Data Center Demand For Electricity Provokes US Government Response
The US has issued a new “emergency” plan to force data centers to pay for the electricity they need but it undercuts renewables,
PJM
Bottom: Meta data center. Middle: Electrical substation for the data center. Top: Power lines and closeup of the substation. Eagle Mountain, Utah. February 6, 2025. Photos by Fritz Hasler
8 Democratic Governors Urge Big Tech To Pay Their Fair Share
Today, Democratic governors from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Maryland signed onto a deal to ensure PJM takes measures that ensure Big Tech is paying their fair share for their massive power usage. The nation’s largest grid operator, PJM, has been in the process of creating … [continued]
The Great AI/Data Center Scam
The AI craze is threatening to overwhelm utility companies who don’t have enough electricity to power new data centers.
Battery Storage Can Maintain Reliability, Even After Fossils Retire
New analysis shows that Illinois can maintain reliability even after retiring fossil resources by deploying 3 GW of 4-hour battery storage. In 2021, Illinois passed the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), charting a path toward 100% clean energy by 2045. CEJA mandates the staggered retirement of Illinois’ fleet of fossil … [continued]
Coal Capacity Factor Drops from 55% to 35% in 10 Years in PJM
Editor’s note: The war on coal is real, and it’s been happening on several fronts. Solar power is replacing coal. Wind power is replacing coal. Natural gas is replacing coal. At the end of the day, coal has been on a long, big decline in the USA. The following update … [continued]
New Jersey National Guard To Guard 6 Gigawatts Of Offshore Wind
A National Guard facility will serve as the coastal landing point for electricity from multiple offshore wind farms in New Jersey.
US Department of Defense Plots Renewable Energy Takeover
The Pentagon is expanding its renewable energy efforts to include grid-wide decarbonization as well as on-site renewable resources.
Planning for PJM’s Grid of the Future Starts Today
PJM’s proposed long-term regional transmission planning marks a new way forward. How much it will deliver is still uncertain. It may be a new calendar year, but the US grid is facing many of the same challenges it did in 2023, including lengthy interconnection queue delays, a lag in transmission buildout, and accelerating fossil retirements. … [continued]
Google Installing 500 Megawatts of Solar for Environmental Justice
Solar power is not just for rich people, but it’s not free and you typically need to show a decent credit score to finance it. As with many things in life, the less wealthy people in society are left behind a bit as we transition into this cleaner, more financially … [continued]
Gas Generators Get Caught With Their Plants Down
While natural gas plants underperform, wind farms outperform.
