Alltricity Network eNews

Industry Information

U.S. Electricity Demand Will Grow 50% by 2050, Electrical Manufacturer Study Finds

Driven by data centers and transportation electrification, U.S. electricity demand will increase 2% annually and 50% by 2050, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association said in a study. The analysis anticipates 300% growth in data center energy consumption over the next 10 years and 9,000% projected growth in e-mobility power consumption.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-electricity-demand-will-grow-50-by-2050-electrical-manufacturer-study/744575/ to view the full article online.

Utilities Choosing Coal, Solar, Nuclear or Other Power Sources Have a Lot to Consider, Beyond Just Cost

The Trump administration is working to lift regulations on coal-fired power plants in the hopes of making its energy less expensive. But while cost is one important aspect, utilities have a lot more to consider when they choose their power sources.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/coal/utilities-choosing-coal-solar-nuclear-or-other-power-sources-have-a-lot-to-consider-beyond-just-cost/ to view the full article online.

As Trump Targets Clean Energy, Will Utilities Embrace DERs and VPPs?

Though early Trump policies have been broadly unfavorable to utility-scale wind, solar and energy storage, experts are bullish on distributed generation and flexible loads that can be batched into virtual power plants or multi-megawatt demand response programs and deployed faster than utility-scale assets.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/trump-clean-energy-utilities-distributed-der-vpp/745797/ to view the full article online.

Coal Plant Retirements: A Slowdown? And Will it Matter?

Coal-fired electric power has been like the Incredible Shrinking Man of 21st century energy in the United States. Low-cost natural gas burned in modern combined cycles, inexpensive and subsidized solar and wind power, and tighter environmental regulations have combined to outcompete coal power.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/coal/coal-plant-retirements-a-slowdown-and-will-it-matter/ to view the full article online.

Smaller, Public Utilities See Growth Potential in Data Centers, but There are Risks

Public power electric utilities tend to be smaller on average than investor-owned utilities, emphasize affordability and reliability, and are often self-governing, all of which appeal to data center operators, said Patricia Taylor, APPA’s director of policy and research.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/public-power-utilities-data-centers-appa/746254/ to view the full article online.

CTC Global’s Carbon Fiber Conductors Can Double Electricity Carriage

This is a time of stress in the electric utility industry as demand escalates. But the way to alleviate it may neither be in new generation nor in new transmission installations. Instead it may be hanging overhead in the wires themselves, known in the industry as conductors.

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/llewellynking/2025/04/24/ctc-globals-carbon-fiber-conductors-can-double-electricity-carriage/?ss=energy to view the full article online.

The U.S. Operates the World’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant Fleet

In 2024, U.S. utilities operated 94 nuclear reactors with a total net generating capacity of nearly 97 gigawatts (GW), the largest commercial nuclear power generation fleet in the world. The next three countries with the largest programs were France with 57 units (63.0 GW), China with 57 units (55.3 GW), and Russia with 36 units (28.6 GW).

Visit https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65104 to view the full article online.

Rare Earths Represent a New Energy Crisis for America

China's decision to limit the supply of rare earths minerals to the United States represents an existential crisis for many areas of our national endeavor, but none more, perhaps, than to energy.

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/llewellynking/2025/04/27/rare-earths-represent-a-new-energy-crisis-for-america/?ss=energy to view the full article online.

Member Announcements

CPS Energy Adds 159 MW of Renewable Energy from Texas Wind Farm

CPS Energy has expanded its existing Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Avangrid by adding an additional 159.2 megawatts (MW) of wind energy from the Peñascal wind farm in Kenedy County, Texas. As a result of this expanded agreement, the utility’s power capacity from Avangrid will nearly double, rising from 160.8 MW to 320 MW. This increase is enough to power approximately 40,000 homes on a hot summer day.

Visit https://newsroom.cpsenergy.com/cps-energy-adds-159mw-of-wind-energy/ to view the full article online.

Platte River Collaborates with Nextera Energy Resources to Develop Utility’s First Large-Scale Battery Energy Storage System

Platte River Power Authority is working with Weld Energy Storage, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, to develop the electric utility’s first large-scale battery energy storage project. An agreement was signed earlier this year for a project capable of storing and discharging up to 400 megawatt-hours of energy.

Visit https://prpa.org/news-releases/platte-river-collaborates-with-nextera-energy-resources-to-develop-utilitys-first-large-scale-battery-energy-storage-system/ to view the full article online.

Brickhouse Attends Executive Order Signing at White House

Todd Brickhouse, Basin Electric’s CEO and general manager, attended the White House on April 8 for the signing of four executive orders aimed at providing immediate relief to the United States energy industry. “It was an honor to represent Basin Electric at the White House for the signing of the recent executive orders. It was gratifying to be in the company of cooperative leaders from across the country,” said Brickhouse.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/News-Center/news-briefs/Brickhouse-attends-executive-order-signing-at-White-House to view the full article online.

Reliable, Lowest-Cost, Reduced Emissions Preferred Portfolio Focus of Tri-State Resource Plan Filing

The report identifies Tri-State’s preferred portfolio, which is the least-cost mix of diverse generating resources, compared to other evaluated portfolios. The preferred plan meets Tri-State’s enhanced reliability metrics, and stringent state greenhouse gas emissions reduction and renewable energy requirements.

Visit https://tristate.coop/tri-state-files-ERP-implementation-plan to view the full article online.

NWS Recognizes OPPD as a Storm-Ready Community Partner

The National Weather Service (NWS) recognized Omaha Public Power District as a StormReady® Community Partner. They formally presented the utility with a certificate this afternoon at the utility’s Energy Control Center in Omaha. This honor highlights OPPD’s ongoing commitment to the safety of its employees and the resilience of the utility’s operations during extreme weather events.

Visit https://www.oppd.com/news-resources/news-releases/2025/april/nws-recognizes-oppd-as-a-storm-ready-community-partner/ to view the full article online.

SRP Crews Provide Electricity to Nine Homes in the Navajo Nation as part of Light Up Navajo VI

SRP line crews spent two weeks in remote areas of the Navajo Nation working in extreme weather conditions to bring electricity to nine homes in the areas of Leupp, Dilkon and Cornfields as part of the Light Up Navajo (LUN) VI initiative. LUN brings together electric utilities from across the country to help speed up the process of bringing power to the Navajo Nation, where 75% of the homes in the U.S. without access to electricity are located.

Visit https://media.srpnet.com/srp-crews-provide-electricity-to-nine-homes-on-the-navajo-nation-as-part-of-light-up-navajo-vi/ to view the full article online.

White Paper

Carbon Capture Technology to Produce Clean Fuel from Air

A unique carbon capture technology could offer a more cost-effective way to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and turn it into clean, synthetic fuel.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250403122938.htm to view the full article online.

Potable Water Happy Byproduct of Low-Cost Green Hydrogen Technology

Engineers have hit the trifecta of sustainability technology: A group has developed a low-cost method to produce carbon-free 'green' hydrogen via solar-powered electrolysis of seawater. A happy byproduct of the process? Potable water.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250409154848.htm to view the full article online.

Decarbonization Improves Energy Security for Most Countries

Researchers analyzed trade-related risks to energy security across 1,092 scenarios for cutting carbon emissions by 2060. They found that swapping out dependence on imported fossil fuels for increased dependence on critical minerals for clean energy would improve security for most nations -- including the U.S., if it cultivates new trade partners.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250409115055.htm to view the full article online.

Should Farm Fields be Used for Crops or Solar? Or Both

As farmers debate whether fields should be used for agriculture or solar panels, new research says the answer could be both. Scientists analyzed remote sensing and aerial imagery to study how fields have been used in California for the last 25 years. Using databases to estimate revenues and costs, they found that farmers who used a small percentage of their land for solar arrays were more financially secure per acre than those who didn't.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250421162610.htm to view the full article online.

Alltricity Network eNews

Alltricity Network (formerly known as RMEL)