http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-newsBLOG RSSFri, 18 Sep 2026 13:56:06 GMTFri, 18 Sep 2026 13:56:06 GMThttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/pg-e-gm-energy-launch-smart-charging-bundle-for-new-ev-customersPacific Gas and Electric Co. and GM Energy have launched a new program aimed at making home charging more accessible for customers purchasing or leasing eligible electric vehicles in Northern and Central California. The Smart Charge Bundle combines a home EV charger with PGE’s managed-charging program and is being offered through participating Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac dealerships. Under the program, eligible customers can receive a GM Energy PowerShift or PowerUp 2 home charger at noThu, 24 Sep 2026 18:33:38http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/pg-e-gm-energy-launch-smart-charging-bundle-for-new-ev-customershttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/fervo-energy-achieves-first-power-at-cape-station-a-landmark-moment-for-enhanced-geothermal-systemsFervo Energy, a global pioneer of next-generation geothermal energy, this week announced that Cape Station, its flagship geothermal development in Beaver County, Utah, has achieved First Power, marking the first time a utility-scale enhanced geothermal development has reached this milestone anywhere in the world.The achievement comes just over four months after Fervo’s May 2026 initial public offering and is one of several industry leading operational milestones for the company. Following theThu, 24 Sep 2026 18:18:21http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/fervo-energy-achieves-first-power-at-cape-station-a-landmark-moment-for-enhanced-geothermal-systemshttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/new-analysis-shows-hydropower-s-licensing-conditions-have-increased-tenfold-since-1980As U.S. electricity demand grows at its fastest pace in decades, a new report from the National Hydropower Association (NHA) further confirms that the federal licensing process governing the nation’s hydropower fleet has become steadily more burdensome and increasingly disconnected from energy production. This threatens hydropower’s reliability and affordable power at a time when consumers need it most.Key FindingsIn a first-of-its-kind analysis, NHA reviewed more than 5,000 mandatoryThu, 24 Sep 2026 17:18:30http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/new-analysis-shows-hydropower-s-licensing-conditions-have-increased-tenfold-since-1980http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/doe-announces-99-million-for-21-projects-to-advance-u-s-geothermal-energy-developmentThe U.S. Department of Energy this week announced more than $99 million for 21 projects selected to advance geothermal energy development across the United States. The projects will conduct field-scale tests of next-generation geothermal technologies and exploration drilling to characterize and potentially confirm promising geothermal resources. “These projects will empower American innovators to unlock the tremendous geothermal resources beneath our feet,” said DOE Under Secretary of EnergyThu, 24 Sep 2026 17:39:20http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/doe-announces-99-million-for-21-projects-to-advance-u-s-geothermal-energy-developmenthttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/renewables-gain-ground-but-must-accelerate-towards-the-2030-goalWith a total 5.15 terawatts of renewable power capacity installed at the end of 2025, the world can still close in on the gap to meet the globally agreed renewable energy goal but must move much faster. To meet the global target of tripling renewables to 11.2 TW by 2030, installed capacity must more than double today’s levels. Despite a record 693 gigawatts of new renewables power added in 2025, the annual growth rate would have to accelerate to 1 200 GW on average between 2026 and 2030.Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:49:46http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/renewables-gain-ground-but-must-accelerate-towards-the-2030-goalhttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/puc-study-warns-rapid-data-center-growth-could-pose-serious-risks-to-electric-reliabilityThe Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) this week released an independent analysis warning that rapidly growing electricity demand – driven largely by data center development – could create serious reliability risks across Pennsylvania and the broader region unless electricity supply keeps pace with that growth.The analysis, conducted by Synapse Energy Economics, a nationally recognized energy consulting firm, examined whether sufficient electric resources will be available toTue, 22 Sep 2026 20:16:19http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/puc-study-warns-rapid-data-center-growth-could-pose-serious-risks-to-electric-reliabilityhttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/governor-spanberger-unveils-comprehensive-aggressive-data-center-accountability-standardsGovernor Abigail Spanberger this week unveiled Virginia’s new Data Center Accountability Framework, a comprehensive and aggressive data center accountability effort.The Governor’s Framework is a detailed, wide-ranging plan for the Commonwealth to give communities transparent information and a voice in local approval, protect Virginians from higher energy bills, and enforce the strongest environmental standards for data centers in the nation. The Governor also signed Executive Order 22 toTue, 22 Sep 2026 20:40:27http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/governor-spanberger-unveils-comprehensive-aggressive-data-center-accountability-standardshttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/pennsylvania-pjm-face-growing-resource-adequacy-pressure-as-electricity-demand-risesPennsylvania and the broader PJM electricity market could face increasing resource adequacy challenges over the next decade as electricity demand grows faster than new generation and other resources can be brought online, according to a new analysis prepared for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.The study, Assessing Electricity Resource Adequacy in Pennsylvania and PJM, examines how changing demand, power-plant retirements and the pace of new resource development could affect theThu, 17 Sep 2026 23:14:18http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/pennsylvania-pjm-face-growing-resource-adequacy-pressure-as-electricity-demand-riseshttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/10-million-sun-and-soil-program-launchedThe New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) this week announced the launch of a new $10 million Sun and Soil Program to help interested farmers and agricultural communities benefit from the integration of solar energy in ways that sustain active farmland, known as agrivoltaics. This multi-year initiative, first introduced in Governor Hochul’s 2026 State of the State, provides funding for planning and implementing innovative agrivoltaic projects while supporting appliedThu, 17 Sep 2026 22:29:17http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/10-million-sun-and-soil-program-launchedhttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/bloom-energy-s-800v-dc-native-power-can-cut-billions-from-ai-data-center-costs-reduce-power-useBloom Energy, a global leader in power solutions, this week released a special report “The New Rules of AI Power,” showing that its unique 800V DC-native fuel cell solution can reduce non-compute capital expenditures for a 1 GW AI data center by $3.6 billion, or 27%, and five-year total cost of ownership by $5.5 billion, or 9%.The conventional power system architecture was built over a century ago around the challenge of moving electricity over long distances safely. AC, or alternatingThu, 17 Sep 2026 22:54:33http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/bloom-energy-s-800v-dc-native-power-can-cut-billions-from-ai-data-center-costs-reduce-power-usehttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/nextera-energy-and-dominion-energy-outline-virginia-benefits-package-amid-proposed-mergerNextEra Energy and Dominion Energy have announced an expanded package of commitments for Virginia as part of their proposed merger. The companies say the package is intended to address concerns about customer costs, economic development, employment and the pace of new energy infrastructure. Among the changes are an extension of proposed $10-per-month residential bill credits from two years to four years, an additional $100 million for Dominion’s EnergyShare assistance program through 2038, and aWed, 16 Sep 2026 21:57:41http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/nextera-energy-and-dominion-energy-outline-virginia-benefits-package-amid-proposed-mergerhttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/iaea-projects-global-nuclear-power-capacity-could-triple-by-2060-continuing-rising-trendGlobal nuclear power capacity could more than triple by 2060, says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as countries increasingly consider nuclear power to meet rising electricity demand and energy security, with small modular reactors (SMRs) set to become a significant new source of clean power and a growing need to offset retiring reactors.IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi announced the new projections, contained in the 46th annual report Energy, Electricity and NuclearWed, 16 Sep 2026 21:47:10http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/iaea-projects-global-nuclear-power-capacity-could-triple-by-2060-continuing-rising-trendhttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/avangrid-expands-ai-adoption-to-strengthen-utility-operations-and-customer-experienceAvangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, is expanding the use of artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, digital grid capabilities, and responsible data governance to strengthen grid reliability and improve customer service. The effort is part of Avangrid’s broader focus on using technology to improve how the company plans, operates, and serves customers in an increasingly dynamic energy environment.“AI is becoming an increasingly important tool forWed, 16 Sep 2026 21:40:08http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/avangrid-expands-ai-adoption-to-strengthen-utility-operations-and-customer-experiencehttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/luma-and-aes-announce-energization-of-puerto-rico-s-first-utility-scale-battery-storage-projectLUMA and AES Puerto Rico announced the energization of the infrastructure connecting the Jobos Solar and Jobos BESS projects to Puerto Rico’s electric grid. This step enables testing to begin on the island’s first utility-scale battery energy storage system and represents significant progress in integrating new energy resources.The projects will add 80 megawatts of solar generation and 110 MW of energy storage. The batteries will provide four hours of storage, with an approximate capacity ofTue, 15 Sep 2026 20:33:55http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/luma-and-aes-announce-energization-of-puerto-rico-s-first-utility-scale-battery-storage-projecthttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/eia-expects-record-electricity-generation-in-2026-and-2027The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects U.S. electricity generation will grow 2.2% to a record 4,368 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) this year. EIA expects an additional 1.7% growth in electricity generation next year. Electricity generation is rising to meet additional demand, which is particularly strong in the West South Central region, from data center development and increased manufacturing activity in the commercial and industrial sectors. Other key takeaways from theTue, 15 Sep 2026 20:28:51http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/eia-expects-record-electricity-generation-in-2026-and-2027http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/ey-study-finds-us-oil-and-gas-producers-reach-record-production-while-investing-more-selectivelyThe US oil and gas industry is increasingly focused on improving the performance of existing assets while maintaining disciplined growth, according to an annual benchmarking study released this week by Ernst Young LLP (EY US). While mergers and acquisitions (MA) continue to play an important role in shaping portfolios, the findings suggest producers are prioritizing operational performance, capital efficiency and maximizing returns from current assets.The annual EY US Oil and Gas ReservesFri, 11 Sep 2026 04:12:16http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/ey-study-finds-us-oil-and-gas-producers-reach-record-production-while-investing-more-selectivelyhttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/sustainability-partners-energy-systems-group-help-albuquerque-approach-100-renewable-energy-goalSustainability Partners (SP), a Public Benefit Company, is partnering with the City of Albuquerque and Energy Systems Group (ESG) to deploy approximately 6 MW of solar energy generation across eight City facilities, helping close the remaining gap toward Albuquerque’s goal of 100% renewable energy for municipal operations. A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week to mark the start of construction at the first two locations: the City’s Eastside Animal Shelter and Highland Pool.ThroughFri, 11 Sep 2026 04:03:27http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/sustainability-partners-energy-systems-group-help-albuquerque-approach-100-renewable-energy-goalhttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/new-report-highlights-growing-role-of-direct-current-technologies-in-future-power-systemsABB this week published a new report, The Strategic Case for Hybrid AC/DC Power: Shaping the Transition to the Next Electrical Architecture, developed in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report makes the case that direct current (DC) technology is moving from the periphery to the center of industrial, commercial, and digital infrastructure – and that the decisions made by business leaders and policymakers in the next two to three years will determine who shapes thatFri, 11 Sep 2026 03:59:23http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/new-report-highlights-growing-role-of-direct-current-technologies-in-future-power-systemshttp://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/u-s-bureau-of-labor-statistics-releases-employment-projections-for-2025-2035The U.S. economy is projected to add 5.9 million jobs from 2025 to 2035, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week. Total employment is projected to increase from 170.3 million to 176.2 million and grow 3.5 percent, which is slower than the 10.9 percent growth recorded over the 2015−25 decade. (See chart 1.)New Artificial Intelligence Exposure CategoriesAlongside the 2025–35 projections, BLS is introducing a new data product that provides information about how occupationsThu, 10 Sep 2026 01:36:11http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/u-s-bureau-of-labor-statistics-releases-employment-projections-for-2025-2035http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/miso-accelerates-new-generation-and-storage-projects-with-fifth-eras-cycleMidcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) is accelerating its efforts to help bring new generation online quickly with the fifth cycle of projects to be evaluated under the Expedited Resource Addition Study (ERAS) process. These projects will reinforce reliability and support economic growth across the region.This cycle includes 15 proposed projects totaling approximately 7.3 gigawatts of new capacity. The portfolio spans MISO’s North, Central and South regions and includes a mix ofThu, 10 Sep 2026 01:40:30http://smartgridobserver.com/industry-news/miso-accelerates-new-generation-and-storage-projects-with-fifth-eras-cycle