Andy Dressel

CRA Sessions: Always on - Reliability in focus - Utility wildfire risk, are we turning a corner? | Podcasts | CRA In the CRA Sessions podcast series Always on: Reliability in focus, CRA VP and host Andrew Dressel talks with Dr. Michael Wara, a leading authority on wildfire and energy policy.

Recently, I had the pleasure to sit down with @michaelwara.bsky.social and talk about where we are with utility wildfire. We talk about progress made and the risks and challenges that remain. 🔌💡🔥

www.crai.com/insights-eve...

No more PJM data centers unless they can be reliably served: market monitor The PJM Interconnection’s market monitor urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to rule that large data centers can only come online if the grid operator can still meet reliability metrics.

big late breaking news: the market monitor for the largest energy grid in the u.s., covering much of the midwest and mid-atlantic, has called to block new data centers connections to the grid, saying current course of growth assures regular blackouts

The contribution of offshore wind to grid reliability & resource adequacy | Reports | Charles River Associates In this white paper, the authors assess the potential role of offshore wind (OSW) in addressing emerging reliability challenges under these conditions. The analysis finds that, from a resource adequac...

The contribution of offshore wind to grid reliability & resource adequacy

Utility operating systems at the grid edge pose an overlooked risk While utilities focus on network security and access control, underlying operating systems remain a vulnerable foundation, writes Andrew Rynhard, chief technology officer for Sidero Labs.

Utility operating systems at the grid edge pose an overlooked risk www.utilitydive.com/news/utility...

For every $1 billion in transmission investments that is delayed, consumers lose between $150 million and $370 million in net benefits per year of delay.
#energysky 🔌💡

See Full Story: ow.ly/O8jI50XsuhM
Writer: James Downing

The Organization of MISO States is warning NERC that its possible new resource adequacy standard would tread on states’ planning authority.
#energysky 🔌💡

See Full Story: ow.ly/8vZc50XqisN
Writer: Amanda Durish Cook

Did you see the Northern Lights? ISO New England monitors space weather and prepares for geomagnetic storms to ensure reliability of the power grid.

Learn more: bit.ly/3LYBnnV

#Geomagnetic #Solar #NorthernLights #AuroraBorealis #PowerGrid #NewEngland

Despite a deadline by the Trump administration, the seven states along the Colorado River have apparently not reached a deal but agree to keep talking: www.fox13now.com/news/politic... #utpol #Utah

Trump’s Colorado River deadline is almost here. Is Utah ready for cuts? Because of drought, mandatory water cuts are nothing new in Utah. But the potential of large-scale reductions across the Colorado River Basin would present a steep challenge.

Still no word of any progress on the negotiation front. What’ll happen if there’s no agreement by Tuesday?

BREAKING: A major fire has sparked at an apartment complex under construction in Lehi. Multiple fire units are responding at this time. Video courtesy of Travis Cook. https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/major-fire-lehi-apartment/

Protecting the grid from extreme weather IEC Standards help to make the grid more resilient as the impact of climate change intensifies.

Protecting the grid from extreme weather – pv magazine International www.pv-magazine.com/2025/11/07/p...

Russia’s Sandworm hackers deploying wipers against Ukraine’s grain industry The Russian state-backed hacking unit Sandworm has been targeting Ukraine's grain industry with wiper malware amid Moscow's ongoing efforts to undermine Kyiv's wartime economy.

Russia’s Sandworm hackers deploying wipers against Ukraine’s grain industry therecord.media/russia-sandw...

Virginia crews fighting wildfires in Jefferson National Forest The U.S. Forest Service and Botetourt County Fire Department have been working to keep two fires under control since Wednesday.

When fire season declines in the western U.S., it picks up in the east. Dry October & Novembers are wildfire season before winter freeze, especially in Appalachia.

Same solutions: more prescribed fires, cultural burning, fuel treatments & public awareness of risk.

www.wusa9.com/article/news...

Google researchers detect first operational use of LLMs in active malware campaigns Google’s Threat Intelligence Group reports that new malware strains use LLMs mid-execution to generate, rewrite, and obfuscate malicious code in real time.

Google researchers detect first operational use of LLMs in active malware campaigns www.csoonline.com/article/4085...

Nearly two dozen flights from the Salt Lake International Airport this weekend have been canceled so far as an order for reductions takes effect nationwide.

READ MORE at bit.ly/4p1JNcI

Congressional Budget Office confirms it was hacked | TechCrunch The congressional research office confirmed a breach, but did not comment on the cause. A security researcher suggested the hack may have originated because CBO failed to patch a firewall for more tha...

NEW: The U.S. Congressional Budget Office was hacked.

@doublepulsar.com found that the cause may be an unpatched Cisco ASA firewall. I asked CBO about that but it did not respond to the question.

techcrunch.com/2025/11/07/c...

Trump’s Colorado River deadline is almost here. Is Utah ready for cuts? Because of drought, mandatory water cuts are nothing new in Utah. But the potential of large-scale reductions across the Colorado River Basin would present a steep challenge.

Utah has been dying to track water to see where it’s actually going. After all, “you can't regulate what you can't measure.”

Cold beer, hot bricks: Heineken signs deals for 100MWh thermal energy storage system Thermal energy storage (TES) startup Rondo Energy has announced its second 100MWh project within a matter of weeks, at a brewery in Portugal.

From hard-to-abate to ready-to-innovate: Heineken has just announced a major step toward decarbonising industrial heat:

The company will install a 100 MWh thermal energy storage system near Lisbon, in partnership with @rondoenergy.bsky.social and EDP.

www.energy-storage.news/cold-beer-ho...

Kentucky AG settlement with state's largest electric utility would lessen rate increases The proposed settlement between the Kentucky attorney general and the state’s largest electric utility company would cut proposed electricity rate increases in half.

Wow! State AGs may emerge as a key tool for reining in excessive electric rates-- this is a Republican, btw:
www.lpm.org/news/2025-10...

earth :: a global map of wind, weather, and ocean conditions See current wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, as forecast by supercomputers, on an interactive animated map. Updated every three hours.

earth.nullschool.net#current/wind...

A golden cottonwood is lit up by the sun behind it.

I see your tree and call

In ‘unusual’ move, DOE proposes rule to expand FERC’s authority over large loads Reactions were mixed. Analysts said they expected investor-owned utilities and possibly some states to object, while a former FERC chair questioned the impact on grid reliability and costs for other c...

Interesting move by DOE forcing (some) FERC action on data centers (20MW+) that directly connect to the transmission system. DOE has requested final action by April 30, 2026. www.utilitydive.com/news/in-unus...

This ‘Privacy Browser’ Has Dangerous Hidden Features The Universe Browser is believed to have been downloaded millions of times. But researchers say it behaves like malware and has links to Asia’s booming cybercrime and illegal gambling networks.

NEW: This "privacy" browser promises to “keep you away from danger.” But in reality, it routes web through China and covertly installs programs that run in the background

What's more, it has links one of Asia's biggest gambling tech firms and connections to the region's booming cybercrime industry

I’m new to this, but couldn’t you just … unplug the bed?

(May not solve the incline problem but at least should kill the heat)

Cheaper batteries are driving surging global battery storage deployment, which is a key tool to enable wind and solar to generate 50% plus of a nations' electricity.

BNEF forecasts 94 GW of global battery storage deployment in 2025 and 227 GW in 2027, more than 3X 2024 total. #energysky

Feedback loops and learning are often misunderstood or ignored. Batteries are a prime example: as batteries are scaled their costs have fallen amd as costs fall more batteries get deployed and so on.

We have written about this earlier this year. www.scurveeconomics.org/wp-content/u...

Solar Growth Cushions Colorado River Hydropower Declines Explore the impact of drought on Colorado River hydropower output as Arizona officials assess water policies under rising temperatures.

Fascinating/important story by @waltonbrett.bsky.social about declining electricity production at Hoover and Glen Canyon dams, and how some utilities are managing the growing power shortage risks by turning to solar: www.circleofblue.org/2025/water-e...

The transformer tariffs are really bad news for power prices, given the already constrained supply.

Hitachi is investing, but won't be online until 2028
www.utilitydive.com/news/hitachi...

Cleveland-Cliffs paused their transformer plant due to tariffs
transformers-magazine.com/tm-news/clev...

Can California reshape the West’s energy markets? This man is trying. The California Independent System Operator president spoke on how to make an energy dream a reality.

Gov. Gavin Newsom just opened the door to revolutionizing California’s energy markets. Elliot Mainzer is trying to make that dream a reality. 🔌💡
www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Self-Generation Incentive Program The Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) helps qualified LADWP residential customers install solar and battery storage systems by providing financial incentives. This program supports clean energy...

This is amazing: @ladwp.com, the Los Angeles utility, has launched a program that will install solar+battery systems on qualifying low-to-moderate-income households, *for free*.

Yes: free.

If you know someone eligible, tell them to apply!