DER
Lessons utilities can learn from the streaming wars amid the AI data center boom
The race among big tech companies to build data centers presents utilities with challenges similar to the streaming wars. This article explores how systematic planning, coordinated regulation, and transparent cost allocation can avoid cost shifting to customers and public backlash.
Puerto Rico's power grid 'hangs between two realities': says the chairman of the top electricity regulatory body
Edison Avilés, chairman of the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau, stated that the island's power grid is 'hanging between two realities': on one hand, efforts to build a future grid, and on the other, reliance on an aging and fragile infrastructure. The article analyzes key issues such as transmission and distribution reconstruction, renewable energy expansion, rate cases, and the outlook for the next two years.
Report: Renewable Energy Manufacturing Lost 5,900 Net Jobs in Q1 2026
The latest report from the Environmental Defense Fund indicates that in Q1 2026, the U.S. renewable energy manufacturing sector suffered significant employment setbacks, with a net loss of 5,900 jobs and $1.4 billion in canceled investments. Despite a net increase of $1.1 billion in total investments, the industry still faces policy uncertainty and geopolitical pressures.
Virtual Power Plants and Consumer Interests: Competitive Markets Are the Optimal Solution
Virtual power plants (VPPs) are seen as a tool to enhance grid reliability and reduce costs, but monopoly utility companies are trying to dominate this emerging market. Through successful cases in Puerto Rico, California, and other places, this article demonstrates the benefits of competitive markets for consumers and the grid, and calls on regulators to reject proposals by utility companies to monopolize VPP resources.
As U.S. Load Grows, Distributed Energy Resources Usher in Opportunities for Large-Scale Development
U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow by about 128 gigawatts over the next five years, and traditional large-scale grid investments may lead to stranded assets. Distributed energy resources, particularly community-scale solar and storage ranging from 1 to 10 megawatts, can be interconnected within months to relieve local grid pressure. Jigar Shah, former director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, notes that states need to legislate for grid data transparency and streamlined interconnection processes, and proposes four principles to achieve large-scale deployment within 18 months while protecting consumer interests.