As of September 29, 2026, Virginia regulators approved Dominion Energy’s plan to use securitization to recover fuel costs, allowing the utility to issue bonds backed by future customer payments rather than collecting the full amount through electricity bills immediately. [1] The approach is intended to spread costs over time and reduce the near-term impact on customers, while allowing Dominion to recover expenses associated with supplying electricity. However, securitization does not eliminate these costs, as customers will repay the bonds over time through their bills, including financing costs. The latest approval follows a similar securitization in 2023, raising concerns among regulators and consumer advocates about repeated deferrals and the cumulative burden on customers. The decision comes amid greater volatility in wholesale electricity prices and fuel expenses, particularly during extreme weather, highlighting the challenge of balancing reliable power supply with affordable electricity rates.
[USA] DOE backs FERC decision, urges PJM to maintain ratepayer protections
As of October 7, 2026, the US Department of Energy (DOE) urged the PJM Interconnection to revise its reliability backstop procurement plan to prevent cost shifts onto utility customers from data centers and other large loads. [1] PJM should file a proposal by October 29, 2026, in response to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) decision that the grid operator’s backstop procurement plan needed changes, including to address issues in the cost-allocation framework, according to the DOE’s statement of position filed with FERC. [2] In its statement, the DOE stated that PJM should implement the cost allocation and other reforms identified by the Commission to ensure that the costs of serving new data centers or large electric energy loads are not unfairly shifted to PJM’s existing ratepayers, in one of the first statements it has filed at FERC in at least 5 years.
[USA] As public hearings begin, Virginia Lt. Gov. Hashmi opposes NextEra-Dominion merger
As of October 6, 2026, Virginia state lieutenant governor Ghazala Hashmi, D, stated NextEra’s planned acquisition of Dominion Energy is not in the best interest of Virginians, after summarizing her findings from a five-city public listening tour. [1] The tour stopped in Norfolk, Richmond, Charlottesville, Roanoke, and Loudon county, which houses the world’s largest concentration of data centers. Hashmi expressed in the report that she is concerned the merger would pose a risk to Virginians due to NextEra’s thousands of “individual project entities, many in businesses far riskier than a regulated utility.” In addition, she expressed concern about NextEra’s plan to lean into serving data center growth in Dominion’s footprint, citing both the cost and the potential for stranded assets if projected demand does not materialize, leaving more of the burden on residential customers. The report preceded the State Corporation Commission’s first local hearing on the pending merger on October 7, 2026, and is the most formal expression of opposition from Virginia’s executive branch yet.
[USA] EIA analysis suggests mixed outlook for energy expenditures this winter
As of October 7, 2026, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects U.S. household energy spending this winter to vary significantly by heating fuel, with electricity and heating-oil costs increasing while natural gas and propane costs decline. [1] EIA forecasts that households using electricity for heating, which account for more than 40% of U.S. homes, will spend about 4% more on average this winter, while the roughly 3% of households that use heating oil could see spending rise 21%. The increase in heating-oil costs is concentrated in the Northeast, where heating oil remains more widely used. EIA attributes the higher prices to tighter global distillate markets following lower refinery production, while U.S. distillate exports increased 20% during the first seven months of 2026. As a result, U.S. distillate inventories are projected to remain about 11% below the five-year average during the fourth quarter. For electric utilities and other energy stakeholders, the outlook highlights continued differences in winter energy costs across regions and fuels, particularly as electricity demand for heating remains sensitive to power prices and weather conditions.
[USA] FERC pushes back on PJM interconnection’s delay of power auction
As of September 29, 2026, PJM Interconnected delayed its planned reliability backstop procurement auction for data centers due to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) decision to only partly approve it. The agency stated that aspects of PJM’s proposal dealing with cost allocation, transmission owner exit rules, and load-serving entity collateral requirements may be unjust and unreasonable, offering potential solutions to those parts of the plan and encouraging PJM to propose fixes soon, avoiding the need for a hearing process. PJM’s proposal was filed at the last minute, leaving FERC no time to “rehabilitate the mess [they] received,” stated FERC Chairman Laura Swett. PJM is reviewing FERC’s order and intends to address the commission’s remaining concerns regarding its proposed backstop reliability procurement, which aims to acquire up to 6.8 GW of new capacity to address a projected shortfall for the 2028/29 delivery year, largely driven by data center demand growth. FERC found that PJM had not adequately justified its proposed cost-allocation method and recommended allocating procurement costs based on updated load forecasts to better reflect projected demand growth and ensure costs are assigned appropriately. PJM spokesperson Jeffrey Shields said that a new timeline for the backstop procurement has yet to be determined.
[USA] Bipartisan permitting bill expands federal authority over transmission siting
As of September 30, 2026, a bipartisan permitting reform bill was introduced in the US Senate to prevent the revocation or suspension of issued federal permits for energy projects, strengthening the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) siting authority. Permitting reform conversations had previously stalled in Congress in December 2025 when President Donald Trump issued stop work orders against five offshore wind projects. However, a deal was negotiated recently after Trump told Democratic lawmakers that wind and solar energy projects would fare better in the bill. The bill, titled the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act,by is sponsored by Sen. Whitehouse, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. It aims to ensure that all federal agencies “treat applications for Federal authorizations or permits fairly and efficiently,” providing applicants with a way to sue the government if permits are improperly denied or unreasonably delayed from disparate treatment based on project type. The legislation has provisions aimed at ensuring resource-neutral permitting and also strengthens FERC by eliminating National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors and expanding its authority to issue “one or more permits for the construction or modification of electric transmission facilities.” The bill eliminates the federal right of first refusal for incumbent utilities, stripping their automatic right to build new regional lines and requires FERC to issue a rule requiring each transmission planning region to file a consolidated interconnection and regional transmission planning process.
[1] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28712286-bipartisan-american-affordability-and-jobs-act/?_sp=d2526746-0731-43ab-8856-607debe38a73.1790956531308#document/p1
[USA] States sue Trump administration over offshore wind lease buyouts
As of September 22, 2026, California and eight Northeastern states sued the Trump administration and offshore wind developers over agreements to buy back roughly a dozen offshore wind leases for about $4 billion. The states argue the administration unlawfully used settlement agreements to cancel leases without following federal offshore leasing procedures and improperly directed taxpayer funds toward ending projects. The latest lawsuits target Invenergy and Bluepoint Wind projects off California, New York and Maine, with the two East Coast agreements alone involving about $1.4 billion in federal payments. Invenergy’s agreement covers four leases, including projects in the New York Bight, Central California and the Gulf of Maine, and would redirect payments toward other domestic energy projects, including natural gas and geothermal development. The states are seeking to invalidate the agreements and prevent similar lease buyouts.
[USA] FERC rejects complaint from Oklo to reinstate project
As of September 24, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected Oklo’s complaint seeking to restore its 750-MW Virginia project to PJM’s current interconnection study cycle, finding that Oklo had not shown PJM violated its tariff and had not resolved deficiencies in its application. The project combines 150 MW of advanced nuclear, 300 MW of fuel cells and 300 MW of gas generation and could face at least an 18-month delay from missing the current cycle. FERC said Oklo can correct the application and enter the next cycle or use PJM’s expedited interconnection process, while emphasizing that PJM should work more closely with developers as demand grows. The case is also part of a broader dispute over PJM’s reformed interconnection process, with five other complaints pending from developers whose projects were dropped from the current cycle.
[USA] Data center load growth could cause reliability crisis for PJM by 2030
As of September 14, 2026, a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission-commissioned study found that PJM could fall below its resource adequacy target by 2030 as data center demand grows faster than new generation. [1] In the study’s reference scenario, PJM’s modeled loss-of-load expectation (LOLE) reaches 0.59 in 2030, nearly six times PJM’s 0.1 planning criterion; under a high-load, low-supply scenario, LOLE reaches 13.20, indicating more than 13 days of potential loss-of-load events per year. A scenario with no new data centers was the only one modeled to remain within PJM’s target. The study also projects Pennsylvania’s electricity exports declining from about 91 TWh in 2025 to 38 TWh by 2040 in the reference case, while the high-load, low-supply case turns the state into a net importer by 2040. PJM said demand is growing faster than generation and could compromise reliability over the next five years, while pointing to interconnection reforms, reliability backstop procurement and demand-management measures as ongoing responses.
[USA] States in deregulated power markets can achieve clean energy goals through state-led planning
As of September 16, 2026, the Clean Air Task Force released a report arguing that states in deregulated electricity markets could use state-led planning and procurement to address long-term reliability and clean-energy needs that may not be fully captured by competitive wholesale markets. [1] The report recommends three main approaches: regularly assessing future electricity needs under different scenarios, developing technology-specific roadmaps to identify barriers such as permitting and transmission constraints, and using state-directed procurement to provide greater certainty for projects. It focuses on technologies such as nuclear, geothermal, offshore wind, and long-duration energy storage, which can face long development timelines and high upfront costs. Illinois is highlighted as an emerging example, with its 2026 legislation establishing integrated resource planning through 2045 and requiring an initial plan by November.
[USA] West Virginia PSC denies delay in NextEra transmission project review
As of September 9, 2026, the West Virginia Public Service Commission rejected a request to delay evidentiary proceedings for NextEra Energy Transmission’s 107.5-mile MidAtlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) transmission project, keeping hearings scheduled for October 26–November 2. [1] PJM selected the 500-kV project in 2023 to address emerging grid needs, but regulators are reviewing questions about the line’s route, its continued need, and the potential effect of a recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order strengthening large-load interconnection rules. NextEra agreed to the proposed delay but maintained that MARL remains necessary and should be unaffected by the FERC order because it is a PJM regional transmission expansion project rather than a network upgrade tied to a specific data-center interconnection.
[USA] Google, Xcel, and utilities support MISO large-load proposal
As of September 9, 2026, Google, Xcel Energy, and other utilities and clean-energy groups supported the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)’s proposed “Zero Injection Generator Interconnection Agreement,” which would create a 90-day review process for generation projects that serve large loads at the same substation and voltage level, including colocated data centers, when the generation has little or no transmission-system impact. [1] The proposal would limit eligible generation to the amount of load it serves and generally prohibit network upgrades beyond the substation, while MISO develops additional processes for large-load additions. Google supported the proposal but asked MISO to expand it to configurations where generation and load are connected through two substations. Environmental groups opposed the proposal, arguing that insufficient safeguards could shift costs to existing customers and create reliability concerns.
[USA] Trump signs executive order to block certain foreign-made equipment from grid
As of August 26, 2026, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency and restricting certain transactions involving foreign-made equipment to the bulk power system, including transformers, batteries, inverters, and associated software and digital products. The order also considers the replacement of installed equipment, allowing the Secretary of Energy to “impose conditions on the continued use, operation, maintenance, servicing, or updating of foreign-manufactured or operated bulk-power system electric equipment acquired or installed before the date of this order.” The EO focuses on “transactions involving foreign nationals that pose an undue risk of sabotage, unauthorized access, or other disruption,” according to a fact sheet, and is aimed at non-distribution level equipment.
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/declaring-a-national-emergency-to-secure-the-united-states-bulk-power-system/?_sp=d2526746-0731-43ab-8856-607debe38a73.1788365429182
[USA} MISO proposes reliability requirements for large loads
As of August 18, 2026, the Midcontinent System Operator (MISO) proposed a set of requirements for large loads to connect to the grid, including ramping and ride-through specifications. [1] The framework, known as “interconnection reliability requirements,” is intended to improve MISO’s visibility into large load characteristics and behavior, support reliable planning and operational decision-making, and establish technically justified expectations that are proportional to the reliability risk. The proposal is part of MISO’s response to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) show-cause orders requiring major grid operators to define rules that meet criteria for adding data centers and other large loads to the grid. MISO has announced that it plans to make more proposals by November. MISO’s proposal defines large loads as those larger than 50 MW and “computational loads” as those larger than 25 MW of demand from information technology equipment, such as servers, storage, and networking hardware.
[USA] ERCOT to complete data center audit by December
As of August 26, 2026, ERCOT plans to audit roughly 300 proposed data centers with 75 MW or more by December 10, 2026, a step needed for its “Batch Zero” process to continue and for large-load interconnections to resume. [1] ERCOT will also conduct community impact reviews of data centers and crypto facilities with 25 MW or more of capacity, following Texas Gov. [2] Greg Abbott’s directive to scrutinize their electricity and water use and potential impacts on communities and public resources. The scale of proposed demand is substantial: ERCOT’s interconnection queue totals about 474 GW, with roughly 90% of requests associated with data centers. However, much of the queue may be speculative or duplicative, making the audit important for determining which projects are likely to actually connect and should be incorporated into ERCOT’s long-term load forecasts and reliability planning. The delays could push back those broader planning efforts.
[1] https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-directs-comprehensive-data-center-audit
[2] https://www.ercot.com/services/rq/large-load-integration
[USA] Energy trade tensions escalates between US and Canada
As of August 26, 2026, the escalating US-Canada trade dispute is threatening to disrupt electricity trade between the two countries and could raise power prices in parts of the US. [1] Canada is expected to announce retaliatory tariffs on US goods after President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs on about $20 billion ($27.6 billion CAD) of Canadian goods took effect. [2] Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have discussed a potential 25% tariff on electricity exports to the US, while Ontario has also considered restricting electricity exports in response. In 2025, Canada exported 32.7 TWh of electricity to the U.S., compared with 22.1 TWh of imports from the US, underscoring the importance of the cross-border relationship. While grid operators do not expect reduced Canadian imports to cause major reliability problems under normal conditions, losing Canadian power could increase reliance on more expensive generation and put upward pressure on electricity prices, particularly during periods of extreme weather.
[1] https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/5c358f51-bc8c-4565-854d-9d2e35e6b178
[USA] FERC approves MISO cost allocation framework for transmission projects
As of August 14, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a cost allocation framework for transmission projects from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) built in the PJM Interconnection’s footprint. [1] Under the framework, Exelon’s Commonwealth Edison will build one group of projects worth almost $904 million, and Duke Ohio is set to build $5.3 million in projects. FERC rejected calls for requiring the projects to undergo competitive solicitations. FERC commissioners Judy Chang and David Rosner stated that MISO’s proposal emphasizes the importance of interregional transmission, citing how in certain cases, the most cost-effective solutions for one region’s system needs could include transmission upgrades in another region’s footprint.
[USA] DOE cancels 3 proposed National Interest Electric Transmission corridors
As of August 12, 2026, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it will not move forward with the designation of 3 proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC) that the Biden administration selected for review in 2024. [1] The release stated that the corridors were selected to advance that administration’s “Green New Scam” agenda. [2] Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that transmission policy must “serve the American people, not special interests or a climate-alarmist agenda.” The release alleged that the current designation framework proved ineffective in strengthening grid reliability and reducing electricity costs. The 3 canceled corridors include the Lake Erie-Canada corridor, the Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor, and the Tribal Energy Access corridor. While Wright said the current designation framework had proven ineffective, DOE’s National Transmission Needs Study from July said that NIETC designation enables DOE and FERC to use valuable federal financing and permitting tools to speed up construction or modification of transmission facilities within a NIETC.
[2] https://www.energy.gov/documents/national-transmission-needs-study-draft-july-2026
[USA] PJM reviews large load reliability requirements after load trips offline
As of August 11, 2026, PJM is evaluating potential alterations to interconnection reliability requirements for computational loads, such as data centers and crypto-mining facilities. [1] The grid operator intends to consider ride-through standards and other requirements after almost 3,800 MW of data center load tripped offline unexpectedly in Virginia – the largest such event in PJM’s history. [2] It was triggered by a fault on a 230-kV line in Dominion Energy’s zone, causing a high imbalance between generation and load and large swings in voltage and frequency. Once the fault was removed from the system, data centers in the Dominion Energy zone disconnected from the grid, causing the spikes in voltage. This is when the first load drop of 2,970 MW took place. When the first large loads transferred to backup generation, the loss of the loads caused high system voltage disturbances, which resulted in a second wave of 1,099 MW of data centers disconnected. PJM recovered the Balancing Authority Area Control Error Limit – a measure of the imbalance between sources and uses of power – within 9 minutes, and then dispatched reactive power sources to lower the system’s voltage. The issue was discussed at an August 6, 2026, PJM Operating Committee meeting, where PJM staff asserted that data centers may be too sensitive to grid conditions. As a result, PJM is evaluating the possibility of expanding reliability requirements, with consideration for existing and future ride-through standards and practices.
[USA] Court blocks Trump administration freeze on wind energy
As of August 7, 2026, a federal judge in Oregon ordered the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to resume national security reviews for onshore wind projects, blocking the Trump administration's indefinite freeze on the permitting process. [1] The injunction came after renewable energy groups argued the DoD had unlawfully halted required reviews, delaying more than 100 wind projects across 25 states representing an estimated $47 billion in investment and 120,000 jobs. The ruling restores a key step in the development pipeline for new wind projects by requiring the DoD to restart reviewing whether proposed projects pose national security risks. While the decision does not automatically approve projects, it allows permitting to move forward after months of uncertainty. The court also found the freeze had already caused billions of dollars in economic harm and threatened developers' ability to qualify for federal tax credits tied to construction timelines. By restarting the review process, the ruling provides greater certainty for wind developers and could help bring additional electricity supply online.