The North American Electric Reliability Corp. has warned that rising electricity demand from data centers could lead to blackouts across the US during extreme winter conditions. Power consumption has increased by 20 gigawatts since last winter, primarily due to the expansion of AI use, but supply has not kept pace. The imbalance raises the risk of energy shortfalls, particularly if severe winter storms occur. Regions such as Texas, the Southeast and the Northwest are at elevated risk.

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The New York Independent System Operator's Winter Assessment shows enough capacity to meet electricity demand this winter, with 29,893 megawatts available against a forecast peak of 24,200 megawatts. However, NYISO raises concerns about fuel security during extreme weather, noting that oil and dual-fuel generation inventories are lower than in previous years.

The Enverus Intelligence Research report projects a complete phase-out of US coal-fired power generation by 2040, despite federal efforts to support the sector. The transition is driven by aging infrastructure, increasing environmental regulations and unfavorable economics for coal plants. The report expects coal's exit to be balanced by growth in natural gas and nuclear power, fundamentally reshaping the US energy mix over the next 15 years.

Consumers Energy plans to invest $13.7 billion in clean energy generation and distribution through 2029, driven by a 16% increase in operating revenue and new large-load customers, including semiconductor and solar cell factories. The Michigan Public Service Commission's approval of a special tariff for large loads supports this growth, and the company also expects to continue operating the J.H. Campbell power plant under emergency orders from the Trump administration, with costs shared across the Midcontinent Independent System Operator region.

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners introduced the first chapter of its interactive wildfire workbook, designed as a resource for utility regulators, policymakers and utilities nationwide. The digital guide is designed to assist stakeholders in addressing the growing threat of wildfires associated with utility infrastructure, providing guidance on mitigation strategies, cost management and regulatory considerations. The workbook will be regularly updated to reflect new developments and emerging best practices as more states and utilities engage with wildfire risk.

The Trump administration has approved a $1 billion federal loan to Constellation Energy to aid in restarting the former Three Mile Island Unit 1, now renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center. Announced by the Department of Energy, the loan is intended to cover a significant portion of the estimated $1.6 billion project cost, with an eye toward lowering electricity prices for ratepayers in the PJM Interconnection region, which serves over 65 million people across 13 states.

The Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of the Southwest Power Pool's capacity accreditation methodology, arguing it unfairly favors fossil-fueled power plants. The SPP plan, which was approved in July, employs different methods for renewable and conventional resources, a distinction that environmental groups argue could lead to higher costs for consumers and an increased risk of power outages.

Many data centers underutilize their energy resources, operating at just 30% to 40% of their allocated power due to provisioning for reliability. As a result, substantial "slack" power goes unused, creating a gap between average and peak usage. Hammerhead AI, a new startup fresh out of stealth with $10 million in seed funding, hopes to help combat the issue with advanced software that aims to increase AI workload throughput without breaching existing power limits.