New York, Jan 18, 2026, 09:36 EST — Market closed.
- Amazon shares ended at $239.12, marking a roughly 0.4% gain from the previous close.
- The White House is pushing for an emergency power auction in the PJM grid, driving data-center electricity costs back into focus; Amazon confirmed it covers its full power expenses.
- Nigeria has awarded Amazon’s Kuiper Systems a seven-year permit to operate satellites, expanding the reach of Project Kuiper.
Shares of Amazon.com edged up roughly 0.4% to $239.12, finishing the week mostly flat. Investors digested new policy steps targeting electricity-price spikes linked to data centers.
The White House on Friday called on PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. electric grid, to hold an emergency procurement auction as data center demand outpaces new power plant construction, Reuters reported. A proposed plan would require major users to fund new generation built specifically for them—a strategy officials are dubbing “bring your own generation.” 1
Amazon, a major player in data center construction and operation via Amazon Web Services, acted fast to address the concerns. “Amazon is paying our full energy costs,” said David Zapolsky, the company’s chief global affairs and legal officer. He stressed their commitment to making sure their data centers don’t drive up electricity bills for consumers. 2
U.S. stock markets remain closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, setting up a lighter trading week once they reopen Tuesday. 3
PJM has rolled out a plan to allow big new users to connect, but with conditions—such as potential power cuts during peak times if they fail to add new generation capacity. “This is not a yes/no to data centers,” PJM CEO David Mills said. 4
Amazon investors aren’t focused solely on a single auction but on the bigger picture: power availability and the question of who foots the bill. If connection queues shorten or costs spike, it could shift the calculations on where—and how fast—cloud and AI capacity expands.
Amazon received a regulatory win in Africa, with Nigeria awarding its Kuiper Systems a seven-year license to operate satellites. This move clears a path for Amazon to roll out satellite broadband services across the country, Reuters reported. 5
Project Kuiper is Amazon’s attempt to launch a low-Earth-orbit satellite internet system to rival SpaceX’s Starlink. The company has put a $10 billion price tag on the effort, aiming to deploy 3,236 satellites. Operational launches kicked off last year, according to Reuters. 6
Policy news hit a market already jittery over rate forecasts and AI-driven spending strategies. On Friday, U.S. stock indexes closed mostly flat, Reuters noted, as investors weighed earnings reports against a volatile policy environment. 7
Power demand is following suit. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects electricity consumption will hit record highs in 2026 and 2027, fueled partly by data centers focused on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. 8
The path ahead is anything but smooth. The PJM proposal requires approval, and shifting costs onto major users might spark resistance or slow progress. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Kuiper project faces hefty capital demands and complex execution challenges, with launches, gear, and regulatory green lights all posing potential bottlenecks.
Investors will zero in on Tuesday’s reopening post-holiday, the PJM auction developments and cost-sharing discussions, and fresh updates on Amazon’s spending and margins. Wall Street Horizon currently shows Amazon’s next earnings date as unconfirmed for Feb. 5. 9
