Our Blog

Chester Energy and Policy started in 2017 as a blog before blossoming into a full consulting business. The goal of the blog originally was simple: answer interesting questions in the world of energy & sustainability that weren’t being answered elsewhere, tapping into energy data sets, expert interviews, and a unique lens.

Today, the blog section of Chester Energy and Policy seeks to continue that mission: answering interesting questions. If you have a question that you think is worth diving into for a blog post, reach out and let us know! .

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Read Most Recent Blog Posts

Matt Chester 4/2/26 Matt Chester 4/2/26

How drones are becoming critical infrastructure for utilities

What does the pathway look like from shiny new toy to core operational tool? That’s the trajectory drones have seemingly taken in many utility operations, highlighting that the hype was real an the future is now.

Matt Chester 4/2/26 Matt Chester 4/2/26

Defanging the New Bipartisan Boogeyman: Utility CEO Salaries

Typically, energy policy debates follow the expected partisan divide. But recent hot-button issues have united policymakers across the aisle, who may be heard shouting platitudes like:

The energy rates are too damn high!

Data centers aren’t paying their fair share!

Matt Chester 3/25/26 Matt Chester 3/25/26

Data centers as the new energy villain? That might be a problem

When people outside the energy sector think about the grid, it’s usually only after something goes wrong, such as a blackout or a surprise bill spike. Lately, the culprit for the public thinking about energy has come from a new source of consternation: data centers.

Matt Chester 3/19/26 Matt Chester 3/19/26

The Internet’s Favorite Argument Against Renewables… Tested With Data

Energy-related newswires have in recent years seen many announcements for record renewable energy installations.

These come from government reporting…

Matt Chester 3/18/26 Matt Chester 3/18/26

What makes overhead lines fail (and how to fix it)

Reliability has become one of the most urgent topics in the utility sector today. As aging infrastructure meets rising electricity demand and more frequent extreme weather, utilities are facing growing pressure to keep the lights on while modernizing the grid. From vegetation management to conductor fatigue and storm resilience, the question isn’t whether upgrades are needed, but how utilities can make the smartest investments to strengthen the grid quickly, effectively, and affordably.

Matt Chester 3/12/26 Matt Chester 3/12/26

The digital tools that are reshaping grid construction

The utility industry is entering a construction boom unlike anything seen in decades. From electrification and load growth to wildfire mitigation and resilience investments, utilities across the country are racing to build and upgrade transmission and distribution infrastructure. But scaling up construction isn’t just about building faster, it’s also about rethinking the entire construction lifecycle, from planning and design to data capture and project closeout.