Electric Utilities

The U.S. Ambassador to London attacked Britain's nuclear policy on Wednesday in a rare and strong criticism, just before a decision is expected on the development of the site in North Wales. The UK is expected to announce on Thursday that its first small modular reactor nuclear power plant will be located on Anglesey Island, a North Wales island, where an old nuclear station closed in 2015. The United States was pushing for an extensive nuclear project. On Wednesday, Ambassador Warren Stephens made a strong rebuke to Britain's decision. Stephens stated that he was "extremely disappointed" by the decision. "There...

A drone attack overnight by Ukraine temporarily interrupted power and heating in Voronezh (southwestern Russia), a regional governor reported on Sunday. Alexander Gusev, Governor of Voronezh Region, said that the attack on Voronezh - the administrative center for the entire Voronezh area - did not result in any injuries. He added that electronic warfare systems suppressed several drones, which sparked a fire in a utility building. The fire was quickly put out. Gusev stated that safety measures caused a brief change in the central heating temperature in some homes as well as short power outages in certain parts of the...

Duke Energy, the U.S. utility, beat Wall Street's estimates for revenue and profit in its third quarter on Friday. This was due to higher electricity rates, strong demand and more contracts signed by Duke Energy with energy-intensive data centres. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the technology industry's AI-driven data centers combined with the accelerating electrification in homes and businesses will push U.S. electricity demand to record levels by 2025 and 2026. Duke, which is a company that primarily operates in North Carolina, has signed energy service agreements worth about three gigawatts with data centers in this year. Deals...

Duke Energy, a utility company, beat Wall Street expectations for revenue and profit in the third quarter on Friday. This was due to higher electricity rates and high power demand. Electricity costs will rise as data centers consume more power in the wake of an industrial electrification wave and manufacturing growth. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a surge in AI- and cryptocurrency-based data centers combined with accelerating electrification in homes and businesses is expected to push U.S. energy demand to record levels by 2025 and 2026. Duke will add 13 gigawatts in energy capacity in the next five-year...

Constellation Energy, a U.S. utility company, narrowed its forecast for the full year after it missed third-quarter expectations due to higher operating costs. Following the results, shares of the Baltimore-based company dropped 4% during premarket trading. Constellation Energy's margins are squeezed by higher operating costs, which are driven by maintenance and infrastructure investments. U.S. utilities argue that higher electricity prices are necessary due to the rapid increase in power consumption caused by the expansion of AI data centres, the rise of domestic production, and the electrification industries. Utilities are raising customer bills to pay for infrastructure upgrades as the electrical...

Duke Energy, a utility company, beat Wall Street expectations for revenue and profit in the third quarter on Friday. This was due to higher electricity rates and high power demand. Electricity costs will rise as data centers consume more power in the wake of an industrial electrification wave and a manufacturing boom. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a surge in AI- and cryptocurrency-based data centers combined with the accelerating electricification of homes, businesses and other buildings is expected to drive U.S. electricity demand to record levels by 2025 and 2026. Duke Energy is looking at adding large nuclear...

Alliant Energy increased its capital expenditure plan for the next four years on Thursday as it bets that demand for electricity will continue to rise. Utilities must contend with a surge in demand for power from data centers that are dedicated to artificial-intelligence operations and cryptocurrency. U.S. utilities have added billions to their investment plans in order to fund upgrades to critical infrastructure such as power lines and electrical grids. Alliant has increased its contracted data center energy demand by 3 gigawatts. It also expects to see a 50% increase in peak energy consumption by 2030. Lisa Barton, CEO, said:...

Consolidated Edison beat Wall Street expectations for the third quarter profit. This was helped by a robust demand for their electric and gas services. Its shares rose nearly 3% during extended trading. The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that power consumption will reach record levels in 2025 and beyond, due to demand from data centres dedicated to AI, cryptocurrency and homes and businesses using more electricity, and less fossil fuels for heating and transportation. The S&P Index tracking utilities increased 6.8% during the quarter ending September 30. Net income for the New York utility rose by 17%, to $688 millions,...

Canada's main index of stocks remained mostly unchanged on Thursday as higher commodity prices countered broader market caution, and disappointing earnings following the benchmark's best session in three week. At 9:57 am. After closing Wednesday's trading day 1.1% higher, the S&P/TSX Composite index in Toronto was down by 0.1% to 30,075.80. This is its largest single-day increase since October 14. The rally was backed by positive economic data from the United States, where services sector activity rose to an eight-month peak in October and private pay exceeded expectations. The data eased investor concerns following top Wall Street banks' warnings of...

NRG Energy forecast a core profit of $1.2 billion for the full year 2026, compared to its revised range for 2025. The company's shares rose 1% before the market opened on Thursday due to the surge in power demand. NRG will benefit from the surge in electricity demand in Texas. This is due in part to a boom of data centers that require large, stable power supplies in order to support artificial-intelligence and cloud computing operations. Utility expects a core profit of between $3.93 and $4.18 in 2026, as opposed to its updated guidance for 2025 of $3.88 to $4.03...

Vistra Corp forecast adjusted core profit for 2026 higher than the outlook it gave this year. This reflects its confidence in its expanding power generation portfolio, and its strong demand throughout U.S. market. As it expands its gas-fired energy and clean energy capacities, the Texas-based electricity company expects an adjusted EBITDA of between $6,8 billion and $7.6billion in 2026, up from a forecast range for 2025 of $5.7 to $5.9billion. Vistra's Board also approved an extra $1 billion worth of share buybacks. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a surge in AI- and cryptocurrency-based data centers combined with the...

Utility Evergy missed Wall Street's adjusted profit estimates for its third quarter on Thursday and cut the upper end of the adjusted earnings forecast 2025 due to the impact from milder summer weather conditions and higher interest costs. The quarter saw a drop in earnings for utilities like Evergy due to a cooler than normal summer. In a press release, CEO David Campbell stated that while we have implemented cost-saving and mitigation measures across the company, they do not completely offset weather headwinds in the second and third quarters. The high interest rates have made it difficult for utility companies...

Axia Energia, a Brazilian power company, announced a loss for the third quarter of the year after accounting non-cash expenses incurred from the sale of its Eletronuclear shares. It also announced the payment dividends to its shareholders. Why it's important The results show Axia's ongoing reorganization as it leaves the nuclear sector and streamlines its operations while maintaining shareholder returns, despite the accounting losses. The company's dividend decision was based on a strong performance and stable power prices. KEY NUMBERS Axia's Board approved 4.3 billion Reais ($795.72 Million) in dividends, despite Axia reporting a loss of 5.45 Billion Reais for...

Kansai, Japan's largest nuclear power company, revised its profit forecasts for the fiscal year that ends in March next year by 65 billion yen, to 360 billion ($2.4 billion), due to an increase in electricity demand. Kansai, a company in which activist investor Elliott from the United States has recently become a major minority shareholder, raised its forecast for the full year dividend to 75 yen, up from 60 yen. The nuclear capacity factor (which measures how much of total nuclear power capacity available is actually used) was left unchanged at around 80% from the previous forecast. Kansai's net profit...

A factsheet released by the U.S. and Japan on Tuesday showed that around 20 companies have expressed an interest in projects which could contribute to Tokyo’s commitment to invest $500 billion in the United States under a trade deal. In a July deal, U.S. president Donald Trump agreed to lower tariffs on Japanese auto imports and other goods. The agreement also included a Japanese commitment to invest $550 billion in U.S. project. According to a list of possible projects, SoftBank Group, Mitsubishi Electric, and Hitachi are among the companies interested in participating. The list includes energy, AI infrastructure, and critical...

The new Japanese government under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is looking at creating its own version the U.S. Committee that reviews foreign acquisitions for national security. Takaichi is a conservative hardliner who wants to strengthen such screenings. The ruling coalition aims to pass the necessary legislation for a such panel during next year's regular session of parliament. A source familiar with current thinking believes that the panel will include members from ministries and agencies engaged in screening investments to improve their coordination. Takaichi, who was running for the leadership of the ruling party last month, said that she "knew with...

A lobby leader said that the nuclear industry in Japan wants more support for building new reactors under the newly elected pronuclear prime minister Sanae Takaichi. This includes state-run auctions of capacity, according to a Thursday statement. Only 14 of the 54 reactors that operated in Japan prior to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 have been brought online. Takaichi said reviving the nuclear power was key to Japan's security. Japan has focused on restarting reactors that have been shut down - the government extended the operating life from 40 to 60 year - and only one new plant is...

Ilya Rebrov, the deputy director general of Rosatom's Chinese division, was quoted on Thursday as saying that Rosatom had made significant progress in placing bonds on the Chinese market. Interfax reported that Rebrov stated that a placement would take months or even weeks. He said that despite the "pressure" Russian industry was under, Rosatom managed to get a rating by a Chinese credit rating agency. It also took decisions which had brought it closer to its goal of being able raise debts in China. Atomenergoprom, Rosatom's power unit, received a "AAA" credit rating in April from China's Dagong Global Capital...

On Thursday, a U.S. court upheld the validity and the 2020 bonds of Venezuelan oil company PDVSA. This led to the suspension of an auction of shares of the parent company of Venezuelan-owned U.S. refining firm Citgo. The bonds are secured by a majority stake in Citgo, which is ultimately owned by Caracas-headquartered PDVSA. The company defaulted in 2019 on the bonds, putting the refiner under threat of seizure from creditors. Since years, bondholders and companies expropriated by Venezuela have been fighting in U.S. courtrooms for the country's assets abroad, including Houston-based refiner Citgo Petroleum valued at $13 billion. Venezuela...

Elliott Management, an activist investor and Kansai electric power shareholder, has said that the Japanese utility can become a better long-term investment if it sells non-core assets, boosts profitability, and increases shareholder returns. Elliott is now one of the three largest shareholders in Kansai, Japan's largest nuclear power company by number of reactors online. The stake, which ranges between 4%-5%, was disclosed on Wednesday by a source familiar with the situation. In a Wednesday statement released from London, Elliott stated that it looked forward to working closely with Kansai's management team and other key stakeholders in order to enhance the...

The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that activist investor Elliott Management is now one of the three largest shareholders in Kansai Electric Power, with a stake between 4% and 5 %, according to people familiar with the situation. Kansai's shares rose 6% after the report. According to the report, Elliott has urged Kansai, a major nuclear operator, to increase dividends, and buy back shares, by selling non-core assets worth 150 billion yen per year. The FT reported that Elliott had identified non-core assets worth over 2 trillion yen. These include a stake in a building firm and property worth more...

The Russian state nuclear company Rosatom is planning to issue bonds in yuan currency in China, a spokesperson for the company said on Monday. The spokesperson did not provide any further information. The announcement by Rosatom comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China last week and called for a joint financial infrastructure between countries in the "Global South". Alexei Likhachev, Rosatom's chief executive officer On the sidelines the four-day trip, the Russian giant said that it was willing to help China surpass the United States when it comes to installed nuclear generation capacity. Likhachev stated that Russia has helped...

Kuwait has opened the bids for phase one of the Al Khairan water and power project. The project is a 1.8-gigawatt energy source that aims to alleviate Kuwait's power shortages. Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects invited pre-qualified international consortiums to submit bids for Al Khairan Phase 1 independent water and power producer project. The project will also produce 125 millions imperial gallons per day of water. Kuwait, a member of OPEC and a major oil producer, is facing a severe electricity shortage because of rapid population growth, urbanization, rising temperatures, and maintenance delays in certain plants. The government has had...

The excitement over a possible U.S. rate cut in September waned on Monday. U.S. stock futures fell during pre-market trade as investors focused on the larger economic picture. As of 1258 BST, the S&P 500 was down 0.2% and Nasdaq Futures were down 0.3%. This indicates a lower Wall Street opening. Powell's change in stance has caused futures markets to price an 84% probability of a quarter point rate cut in September and at least 100 base points of easing up to 3.25-3.5% in the middle of next. The broadest MSCI index of world stocks rose by 0.1%, and remained...