Transmission

Solar

‘We’re harvesting the sun’: A huge solar project grows in California

A sweeping plan to build 21 gigawatts of solar plus batteries on 136,000 acres could be a lifeline for Central Valley farmers facing devastating water shortages.

By Jeff St. John . 24 March 2026
Utilities

As Californians electrify, can this tech combo prevent grid overload?

Utility PG&E is piloting two devices that strategically throttle power use so that new EVs and heat pumps don’t mean costly home and grid upgrades.

By Jeff St. John . 10 March 2026
Transmission

Virginia to utilities: Do more with the existing power grid

Amid rising energy costs, the state just passed a first-of-a-kind bill that would force utilities to quantify and examine ways to reduce waste on the grid.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 3 March 2026
Batteries

Can a big battery help Boston save billions on the power grid? Maybe.

Grid operators don’t readily let batteries stand in for costly transmission upgrades, but this massive Massachusetts project could spur them to reconsider.

By Jeff St. John . 23 February 2026
Guest essay

How solar and batteries help keep lights on during Texas winter storms

The recent boom in renewables and storage in Texas means its grid is much better prepared for bad weather than it was when Winter Storm Uri hit five years ago.

By Tam Hunt . 19 February 2026
Transmission

What Energy Secretary Wright gets wrong about the grid

Chris Wright trashed solar and wind for not providing much power during Winter Storm Fern — and ignored basic facts about how much renewables contribute year-round.

By Jeff St. John . 10 February 2026
Clean energy

The 4 lessons New England’s grid can learn from Winter Storm Fern

Extreme cold and lots of snow revealed the electric system’s strengths and weaknesses as the region debates how to build a more reliable, affordable grid.

By Sarah Shemkus . 30 January 2026
Grid edge

What Winter Storm Fern revealed about the grid

Fossil fuels, renewables, and the power grid itself all struggled through the ice and cold — but overall, the system weathered the storm.

By Kathryn Krawczyk . 30 January 2026
Batteries

PJM’s power-starved grid will finally get a big battery this year

Elevate Renewables just acquired a major energy storage project near Virginia’s “Data Center Alley” and plans to get it running by this summer.

By Julian Spector . 15 January 2026
Transmission

Finally, New England’s clean-energy transmission line is ready to go

A controversial project that will bring 1.2 GW of Canadian hydropower into the region is slated to come online this week after nearly a decade of work.

By Sarah Shemkus . 12 January 2026