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Welcome to a new week. TVA is (literally) elevating its vegetation management strategy. Thanks to 3D-mapping tech, the utility’s plane can capture 3.5 acres of data per second across TVA’s more than 16.5K miles of transmission lines. This technique is not only relatively quick and cost-effective, but it can also save workers from heat stress (and snake bites), according to TVA Transmission Forester Matthew Townsend.
— Molly, Carrie, and the Energy Central editorial team
Learn how ArcGIS provides the spatial and network context that connects data across the enterprise, serving as a foundation for digital twins, situational awareness, and AI-assisted decision support.
NERC’s reliability standards for data centers are nearing the finish line. 🏁
The background: In July, FERC ordered NERC to draft standards addressing grid reliability risks from “computational loads.” (A week later, 4 GW of PJM data center load tripped offline).
The update: NERC’s proposed standards have gotten the OK from stakeholders. Now, they’re headed to the org’s board (and then to FERC for final approval).
The standards include orders for transmission planners to study the “reliability impact” of linking up new computational loads (including data centers) to the grid. They also direct data center operators to share info on their facilities’ responses to grid disturbances.
A new bill would bar the DOE from pushing off power plant retirements.
The details: A proposed House bill would prohibit the DOE from wielding emergency orders to prevent or delay power plant retirements (or to revive shuttered facilities).
The context: Over the past year and a half, the DOE has used Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act to extend fossil-fired plant operations dozens of times. These orders have delayed the retirement of nearly 4.5 GW of coal capacity.
The pushback: This strategy has faced plenty of legal challenges. One of them recently notched a major win: Last month, a federal appeals court vacated an extension order for a Michigan coal plant. This decision could influence similar cases around the country.
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The DOE is pouring $11M into training programs for the emerging energy workforce.
The pitch: The agency said that this funding fits into the Trump Administration’s push for American energy dominance.
Over 1 GW of solar agrivoltaics are now catching rays in Indiana. And over in New York, two utility thermal energy network pilots are heating up.
In Indiana: One of the country’s biggest solar projects—the aptly named Mammoth Solar Farm—is now up and running. Developer Doral Renewables is looking into growing specialty crops or grazing sheep and cattle on the site. 🐑
In New York: The state PSC has approved two utility pilot projects that will draw thermal energy from wastewater and geothermal borefields to heat buildings. Now, National Fuel Gas Distribution and Orange & Rockland Utilities are cleared to begin enrolling customers and kicking off construction. Learn more about similar utility pilots rolling out across the country.
Catch Outage Risks Before You're Caught Off Guard. Why play guessing games with overgrown branches? See how utilities use real-time data to stop vegetation trouble in its tracks. Register Now
Utilities should treat institutional knowledge as a strategic asset, just as important as physical infrastructure.
Thanks for reading. Catch you on the flip side!