Utility planners are hitting the brakes on fossil retirements as demand spikes and policy uncertainty clouds long-term decisions. (RMI)
Utilities updated 2025 IRPs to show 2.1% higher projected load and 5.5% higher emissions through 2035. Most cited new data centers, extreme weather, and limited interconnection capacity as key drivers.
The phaseout of federal renewable tax credits, new MISO resource adequacy rules, and uncertain EPA regulations pushed many utilities to delay coal retirements and lean on gas conversions.