What's Happening in Energy highlights the most interesting findings from public utility commission filings.

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What's Happening in Energy — May 23
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In California, SoCalGas has identified its customers that could benefit from behind-the-meter microgrids. It identified…76,000 potential microgrids in its service territory. Total built to date: 54.

Docket profile
Prepared direct testimony

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In Missouri, a now-familiar occurrence: recent resource plans are being tossed out thanks to soaring potential demand from data centers. In 2023, Ameren expected zero megawatts of data center load and almost one gigawatt of energy efficiency and demand response in its future; it now expects 2.5 gigawatts of data centers and less than 300 megawatts of efficiency and demand response. The result? An increase in aggregate peak demand of nearly three gigawatts.

Docket profile
Filing

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Related, also in Missouri: Ameren’s analysis finds that in its service territory, battery energy storage systems are more economic on a capacity equivalent basis than natural gas simple turbines up to 1,500 megawatts of capacity. Quote:

“As Table 2 shows, BESS is more economic than additional NGSC (i.e., beyond that already included in the PRP) on a capacity equivalent basis up to 1,500 MW of BESS additions for Ameren Missouri (the negative numbers in the last row of Table 2 reflect a reduction in net present value of revenue requirement over the planning horizon).” 

Docket profile
Direct testimony

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A collage of central Maine Power’s March 7 wind storm: Almost 25,000 accounts without power at peak, and one day, 11 hours, and 41 minutes of time required to restore service. 

Docket profile
Filing

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It’s not often we see territorial disputes between power utilities, but here’s one in Florida: a petition by Taiquin Electric Cooperative, Inc. to resolve a territorial dispute in Gadsden County with the City of Quincy. Small dollars, but a fascinating process nonetheless.

Docket profile
Response to data request

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In Idaho, utility Avista has proposed a 14.7% increase in residential electricity rates this year, followed by a 5.3% increase in 2026. A comment from a ratepayer:

I am not a numbers man but the proposed increase in electric and natural gas appears perverse and potentially detrimental to those they serve

Docket profile
Comment

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Not to be outdone in Ohio: Christi Water System proposes a 30.51% rate increase (not a typo). From testimony from the OH Consumers' Counsel there is between a 30% and 48% unaccounted-for water loss percentage, and testimony from the PUC's rates and analysis department to support the Joint Stipulation and Recommendation. The Ohio Consumers' Counsel's argument is that while inflation is hitting basic goods and services, this utility rake hike is rather different.

Docket profile
Direct testimony

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Georgia has five large battery storage projects under development, with a total about 750 megawatts and 2,500 megawatt-hours of capacity and energy. All five are expected to commission between May and November of next year. Georgia Power is using Tesla Megapacks for its storage capacity.

Docket profile
Filing

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We’ve covered Kentucky and an ongoing certificate of public convenience and necessity hearing to accommodate economic activity in our blog post this week. A nugget from supporting filings: the significance of the utility’s expected change in demand with economic development…and the total lack of change (or rather, the slight decline in demand) without it.

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In Pennsylvania, data center development is moving quickly.  In August, 2024, utility PPL said that it had five gigawatts of data centers in advanced stages of approval (source, p6). In May of 2025, that figure is already 11 gigawatts (source, p36). Total active requests have increased from 17 gigawatts of potential projects through 2033, to 50 gigawatts by 2034.

Docket profile
Investor update