ERCOT’s not-so-secret weapon: For the past six weeks, ERCOT’s average hourly load has exceeded the record set in 2023 (70 GW). But ERCOT is relatively well-prepared for high temps. Why? Its increasingly abundant solar and storage (which have kept power prices at relatively stable levels compared with PJM and SPP).

Elsewhere: The DOE has authorized PJM to bring on backup generation as needed through Sept. 8., while MISO surpassed 121 GW of load this week (nearing the 127-GW record).

The reviews include assessments of how organizations 1) identify and contain intrusions 2) respond to ransomware attacks and 3) handle supply chain risks. 

The backdrop: CISA has lost around a third of its workforce due to cuts from the Trump administration. 

Not the best timing: President Trump and industry experts are raising the alarm over rising security risks to grid equipment. And this summer, over 12 US states have reported possible cyberattacks on water systems.

But first, how does it impact jobs? AI will shift utility employees away from tedious tasks and toward high-level decision-making, Raiford Smith, Google’s global head of power and energy for cloud, told Energy Central. 

Another pro: Faster, cheaper buildouts. Google is working with utilities to harness AI tools that Smith said have cut costs and construction time. Some orgs, like Santee Cooper, are already applying AI across the business. To up its planning game, the company plans to incorporate a custom Google AI weather forecasting mode.  

His advice for utilities: Start experimenting now—don’t wait for perfect data or the perfect AI strategy, Smith told us. 

The context: BPA was set on joining SPP’s day-ahead Markets+. But newly minted Administrator Travis Kavulla doesn’t seem so sure…and appears to be negotiating tweaks to EDAM. But it’s high time to make a move, PPC’s Chris Robinson and Scott Simms wrote for RTO Insider.

The money: To settle things once and for all, PPC ran the numbers. The org found that joining EDAM could risk $91-289M per year, equivalent to around 4-12% in BPA power rates. Meanwhile, Markets+ “provides tariff mechanisms and institutional standing to protect it.”

Bigger isn’t always better: If BPA chooses to join EDAM, “we are looking at a future scenario in which BPA cedes dispatch of the nation’s most affordable federal power system to institutions of its most expensive state.”

Big tech’s tab: PG&E is leading the charge on a “first-of-its-kind,” Google-funded VPP in the San Francisco Bay Area. SHARE (Smart Home Assets for Reliability and Efficiency) will incorporate batteries, smart devices, and heat pumps offered to customers for free—or at a steep discount. The network will also incorporate nearly 21K existing DERs with the help of Tesla, Sunrun, and Renew Home.

The timeline: SHARE is slated to kick off as early as this fall, and it’s expected to run through next year.

The context: Tech titans are increasingly embracing VPPs, likely for both the cheap capacity and PR boosts as community criticism of data centers climbs. In June, Google announced a deal with Voltus for up to 100 MW of distributed capacity per year (which the companies called the first hyperscaler-funded VPP). 

SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative is hiring an engineering manager.

NewEdge Power is hiring a principal/lead engineer to work on transmission strategy.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District is hiring a senior product services coordinator for residential building electrification.