Good morning. Oracle dropped its fight against Wisconsin's ratepayer safeguards, Three Mile Island's restart just received its biggest new component, and Amazon's giant off-grid Texas campus is exploring a grid connection after all.
Top Stories
ORACLE DROPS FIGHT AGAINST WISCONSIN RATEPAYER SAFEGUARDS
Wisconsin Watch
Oracle withdrew its challenge to financial-assurance rules for the $15 billion Stargate Lighthouse campus. Its BBB- rating falls below the PSC's A- threshold, exposing it to more than $100 million a year in security payments or potentially $7 billion in collateral.
500,000-POUND TRANSFORMER ARRIVES FOR THREE MILE ISLAND RESTART
Pennsylvania Capital-Star
Constellation received the first of three new transformers for the $1.6 billion Unit 1 revival, backed by a 20-year Microsoft power deal and $1 billion DOE loan. Uranium loading is targeted for spring 2027, with grid service later that year.
TEXAS LAWMAKERS TURN AGAINST THE POWER LINES THEY ORDERED
San Antonio Express-News
Landowner backlash is pushing legislators to slow the $33 billion Permian reliability plan they demanded in 2023. Critics say regulators expanded a regional mandate into a statewide 765-kV network without an explicit legislative vote.
PJM WANTS NEW DATA CENTERS FIRST IN LINE FOR BLACKOUTS
Tom's Hardware
New 50-MW-plus sites connecting after June 1, 2027 would face curtailment before households unless they bring generation or contracted supply. Enforcement would fall to states and the utilities they regulate.
ORACLE'S 2.5-GW NEW MEXICO CAMPUS HITS PIPELINE DELAY
The Next Web
The 400-million-cubic-feet-per-day Green Chile gas pipeline slipped nearly six months to February 1, 2027 after disputes over its route across state trust land. Oracle says Project Jupiter remains on schedule.
Power & Grid
704-MW REVOLUTION WIND PROJECT PASSES 95% COMPLETE
Connecticut Public
Orsted has installed 61 of 65 turbines, delivered first power and expects full commercial operation by year-end. The Rhode Island-Connecticut project survived a 2025 federal stop-work order.
PG&E GETS $271 MILLION TO KEEP DIABLO CANYON RUNNING
Merced Sun-Star
The DOE payment is part of up to $1.1 billion available through the Civil Nuclear Credit Program for the California plant, which supplies nearly 10% of the state's electricity generation.
UTAH'S PRO-NUCLEAR BILLBOARDS DRAW FTC COMPLAINT
Deseret News
Three groups say state ads comparing nuclear radiation with bananas and waste storage with leftovers are deceptive. The campaign supports Operation Gigawatt, Utah's plan to double energy production by 2034.
QCELL'S $2.5 BILLION GEORGIA FACTORY BUILDS THE WHOLE PANEL
Grist
The Cartersville complex began making solar cells in June and is positioned as the only U.S. factory producing every major panel component under one roof, insulating customers from import risk and policy whiplash.
LONG BEACH PORT SIGNS UP FOR FLOATING NUCLEAR REACTORS
CBS Los Angeles
BlueCore Energy received rights to assemble, test and store barge-mounted small reactors at Berth 48 for port and ship power. The startup has not filed an NRC application, and California's nuclear-construction ban remains a hurdle.
Data Centers
NORTH CAROLINA OPENS DATA-CENTER TARIFF FIGHT
Charlotte Observer
Regulators are weighing statewide terms for large Duke Energy customers after one data center faced just $2.5 million in tariffs against more than $140 million in grid upgrades. Duke and Public Staff disagree over contract coverage and early-exit penalties.
AMAZON EXPLORES A GRID CONNECTION FOR ITS 8,000-ACRE CAMPUS
Data Center Knowledge
The West Texas project built around 35 gas turbines is now weighing utility interconnection as well, a sign that even the largest off-grid builds want a grid tie behind them.
CALIFORNIA DATA-CENTER GUARDRAILS CLEAR KEY COMMITTEE
Canary Media
One bill would make large data centers cover their generation and grid-upgrade costs and curtail during emergencies. Another would speed environmental review for projects meeting strict clean-power, backup-power and community-benefit requirements.
KENTUCKY'S DATA-CENTER ORDER FACES ENFORCEMENT QUESTIONS
Kentucky Lantern
Gov. Andy Beshear says his executive order can limit data centers' effects on power costs and communities, but its reach without supporting legislation is now under scrutiny.
NORTH DAKOTA SHELVES DATA-CENTER PAUSE, KEEPS NDA FIGHT
North Dakota Monitor
Lawmakers rejected adding a statewide moratorium to September's special session but will consider banning nondisclosure agreements between public officials and data-center developers.
Stat of the Day
7.65 GW
Potential gas generation planned for Amazon's GW Ranch campus
The private-grid design also includes 1.8 GW of battery storage and up to 750 MW of solar, but Amazon is now exploring front-of-the-meter grid service.
Data Center Knowledge ↗