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Ken Sands

@kensands.bsky.social
6.1K followers 556 following 821 posts

Editor-in-chief @rtoinsider.bsky.social. Former top editor, @bloomberg.com, @cq, @chronicle.com, @spokesman. 🔌💡

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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 3h
I will be talking about energy headlines in 2026 at the pre-conference workshop. And if you're going, say hello. 🔌💡
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 4h
Breaking news... (it actually was filed after 11 p.m. last night by FERC.) www.rtoinsider.com/ferc-conditi...
rtoinsider.com
FERC Conditionally Approves PJM Backstop Procurement, Delays Implementation
FERC has approved the bulk of PJM’s Reliability Backstop Procurement but suspended its implementation for five months.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Inexpensive renewables a problem? ERCOT: “We see the need for more baseload generation... but mostly because of how inexpensive renewables are, prices are not supporting capital flowing to those resources.” 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/146863-texas...
rtoinsider.com
Texas Nuclear Summit Speakers See Bright Future for Industry
Speakers at the Texas Nuclear Summit discussed the potential for new nuclear power aided by federal government support.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Here's what I like most about Peter Kelly-Detwiler's columns for @rtoinsider.bsky.social: They tell me something I don't already know; that I can't get it anywhere else; and that helps me do my job by helping me understand an important issue. www.rtoinsider.com/145201-how-m...
rtoinsider.com
How Much Flexible AI Compute Can the Grid Actually Count On?
As large data loads continue to seek access to the power grid, the issue related to flexibility has quickly become a hot topic.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
BPA, EDAM, Markets+ rhetoric heats up: "But, make no mistake, if the administrator ultimately decides to have Bonneville join EDAM without realizing the necessary improvements... NRU will not hesitate to challenge Bonneville’s action..." 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/143530-small...
rtoinsider.com
Small and Rural BPA Customer Group Supports Markets+ While Working Constructively to Improve EDAM
A market that works for BPA's load-following NITS customers is a market that works for the region, argues a regional trade association.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Nice story on the controversy over solar in a corner of Idaho. Nice to see the gray areas on issues instead of pretending it can be black and white. (A bit tl:dr though.) 🔌💡 www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...
canarymedia.com
An Idaho county banned renewables. It’s having second thoughts.
Solar developments led county officials to ban renewables in 2024. Now, the Republican commissioner who instigated the moratorium is leading the charge to…
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Breaking news today: Federal court rules DOE was wrong to force coal plant to stay open. Ramifications for all of the other such orders. 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/143205-dc-ci...
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This is interesting news, though a bit inside baseball. The SAA allows a state to work with PJM to identify transmission upgrades required to achieve a policy goal and take on the costs of those projects: "...the costs of the transmission upgrades will be assigned to SoftBank.." 🔌💡
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
RTO Insider exclusive interview with BPA Administrator Travis Kavulla as a follow-up to his big pivot toward EDAM. 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/142344-edam-...
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Big news. BPA switcheroo? Previous administrator 100% Markets+; new administrator seems to favor EDAM. www.rtoinsider.com/142342-kavul...
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Big deal for those in the know. Northwest utility officials make last-minute plea for BPA to NOT reverse course and join CAISO's EDAM and stick with SPP's Markets+ 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/142160-for-b...
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
A new report indicates that installed U.S. battery energy storage capacity jumped 20.2 GWh in this year’s second quarter, the largest quarterly increase ever. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/IONS50ZI1SW
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
It is so hot and humid here in D.C. Not surprising it's pressuring the grid. 🔌💡
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
North Dakota lawmakers will consider a temporary statewide ban on all nondisclosure agreements between data center developers and government regulators during a special legislative session that begins Sept. 2. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/Vt1650ZHx2W
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
What you're missing if you're not subscribed to @rtoinsider.bsky.social 68 pages = one week of news on rtoinsider.com 🔌💡
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
So much at stake. So much in flux. Here's one nuance of the data center boom - who's going to make the turbines to generate the power? 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/141659-mad-s...
rtoinsider.com
The Mad Scramble for Turbines and Implications for the Grid
With interconnection queues lengthening, and spare capacity rare, data center companies are resorting to self-supply.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
ACP The grid is not a collection of standalone assets; Pairing thermal generation and renewables with energy storage creates a portfolio that is cleaner, faster to deploy and more resilient than gas alone. 🔌💡 @yes-energy.bsky.social www.rtoinsider.com/141186-new-b...
rtoinsider.com
The New Baseload: Firming Variable Generation with Battery Storage
Renewable generation can mitigate resource variability and enhance grid reliability by providing dependable capacity.
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Jorgy @jjorgensonmcr.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
3/3 Black Helicopter edition - PSYOPs "A troubling trend has shown up in some communities around the U.S.: Public officials are being inundated with seemingly fake public feedback that aims to block renewable energy and promote fossil fuels." @canarymedia.com 🔌💡 www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...?
canarymedia.com
As Ohio grapples with fake comments on clean energy, some want…
Apparently fake public input has promoted fossil fuels and attacked clean energy in Ohio and beyond. Here’s what officials could do to try to stymie the…
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Reposted by Ken Sands
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Ratepayer advocates in a handful of PJM states and D.C. aren’t happy with the RTO’s concept for a reliability backstop procurement and have urged FERC to reject the idea. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/hWca50ZG31y
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Two fossil fuel plants will continue to operate in Maryland into 2031 after FERC approved reliability-must-run extensions for the Brandon Shores and H.A. Wagner generating plants outside of Baltimore. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/UiSn50ZFafM
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Fascinating conundrum. How do you socialize the costs? Making utilities pay just raises the rates. Same with insurance. Pre-emptive fire mitigation of utility lines also causes rates to rise quickly. California is trying to figure it out. Maybe harden homes or not build in danger zones?🔌💡
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Jersey City, New Jersey’s second-largest city, has joined a growing wave of municipalities that have moved to stop the development of data centers. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/QEvR50ZEKAp
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
@electricitymaps.com @ryansholin.bsky.social
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas and General Counsel Chad Seely told the Texas PUC and lawmakers that it will likely take the grid operator most of 2026 to complete Gov. Greg Abbott’s data center audit request. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/uN7r50ZEKtH
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
In electricity markets, "virtual transactions" are used to arbitrage price differences between day-ahead & real-time energy markets & hedge financial exposure from physical positions. What are increment offers; decrement offers; up-to congestion trades? 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/23402-virtua...
rtoinsider.com
Virtual Trading 101: INCs, DECs, UTCs
A brief primer on virtual trading: INCs, DECs and UTCs.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Mark Christie, Re: FERC on PJM governance: "Do not settle for cosmetic half measures to get some ‘kumbaya’ moment that falls short of what is needed." 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/139339-chris... @yes-energy.bsky.social
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The Bonneville Power Administration has launched an initiative to accelerate the integration of large loads while seeking a “bolder and faster” approach to major policy initiatives, the agency’s new leader, Travis Kavulla. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/u1iW50ZzPvx
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
New York is moving to consolidate its utilities’ customer direct load control programs into a single statewide platform. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/SiZW50ZzPS4
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
In the weeds? Yes. Important? Also yes. The July voltage disturbance in Virginia provides strong evidence of the potential instability large data centers can introduce to a local grid when they move to quickly to disconnect during disturbances. 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/138974-va-da...
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Really thorough update on the hotly debated New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line. Lessons for all regions. 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/138788-final...
rtoinsider.com
Finally in Service, NECEC’s Effects Still Hotly Contested in New England
The effects of NECEC, which achieved commercial operations early in 2026, remain hotly contested in New England.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
47 stories in the past week on electricity generation, transmission, load regulation @rtoinsider.bsky.social , collected in a 74-page pdf. This is what you're missing if you don't subscribe. www.rtoinsider.com 🔌💡
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Breaking news. Wisconsin Tells ATC to Start Over Again on $1.4B Tx Line to Power Stargate Data Center. 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/138679-wisco... 564 revisions cited for muddied process.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Quite the abrupt change of direction for Texas. The backlash against data centers seems to concern all sides of the political spectrum at this moment. 🔌💡
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
One former colleague lost his house. Not sure about other friends in the area. www.spokesman.com/galleries/20...
spokesman.com
Devastation wrought by weekend fires
More than 700 to 1,100 structures lost in three Spokane fires; officials searching for 14 people.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Vish Sankaran. Smart guy. Worth listening to.🔌💡
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Avista: “Our facilities were not involved in starting any of these fires... We have restored service to customers whose outages were solely related to the public safety power shutoff." 🔌💡 rtowww.com/go/sfvp8QlwG
rtowww.com
Avista Restores Power After PSPS Event, Outages Persist Amid Wash. Wildfires
Avista began restoring service to customers affected by public safety power shutoffs as wildfires burn in eastern Washington.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
So far, around 600 homes lost. I have a couple of long-lost friends who live up there.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Large Avista PSPS due to raging winds, fire moving quickly into suburban areas. This is a big deal. 🔌💡 www.myavista.com/safety/were-...
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
A new report predicts a near-term surge in clean energy resources but finds difficulty drawing a trajectory beyond 2030, given all the variables affecting power supply and demand. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/6XRy50ZuFm2
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
AESO plans to revise its long-term supply adequacy metrics to better reflect renewable generation, energy storage capabilities, total load and demand patterns. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/Jyzn50Zv1b6
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Nice scoop. A sign of the times that no one is surprised, though?
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bytevyte @bytevyte.com · 27/07/2026
AIBeats: PJM Grid Data Center Incident Exposes the Hidden Fragility Behind America's AI Infrastructure Boom
bytevyte.com
PJM Grid Data Center Incident Exposes the Hidden Fragility Behind America's AI Infrastructure Boom
The PJM grid data center incident caused 3.1 GW to vanish in 30 seconds, exposing grid fragility in America's most data-center-dense region.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
We live in interesting times. 🔌💡
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Salacious energy news. Not exactly business as usual. 🔌💡 rtowww.com/go/sh20wYTn9
rtowww.com
MISO Blocks Webcam Use in Meetings Following Explicit Video
MISO has suspended the use of webcams during its teleconferences after a sexually explicit video was shown briefly during a recent meeting.
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
As soon as I have an hour free, I'm going to listen to this. Smart people usually have good insights. 🔌💡
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Case study in why transmission planning doesn't work. Good read. 🔌💡 @yes-energy.bsky.social www.rtoinsider.com/136855-lette...
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Ken Sands @kensands.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Annual PJM auction results. High prices again. Low reserve margin. More of the same? 🔌💡 www.rtoinsider.com/136577-pjm-c...
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Load forecasting had its issues before the age of large loads. #energysky 🔌💡 See Full Story: ow.ly/a1Mq50ZlRt0 Writer: James Downing
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Grid Strategies once again has taken issue with a NERC reliability assessment. #energysky 🔌💡 See Full Story: ow.ly/IQbq50ZlnNE Writer: Holden Mann
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RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Maryland state officials are asking FERC to scrap millions of dollars in financial incentives for utilities and other transmission system operators to join an RTO. #energysky 🔌💡 See Full Story: ow.ly/HZ4B50ZkV0m Writer: Sean Reilly
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