Grid Remains Reliable in the Face of Emerging Risks
The U.S. electric grid system remained relatively resilient even as it faced significant operational stress, according to the North...
Jul 16


U.S. Energy Generation Continues to Grow
New data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that total U.S. electricity generation hit a record high in the...
Jul 8


Study: Electricity Demand Could Increase More Than Predicted
U.S. electricity demand could climb by 26% through 2030 , more than twice the rate that many utilities have used in their long-term...
Jun 25


Amazon Expands Data Center Plans Tied to Pa. Nuclear Plant
Amazon announced that it plans to spend at least $20 billion to build two AI data center complexes in Pennsylvania, one of which will be...
Jun 13


Pa. Power Plant to Stay Open Under Emergency Order
An Eastern Pa. natural gas power plant that had planned to close on May 31 has been ordered to continue to operate for at least 90 days...
Jun 13


Summer 2025 Brings Warnings of Risk to Electric Reliability
As summer 2025 kicks off, grid operators and federal reliability officials are bracing for record-breaking electricity demand,...
Jun 4


Electric Bill Price Hikes Ahead in Pa.
Electric bills for Pennsylvania residents will be going up in June as the wholesale cost of generation continues to rise due to...
May 27
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