PJM refiles its data-centre backstop auction for 1 March; Jefferies sees as little as 630 MW
After FERC rejected most of the first design, PJM revised cost allocation and collateral; utilities have cut near-term large-load forecasts by 6.5 GW.
Grid
Mitsubishi Electric grows its utility business 20% as it moves on PCI and an ABB venture
The Japanese group is buying PCI Energy Solutions for $1.4 billion, a platform Utility Dive says manages about 60% of US power generation, and plans a components joint venture with ABB.
UK approves Sea Link, a 2 GW undersea connection between Suffolk and Kent
National Grid's mostly offshore link was approved on 30 October alongside two large solar farms, taking nationally significant clean energy approvals since July 2024 to 39.
DOE offers $237 million to refurbish grid equipment and build US-made parts
The Grid SCALED funding opportunity splits up to $50 million for refurbishment and reuse and up to $187 million for domestic materials and subcomponents; concept papers are due 20 November.
GE Vernova to buy grid equipment maker Trench Group for $9 billion
Trench brings bushings, instrument transformers and coils, more than 800 utility and hyperscaler customers and about $5 billion of backlog; gas turbines under contract rose only 6 GW in the quarter.
PJM asks FERC to dismiss Mon Power's $145M Winter Storm Fern complaint
PJM calls it a fishing expedition and blames downed lines on Mon Power's own system for the price gaps; generator groups warn against rerunning cleared markets.
NESO managed up to 4.9 GW of wind through storms Austen and Boelo
Demand topped 33 GW, a localised negative reserve notice covered a 70 MW flexibility gap in northern Scotland, and one generator got a 50 MW emergency instruction.
A 1 GW data centre in Western Australia proposes to run on its own islanded microgrid
Project Meridien would pair 5,200 MW of solar and 1,500 MW of wind with a 5,000 MWh battery and no external grid connection, feeding a data centre of up to 1,000 MW.
DOE puts $50M of Defense Production Act money into Virginia–West Virginia grid upgrades
The funding backs advanced reconductoring and dynamic line rating on existing Appalachian Power lines, which DOE says will add about 290 MW of capacity one to four years faster than new lines.
Fingrid requires grid-forming capability from new wind and solar where the ESCR is below 1.0
Under its VJV2024 power-plant code, Finland's TSO will make type D plants in weak grid areas add batteries, ES-STATCOMs or synchronous machines sized up to 30% of output; existing plants are exempt.