Energy Planning

SMR power deals hinge on fuel supply, licensing and waste, not just megawatts

New SMR deals and new waste projects are pushing nuclear decisions upstream: fuel, licensing pathway, and waste endpoints now belong in the first RFP.

Europe’s 2026 energy planning is drifting back to gas, driven by €62/MWh summer spikes and 15-year supply deals

A hot summer, tighter system margins and slipping policy timelines are pushing European operators to rebalance toward firm gas supply, even as decarbonization roadmaps remain in place.

European gas at €62 per MWh is turning heat into an operations problem, not a trading story

Heat-driven power demand and reduced thermal availability are pushing European gas and power volatility back into procurement and continuity planning.

First-half 2026 US grid additions show storage is scaling almost as fast as solar, and that changes how operators should write load and interconnection plans

EIA’s January–June interconnection data shows solar led new US builds, but batteries were close behind, reshaping peak planning, contracts, and queue strategy.

Utility-scale solar and batteries dominated U.S. plants that actually came online in first half of 2026

EIA’s January to June data shows 207 new utility-scale solar projects and 95 battery projects, a planning signal for grid operators and large-load buyers writin

179D deduction window closes: what facilities and construction teams must do before June 30

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act terminates 179D for projects breaking ground after June 30, 2026, capping deductions at up to $5.81/ft².

New federal dataset and $67M in BTO funding reshape how operators plan for building energy demand

DOE's BTO deployed $67M+ in 2024 R&D funding while Lawrence Berkeley and the National Laboratory of the Rockies released a county-level demand dataset through 2050.

Cornerstone Energy Services' 4th Annual Energy Transition Forum tackles reliability, decarbonization, and New England's grid future

Utility leaders, engineers, and regulators met at Cornerstone Energy Services' 4th Annual Energy Transition Forum to address gas planning, winter reliability, a

Microsoft-commissioned report finds three soft barriers slowing AI adoption across Australia's electricity grid

A Mandala report commissioned by Microsoft identifies strategic, investment, and data fragmentation barriers holding back AI deployment in Australia's rapidly c

Utilities set to invest $1.1 trillion in grid infrastructure as electrification accelerates

U.S. utilities are committing $208B in 2025 grid investment, part of a $1.1T five-year buildout that will reshape procurement and operations planning.

Philippines raises renewable energy target to 50% by 2030, signaling major grid shift for industrial operators

The Philippine DOE has lifted its renewable energy target to 50% of the power mix by 2030, with direct implications for energy procurement and grid planning.

Cornerstone Energy's 4th Annual Forum puts New England grid reliability front and center

Utility leaders, engineers, and regulators gathered at the Energy Transition Forum to tackle winter reliability, decarbonization mandates, and grid planning.

Data centers drove half of US electricity demand growth as time-to-power becomes the defining constraint

Data centers accounted for roughly 50% of US electricity demand growth, far outpacing the global share of 17%, with power timelines now outstripping build timel

Utility Companies Should Aim for Flexible Network Solutions for Long Term Success

Grid modernization requires network solutions that adapt as technology and demand evolve, not just today's needs