Sidley’s Accelerating Energy
10. Managing the Surge: The Debate over FERC’s Large-Load Interconnections
JANUARY 5, 2026 As data centers continue to put stress on the nation’s electricity grid, federal regulators are moving quickly to stave off overwhelming it. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is now considering major reforms for large-load interconnections and has launched an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking. Final comments were due on December 5,…
9. Energy Policy in Motion: What DOE Section 403 Instruction to FERC Means for Data Center Power Supply
November 5, 2025 DOE Secretary Wright’s Federal Power Act Section 403 direction to FERC calls for a sea-change in the way large energy users — especially data centers — interconnect to the power grid. In the ninth episode of Accelerating Energy, host and Sidley partner Ken Irvin is joined by colleagues Terence Healey, a partner in…
8. Deal Disruption or Market Opportunity? The Impact of Texas Senate Bill 6 on Project Finance
October 7, 2025 Demand for electricity is surging in America, driven largely by AI data centers and other energy-intensive users powering the digital economy. This rapid growth has heightened concerns among businesses and consumers over rising costs and grid reliability. In response, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 6 (SB6), a sweeping overhaul of how the…
7. Speed to Power or Policy Paralysis? The OBBBA and America’s Clean Energy Future
August 14, 2025 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is now law, marking a major shift in U.S. energy policy and the beginning of a broader effort to rewire America’s energy future. With its passage, the OBBBA rolls back many key clean energy tax incentives and reestablishes a focus on fossil fuel development. This…
6. Investing in Tomorrow: How Innovative Investments Will Begin Fueling the Energy Transition
April 21, 2025 All of a sudden there’s a new landscape for energy transition. The new administration is reducing the workforce of several federal agencies, including the EPA, where administrator Lee Zeldin is committed to eliminating 65 percent of what he calls the agency’s wasteful spending, and President Trump just signed four executive orders that…
5. Sustainable Success: How Utility Companies Can Thrive in Turbulent Times
February 21, 2025 The countdown has begun on statewide zero-emission mandates. Blue state governors have created strict timelines for implementing their renewable energy objectives. And these mandates will significantly impact operations for utility companies and the United States power grid. Will power-hungry data centers and extreme weather events impede success for these goals? And what…
4. Taking Charge: Can Battery Energy Storage Systems Unlock the Full Potential of Renewable Energy?
November 18, 2024 Renewable energy can be intermittent, making it a challenging power source for power grid operators to manage. But the burgeoning technology of battery energy storage systems (BESS) is poised to help fill those critical gaps. BESS is expected to quintuple in capacity by the end of this decade. These systems play a…
3. Tackling EV Infrastructure. Why Truck Manufacturers Are in for the Long Haul
APRIL 03, 2024 The future of commercial transportation is zero-emission. More than one million medium- and heavy-duty trucks are expected to hit the highways by 2031. But as the fleet of commercial zero-emission vehicles begins to grow, the infrastructure needed to power these trucks is struggling to keep up. In response to this reality, a…
2. Accelerating Energy: Are Tax Incentives Enough to Spur the U.S. Energy Transition Forward?
The United States government is authorizing millions of dollars in grants to electric cooperatives in the hopes of promoting grid resiliency and alternative energy adoption. Will grants and other incentives entice businesses to adopt clean energy? Or will political uncertainty in this election year tamp down these efforts? In the second episode of Accelerating Energy, host…
1. How Energy Transmission Can Save the Grid – and Electrify the U.S. Economy
November 27, 2023 U.S. energy regulators warn that elevated threats of outages from storms and prolonged cold snaps will continue to impact our electric grid and the economy. The Biden administration recently announced $3.5 billion in grants to fund clean energy projects that combat climate change and promote renewable energy; but mounting costs, development snags,…