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Hey there. At the IEEE meeting in Chicago this week, exhibitors have managed to lug some enormous equipment onto the show floor. How big? Big enough to leave Energy Central’s Brand Partnerships Manager-turned-intrepid reporter Sean Gibbons saying this: “How the h*ll did they fit that in here?“
— Molly, Alex, and the Energy Central editorial team
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American Electric Power warned it may ditch PJM and SPP as interconnection delays pile up.
The power giant says the grid operators aren’t moving fast enough to bring a flurry of new data centers online. AEP’s utilities now have 63 GW of contracted large load set to come online by 2030 (nearly 90% is tied to data centers). This announcement arrives less than a year after PA Gov. Josh Shapiro threatened to flee PJM.
AEP’s options: A) Leave the RTOS B) stay put or C) a mysterious third thing that CEO Bill Fehrman referred to as "alternative structures.” He’s especially concerned about getting new power online in PJM, which he thinks won’t clear things up anytime soon.
Meanwhile, PJM hears the frustration…and is weighing its next move. 🤔
The grid operator is mulling over a major market overhaul as hyperscaler demand outpaces supply and capacity prices skyrocket. Among the options: A) requiring long-term energy contracts B) letting states cap capacity costs…while accepting less reliability or C) shrinking the capacity market.
EC member Richard Brooks has a positive take: “This has been a long time coming, but market reforms are being seriously discussed,” he wrote. “Very positive indicator that the energy transition will become a ‘managed process.’”
Oil prices are plunging as the US and Iran discuss a deal (again). (CNBC)
Brent crude futures fell nearly 8% to around $101/barrel yesterday, while WTI futures dropped about 7% to $95. The driver? Reports that Washington and Tehran are nearing a 14-point MOU to end the war and reopen broader nuclear talks.
What’s on the table: Iran would pause nuclear enrichment for 12+ years, commit to tighter inspections, and gradually lift shipping restrictions through the Strait of Hormuz. The US would ease sanctions and release frozen Iranian funds. Sources told Axios this is the closest the two sides have gotten to a peace deal.
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The biggest US public power provider is feeling bullish on nuclear. (Utility Dive)
TVA’s nuclear fleet (one of the country’s largest) provided 41% of the utility’s power in the first half of 2026, up from 31% a year earlier. Interim CEO Mike Skaggs said that nuclear ranks high on TVA’s priority list, and it’s “a good investment to meet our future energy needs.”
IRENA’s latest cost report makes the energy transition math pretty hard to ignore. (Reuters)
Between 2010 and 2024, installation costs have cratered: Globally, solar PV fell an average 87% to $708/kW, onshore wind decreased 55% to $1,066/kW, and BESS tumbled 93% to $197/kWh. And over the next decade, levelized costs for solar-plus-battery storage are projected to fall 40%.
Yes, but: The US still pays a premium. Per IRENA’s country comparison, American BESS costs remain higher than in several major markets, meaning the global cost collapse is real—but not evenly distributed.
Texas isn’t just building clean energy projects—it’s building the factories, too. (PV Magazine)
Texas solar PV module production is set to top 15 GW this year. It could contribute nearly half of all silicon-based modules made domestically in 2026.
Why it matters: Texas has become the stress test for America’s clean energy buildout. Can the US tackle massive demand, deployment, and domestic manufacturing in one place? We’re about to find out.
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