Public Power Current

This summer has seen utilities either implement or actively prepare for the use of public safety power shutoffs -- a proactive step aimed at lowering the chances that power equipment could spark wildfires in the face of adverse weather conditions such as extreme winds.

The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority recently announced the successful conclusion of the 2026 Light Up Navajo VII electrification initiative, resulting in 269 homes of Navajo families connected to the electric grid for the very first time.

Blue Energy and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy on Aug. 13 announced the signing of an agreement that launches the next phase of their collaboration to deploy a 2.5 GW gas-plus-nuclear power plant in Texas.

MentorAPM is deepening its partnership with the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC) in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

While New Hampshire could theoretically withdraw from ISO New England, there is significant practical uncertainty tied to such a move, London Economics International concludes in a recent report.

The following is a transcript of the July 20, 2026, episode of Public Power Now. Learn more about subscribing to Public Power Now at PublicPower.org/Podcasts . Some quotes may have been edited for clarity. Paul Ciampoli Welcome to the latest episode of Public Power Now. I'm Paul Ciampoli, APPA's

The PJM Interconnection is evaluating potential changes to interconnection reliability requirements, including existing and future ride-through standards and practices for Large Loads, specifically computational loads such as data centers and crypto-mining facilities, in the wake of a July 22 event that saw nearly 4,000 MW of data center load trip offline unexpectedly in Virginia.

To improve connectivity between the nation’s grid systems and help enable rapid growth, the Southwest Power Pool's Board of Directors has approved the Western and Eastern Interconnection Capacity Expansion High-Priority Study, referred to as WE EXPAND.