As of July 16, 2025, GSSG Chikuden LLC, a utility-scale battery storage developer focused on the Japanese power market announced its launch today after receiving $400 million commitment from sustainable real assets investor Vision Ridge Partners. [1] GSSG Chikuden intends to use the investment to support its development, construction, and operation of utility-scale battery energy storage systems (“BESS”) across Japan’s power grid. The new company is a joint venture between Vision Ridge and Asia-focused solar-plus-storage investor GSSG Solar LLC, which has committed capital too, and will operate the business. GSSG Chikuden launches with an existing pipeline of development projects with secured grid interconnection rights, and plans to acquire more projects to expand its reach. GSSG Chikuden primarily seeks to accelerate the Japanese energy transition through development, construction, and operation of utility-scale BESS.
[USA] Westinghouse collaborates with Google to accelerate nuclear deployments
As of July 16, 2025, Westinghouse Electric Company and Google Cloud have partnered to deploy artificial intelligence tools in a bid to streamline the construction of advanced nuclear reactors and improve the performance of the existing nuclear fleet. [1] The collaboration will be integrated with Westinghouse’s proprietary nuclear AI tools, known as bertha and HiVE, with Google’s data platforms and machine learning capabilities. The companies say the tools will make nuclear construction more efficient and repeatable, which has continued to remain a challenge for the industry that increasingly gets called upon to deliver more carbon-free power to meet demand. Westinghouse and Google have completed a proof-of-concept by using the AI-enhanced plant design platform that generates and optimizes construction work packages for Westinghouse’s AP1000 modular reactor system. This is an important advancement for reducing project delays and costs that have historically afflicted nuclear projects. While details on deployment timelines are limited, the Westinghouse declared that the collaboration aims to optimize deployments of its full reactor lineup, including the AP1000, the AP300 small modular reactor (SMR) and eVinci microreactor.
[USA] David LaCerte nominated to fill vacant seat at FERC
As of July 17, 2025, the White House named David LaCerte, an official in the US Office of Personnel Management, to fill a vacant seat at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. [1] LaCerte has served as the principal White House liaison and senior advisor to the director of the OPM since January 2025. The Office of Personnel Management is the chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the federal government. LaCerte contributed to Project 2025, organized by the conservative Heritage Foundation to assist with the presidential transition effort. LaCerte has a background in energy litigation and environmental, safety, and incident response issues. If confirmed by the Senate, LaCerte would serve for the remainder of former FERC Chairman Willie Phillips’ term, which expires June 30, 2026. If confirmed, FERC would have a 3-2 Republican majority. It is currently split between Republicans and Democrats 2-2.
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-d743/
[Japan] First shipment of LNG from Mitsubishi’s LNG Canada Project
As of July 1, 2025, Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) announced that the LNG Canada Project has shipped its first LNG cargo as of June 30th 2025. The project is Canada’s first large-scale LNG project with a production capacity of 14 million tons per annum (mtpa). [1] MC will offtake 15% of the LNG produced and supply it to customers across Asia, with the primary destination being Japan, through its wholly-owned LNG marketing subsidiary Diamond Gas International. Since Canada has abundant natural gas reserves as well as geographic proximity to Asia, Canada is expected to help ensure a stable energy supply to Asia. MC and its partners are also exploring opportunities of doubling the project’s LNG production capacity.
[1] https://www.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en/news/release/2025/20250701001.html
[USA] Trump prepares tariffs for Japan, South Korea, other countries ahead of August 1st
As of July 7, 2025, President Donald Trump unveiled the tariff rates the U.S. will charge imports from certain countries. This follows the expiration of a 90-day pause on country-specific levies. [1] Many countries on the list, including Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, are major suppliers of battery components and electrical transformers to the U.S. [2] The rates range from 25% to 40% and are mainly the same as the previous tariffs that were unveiled and paused in April. [3] However, several rates changed; Japan’s proposed rate increased from 24% to 25%, while South Korea and Thailand remained the same at 25% and 36% respectively. In executive order 14257, the terms of the arrangements are further clarified, stating that if any trading partner takes steps to remedy non-reciprocal trade arrangements and “align sufficiently” with the U.S. on economic and national security matters, the ‘Harmonized Tariff Schedule’ may be modified to decrease or limit in scope the duties imposed under the order. In a July 7 executive order, the 90-day pause, which was set to expire on July 9, is extended until the tariffs go into effect on August 1st.
[1] https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-06063.pdf
[USA] DOE releases report on evaluating US grid reliability and security
As of July 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a report entitled “Report on Evaluating U.S. Grid Reliability and Security.” [1] The report fulfills a section of Trump’s executive order ‘Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid,” by forming a uniform methodology to identify at-risk regions and guide federal reliability interventions. The analysis reveals that the existing generation retirements and delays in adding new firm capacity will lead to a surge in power outages and an increasing mismatch between electricity demand and supply. This will especially originate from AI-driven data center growth, which will affect energy security. The report reaffirms that with current retirement schedules and additions, most regions will face dangerous reliability risks within 5 years. The power grid will be unable to meet expected demand for AI, data centers, manufacturing, and industrialization, while maintaining an affordable cost of living for Americans. The projected load growth indicates that retirements increase the risk of power outages by 100 times in 2030. Furthermore, traditional peak-hour tests to evaluate resource adequacy do not sufficiently account for growing dependence on neighboring grids.
[USA] Federal agencies revoke environmental review rules
As of July 1, 2025, the Federal Regulatory Commission and other federal agencies revoked regulations on the management of environmental reviews of proposed projects under the National Environmental Policy Act. [1] Federal agencies that revoked their NEPA regulations include the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Transportation, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). [2] The action was in response to Trump’s executive order that aims to accelerate energy development, including by rescinding NEPA regulations. [3] Some agencies proposed to replace the prior regulations with new ones, while others replaced the rules with nonbinding guidance. [4] The primary reasons cited for rescinding and reforming were delays, removing red tape, and accelerating infrastructure projects. [5] FERC voted unanimously to revise its regulations, stating that the agency will “continue to ensure [their] environmental reviews are legally durable so projects stand up in court and get built.”
[3] https://www.doi.gov/oepc/national-environmental-policy-act-nepa
[USA] DOE announced updated NEPA procedures
As of June 30, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) published an interim rule rescinding all NEPA regulations and published new NEPA guidance procedures for the DOE. [1] The updates to the Department’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), alter the permitting process to make it more efficient. The goal of the update is to coordinate an interagency effort to simplify NEPA compliance, lower construction costs, eliminate delays, and prioritize energy production and infrastructure development. The update follows Trump’s Executive Order 14154 “Unleashing American Energy,” and implements reforms enacted by Congress under the 2023 Builder Act. Key reforms include eliminating agency procedures, reducing the maximum Environmental Assessment, requiring the designation of a “lead agency,” implementing deadlines, increasing transparency, and more. The updated procedures also include a discussion of the recent Supreme Court decision in Seven County, which limits requirements for agencies to analyze upstream and downstream Greenhouse Gas (GHG) effects and curtails crucial climate change analysis.
[USA] Senate repeals major clean energy tax incentives
As of June 16, 2025, draft legislation released by the Senate Finance Committee will terminate or scale back most of the major tax incentives for clean energy contained in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. [1] Senate Republicans proposed to end most tax breaks for wind and solar power, electric vehicles, and other clean energy, contrary to expectations. The plan would eliminate a $7,500 consumer tax credit for electric vehicle purchases and home energy rebates, within 6 months. In addition, a tax credit for homeowners who install solar panels on rooftops would end in 180 days, and a subsidy for making hydrogen fuels would expire this year. Federal tax credits for wind and solar power will be rapidly phased out, and wind and solar companies will qualify for full tax breaks only if they start construction in the next 6 months. The House version of the bill would have ended those tax breaks immediately. Notably, the Senate bill would preserve tax credits for companies that build nuclear reactors, geothermal plants, hydropower dams or battery storage through 2033. The Senate draft, like the House bill, would also make solar leasing companies ineligible for federal tax credits.
[USA] States and ratepayer advocates urge FERC to reject MISO petition
As of June 13, 2025, state utility regulators and ratepayer advocates are urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject a Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) petition that requests the agency to declare that “unsolicited” long-range transmission planning, monitoring, and evaluation is outside the scope of its market monitor’s duties. [1] Market monitors from the PJM Interconnection, MISO, and ISO New England said that transmission planning and market oversight are linked. [2] Potomac Economics (PE), which serves as the independent market monitor for MISO, argued that there are not many coherent arguments indicating that transmission planning does not affect MISO’s markets and services. [3] Yet, MISO transmission owners like Ameren, Duke Energy, and Entergy support minimizing PE’s role in transmission planning, asserting that unsolicited monitoring and evaluation of MISO’s transmission planning activities are beyond the scope of PE’s tariff-assigned responsibilities. They argue that PE should not be entitled to compensation funded by MISO customers. The petition originated from PE’s criticism of MISO’s needs and cost-benefit analysis that underlie its roughly $22 billion Tranche 2.1 transmission portfolio that was approved in December. MISO asked FERC to declare that unsolicited transmission planning and monitoring are outside the scope of PE’s engagement under MISO’s tariff and that the grid operator does not have to pay for the activities.
[Japan] JERA announces milestone agreements with US partners to secure up to 5.5 million tonnes of new long-term LNG supply annually over 20 years
As of June 12, 2025, JERA has finalized 20-year agreements to procure up to 5.5 million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US. [1] The agreements, which were introduced publicly at the US Department of Energy headquarters in Washington DC, advance JERA’s goal of building a diversified LNG procurement portfolio in support of stable energy for Japan and Asia. The agreements are expected to support economic activity worth $200 billion to the US GDP through long-term offtake commitments. The total value of these transactions surpasses JERA’s cumulative equity investment in the US, which is currently worth $6 billion. The agreements include sales and purchase agreements with NextDecade Corporation and Commonwealth LNG, as well as heads of agreement with Sempra Infrastructure and Cheniere Marketing LLC to secure future LNG supply from the US. The new agreements build upon JERA’s existing operations in the US, which include offtake contracts totaling 3.5 million tonnes per year.
[1] https://www.jera.co.jp/en/news/information/20250612_2184
[USA] Talen to sell 1.9GW from Susquehanna plant to Amazon
As of June 11, 2025, Talen Energy announced that it has entered into a 1,920-MW power purchase agreement with Amazon Web Services to supply data centers in Pennsylvania from the independent power producer’s majority-owned Susquehanna nuclear power plant. [1] Under the PPA, Talen’s existing 300-MW co-location arrangement with AWS will shift to a front-of-the-meter framework that doesn’t require Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval. [2] In November, FERC rejected an amended interconnection service agreement that would have facilitated expanded power sales to a co-located AWS data center at the Susquehanna plant. [3] Talen expects to earn about $18 billion in revenue over the life of the contract at its full quantity, according to an investor presentation. The contract calls for delivering 840 MW to 1,200 MW in 2029 and 1,680 MW to 1,920 MW in 2032. Talen and Amazon will explore building small modular reactors in Pennsylvania and expanding Susquehanna’s output through uprates.
[2] https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20241101-3061&optimized=false
[Japan] Japan certifies Proteus 1.1MW tidal turbine to export power to national grid
As of June 2, 2025, Proteus Marine Renewables’ AR1100 tidal turbine, which has a capacity of 1.1MW, has officially received certification from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), the national authority that regulates energy infrastructure and technology. [1] The certification confirms the system meets Japan’s regulatory standards for power generation, which marks a new chapter for tidal energy in the country. The turbine is currently exporting power to the national grid. METI conducted a thorough review and testing process to verify the turbine’s operational safety and reliability, and the certification was granted after successful performance under various tidal conditions. The turbine represents the next stage in Proteus’ roadmap for scaling tidal power, serving as the forerunner to the company’s most powerful turbine, the ARI3000. The deployment forms part of a long-standing collaboration between Proteus and Kyuden Mirai Energy Co., Inc. (KME) that is the representative company for the project. The collaboration aims to support Japan’s renewable energy transition, demonstrating that tidal energy has the potential to join Japan’s future energy mix. Proteus and KME are now continuing to explore additional opportunities for tidal generation capacity in Japan.
[USA] House Reconciliation Bill amends clean energy provisions of the IRA
As of May 22, 2025, the House of Representatives passed its reconciliation bill H.R.1, titled “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, which amends the clean energy provisions that were enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). [1] The legislation proposes several significant changes to the IRA, including the removal of the investment tax credit and production tax credit for any facilities that are not under construction as of 60 days after enactment, as well as a full repeal of the EV credits. [2] Other credits that were removed include the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit and the Clean Fuel Production Credit, which provide credit for domestic production of clean energy components and a tech-neutral credit for domestic production of low-emission transportation fuels, respectively. The IRA permits most clean-energy credits to be sold by taxpayers, which created a robust secondary market, allowing sponsors with limited or no tax capacity to monetize the credits and raise capital. However, the legislation would undo this system for some forms of tax credits, including those under certain sections. The legislation would repeal the transferability of projects that begin construction two years after the date the legislation is enacted, which may be anytime from July to August 2025.
[1] https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1?utm_=
[USA] DOE Secretary Chris Wright terminates 24 Biden-era clean energy projects worth $3 billion
As of May 30, 2025, the US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced the termination of 24 awards that were issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) under the Biden administration, totaling $3.7 billion. [1] The projects primarily included funding for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as well as decarbonization. [2] Sixteen of the 24 terminated awards were signed between November and January 20. The awards were cancelled under a review process that the Department of Energy (DOE) released earlier in May 2025, under which 179 awards worth $15 billion were being reviewed. The review process was outlined in a Secretarial Memorandum entitled “Ensuring Responsibility for Financial Assistance”, which illustrated DOE’s policy for evaluating financial assistance on a case-by-case basis. Among the recipients of the cancelled awards are Calpine, Ørsted, PPL Corp., and Exxon Mobil Corp.
[Japan] NYK unveils Japan’s first fully battery-driven work vessel
As of May 23, 2025, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) unveiled Japan’s first fully battery-driven work vessel, which has been named e-Crea (pronounced “éclair”). [1] Keihin Dock Co. Ltd., an NYK Group company, built the vessel at Koyasu Shipyard. The vessel is designed without an onboard diesel generator and will support the docking and undocking of tugboats at Koyasu Shipyard. NYK Group aims to achieve low- and zero-carbon vessel operations by advancing the implementation of new technologies, such as this. This project came about in response to the growing global demand for decarbonizing maritime transportation, prompting NYK Group to explore next-generation fuels like ammonia. This initiative was spearheaded by Keihin Dock, NYK’s sole shipbuilding subsidiary. e-Crea is powered solely by batteries charged from shore facilities at Koyasu Shipyard and operates without emitting any carbon dioxide. The vessel also features a compact design measuring 9 meters in length and a compact hull, enabling maneuverability in confined spaces. The data and insights gained from e-Crea’s operation will be reflected in the development of an electric-propulsion tugboat scheduled for completion in December 2026.
[USA] DOE orders 1.6-GW coal-fired power plant to delay shutdown
As of May 23, 2025, the US Department of Energy (DOE) directed Consumers Energy to delay the shutdown of a 1,560-MW coal-fired power plant in Michigan by about 3 months, citing concerns of possible power outages in the Midcontinent region this summer. [1] To determine that the J.H. Campbell power plant in West Olive, Michigan should run until August 21 rather than May 31, DOE referenced a North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) report that found that the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) faces an elevated risk of power outages during high demand and lower power output periods of the summer. [2] The NERC report found that MISO, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), ISO New England, and the Southwest Power Pool were at elevated risks of not having enough power supplies during the peak demand periods. Energy Secretary Chris Wright cited a MISO report to explain that while the results demonstrated sufficient capacity, the summer months reflected the highest risk and a tighter supply-demand balance, suggesting the need to increase capacity. Wright ordered MISO to dispatch the Campbell plant economically to minimize ratepayer costs and DOE issued the emergency order without a request from the plant owner, transmission provider, or grid operator.
[2] https://cdn.misoenergy.org/2025%20PRA%20Results%20Posting%2020250428694160.pdf
[USA] Trump signs executive order to deploy new nuclear capacity and oversight
As of May 23, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order initiating a plan to deploy 300 GW of net new nuclear capacity by 2050, with 10 large reactors under construction in the US by 2030, while expanding nuclear fuel supplies. [1] President Trump also signed 3 other orders to accelerate Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews of reactor license applications and reconsider NRC radiation limits. [2] The orders also aim to expand Energy and Defense roles in nuclear power plant licensing and siting and speeding up new test reactor deployment. The order includes a directive to review the statutory authorities to identify any legislative changes needed to achieve the aforementioned national policy, as well as an evaluation of the reprocessing and recycling of spent nuclear fuel from the operation of Department of Defense and Department of Energy reactors. Another order calls on the Secretary of Energy to release at least “20 metric tons of high-assay low-enriched uranium into a readily available fuel bank for private sector projects operating nuclear reactors to power AI infrastructure at DOE sites.” Staffing reductions and budget cuts at DOE and NRC could undermine some of these efforts, making it harder to implement the executive orders. Furthermore, the involvement of federal departments to license and oversee projects could create additional red tape as companies navigate between more than one new oversight body.
[Japan] 16 organizations announce launch of joint research initiative to achieve carbon-neutral society through MEIT program
As of May 19, 2025, Nippon Steel Corporation announced that 16 more organizations, including University of Tokyo, Kobe Steel, ClassNK, JFE Steel Corporation, JERA Co., and Tokyo Gas Network, among others, have jointly established a Social Collaboration Program entitled “Materials for Future Energy Infrastructure Trust (MEIT) to elucidate and standardize the material reliability of energy infrastructure to support a carbon-neutral society. [1] The research commenced on the 1st of May 2025. Kobe Steel, JFE Steel Corporation, and ClassNK play lead roles. The program aims to evaluate the material reliability essential for ensuring the long-term integrity of infrastructure and cargo or fuel tanks for decarbonized energy carriers like liquefied hydrogen, ammonia, and liquefied and high-pressure CO2 in carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. The program will establish material selection criteria, post-weld heat treatment omission standards and fracture prevention criteria to optimize construction costs and promote international standardization that contributes to a sustainable energy society.
[USA] TXNM Energy enters agreement to be acquired by Blackstone Infrastructure
As of May 19, 2025, it was announced that Blackstone Infrastructure will acquire utility company TXNM in a $11.5 billion deal, including debt, as the firm bets on rising US electricity demand and a shift to cleaner energy sources. [1] As of early March, the deal valued TXNM at $61.25 per share, representing a 23% premium to TXNM Energy’s unaffected 30-day volume-weighted average price (VWAP). Blackstone, with $60 billion of assets, is betting that stable, regulated returns and high capital needs in grid modernization make TXNM a long-term investment fit. Blackstone is also investing $400 million through the purchase of 8 million newly issued shares of TXNM Energy common stock at $50 per share, by way of a private placement agreement, in order to support TXNM’s growth plans. The deal requires regulatory approvals from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC), Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Department of Justice, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission.