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Utilities adopt large load tariffs to cope with the costs and power demands of data centers

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer Electric utilities across the country are adopting “large load tariffs” aimed at data centers in a move to protect against the hefty costs that come with the facilities and speculative projects. At least 36 utilities – from Dominion Energy in Virginia to Wisconsin Electric Power to Arizona Public Service…

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PJM’s monitor asks FERC to put the brakes on a deal to power an Amazon data center

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer The independent market monitor for the PJM Interconnection is calling on federal regulators to reject an agreement to provide power to a planned Pennsylvania Amazon data center until there is evidence it won’t impact retail energy costs. The PJM is the largest grid operator in the U.S. covering Midwestern…

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State utility commissions challenge MISO’s $22 billion transmission plan in FERC complaint

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer Five state utility commissions opposed to paying for what they see as renewable energy projects for other states are seeking to change the financing for $22 billion in transmission projects planned by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). In a complaint filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),…

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PJM capacity auction sets another record at $16.5 billion as governors protest rates

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer Prices for guaranteed power in the PJM Interconnection – through a capacity auction – rose 22% from last year’s price to $329.17 a megawatt-day, the nation’s largest grid operator announced July 22. The jump would have been even sharper at $389 a megawatt-day, if the PJM had not agreed…

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Utah power providers oppose PacifiCorp’s bid to add $1.7 billion in wildfire costs to rates

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer Three Utah electricity providers are seeking to block their power wholesaler, PacifiCorp, from adding $1.7 billion to their rates to pay for liabilities from a string of wildfires in Oregon and California. The three – the Deseret Generation & Transmission Co-operative, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), and Utah…

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U.S. utilities caught “flat-footed” by surging data center electricity, Wood Mackenzie says

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer U.S utilities have been caught “flat-footed” in the face of the soaring demand for electricity from data centers and manufacturing plants, according to a Wood Mackenzie study. Wood Mackenzie is tracking 134 gigawatts (GW) of proposed data centers across the U.S., a 68% increase from the 50 GW in…

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Grid operators across the country facing multi-year backlog in new generation connections

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer The combination of coal-fired power plant closures, spurred by state and federal initiatives, and generous tax credits for new electric generation under the Inflation Reduction Act created a flood in renewable energy projects now waiting to get connected to the grid. “The surge in investment and development has overwhelmed…

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New England and New York brace for tariffs on key Canadian electricity imports

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer Facing uncertainty and financial risks over the potential impact of tariffs on Canadian electricity imports, New England and New York grid operators are seeking permission from federal regulators to add a surcharge to cover import duties. ISO New England said in a filing to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission…

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Bonneville Power Administration forced to buy more wholesale power and posts losses

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer Declines in hydropower output, caused by low stream flows in the Pacific Northwest, are forcing the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to buy more wholesale power leading to a projected $44 million loss. The agency had set a target of $70 million in revenues – so the gap between the…

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Consumer advocates from multiple states seek FERC relief from “crushing” capacity rates

By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer Six consumer advocates – across four states and the District of Columbia – have filed a complaint with federal regulators contending that the rate design of the country’s largest grid, the PJM Interconnection, is creating “crushing” capacity prices. For the 2025-2026 delivery year, those capacity prices jumped sevenfold to…

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Four Kansas GOP members working to blunt federal power on transmission line corridor

Four Kansas GOP members working to blunt federal power on transmission line corridor September 13, 2024 Four Republicans in the Kansas congressional delegation Friday offered support for legislation limiting federal authority to take control of private property for development of a national electric transmission corridor. The bill backed by U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann and Ron…

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Data Centers Face Seven-Year Wait for Dominion Power Hookups

Data Centers Face Seven-Year Wait for Dominion Power Hookups August 29, 2024 Dominion Energy Inc. expects the time it takes to connect large data centers to the electric grid to increase by one to three years amid a surge in requests, bringing the total wait time to as long as seven years. The longer wait…

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