power grid

A hot and stormy Fourth of July weekend saw more than 20 cities hit record highs. While the grid was strained in some places, the power mostly stayed on.

Fresh data from energy nonprofit PowerLines and Ipsos this week says utilities requested $9.4 billion in rate hikes in the first quarter of 2026.

Energy infrastructure in the United States is getting old. Consumers will end up paying some of the costs of repairs and upgrades.

The need for energy storage is increasing as electricity demand rises rapidly in the U.S., with one estimate from the Solar Energy Industries Association expecting the battery market to grow by 21% this year.

The U.S. and China are furiously building electrical capacity. It's not even close.

What does that mean for power grids?  

An April power outage that affected the Iberian Peninsula put a spotlight on the vulnerability of modern payment systems.

An energy emergency declaration might be unprecedented, but the end goals are not.

EVs, heat pumps, chipmaking and AI use are likely to drive expansion. It won’t be the first time the power grid has dealt with rapid growth.

Businesses, restaurants, hospitals and citizens are all grappling with recurring power outages — and debating leaving as a result.