Good morning. Bonneville is reconsidering which Western power market to join, Oracle wants 2 GW of new renewable energy in New Mexico and California is warming to nuclear again. The map of who supplies whom keeps getting redrawn.
Top Stories
BONNEVILLE MAY DITCH MARKETS+ FOR CALIFORNIA'S EDAM
Utility Dive
New administrator Travis Kavulla says EDAM offers more depth and liquidity, but conditioned any switch on governance changes at the Regional Organization for Western Energy, including an independent board and protection against unilateral state action. A decision is due by year-end.
DOMINION'S 3-GW GAS PLANT TESTS VIRGINIA'S CLIMATE LAW
Canary Media
The Cumberland County project won its first local approval last week and could begin operating in 2033. Critics say a reliability exception could let the plant run past Virginia's 2045 zero-carbon deadline.
ORACLE SEEKS 2 GW OF NEW POWER FOR PROJECT JUPITER
KFOX14
The company opened a New Mexico solicitation for solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable projects that could operate by 2031. Oracle also pledged public environmental data and twice-yearly independent assessments.
MASSACHUSETTS GIVES TOWNS A VETO OVER BIG DATA CENTERS
MassLive
Gov. Maura Healey's order requires local approval before state permitting advances for projects above 25 MW. Developers must also cover infrastructure costs, protect water and supply clean power or support ratepayers.
CALIFORNIA WARMS TO NUCLEAR POWER
The New York Times
The state's debate has moved from closing Diablo Canyon toward preserving nuclear generation and reconsidering its ban on new reactors. Rising electricity demand is scrambling an old political consensus.
Power & Grid
ERCOT SPENDS SIX WEEKS ABOVE ITS OLD DEMAND RECORD
Utility Dive
All six weekly average peak loads since late July exceeded the record set in 2023. Hourly load averaged 74.5 GW in the week of Aug. 22, 10% above last summer's high and 6% above the previous record.
FEDERAL COURT REVOKES A KEY NEW JERSEY PIPELINE PERMIT
New Jersey Monitor
The Third Circuit says New Jersey failed to explain how Williams' Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline would meet water standards in Raritan Bay. The permit returns to the state for another review.
WYOMING DRAFTS A PLAN B FOR POWER-HUNGRY INDUSTRY
Cowboy State Daily
Two proposals would let large customers obtain power outside the traditional utility system when Rocky Mountain Power cannot meet their timelines. The utility warns against making existing customers finance speculative capacity.
20 YEARS OF SALES SHOW NO BROAD HOME-VALUE HIT FROM WIND OR SOLAR
Electrek
Ball State researchers found no statistically significant decline near Indiana projects from 2004 through 2024. A possible discount near large solar farms disappeared under further testing.
UTILITIES MAKE BIG LOADS PAY EARLIER AND STAY LONGER
Utility Dive
A review of 55 large-load tariffs finds growing use of upfront study payments, ramp deadlines, exit fees and hold-harmless clauses. Regulators are moving more stranded-asset risk onto the customers creating it.
Data Centers
UTAH'S 10-GW DATA CENTER SAYS ITS GAS PLANT WILL MAKE WATER
The Salt Lake Tribune
Creekstone claims it can capture 4,000 acre-feet of combustion water annually while the campus uses up to 200 acre-feet. The patented process remains unproven, and University of Utah researchers are testing the science.
NEARLY 700 LOCAL RULES NOW RESTRICT DATA CENTERS
The Daily Yonder
One quarter of the tracked bans, moratoriums, zoning changes and other restrictions are rural even though two-thirds of new facilities are planned there. The dataset says 84% of the measures have been enacted.
STATES START RIPPING UP DATA-CENTER TAX BREAKS
The Wall Street Journal
Decadeslong exemptions once used to recruit Amazon, Meta and Google are running into a backlash over power costs and limited job creation. The subsidy race is turning into a clawback fight.
NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR SAYS DATA CENTERS MUST PAY THEIR WAY
Technical.ly
Josh Stein says AI belongs in the state's future but residents should not bear the industry's costs. Only 20% of North Carolinians say they would support a data center in their community.
DATA-CENTER LAND DEALS ARE MAKING MILLIONAIRES
CBS News
A boom usually measured in gigawatts and utility bills looks different from the seller's side of the fence. Some landowners are turning development offers into life-changing windfalls.
Stat of the Day
12 YEARS
Average minimum term in large-load tariffs adopted since 2025
That is up from five years in earlier tariffs, giving utilities more protection when giant loads vanish or arrive late.
Utility Dive ↗