Latest Electricity News - Energy Policy

EU Grids Package pushback intensifies as Bulgaria, Finland, France, Poland and Sweden warn that centralised electricity grid planning could raise costs, slow the green transition and undermine energy security, urging regional coordination and cross-border cooperation.   Essential Takeaways Five EU states contest centralised grid planning approach Warning of higher costs, delays, and energy security risks Proposal favors regional planning with cross-border cooperation Parliament rapporteur backs central scenario with safeguards Five European Union governments are pushing back against the European Commission's proposed EU Grids Package, arguing that a highly centralised approach to electricity transmission planning would raise costs, slow the green…

EU battery storage dependence drives fresh concern as ministers warn over China-linked supply chains, lithium-ion imports, and grid bottlenecks, backing diversification via pumped hydro and thermal storage alongside grid upgrades to bolster resilience and competitiveness.   Essential Takeaways Ministers flag heavy reliance on China for storage Diversified storage backed: pumped hydro and thermal options Grid upgrades tied to price stability and resilience EU energy ministers used an informal meeting in Cyprus to spotlight Europe's growing reliance on China for battery energy storage systems, warning that deployment of wind and solar continues to outpace the buildout of storage and grid capacity.…

Transmission Upgrade Delays are stalling PJM interconnections, as an NRDC analysis warns that costly network upgrades and long timelines are blocking new generation, affecting data centers, reliability planning, and consumer costs across the 13-state region.   The Core Facts NRDC finds 26 GW blocked and 11.7 GW delayed in PJM Developers fund upgrades; data centers often do not Pennsylvania advances HB 1834 and HB 2223 on cost and tech Three Mile Island restart could slip to 2030-2031   Rising electricity demand and affordability concerns are colliding with an aging grid, and delays in transmission network upgrades are increasingly determining which…

France is planning emergency energy support discussions with G7, Nordic, and Baltic partners to coordinate urgent electricity aid, generators, and infrastructure support for Ukraine’s power grid, which has been severely damaged by Russian attacks and winter grid stresses. French government officials said they are arranging a call with G7 nations and the Nordic and Baltic states to coordinate urgent energy support for Ukraine amid widespread damage to power infrastructure and winter energy crises, diplomatic and energy officials confirmed. The talks build on existing European cooperation frameworks, including bilateral energy coordination efforts such as those outlined in France and Germany’s mutual…

Winter Storm Fern swept across the United States, prompting heavy snow, freezing rain, and power outages that left more than 1 million electricity customers without power across multiple regions. A powerful winter storm sweeping large portions of the United States left more than one million electricity customers without power on Sunday as heavy snow, ice, and frigid temperatures battered infrastructure and strained grid operations, echoing vulnerabilities previously exposed during major cold-weather failures such as the Texas power system collapse.   At A Glance • Winter Storm Fern knocks out power for over one million US customers• Snow and ice cause…

Analysts warn that rising data-center and AI demand threatens to push energy infrastructure costs onto consumers, unless Canada enacts policy reforms to ensure operators, not households, pay for grid upgrades and transmission capacity.   At A Glance Data center and AI-driven electricity demand may strain grids and shift upgrade costs to households. U.S. experience shows utility rates rising by more than 30% since 2021 due to data-center load surges. Without policy changes, Canadian consumers risk bearing the costs of infrastructure for new high-load sites. Regulators and utilities must craft rules to assign transmission upgrades to operators, not ratepayers.   Canada…

Ontario’s government under Doug Ford is overhauling environmental and energy policy, merging conservation authorities, greenlighting a major nuclear refurb, updating power-purchase rules, launching a utilities panel, and offering appliance rebates, stirring debate over land, costs and clean energy.   At A Glance Ontario to consolidate 36 local conservation authorities into seven regional agencies. Province approves CANDU reactor refurb at Pickering and updates global-adjustment rules for corporate renewables deals. New Panel for Utility Leadership & Service Excellence (PULSE) to guide future grid investments and regulation. Rebates up to C$200 are now offered for energy-efficient appliances to support efficiency upgrades.   Wide-Ranging…