Thursday, March 6, 2025

Utilities News

Indonesia will maintain the monopoly of electricity by state utilities, says the president's assistant

A close advisor to Indonesian President Prabowo said that he has decided to not change the monopoly of the state-owned power utility on the electricity markets despite calls to liberalise the market to encourage investment in renewable energy. Hashim Djojohadikusumo is the brother of the president and his adviser.

Utility Public Service Enterprise raises its spending plan and forecasts a higher profit in 2025

Public Service Enterprise Group, a U.S. electric utility and gas company, forecasted a higher profit in 2025 compared to the previous year and increased its five-year plan for capital expenditures. Utilities are experiencing a surge in power demand as Big Tech invests billions of…

Uniper's hedging strategy includes selling hydropower through 2027.

The German utility Uniper said that it has sold large quantities of future hydropower production as part of an hedging strategy. Uniper sold 30% of German hydropower for 2026, at an average of 86 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh) and 5% for 2027 at 80 euros/MWh. This was revealed in a presentation to analysts on the earnings for 2024.

Russell: Asia LNG imports to fall to 22-month low due to Europe's surge in prices

In February, Asia's LNG imports will likely drop to their lowest level in almost two years while Europe's are expected to reach the second highest levels on record. Buyers are turning away from expensive spot cargoes that have prices that are at least 50% higher this year than they were last year.

Russell: Asia LNG imports to fall to a 22-month low due to Europe's surge in prices.

In February, Asia's LNG imports will likely drop to their lowest level in almost two years while Europe's will surge to the highest levels ever recorded. Buyers are turning away from expensive spot cargoes that have prices at least 50 percent higher than they were last year. The milder…

FERC wants more guidance on colocated data centers

The U.S. Energy regulators directed the largest grid operator in the country to clarify how it deals with co-location. This arrangement is becoming increasingly popular for AI data centers, allowing them to be connected directly to power plants. Co-location is a faster way to get large amounts of energy…

Japan adopts new policies on energy, climate and industry through 2040

The Japanese government approved new targets on Tuesday to reduce the country's emissions of greenhouse gases through 2040. It also approved a revised energy policy and updated industrial policies for the same time period. The measures are aimed at enhancing long-term stability of policy for businesses.

DeepSeek fears subside, US power companies spend more on data centers

U.S. Electric utilities are increasing their spending plans by tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars in order to upgrade the grid and build new power sources as artificial intelligence data centers and cloud computing drives up energy consumption. PPL Corp announced on its…

DTE Energy's capital expenditure plan is increased, but the fourth-quarter profits are lower due to lower rates

DTE Energy increased its five-year plan for capital expenditures by $5 billion, on Thursday. The utility had posted a decline in the fourth quarter profit due to lower electricity prices. U.S. utilities are increasing their capital expenditure plans in order to upgrade the electric grid and lines to meet the needs of power-hungry industries.

TE Connectivity to Acquire Richards Manufacturing

TE Connectivity entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Richards Manufacturing Co. from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. and members of the Bier family, long-standing owners and leaders of the business. The transaction will strengthen TE's position in serving…

DTE Energy reports a fall in profit for the fourth quarter on lower rates

DTE Energy announced a decline in its fourth-quarter profits on Thursday. The utility was hit by lower electricity prices. Regulations regulate utilities to establish the price that customers will pay for natural gas and electricity. DTE filed a rate case in order to reduce the cost of electricity production.

NiSource increases its earnings forecast for 2025 on the basis of higher power demand

NiSource, a U.S. electric utility and gas company, raised its earnings forecasts for 2025 on Wednesday and beat the fourth-quarter profit expectations. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, power companies will benefit from rising electricity consumption - which…

WEC Energy's quarterly profit increases as it expands its data center services

WEC Energy Group announced on Tuesday a profit that more than doubled during the fourth quarter. The electric utility benefited from lower operating costs and higher revenues as it expanded its service to Microsoft data centers. U.S. energy companies, like Milwaukee's WEC Energy,…

Goldman Sachs raises US gas price forecast amid colder winter

Goldman Sachs raised its forecast of U.S. Natural Gas prices from $3.00 per million British Thermal Units (MMBtu), to $3.60 for 2025. This is due to tighter gas balances in this winter, as a result of colder than average temperatures. The bank stated that "there is no need for $4 gasoline just yet".

If elected, German opposition leader promises to build 50 gas-fired energy plants

The t-online newspaper reported that the opposition leader Friedrich Merz has pledged to build 50 gas-fired plants if the conservatives win in the snap elections on February 23. In November, Germany's gas-fired electricity output jumped a record 79% from the previous month as utilities…

Portugal is keen to create an offshore wind cluster that could reach up to 10 gigawatts

Portugal's Government said on Friday that it is keen to create a cluster wind farms off the coast of its Atlantic Ocean. The total power of these wind farms could reach around 10 gigawatts. Lisbon approved last week four areas where offshore wind farms could be installed. This is…

Beware of Egypt's smokestack reshoring as Cement Exports Soar: Maguire

North Africa's second largest natural gas producer and its largest economy have increased the production and exports of several energy-intensive commodities in an effort to boost the growth of their industrial sector. Egypt's exports of chemicals, fertilizers, and cement doubled from 2022 to 2024.

Utility chief says that increased US LNG exports will benefit Japan under Trump

The head of Japan's utilities union said that a potential increase in U.S. fossil-fuel production and exports of liquefied gas under Donald Trump’s new presidency could lead to lower fuel prices for Japan. Trump has stated that he plans to lift the moratorium on new LNG permits, imposed by the administration of President Joe Biden.

Beware of Egypt's smokestack reshoring as Cement Exports Soar: Maguire

North Africa's second largest natural gas producer and its largest economy have increased the production and exports of several energy-intensive commodities in an effort to boost the growth of their industrial sector. Egypt's exports of chemicals, fertilizers, and cement doubled from 2022 to 2024.

Are price movements a result of structural shifts? China's commodity imports are bifurcated: Russell

China's imports in 2024 of major commodities were a mixed bag. Iron ore, coal, and natural gas volumes reached record levels, while crude oil was weak. Raw data from the largest buyer of natural resource in the world suggests that some parts of the economy perform well, while others are struggling or are undergoing structural changes.

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