Utilities

Climatetech finance

Can AI chips make the grid smarter? Utilidata raises $60M to find out.

Utilidata and Nvidia think their AI-enabled smart meters can help solve tricky grid challenges, from growing data center demand to more rooftop solar and EVs.

By Jeff St. John . 29 April 2025
Utilities

Ohio’s HB 6 utility scandal gets true-crime treatment in HBO film

“The Dark Money Game: Ohio Confidential” is now streaming on MAX. A Canary Media reporter who’s spent years covering the corrupt energy legislation offers her take.

By Kathiann M. Kowalski, Dan Haugen . 24 April 2025
Utilities

Rising utility bills have Americans worried

As Trump’s policies threaten to raise utility bills, a new poll finds broad concern over costs — and little knowledge of the regulators that control rates.

By Akielly Hu . 23 April 2025
Utilities

Is Georgia Power quietly planning a massive buildout of fossil gas?

Watchdog groups and tech giants want more clean energy. But some fear the utility is pursuing a big fossil-gas expansion plan outside of public scrutiny instead.

By Jeff St. John . 23 April 2025
Energy efficiency

Louisiana kills energy-efficiency program in eleventh hour

Energy regulators voted along party lines to cancel the program. One official called it “a punch to the face to all Louisianians who are struggling to pay their bills.”

By Pam Radtke, Floodlight . 18 April 2025
Utilities

Ohio grid disparities leave some areas with older, outage-prone equipment

Advocates want state utility regulators to take up the issue of grid investment disparities in FirstEnergy’s pending rate case.

By Kathiann M. Kowalski . 17 April 2025
Heat pumps

Massachusetts heat pump owners could pay less for electricity next winter

The state’s high electricity prices are a barrier to heat pump adoption, so regulators are working with utilities to reduce rates in winter when demand is lower.

By Sarah Shemkus . 16 April 2025
Utilities

Wisconsin utility’s data center–driven gas expansion meets skepticism

Some of the data centers may never even materialize, sticking ratepayers with the bill for overbuilt fossil-fuel infrastructure, advocates argue.

By Kari Lydersen . 14 April 2025
Clean energy

Maryland’s sweeping new energy legislation is a mixed bag for climate

Lawmakers took steps to limit investment in gas infrastructure and bolster solar and storage — but they also passed a bill to expedite new fossil-gas power plants.

By Akielly Hu . 10 April 2025
Fossil fuels

Trump looks to radically reshape power plant oversight — and boost coal

Trump's raft of pro-coal executive orders includes a plan to give DOE unprecedented authority to force any power plant to stay open, no matter the cost.

By Jeff St. John . 9 April 2025