Community Engagement
The Imperial Irrigation District, a California public power utility, in December issued a statement following a well-attended community workshop held on December 9 aimed at informing residents about data centers, their growing presence nationally, and their potential implications for local energy systems, water resources, and communities.
Bills and Rates
The Long Island Power Authority in December announced a new partnership with New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) to support energy efficiency, weatherization, and heat pump installations in low-income multifamily housing across Long Island and the Rockaways.
Generation
The Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG) has released a new report, Forecasting for Large Loads: Current Practices and Recommendations, reviewing utilities’ and system operators’ approaches to forecasting large loads -- including from data centers, oil and gas, emerging industries, and manufacturing -- and providing recommendations for improving forecast accuracy.
Community Engagement
The Kansas City BPU recently launched the “Not All Utilities Are Built the Same” campaign, developed to proactively communicate how public utilities operate and how their model differs from investor-owned utilities and national advocacy narratives.
Distributed Energy Resources
The Department of the Interior in December announced that it is pausing -- effective immediately -- the leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects under construction in the United States "due to national security risks identified by the Department of War in recently completed classified reports."
Electricity Markets
After several years of intense effort and collaboration under the Provider of Choice initiative, the Bonneville Power Administration executed new long-term wholesale electric power contracts with more than 130 Northwest public utility customers this fall, it reported on Dec. 23.
Reliability
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Dec. 23 issued emergency orders to keep units at two Indiana coal plants operational.
Generation
As of the end of 2024, nearly 2,300 gigawatts of total generation and storage capacity were actively seeking connection to the grid, the Lawarence Berkeley National Laboratory reported.
Reliability
Massachusetts public power utility in December was recognized by the Commonwealth for working with the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School and Wakefield High School on the Wakefield Energy Park project, which will serve as a microgrid for both schools.
Generation
Energy Transfer LP in December announced an increase in the transportation capacity of Transwestern Pipeline’s planned Desert Southwest expansion project to meet additional customer demand. “The continued population growth and positive economic momentum throughout Arizona and New Mexico will require