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grid inertia
bombermoon/Shutterstock.com

New Federal Data Shows Record Renewable Energy Additions Coming in 2026

If the Trump administration is at war with renewable energy, it appears to be losing, based on an EIA report.

Elisa Wood
February 23, 2026
Xcel Energy Minnesota virtual power plant
iStock.com/domin_domin

Energy Changemakers Offers Three-Part Series on the Competitive Struggle Over Who Controls Virtual Power Plants

Who will capture the market for virtual power plants? Competitive distributed energy companies or utilities? Or is there room for both?

Elisa Wood
February 22, 2026
xcel-minnesota-virtual-power-plant
istock.com/photocanal25

A Decades-Long Battle Between Utilities and Competitors Finds Its Next Front in Minnesota’s Virtual Power Plant Market

Independent developers and advocacy groups fear that, if approved, the Minnesota program will create a model that other utilities nationwide may follow, undercutting competition in the distributed energy market.

Elisa Wood
February 22, 2026

Xcel Energy Colorado Preserves Customer Ownership, Local Energy Benefits of Virtual Power Plants

Unlike programs under which the utility procures and owns distributed energy resources — such as Xcel’s Minnesota program — Xcel’s Colorado pilot avoids utility spending that would be passed through to electricity rates.

Lisa Cohn
February 22, 2026

Jigar Shah’s Surprising Stand on This Utility Program

Jigar Shah explains why he supports the Xcel Minnesota virtual power plant program in an Energy Changemakers Podcast.

Elisa Wood
February 22, 2026
clean energy spending
Shutterstock.com

Where Money Flowed in the Electricity Sector Last Year

Last year clean energy spending remained flat, but grid investment was up 9.5%.

Elisa Wood
February 19, 2026
Solving climate issues with distributed energy
Shutterstock.com

Local  Energy Gains Stature in Climate Discussions

Solving climate issues with distributed energy makes even more sense following Trump’s rollback of the endangerment finding.

Elisa Wood
February 15, 2026
Virginia energy policy
Shutterstock.com

Virginia Lawmakers Push for DERs — Not Just Big Power — to Meet New Energy Demand

Virginia energy policy may piece together a lot of small and medium-sized initiatives in hopes they all add up to enough to meet the moment.

Ivy Main
February 11, 2026
Ithaca DER plan
Shutterstock.com

Has This City Figured Out How to Unlock the Local Value of Distributed Energy?

Ithaca, NY approved a plan to decarbonize independently from the grid using DERs, energy sharing, and dividend-paying ownership shares to community members.

Elisa Wood
February 8, 2026
New Jersey utilities must show how they will support DERs
Shutterstock.com

New Jersey Utilities Must Show How They Will Support DERs, Improve Hosting Capacity

New Jersey utilities must show how they will support DERs within 30 days to help meet “unprecedented” load growth from data centers.

Elisa Wood
February 7, 2026
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Top Podcast

Xendee University Week

Inside This Company’s Effort to Unite Microgrid Stakeholders

An inside look at what led to creation of Xendee's University Week, June 8-10, 2026.

Latest Resources

Enery Changemakers Media Kit – The Voice of Distributed Energy

About Energy ChangemakersEnergy Changemakers is a journalist-led media and content platform built exclusively for the distributed energy and grid-edge market. At its core, the company operates at the intersection of: Our mission is to Educate. Elevate. Amplify.

Ultra-Reliable Onsite Generation How Enchanted Rock Delivers

For decades, commercial and industrial facilities operated under a simple assumption: electricity service was readily available and highly reliable. Backup generators were installedprimarily to meet regulatory requirements or protect against rare emergencies. Today, that assumption is becoming less certain. The US grid is under mounting pressure from severe weather, aging infrastructure, and rapid growth in […]

2026 Market Survey: Microgrid and Distributed Energy Projects Grow in Complexity

Reports of distributed energy’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, according to a 2025 survey of distributed energy and microgrid industry professionals. When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act became law in July 2025, many industry experts feared solar-heavy distributed energy development would dry up with the loss of federal incentives. While survey respondents (67%) say […]
Ameresco energy allies

Energy Allies: Communities and Utilities Building Resilience Together

This white paper examines how successful partnerships among communities, utilities, and energy service providers can improve the grid and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

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