[USA] Xcel to build large battery energy storage site at Sherco plant

As of October 31, 2025, Xcel Energy asked Minnesota regulators for permission to double the battery storage capacity at a location adjacent to its coal-fired Sherco power plant which is slated to retire by the end of 2030. [1] The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has already approved 300 MW to be installed at the plant. [2] Xcel is proposing to increase that capacity to 600 MW, making it the largest battery storage site in the upper Midwest. It would also add another 135.5 MW at the company’s Blue Lake facility and expand the Sherco Solar facility with an additional 200 MW. Xcel plans to begin construction on the battery storage projects in 2026, bringing them online in late 2027. They will use lithium iron phosphate battery cell technology that discharge energy in four-hour increments and are quick to recharge, allowing for regular use.

[1] https://puc.eip.mn.gov/web/project/25319?

[2] https://newsroom.xcelenergy.com/news/xcel-energy-to-build-upper-midwests-largest-battery-storage-site?

[USA] US installed 26 GW of new capacity in 8 month span

As of October 30, 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) infrastructure report stated that the US installed almost 26 GW of new generation capacity between January and August 2025. [1] The number is up slightly from 23 GW over the same period last year. Solar has continued to dominate new generation resources for most of the past two years now, accounting for 2.7 GW of 4 GW brought online in August alone. The report mentions that FERC also reissued a certificate for Williams Companies to construct and operate its Northeast Supply Enhancement Project. The expansion of the Transco gas pipeline between New Jersey and New York was revived following talks between President Donald Trump and Governor Kathy Hochul in May after the administration froze the Empire Wind project briefly. The White House and the wind project developer have stated that there was a gas-for-wind deal involved, while Hochul has denied striking any bargain.

[1] https://cms.ferc.gov/media/energy-infrastructure-update-august-2025

[USA] OpenAI warns White House about pace of China’s energy development

As of October 27, 2025, OpenAI sent a letter to the White House warning about China’s edge in the AI’s race. [1] The company expressed that China has developed “real momentum” in energy production, adding 429 GW of new power capacity in 2024. In contrast, the US contributed just 51 GW. OpenAI recommends that the US prioritize closing the gap by building 100 GW of new energy capacity a year. The letter, penned by OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, Christopher Lehane, encourages the government to invest in manufacturing and the workforce especially in rural communities. Lehane lists 4 suggestions of actions the federal government should take, including; strengthening America’s industrial base and manufacturing, removing or modernizing energy regulatory policy to unlock power, equipping workers by funding workforce development and scaling AI education, and ensuring that frontier AI systems protect American national security interests. Lehane also writes that the government should tighten FERC Order Number 2023 interconnection timelines by instituting automatic enforcement  of late submissions and standardizing extension timelines. The government can also create a fast track for shovel-ready projects to allow simple AI infrastructure projects to “skip the line,” and prioritize projects that connect high-generation regions to major load centers.

[1] https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/21b88bb5-10a3-4566-919d-f9a6b9c3e632/openai-ostp-rfi-oct-27-2025.pdf

[USA] FERC rejects large load tariff of Tri-State

As of October 27, 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected a large load tariff that was proposed by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association because it intruded on retail rate regulation which falls under state jurisdiction. [1] The August 28 proposal came about because utilities like AEP Ohio and Dominion Energy Virginia have adopted tariffs that set out terms and conditions for interconnecting data centers and other large loads. Tri-State, with over 40 utility members, stated that there is growing interest in building data centers in the Mountain West region. The cooperative stated that its proposed High Impact Load (HIL) tariff and HIL agreement would protect its utility members from various risks associated with large loads, including the potential need for additional transmission and generation, as well as cost-shifting to ratepayers. The Data Center Coalition opposed the proposal suggesting that the cooperative failed to show that it was within FERC’s jurisdiction. It also asserted that the emerging large load tariffs per utility was stifling data center development. In a 3-0 ruling, FERC dismissed Tri-State’s claims that since the proposed HIL program is similar to its agency-approved demand response program, program should be considered as falling under FERC’s authority.

[1] https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20251027-3053&optimized=false&sid=4840b4cc-e336-449f-99a7-1eac581fbf3a

[USA] FERC grid reliability conference considers data center issue

On October 21, 2025, the grid reliability conference held by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) considered the issue of how to safely add data centers to the grid. [1] At the meeting, the North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) president and CEO Jim Robb stated that although grid reliability in the US is strong, challenges are growing. He mentioned the increasing number of small scale events and near misses that reinforce the idea of a “five-alarm fire” when it comes to reliability. Robb suggested that grid reliability challenges entail dwindling resource adequacy, weakening reliability services, extreme weather, interdependency with natural gas, policies affecting resource and fuel development, and more. FERC Commissioner Judy Chang warned that the US faces potential imbalances between electricity supply and demand amid uncertainty about how much load may come online and how much generation and transmission will be required to manage it. The need for planning and accurate load forecasting to resolve these issues was a prominent topic throughout the conference.

[1] https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events/commissioner-led-reliability-technical-conference-05142025

[USA] DOE releases nuclear fusion road map

As of October 16, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a nuclear fusion road map that reviews barriers to deployment and provides strategies to address them. [1] The road map suggests that the goal is to achieve private-sector fusion scaleup in the 2030s. The DOE stated that the road map will start the transition to a future Office of Fusion Energy and Innovation once its goals are met, after which the office will carve a path to fusion commercialization. The barriers to deploying fusion originate from Structural Materials, Plasma-Facing Components, Advancing Confinement Approaches, Fuel Cycle and Tritium Processing, Blankets and Fusion Plant Engineering, and System Integration. DOE envisions that in the next two to three years, the public sector will build small-to-medium test stands, start design of large-scale facilities, and pursue research and development regarding neutron sources. The road map plans for the private sector to start nuclear operation of early generation power plants five to 10 years from now.

[1] https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/fusion-s%26t-roadmap-101625.pdf

[USA] 12 Amazon SMRs to be deployed at Washington nuclear facility

As of October 16, 2025, Amazon announced that the planned Cascade Advanced Energy Facility in Washington will deploy 12 small modular reactors (SMRs). [1] The facility will be built by Energy Northwest with funding from Amazon. Three 320-MW sections will together comprise a 960-MW plant, in contrast with traditional nuclear power facilities with a 1-GW plant. The SMRs will be supplied by X-energy, which received $500 million in Series C funding from Amazon last year, using the company’s advanced nuclear reactor design. The facility will be built outside Richland, Washington, near Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station. Construction is expected to commence at the end of the decade, with operations targeted to start in the 2030s. The SMRs will be the Xe-100 design, a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor developed by X-energy, each module of which can provide 80-MW of full-time electricity.

[1] https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/amazon-smr-nuclear-energy

[USA] FERC ordered MISO to specify merchant projects inclusion in transmission planning

As of October 16, 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ordered the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to specify when and how merchant high-voltage (HVDC) direct-current transmission projects will be integrated into its transmission models. [1] The decision, ruled 3-0, was in response to a complaint by Invenergy Transmission in 2022. The issue centered on MISO’s management of Invenergy’s planned Grain Belt Express project. The 5-GW, 600-kV project, which is set to run approximately 800 miles between Kansas and Indiana, is moving forward despite the US Department of Energy’s cancellation of a $4.9 billion conditional loan commitment. Invenergy complained that MISO failed to account for the project in its transmission planning process, creating duplicative projects. FERC gave MISO 90 days to specify when and how merchant transmission projects will be incorporated into its transmission planning processes. FERC rejected parts of Invenergy’s complaint, including the company’s request that the Grain Belt line be included in MISO’s long-range transmission plan’s base cases, Tranche 1 or Tranche 2.1.

[1] https://www.ferc.gov/media/e-3-el22-83-000

[USA] Senate confirms FERC nominees, creating Republican majority

As of October 7, 2025, the Senate confirmed Republicans Laura Swett and David LaCerte to fill vacant seats at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), providing the agency with a 3-2 Republican majority. [1] Swett is an energy attorney and former FERC staffer. LaCerte is an official in the US Office of Personnel Management. [2] He was previously the acting managing director at the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. The nominees are joining the agency during the federal government shutdown. FERC will have three Republicans once Swett and LaCerte are sworn in, including Commissioner Lindsay See. Currently, FERC is considering potential rules for colocating data centers at power plants in the PJM Interconnection footprint.

[1] https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/416/7?s=1&r=1

[2] https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/246/15?s=1&r=3

[USA] Dominion Energy seeking proposals for solar, wind, and storage projects

On October 8, 2025, Dominion Energy’s Virginia and North Carolina subsidiaries issued a request for proposals, seeking power purchase agreements for new solar, onshore wind, and energy storage projects in both states. [1] The company is interested in proposals for five categories, including: new photovoltaic (PV) solar, new PV solar generation co-located with energy storage, new onshore wind, new onshore wind co-located with energy storage, and new stand-alone energy storage. Dominion is also looking to acquire projects in the same categories. For PPAs, the company is seeking utility-scale solar projects of 3 MW or more and distributed solar projects of 3 MW or less. Only facilities located in Virginia will be considered.

[1] https://www.dominionenergy.com/about/delivering-energy/renewable-projects/solar-onshore-wind-and-energy-storage-proposals

[USA] Newsom vetoes bill to improve load flexibility in California grid planning

As of October 1, 2025, California Governor Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required the state energy commission to evaluate new and existing load management mechanisms and authorize it to include those findings in its biennial integrated energy policy report. [1] AB44 directed the commission to adopt a set of technical requirements and load modification protocols upfront to provide the load-serving entity with an option to reduce or modify its electrical demand forecast. In a brief statement, the governor said that the bill does not align with the California Public Utility Commission’s Resource Adequacy framework, so the requirements would not improve grid reliability planning and create uncertainty around energy resource planning and procurement processes. Many of the provisions were welcomed by clean energy advocates and utilities, though some lamented the loss of funding for the state’s grid reliability programs, including one program dubbed the largest virtual power plant in the world.

[1] https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AB-44-Veto.pdf

[USA] DOE announces termination of 223 projects worth $7.56 billion

As of October 2, 2025, the Department of Energy announced the termination of 321 financial awards supporting 223 projects, all from Blue states that voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. [1] The awards, amounting to $7.56 billion, were issued by the Offices of Clean Energy Demonstrations, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Grid Deployment, Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy and Fossil Energy. Democratic lawmakers and consumer advocates said DOE’s funding cancellation is illegal and an example of a presidential administration executing a political vendetta that will hurt Americans. Award recipients have 30 days to appeal a termination decision. Some of the projects have already begun this process.

[1] https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-department-announces-termination-223-projects-saving-over-75-billion

[USA] Permitting reform framework released by Bipartisan group in House

As of September 18, 2025, a bipartisan House group released a permitting reform framework that aims to simplify the process to build transmission lines, pipelines, and other power projects in the face of rising energy demand. [1] The 47-member group, also known as the Problem Solvers Caucus, intends to transform this framework into legislation. It calls for streamlining the permitting process by setting deadlines for court reviews of permitting decisions. The framework has arisen from repeated calls to address permitting reform in Congress this year. It includes several provisions, including: reducing the statute of limitations for permitting lawsuits to one year or less; restricting judicial standing for litigating projects to parties who submitted detailed comments during public review; requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to initiate interregional transmission planning while prohibiting allocating costs to customers; amending the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC) process to allow for individual high-impact transmission lines; among others.

[1] https://problemsolverscaucus.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/problemsolverscaucus.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/problem-solvers-caucus-permitting-reform-framework.pdf

[USA] Connecticut and Rhode Island file injunction for Revolution Wind restart

As of September 17, 2025, the attorneys general for Connecticut and Rhode Island requested an injunction to lift the Trump administration’s stop-work order for the 700-MW Revolution Wind project, which is 80% complete. [1] In their complaint filed with the federal district court of Rhode Island, the states said that the project has been vetted through every layer of the federal and state regulatory process, yet the federal government has “arbitrarily reversed course and issued a Stop Work Order without explanation.” [2] The lawsuit is similar to one filed by Revolution Wind in Washington DC, also seeking an injunction. In response to that request, the Trump administration had replied saying that the fact that Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) previously “approved Revolution Wind’s [construction and operations plan] does not eliminate the Secretary’s authority for continued oversight.” The states have emphasized that the project’s supportive infrastructure is also far along with 90% of physical construction at the mainland interconnection site “substantially completed.”

[1] https://orsted.com/en/company-announcement-list/2025/08/revolution-wind-receives-offshore-stop-work-order--145387701

[2] https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2025-press-releases/ag-tong-files-for-preliminary-injunction-to-immediately-halt-revolution-wind-stop-work-order

[USA] Senate committee approves FERC nominees in party-line vote

As of September 11, 2025, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced the nominations of Laura Swett and David LaCerte to fill the empty seats at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). [1] The vote was 12-8, with Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voting with the committee’s Republicans to advance the nominations. The Democrats on the panel opposed the nominations, however the full Senate must ultimately approve the nominations. Swett is an energy attorney at Vinson & Elkins and former FERC staffer. LaCerte is an official in the US Office of Personnel Management. Previously he was acting managing director at the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. During a September 4 confirmation hearing, Swett and LaCerte told senators that if confirmed, they would uphold the agency’s independence while remaining neutral toward generating technologies.

[1] https://www.energy.senate.gov/nominations

[USA] 2 Entergy gas plants approved by Texas regulators with $2.4B cap

As of September 11, 2025, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) approved a pair of new gas plants proposed by Entergy, but imposed a hard cap on costs of $2.4 billion to protect ratepayers. [1] This followed regulatory concerns that the utility had not made sufficient efforts to ensure the projects were cost-effective. [2] In a statement, Entergy CEO stated that the 754-MW Legend Power Station and 453-MW Lone Star Power Station plants are critical to serve significant growth in southeast Texas. [3] Entergy expects summer coincident peak load to increase 20% by 2028. According to a memo filed by PUCT Chair Thomas Gleeson, the capital costs for the dispatchable portfolio, inclusive of allowance for funds used during construction on which Entergy Texas may seek a recovery and a rate of return are capped at Entergy Texas’ modified estimated costs for each project in the portfolio ($1.6 billion for the Legend power station and $799 million for the Lone Star). A previous memo by Gleeson had contemplated a lower cost cap of $1.8 billion.

[1] https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/56693_471_1537672.PDF

[2] https://www.entergy.com/news/entergy-texas-receives-puct-approval-for-two-power-plants-to-support-southeast-texas-growth#top

[3] https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/56693_453_1532808.PDF

[USA] More than 85 scientists assert that DOE climate report lacks merit

As of September 2, 2025, a group of over 85 scientists has issued a joint rebuttal to a recent US Department of Energy (DOE) report about climate change, suggesting that it misrepresents climate science. [1] The group submitted a 400-page review of the assessment written by five scientists selected by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who allegedly share a contrarian view of mainstream climate science. [2] This comes weeks after the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration that alleges that the secretive selection process of scientists who share only one perspective violates the law. [3] The DOE’s Climate Working Group consisted of four scientists and one economist who have all questioned the scientific consensus that climate change is a threat, sometimes framing global warming as beneficial. The group of climate scientists found several examples where the DOE authors cherry-picked evidence and neglected to mention the negative impacts of heat and climate-change-fueled extreme weather events. They also suggested that the DOE relied too heavily on debunked research, misinterpreted other research, and failed to undertake a peer-reviewed process to ensure credibility.

[1] https://library.edf.org/AssetLink/0kdlw6oq5v8hsvj152eqx01b0qn74uuq.pdf

[2] https://sites.google.com/tamu.edu/doeresponse/home?authuser=0

[3] https://www.energy.gov/topics/climate

[USA] Palisades one of the first to reach ‘operations’ status out of decommissioned nuclear plants

As of August 25, 2025, the Palisades power plant in Covert Township, Michigan, became the first decommissioned US nuclear plant to officially transition to “operations” status under the oversight of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), according to owner Holtec International. [1] This milestone follows the agency’s July 24 approval of Holtec’s licensing package to reauthorize power operations. [2] The plant is not yet generating electricity as it still requires extensive work, including reassembling the main generator and turbine. When Palisades returns to service, it will be capable of producing over 800 MW of baseload electricity. The plant’s new status follows its receipt of key licensing and regulatory approvals by the NRC in July. With this transition, Palisades is authorized to receive nuclear fuel and restart the plant once allowable conditions are met. Holtec is also planning to build a new small modular reactor (SMR) on the same site by the start of the next decade.

[1] https://holtecinternational.com/2025/08/26/hh-40-18/

[2] https://www.nrc.gov/cdn/doc-collection-news/2025/25-046.pdf

[USA] PacifiCorp urges FERC to dismiss challenges to wildfire-related costs in transmission rates

As of August 22, 2025, PacifiCorp is urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to dismiss challenges to the company’s inclusion of $1.7 billion in wildfire-related costs and liabilities in transmission rates. [1] The utility company contends that “formal challenges” and complaints brought by the Bonneville Power Administration, Powerex Corp., Deseret Generation & Transmission Co-operative, and the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems fail to show the costs were imprudently incurred. [2] The dispute arises as utilities face financial challenges stemming from wildfires exacerbated by climate change. In an August 4 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, PacifiCorp stated that outstanding wildfire-related complaints in Oregon and California totaled approximately $54 billion, excluding any potential doubling of damages or punitive damages. PacifiCorp requests FERC for permission to include costs and liabilities related to wildfires from 2020 and 2022 in its transmission rates. The challengers to the updated rates assert that the company failed to show its wildfire-related costs were prudent. In joint comments, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison urged FERC to continue assessing allegations of imprudence on a case-by-case basis.

[1] https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20250822-5198&optimized=false&sid=5e2eda9e-6933-44b6-b300-4304f6fb9ce2

[2] https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0000075594/000108131625000013/bhe-20250630.htm

[USA] 704-MW Revolution Wind project halted by Trump administration

As of August 22, 2025, 704 MW offshore wind farm Revolution Wind was ordered to stop work by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. [1] The project developer Ørsted said that the project is about 80% complete and was set to supply energy to Rhode Island and Connecticut. Ørsted, which owns the project in a 50/50 joint venture with Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables, said that the project is fully permitted and has all offshore foundations installed and 45 out of 65 wind turbines installed. [2] The Trump administration has previously issued a similar stop-work order on the 810-MW Empire Wind 1 project in New York in April. [3] The order was revoked and the project allowed to continue after New York Governor Kathy Hochul negotiated with the administration to move forward on “critical pipeline capacity” for natural gas. In this case, the project is currently complying with the order and taking appropriate steps to stop offshore activities. The uncertainty has caused Ørsted’s shares to tumble to an all-time low of $9.31 following the news. Ørsted said in an August 11 announcement that it plans to move ahead with a $9.4 billion rights issue to shore up its capital structure.

[1] https://orsted.com/en/company-announcement-list/2025/08/revolution-wind-receives-offshore-stop-work-order--145387701

[2] https://chrissmith.house.gov/uploadedfiles/trump_admin_dept_of_interior_empire_wind_memo_signed_by_secretary_burgum_april_16_2025.pdf

[3] https://www.equinor.com/news/20250519-empire-wind-project-resumes-construction