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PODCAST

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today

Edmundo Rodriguez

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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All Episodes

00:04:33

2026.02.20 | The Data Center Divide: Southern Co....

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/20

While the Southeast scrambles to build power for the AI boom, Quebec is taking drastic measures by proposing to double electricity rates for new massive data centers. We analyze this growing divide in load growth strategy, contrasting Southern Company's aggressive expansion with Hydro-Quebec's defensive pricing model. The episode also breaks down massive regulatory shifts, including FERC finally rescinding legacy wholesale price caps in the West and ERCOT's race to overhaul its

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00:04:46

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

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/19

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

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00:05:20

2026.02.18 | PGE’s $1.9B Acquisition & DOE’s...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/18

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

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00:04:14

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

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/17

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

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00:04:23

2026.02.16 | Weaponizing Winter: Drone Strikes & Data...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/16

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

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00:05:25

2026.02.13 | 180GW Queue: Are Data Centers Killing...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/13

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

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00:04:49

2026.02.12 | Will Oklahoma Ban New Data Centers Until...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/12

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

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00:05:37

2026.02.11 | Record Demand Meets a 2,500GW Bottleneck

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/11

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

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00:06:30

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

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/10

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

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00:05:32

2026.02.09 | Google’s 1GW Solar Deal vs. Grid Regulators

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/09

Tech giants are rushing to bypass interconnection queues, but regulators and local cities are launching a fierce defense of the grid. We analyze Google’s 1GW solar partnership with TotalEnergies alongside the strict ring-fencing provisions imposed on Blackstone’s latest utility acquisition. The discussion expands to the "capital vs. compliance" battleground, covering Hillyard’s lawsuit against Amazon and the fight over inflated load forecasting. Listen now to understand how the collision

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00:04:58

2026.02.06 | Pulsating AI Loads & The 56GW Islanding...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/06

New engineering reports warn that "pulsating" AI computation cycles can drop load by 90% in seconds, risking catastrophic mechanical damage to traditional turbines. We analyze this physical threat alongside the new Data Act, a Senate bill proposing total deregulation for facilities that choose to physically island themselves from the grid. The episode also covers FERC’s order for PJM to update "unjust" tariffs and explores why 56GW of demand is preparing to go off-grid to bypass

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00:05:16

2026.02.05 | The End of Cheap Power: Massive Load...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/05

A new industry report confirms the low-cost era is officially over as utilities face a projected 34% climb in electricity load by 2050. We analyze the immediate fallout from Winter Storm Fern, including the structural failures in Nashville, and break down a heated FERC hearing where a single gas project faced $1 billion in connection costs. The discussion explores the intensifying jurisdictional war over data center co-location and why companies like Xcel Energy are pouring billions into capital

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00:05:45

2026.02.04 | FERC Orders Co-location: PJM, Cost...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/04

Federal regulators have officially forced PJM’s hand to unlock data center co-location, declaring previous tariffs "unjust and unreasonable" to clear the project queue. We break down this massive regulatory shift alongside a shocking report that 5-year peak load forecasts have exploded from 24GW to 150GW in just three years. The episode also explores Indiana’s aggressive move to repeal nuclear environmental permits and analyzes why residential energy supply costs have surged 200% despite

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00:04:49

2026.02.03 | Who Pays for Data Center Power? Grid...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/03

Winter Storm Fern has devastated the grid with over $100 billion in economic losses, yet utilities must simultaneously pivot to meet the surging energy demand from data centers. We analyze the political fallout from the storm, including urgent Congressional hearings, and unpack the critical debate over who should fund infrastructure upgrades for hyperscalers. Discover how wholesale markets like PJM handled the freeze and why wind generation offered a surprising lifeline when the system was under

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00:04:31

2026.02.02 | Winter Storm Fern: DOE’s Section 202C...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/02/02

As Winter Storm Fern hammers the Eastern Interconnection, the Department of Energy has issued rare Section 202C emergency orders to maintain grid reliability. We analyze the unprecedented mandate requiring PJM data centers to switch to backup generation as dispatchable resources before emergency alerts are even declared. Plus, we break down NRG Energy’s massive acquisition of 13 GW of assets and Virginia’s pivotal "ban on bans" for solar development. Tune in to understand how extreme

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00:04:37

2026.01.30 | The Pivot to Firm Power: NextEra, DOE,...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/01/30

The Department of Energy has sent a massive signal to the market by canceling a $1.8 billion battery loan in favor of a hard shift toward firm power. We break down why US utilities are requesting a staggering $31 billion in rate increases and how NextEra is restarting nuclear plants to meet the 24/7 demands of Big Tech hyperscalers. This episode explores the emerging "bifurcation of the grid," where tech giants secure reliable baseload power while ratepayers face soaring costs for basic

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00:05:00

2026.01.29 | Grid Failure 2027: Why AI is Seceding...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/01/29

PJM predicts a critical power shortfall by June 2027, creating a terrifying five-year gap between grid failure and the arrival of new generation in 2032. We analyze how major tech companies are responding to this crisis by declaring energy independence and building sovereign microgrids to bypass the public transmission system entirely. This episode breaks down the DOE's strategic pivot, the legal battles over coal plants, and the looming fight over data center energy costs. Listen in to

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00:05:25

2026.01.28 | Winter Storm Fern: DOE Emergency Orders...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/01/28

As Winter Storm Fern stresses the bulk power system, the Department of Energy has issued emergency orders requiring data centers to activate on-site backup generation to avert blackouts. We analyze the operational fallout for PJM and Duke Energy, alongside a federal court ruling that declares the suspension of NEVI EV infrastructure funding unlawful. Plus, we break down NextEra Energy’s Q4 earnings, which reveal a staggering 9-gigawatt pipeline of new data center load. Listen in to understand how

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00:05:12

2026.01.27 | Winter Storm Fern: DOE Invokes Emergency...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/01/27

As Winter Storm Fern creates a "poly-crisis" across the utility sector, the Department of Energy has authorized thermal plants to bypass environmental limits to keep the lights on. We break down the operational reality of PJM’s potential record-breaking 147,200 MW peak and the controversial costs of keeping retiring coal units online for grid reliability. Meanwhile, despite the storm stress, business continues with Leidos’ $2.4B acquisition and NextEra’s massive clean energy deal with

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00:05:33

2026.01.26 | PJM Grid Emergency: AI Load, 21GW...

Current Events - The Electric Utility Today ·

2026/01/26

PJM faced a staggering 21 gigawatts of forced outages this weekend as gas-electric coordination failures collided with Winter Storm Fern. We break down why real-time prices in Data Center Alley screamed past $1,800 per MWh and analyze the Department of Energy’s massive pivot to "Energy Dominance Financing". Plus, we discuss ComEd’s revelation that data centers now drive 47% of new substation demand and what El Paso Electric's new gas plant means for the race for reliability. Tune in

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151 results

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