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This summer will be an energy doozy in the U.S. as climate change exacerbates heat waves and a rash of new data centers and crypto mines come online. But these new power vacuums arrive in concert with a stack of big batteries. 

The U.S. Energy Information Association projects the electricity consumed for commercial computing will increase faster than any other end use in buildings. Computing accounted for an estimated 8% of commercial sector electricity consumption in 2024 and grows to 20% by 2050. Ultimately, more electricity could be consumed by computing than for any other end use in the commercial sector, including lighting, space cooling, and ventilation.

As power demand surges, largely due to data centers servicing artificial intelligence products and cryptocurrency, interested developers, power plant operators, and environmentalists are trying to sort out how to use the full capabilities of existing renewable power plants. These decisions are playing out as more data center developers supply their own gas plants to secure onsite power and bypass lengthy wait times to connect to the grid.

El Paso Electric (EPE) and Doña Ana Community College (DACC) are proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their joint Electrical Lineworker Program. The program has powered countless career opportunities in the utility industry and strengthened the regional workforce. In the past decade, EPE has hired 50 graduates from the program, reinforcing the critical role this collaboration plays in building a safe, skilled, and resilient energy workforce.

Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) announced that its South Dakota electric utility subsidiary serving South Dakota and eastern Wyoming has received approval from the Wyoming Public Service Commission for a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) that supports the need for its Lange II Project, a 99 MW dispatchable generation resource in Rapid City, South Dakota. The approval allows commencement of construction of the project, which addresses a capacity deficit resulting from the retirement of other aging generation units, as well as an increase in planning reserve margin to ensure the utility has a reliable energy supply.

In a continued effort to enhance reliability and economic benefits for New Mexicans, PNM has announced it has officially committed to the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) extended day-ahead market (EDAM). EDAM is a voluntary day-ahead regional energy market, expanding on CAISO’s real-time regional market known as the Western Energy Imbalance Market, which PNM has been a participant of since 2021.

The Scottsbluff Power Project was first announced on March 11, 2022, and after over three years of planning, public involvement, easement acquisition, and construction, the transmission line was officially energized on June 25, 2025. The new line has increased the system’s capacity to meet electrical demand, reduced congestion, and further enhanced the reliability and resiliency of the Scottsbluff and western Nebraska areas.

Researchers in South Korea have developed a powerful and affordable new material for producing hydrogen, a clean energy source key to fighting climate change. By fine-tuning boron-doping and phosphorus levels in cobalt phosphide nanosheets, the team dramatically boosted the efficiency of both sides of water-splitting reactions. This advancement could unlock scalable, low-cost hydrogen production, transforming how we generate clean fuel.

Researchers in Sweden have developed a powerful new material that dramatically boosts the ability to create hydrogen fuel from water using sunlight, making the process eight times more effective than before. This breakthrough could be key to fueling heavy transport like ships and planes with clean, renewable energy.

Australian scientists have discovered a method to produce ammonia—an essential component in fertilizers—using only air and electricity. By mimicking lightning and channeling that energy through a small device, they’ve bypassed the traditional, fossil fuel-heavy method that’s been used for over a century. This breakthrough could lead to cleaner, cheaper fertilizer and even help power the future, offering a potential alternative fuel source for industries like shipping.