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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-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
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
Getting your data center over the finish line
Credit: Gerville/istock

How to Assure Your Data Center Will Make It Over the Finish Line

Getting your data center over the finish line becomes easier if you take these four steps to overcome energy supply hurdles.

Elisa Wood
February 1, 2026
distributed energy companies are shape shifting
Shutterstock.com

Distributed Energy Companies are Shape-Shifting

Distributed energy companies are shapeshifting as changing rules and growing markets create new opportunities.

Elisa Wood
January 31, 2026
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Top Podcast

energy changemakers podcast

A Complete List of Energy Changemakers Podcasts

The Energy Changemakers Podcast, with host Elisa Wood, is available every other Wednesday on Apple and Spotify.

Latest Resources

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.
microgrids as building blocks

Microgrids as a Building Block for Future Grids

This white paper is the fourth in a series of seven white papers in support of the DOE Microgrid R&D Program and presents a broad vision for future grids where microgrids serve as a building block along with technologies that would need to be developed, use case scenarios and the research targets. The DOE Microgrid […]
utility bills

Utility Bills are Rising: PowerLines

New polling by PowerLines, a nonpartisan consumer education nonprofit, reveals the toll of rising utility bills on American energy consumers.

RSS Microgrids Now

  • Microgrids Are a Goldmine for Grid Operators — They Just Don’t Know It
  • What Makes a Community Microgrid Actually Work? Start by Listening, Not Engineering
  • Is Distributed Wind Poised for a Second Act in Virtual Power Plants and Microgrids?
  • Data Centers Are Changing Microgrid Companies. Scale Microgrid’s New Acquisition Offers the Latest Example
  • New Mexico Senate Approves Microgrid Renewable Portfolio Standard Bill
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