Current Events - The Electric Utility Today

Edmundo Rodriguez
  • 3.7 (3)
  • BUSINESS NEWS

This podcast delivers the top stories in the electric utility industry, curated daily using AI-driven tools for maximum relevance and impact. Each episode is generated with advanced language models to provide clear, concise, and timely updates for energy professionals. https://www.linkedin.com/company/currenteventspodcast

  1. 7H AGO

    2026.02.19 | Wildfire Pay Cuts & OGE’s 1GW Data Center Deal

    Edison International executives face pay cuts over wildfire liability, marking a massive shift in corporate governance, while OGE Energy negotiates a shocking 1GW data center contract for a single customer. We analyze how this AI-driven demand is fueling a rally that sees utilities outperforming the S&P 500, even as legal threats to securitization bonds in Oklahoma loom. The discussion explores the growing "ratepayer fatigue" hitting municipal utilities and questions who will pay for the infrastructure if the tech boom slows down. Listen now to understand the dangerous tension between record-breaking growth and the physical risks threatening the grid.

    5 min

  2. 1D AGO

    2026.02.18 | PGE’s $1.9B Acquisition & DOE’s Emergency Coal Order

    The race for firm power is escalating, with the DOE issuing emergency orders to prevent coal plant retirements while utilities buy up existing gas generation. We break down Portland General Electric’s (PGE) massive $1.9 billion acquisition of PacifiCorp’s assets, including the critical 477MW Chehalis gas plant. The episode explores how ISO New England is raising capital and why FERC is prioritizing hydro efficiency updates. Listen now to understand the tension between aggressive decarbonization goals and the immediate operational reality of keeping the lights on.

    5 min

  3. 2D AGO

    2026.02.17 | PJM’s 765kV Expansion & PGE’s $1.9B Deal

    Utilities are racing to fund massive infrastructure upgrades, fueled by a desperate need for capacity and capital partners. We break down PJM’s selection of FirstEnergy’s proposal to build over 300 miles of 765kV transmission lines to support surging data center load. The discussion shifts to the Pacific Northwest, where Portland General Electric is partnering with Manulife in a strategic $1.9B acquisition to bolster its portfolio. Listen now to see how joint ventures are becoming the essential playbook for managing the capital costs of grid modernization.

    4 min

  4. 3D AGO

    2026.02.16 | Weaponizing Winter: Drone Strikes & Data Center Costs

    Targeted drone strikes in Ukraine are "weaponizing winter," exposing the extreme vulnerability of centralized infrastructure to physical attacks. We pivot to the financial pressure, analyzing the political push for data centers to fund the massive capital needed for grid upgrades. The episode also details critical resource adequacy updates from FERC and how new gas tariffs are altering dispatch economics in the Midwest. Listen now to navigate the physical and financial threats currently squeezing utility boardrooms.

    4 min

  5. 6D AGO

    2026.02.13 | 180GW Queue: Are Data Centers Killing Deregulation?

    AEP reports a staggering 180GW of data center load in its queue—roughly the size of the entire German power grid—forcing a complete rethink of market rules. We analyze Exelon’s push to let regulated utilities own generation again and the fierce battle over socializing costs onto residential ratepayers. The discussion contrasts the US rush for natural gas with China’s milestone of reaching 51% clean energy capacity. Listen now to understand how the AI boom is rewriting the rules of utility business models and global competition.

    5 min

  6. FEB 12

    2026.02.12 | Will Oklahoma Ban New Data Centers Until 2029?

    While California races to connect gigawatts of new load, Oklahoma lawmakers are attempting to slam the brakes with a proposed moratorium on all new data centers. We analyze the legislative push to shield residential customers from rising costs and contrast it with PG&E’s rapid interconnection of 2GW in a single quarter. The discussion expands to the physics of reliability, covering Spain’s grid inertia controversy and revenue battles in the Philippines. Listen now to understand why the energy market is fracturing into states that build fast and states that refuse to pay the bill.

    5 min

  7. FEB 11

    2026.02.11 | Record Demand Meets a 2,500GW Bottleneck

    With US power consumption projected to hit a staggering 4,268 billion kWh in 2026, the era of flat energy demand is officially over. We analyze how the explosion of data centers and AI is slamming into a transmission reality check, leaving 2,500GW of projects stuck in interconnection queues. The discussion breaks down Pennsylvania’s controversial regulatory push for speed versus reliability and explores technical workarounds like Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs). Listen now to understand the $600 billion investment gap threatening the stability of the energy transition.

    6 min

  8. FEB 10

    2026.02.10 | Will 40% of Data Centers Abandon the Grid?

    Regulators are flipping the script on utilities, with new proposals in Virginia threatening to hike data center costs by 16% to subsidize residential rates. We analyze how performance-based ratemaking in Illinois and legislative shifts are prioritizing affordability over rapid expansion, potentially forcing a "great decoupling" where big tech builds its own power. The discussion explores critical solutions like Surplus Interconnection Service (SIS) and virtual power plants designed to squeeze more efficiency out of existing infrastructure. Listen now to understand the financial war brewing between grid operators and the AI sector.

    7 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

This podcast delivers the top stories in the electric utility industry, curated daily using AI-driven tools for maximum relevance and impact. Each episode is generated with advanced language models to provide clear, concise, and timely updates for energy professionals. https://www.linkedin.com/company/currenteventspodcast

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