A Grid Forward Forum podcast episode with Cloverleaf Infrastructure and Iron Mountain Data Centers There are many approaches being tried to meet the rapidly growing power demand for AI-focused data centers, from small nuclear reactors (SMRs) to behind-the-meter natural gas plants. One concept growing in importance is flexibility. But how can very large data centers...Read More

State energy offices have a delicate balancing act in leading policy, tracking market signals, and encouraging economic development. All that is harder now that load growth is accelerating. David Terry, the president of National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), came on the Grid Forward Forum podcast to discuss trends within state energy offices to help...Read More

On a new episode of the Grid Forward Forum podcast, the CEOs at Holy Cross Energy and United Power, Inc. had a candid discussion about how smaller public utilities are tackling current challenges and opportunities. These two co-ops serve very different Colorado geographies: from the mountainous Rockies for Holy Cross to the vast hills and...Read More

Grid operators and the overall energy ecosystem have been looking for indications of how the substantial changes in federal policy will affect how they operate and serve the goals and expectations of their communities. That’s why we invited U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R, N.D.) as a guest of the Grid Forward Forum podcast. Congresswoman Fedorchak knows...Read More

The growth of AI and the modern grid are inextricably linked. The grid needs to deliver power to a growing fleet of huge data centers, while AI offers promise to make the grid more efficient and resilient. To ramp up the topic, we invited Sean Kelly, co-founder & CEO at Amperon, and Xing Wang, global...Read More

The current U.S. administration has been very active in introducing programs to advance grid modernization – so much so that it can be challenging to keep them all straight. That’s one reason we invited Whitney Muse, Senior Advisor for the Office of Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation at the White House, to kick off Season...Read More

The Grid Forward organization was formerly launched in June of 2019, but our roots go back to 2010, when a group of forward-looking energy experts banded around the name “Smart Grid Oregon.” Now we look forward to our first full year as Grid Forward, and the huge potential of grid modernization in the coming decade....Read More

In a world of synchrophasors, auto reclosers, and volt-var optimization, you may ask, “What do customers have to do with grid modernization?” The reality is that modernization of the electric grid, and transformation of the electric utility industry in general, requires much more than widgets and software.Read More

Grid modernization discussions often focus on the promise of new technologies such as analytics or energy storage. But the second session of the Grid Forward Accelerating Grid Innovation Summit proved that technological innovation actually occurs when the technology is supported by transformations in business models and financial approaches, along with establishing key collaborative partnerships.Read More

Grid modernization discussions often focus on the promise of new technologies such as analytics or energy storage. But the second session of the Grid Forward Accelerating Grid Innovation Summit proved that technological innovation actually occurs when the technology is supported by transformations in business models and financial approaches, along with establishing key collaborative partnerships.Read More

Idaho Power recently announced an ambitious goal to provide 100-percent clean energy by 2045. In addition to its hydropower facilities, which typically meet almost half its customers’ energy demands, Idaho Power is planning  additional investments in wind, solar and other clean generation sources. For a broader understanding of the utility’s clean power plans, we put...Read More

There’s nothing like being on the floor of our industry’s biggest show to get a feel for what’s on people’s minds. If you didn’t attend DistribuTECH, or were too busy to get around, read this interview with Smart Grid Northwest’s delegates, Bryce Yonker and Lois Gordon. In talking to over a hundred utility and vendor...Read More