The dollars: As we reported, power giant AEP has bumped its five-year capex plan to $100B. That includes nearly $40B in transmission investments spanning 11 states. By 2031, the company aims to nearly double its transmission rate base to roughly $70B.

AEP has tapped engineering firm WSP to support the Western chunk of these upgrades, including projects in TX, OK, and LA. As for the Eastern portion, including IN, MI, and VA, AEP will partner with consulting company Jacobs.

The turning point: Demand is surging, experienced workers are retiring, and utilities are competing with big tech for talent. How can the power sector keep up? We got the roadmap from industry leaders: Get the insights from Energy Central’s State of the Utility Workforce survey.

Temp check: Over a third of survey respondents cited an aging workforce and rising retirements as their biggest staffing worries. Meanwhile, a quarter pointed to training and retention challenges. That includes Paige Knutsen, executive director of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. 

The path forward: It’s going to take plenty of work to ready both the grid and the industry for what’s next, Knutsen told us. “We haven’t been prepared for the demand for people or for power.” Hear her advice for hiring teams to attract—and hold onto—next-gen talent.

The details: CAISO’s board has OK’d a large-load proposal that enables customers 50 MW and over to quickly join the grid while they wait for network upgrades. The catch? They face curtailment when power supplies run critically low. The plan also orders large loads to ride through system disturbances.

What’s next: CAISO will file the proposal with FERC on Nov. 16 (its deadline to respond to the agency’s show-cause order).

Meanwhile, over in New England: ISO-NE is allowing DERs into its capacity, energy, and ancillary services markets. That’s in response to FERC’s 2020 order, which directed grid operators to “remove barriers” to DER market participation. So far, only ISO-NE and CAISO have fully complied, but other RTOs and ISOs are scheduled to follow suit in the coming months and years.

The drivers include higher retail sales (due in part to warm weather) and returns on construction work in progress. “We are well positioned to execute on additional opportunities driven by customer needs,” Entergy CEO Drew Marsh said in a statement. 

Teamwork makes the dream work: On Oct. 29, the CA Public Utilities Commission directed PG&E, SCE, and San Diego Gas & Electric to link up their DER strategies. They must also gauge how flexible demand can ease grid constraints and support CA’s ongoing electrification. 

The goal? Officials want the three utilities to collaborate as a distribution system operator, managing tech like home batteries and EVs. This will help CA utilize existing energy resources and “reduce or defer the need for costly infrastructure upgrades,” the PUC noted.

The background: MD’s investor-owned utilities buy power for their default electric service through wholesale suppliers. Last week, the companies estimated residential bill impacts based on the latest competitive bidding cycle—and they’re looking hefty.

The numbers: For the year beginning June 2027, residential bills are expected to rise 9% at Potomac Edison (roughly $210/year, on average); nearly 11% at Pepco (around $300/year, on average); and nearly 10% at Delmarva Power & Light (around $250/year, on average).

Why? “The winning prices were consistent with broader market conditions,” said consultant Frank Mossburg, who testified on behalf of the staff of Maryland’s Public Service Commission.