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Energy Policy News 7 December 2025 - 24 January 2026

Big Tech’s data-center power bill fight: Warren presses Google as PJM auction plans grow

Big Tech’s data-center power bill fight: Warren presses Google as PJM auction plans grow

Senators led by Elizabeth Warren said Big Tech firms pledged to pay more for data-center electricity but withheld key details on rates and contracts. Trump called on companies to “pay their own way” as PJM weighs an emergency auction for new power supply. FERC signaled it is ready to act quickly on related filings. Google and Microsoft said they cover their own infrastructure costs but cited confidentiality concerns.
24 January 2026
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J.D. Irving seeks an NB Power grid exit as minister backs self-generated wind power plan

J.D. Irving seeks an NB Power grid exit as minister backs self-generated wind power plan

New Brunswick’s natural resources minister backs J.D. Irving Ltd. and other major industries seeking to self-supply renewable energy outside NB Power’s grid. NB Power warns losing large customers could raise bills for other ratepayers. The utility recently signed a 200-megawatt wind power deal with a J.D. Irving subsidiary. Industry leaders say they need relief from rising power costs.
15 January 2026
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Empire Wind decision day: Judge weighs Trump offshore wind pause as Equinor warns of termination

Empire Wind decision day: Judge weighs Trump offshore wind pause as Equinor warns of termination

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols will rule Thursday on whether Equinor can resume construction of its $5.5 billion Empire Wind project off Long Island, halted under a Trump administration order citing national security. Equinor says the project could be terminated if work does not restart by Jan. 16. The Interior Department paused five East Coast wind projects last month over radar concerns. A separate judge cleared Orsted’s Revolution Wind project to proceed Monday.
15 January 2026
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Venezuela oil barrels return: Vitol, Trafigura court India and China as Trump export plan takes shape

Venezuela oil barrels return: Vitol, Trafigura court India and China as Trump export plan takes shape

Vitol and Trafigura are offering Venezuelan crude for March delivery to refiners in India and China, traders said Monday. Brent crude slipped to $63.03 a barrel as markets weighed unrest in Iran against expected Venezuelan exports. Vitol shipped naphtha to Venezuela, set to arrive Jan. 28, to help dilute heavy crude. U.S. efforts to shield Venezuela’s oil revenues face legal and political hurdles.
12 January 2026
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Meta stock braces for Monday after nuclear power push and fresh WhatsApp rules risk

Meta stock braces for Monday after nuclear power push and fresh WhatsApp rules risk

Meta Platforms shares rose 1.1% Friday after announcing long-term nuclear energy deals to power U.S. sites, including a major Ohio data center expansion. Vistra will supply 2,609 MW from its PJM nuclear plants starting in late 2026, while TerraPower and Oklo signed separate agreements for advanced nuclear projects. Vistra shares jumped 10.5% on the news. Meta also faces new regulatory scrutiny in Europe over WhatsApp.
11 January 2026
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NuScale Power stock slips as Capitol Hill nuclear hearing puts SMR trade back in play

NuScale Power stock slips as Capitol Hill nuclear hearing puts SMR trade back in play

NuScale Power shares fell 1.6% to $19.25 Wednesday morning on volume over 7 million, as investors watched a House hearing on nuclear licensing set for 10:15 a.m. ET. The move followed new U.S. Energy Department contracts for domestic uranium enrichment. Broader markets edged higher, while nuclear stocks were mixed. NuScale is seeking customer deals and financing after canceling its Carbon Free Power Project last year.
7 January 2026
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Exxon Mobil stock faces Monday test as Trump pitches Venezuela oil rebuild for U.S. giants

Exxon Mobil stock faces Monday test as Trump pitches Venezuela oil rebuild for U.S. giants

Exxon Mobil shares rose 1.9% Friday after President Trump said U.S. oil companies are prepared to invest billions in Venezuela’s oil sector following Nicolás Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces. Analysts warned repairs could take years and the U.S. embargo remains in place. Brent crude ended down 0.7% at $60.33 a barrel. Investors are watching for Venezuela policy updates and U.S. jobs data due Jan. 9.
5 January 2026
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Chevron caught in Venezuela oil clamp as PDVSA cuts output under U.S. embargo

Chevron caught in Venezuela oil clamp as PDVSA cuts output under U.S. embargo

Venezuela’s PDVSA has cut crude output as storage fills up following a U.S. export embargo and tanker blockade, sources said. Chevron-chartered ships have not left Venezuelan waters since Thursday, and several loaded vessels remain stuck. The U.S. removed President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas on Saturday, with President Trump announcing the oil embargo is fully enforced. December oil exports fell to about half of November’s 950,000 barrels per day.
4 January 2026
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Exxon Mobil stock: what to watch after U.S. strike on Venezuela and Trump oil-company push

Exxon Mobil stock: what to watch after U.S. strike on Venezuela and Trump oil-company push

Exxon closed up 1.9% Friday as investors prepared for Monday’s reopening after U.S. strikes in Venezuela and the capture of President Maduro. Trump said U.S. oil firms would help rebuild Venezuela’s industry, though Exxon has no current operations there. Brent settled at $60.75 a barrel; OPEC+ kept output policy steady on Sunday. Venezuela’s oil exports were halted Saturday as port captains stopped ship departures.
4 January 2026
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Dominion Energy’s Silent Solar Generator Debuts as Virginia Regulators Pause Chesterfield Gas Plant Approval

Dominion Energy’s Silent Solar Generator Debuts as Virginia Regulators Pause Chesterfield Gas Plant Approval

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s energy debate sharpened on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, as two Dominion Energy storylines collided: the utility’s push for new, fast-response power to meet booming demand—and a parallel push for cleaner, quieter alternatives to the diesel equipment that keeps communities running during outages and events. On one track, Dominion-backed partners are promoting a towable, solar-charged mobile battery—marketed as a “silent generator”—aimed at replacing diesel generators at festivals, worksites, and emergency deployments. On the other, state regulators have paused Dominion’s approval to build the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center, a 944-megawatt natural gas plant, after environmental and civil rights
19 December 2025
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Ithaca Pushes Back on NYSEG Rate Hikes as Hochul Pauses New York’s All-Electric Buildings Rules

Ithaca Pushes Back on NYSEG Rate Hikes as Hochul Pauses New York’s All-Electric Buildings Rules

On December 19, 2025, New York’s energy transition is colliding with a familiar reality: household bills. In the Finger Lakes, Ithaca officials are weighing how to protect residents from proposed utility rate increases while also keeping local climate policies on track. In the Hudson Valley, NYSEG is pointing to newly completed grid upgrades as proof that infrastructure spending is essential. And statewide, Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to pause implementation of New York’s all-electric new-building requirements—pending court action—has forced cities, builders, and regulators into a holding pattern. Together, the developments reveal the pressure points of New York’s climate and affordability agenda:
19 December 2025
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Georgia Power’s $15B Data Center Energy Expansion Heads to Georgia PSC Vote as AI Power Demand Triggers New Federal Grid Rules

Georgia Power’s $15B Data Center Energy Expansion Heads to Georgia PSC Vote as AI Power Demand Triggers New Federal Grid Rules

On Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, Georgia’s utility regulators are poised to make one of the most consequential energy decisions the state has faced in years: whether to approve Georgia Power’s plan to rapidly expand electricity supply to meet a surge in demand from data centers and AI-driven computing. Axios The stakes are immediate and personal—monthly bills, grid reliability, and how much new fossil-fueled generation Georgia locks in for decades—but they’re also national. In the last 24 hours, federal regulators moved to clarify how Big Tech can connect massive data centers directly to power plants in the country’s largest grid region,
19 December 2025
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House Passes SPEED Act to Fast-Track Energy Projects as Senate Eyes Rewrite Amid Offshore Wind Clash and AI Power Crunch

House Passes SPEED Act to Fast-Track Energy Projects as Senate Eyes Rewrite Amid Offshore Wind Clash and AI Power Crunch

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2025 — The U.S. House on Thursday approved sweeping permitting legislation aimed at speeding federal reviews for major energy and infrastructure projects, sending a high-stakes overhaul of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to the Senate — where both parties are already signaling major changes. AP News+2Axios+2 The bill, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act — better known as the SPEED Act — passed 221–196, with 11 Democrats joining Republicans and one Republican voting no, as lawmakers try to respond to soaring demand for new power generation, transmission, factories, data centers and other large projects.
19 December 2025
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India’s SHANTI Bill Passes Parliament: Private Entry into Nuclear Power, Liability Overhaul, and Protests Explained

India’s SHANTI Bill Passes Parliament: Private Entry into Nuclear Power, Liability Overhaul, and Protests Explained

New Delhi witnessed a watershed moment in India’s clean-energy debate on December 18, 2025, as Parliament cleared the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025—legislation the government says will unlock investment and accelerate nuclear expansion, and critics say weakens accountability in one of the country’s most sensitive sectors. www.ndtv.com+2Reuters+2 The bill’s passage immediately triggered a political and social backlash: opposition parties raised alarms in the Rajya Sabha over safety, regulation, and liability, while power engineers, central trade unions and farmers’ groups announced nationwide protests from December 23, demanding the bill’s withdrawal. The Economic Times+2ETEnergyworld.com+2
18 December 2025
Three Mile Island Restart: Energy Secretary Chris Wright Says Crane Clean Energy Center Can Cut Power Prices and Fuel Microsoft’s AI Push

Three Mile Island Restart: Energy Secretary Chris Wright Says Crane Clean Energy Center Can Cut Power Prices and Fuel Microsoft’s AI Push

LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (Dec. 18, 2025) — The U.S. Energy Secretary is betting that one of the most symbolically loaded names in American energy history can become a blueprint for the next era of electricity demand: artificial intelligence. This week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited the former Three Mile Island nuclear station—now branded as the Crane Clean Energy Center—to promote a planned restart of the site’s Unit 1 reactor, arguing that more nuclear generation will strengthen reliability, reduce blackout risks, and ultimately push electricity prices down. WHP+2WGAL+2 The visit, which drew Constellation Energy executives and local officials, comes as the
18 December 2025
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Portland General Electric faces scrutiny over data center costs as Oregon POWER Act hits its first big test

Portland General Electric faces scrutiny over data center costs as Oregon POWER Act hits its first big test

Oregon utility watchdogs say Portland General Electric’s proposed “Peak Growth Modifier” could shift long-lived grid upgrade costs from fast-growing data centers to households—despite the state’s new POWER Act. Here’s what’s in dispute, what PGE says, and what regulators decide next. Oregon’s push to stop homeowners from subsidizing energy-hungry data centers is colliding with a high-stakes regulatory fight now unfolding around Portland General Electric (PGE). In recent reporting, the Oregon Citizens Utility Board (CUB) accused PGE of trying to sidestep the intent of the state’s new POWER Act—an affordability-focused law designed to make large-load customers like data centers pay a larger
17 December 2025
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National Grid plc Stock This Week: RIIO‑T3 Decision, UK Grid Reforms, Analyst Targets and the Week‑Ahead Outlook (Updated 14 December 2025)

National Grid plc Stock This Week: RIIO‑T3 Decision, UK Grid Reforms, Analyst Targets and the Week‑Ahead Outlook (Updated 14 December 2025)

National Grid plc (LSE: NG.; ADR: NYSE: NGG) is ending the week with investors focused on one big theme: the “build-the-grid” era is getting real, and regulators are now putting hard numbers and rules on what that build-out can earn—and how fast it can happen. As of the last market close (Friday, 12 December 2025), National Grid shares were around 1,118.5p. One-week performance was +1.41%, with the stock trading below its 52‑week high of 1,183.5p and above the 52‑week low of 909.8p. Hargreaves Lansdown also lists a trailing P/E of ~20 and a dividend yield ~4.18% (figures can vary by
14 December 2025
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Australia’s AEMO Draft 2026 ISP: Coal Until 2049 as $128b Grid Overhaul Backs Solar and Batteries

Australia’s AEMO Draft 2026 ISP: Coal Until 2049 as $128b Grid Overhaul Backs Solar and Batteries

Australia’s energy market operator has released a sweeping new roadmap for the electricity grid that locks in coal-fired power plants until 2049, even as it doubles down on massive new investment in solar, batteries and transmission to hit net zero targets. On 10 December 2025, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) published its Draft 2026 Integrated System Plan (ISP) – a 25‑year blueprint for the National Electricity Market (NEM) that will shape how homes and businesses are powered through to mid‑century.AEMO+ 1 The draft plan recalibrates Australia’s transition in several striking ways: Below is a detailed breakdown of what changed,
10 December 2025
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Uzbekistan’s €9.46 Billion Green Energy Leap: 42 Projects, 2 Billion kWh of Solar and a Rebuff to Fossil Fuel Politics

Uzbekistan’s €9.46 Billion Green Energy Leap: 42 Projects, 2 Billion kWh of Solar and a Rebuff to Fossil Fuel Politics

A New Energy Story Out of Central Asia While much of the global debate on energy still revolves around fossil fuels, one landlocked Central Asian country has started to quietly redraw the map. In the first week of December 2025, Uzbekistan unveiled a sweeping package of renewable energy and grid projects, deepened partnerships with Saudi and other foreign investors, and disclosed new figures showing that small-scale solar panels alone have already generated nearly 2 billion kWh of electricity this year.qazinform.com+1 The scale and speed of these changes have drawn international attention. A widely shared analysis on CleanTechnica goes as far
7 December 2025
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Stock Market Today

KLA stock price jumps 8% as chip rebound lifts KLAC — what to know before Monday

KLA stock price jumps 8% as chip rebound lifts KLAC — what to know before Monday

8 February 2026
KLA Corp shares surged 8.4% to $1,442.95 Friday, leading gains in chip-equipment stocks after Amazon announced a major increase in capital spending. About 1.6 million KLA shares traded as the PHLX semiconductor index rose 5.7%. KLA’s board declared a $1.90 quarterly dividend, payable March 3 to holders as of Feb. 17. Applied Materials and Lam Research also rallied sharply into the close.
CBA share price: Commonwealth Bank stock steadies after ASX selloff as earnings loom

CBA share price: Commonwealth Bank stock steadies after ASX selloff as earnings loom

8 February 2026
Commonwealth Bank of Australia closed Friday down 0.23% at A$158.91, outperforming a 2.03% drop in the S&P/ASX 200. Investors await CBA’s half-year results on Feb. 11 and commentary from CEO Matt Comyn. The Reserve Bank’s recent cash-rate hike to 3.85% and upcoming mortgage repricing are in focus. CBA flagged A$68 million in provisions and A$53 million in non-recurring income items.
Boeing stock jumps 2.6% to $243 — what Wall Street is watching before Monday

Boeing stock jumps 2.6% to $243 — what Wall Street is watching before Monday

8 February 2026
Boeing shares closed up 2.6% at $243.03 Friday, buoyed by reports of possible major aircraft orders from Saudi Arabia and India. India’s trade minister said a $70–80 billion Boeing deal could be signed by March. Supply-chain delays and regulatory scrutiny remain key risks. Boeing’s chief engineer sold over 10,000 shares earlier in the week.
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