AGP Executive Report

AI + Power Demand: Reliance and Meta are teaming up to build a 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar, with renewable power and desalinated seawater cooling—Meta will lease capacity and cover energy/water costs, underscoring how hyperscale AI is reshaping electricity demand. Corporate Clean Energy Deals: Meta and CleanMax also announced 837 MW of new solar-and-wind projects in Rajasthan and Karnataka (part of a 900 MW-plus push), with Meta buying 100% of environmental attributes. Grid + Charging Tech: Autel showcased grid-aware, fleet-focused EV charging in Sydney, while SLB and Qualcomm signed an MoU to bring edge AI closer to remote energy operations. Energy Security Shock: Oil markets stayed jumpy as Strait of Hormuz traffic signals improved supply but conflict risk remains; Japan’s wholesale inflation accelerated on energy-cost pressure. Transition vs Reliability: South Africa’s “gas cliff” threat is worrying industrial gas users as Sasol’s Mozambique supply limits approach. Policy + Industry Scale: Gujarat is preparing an “Ultra Mega Industries” category for projects of ₹10,000 crore+ to pull in big manufacturing investment. Clean Cooking Push: Tanzania’s Shinyanga plan targets 80% clean cooking adoption by 2034, focusing on value-chain and governance, not just enforcement.

Oil & Markets: Crude slid fast as hopes for a US-Iran pause deal eased Strait of Hormuz fears, dragging WTI below $88 and Brent lower. EU Clean Tech: The EU launched the €25B Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy and Clean Tech initiative (T-MED) to mobilize renewables, hydrogen and grid upgrades across the Mediterranean. Grid & Storage: EdgeMode struck a Spain BESS JV deal to capture solar overgeneration and cut outages and price spikes; TWAICE is supplying BESS analytics for BayWa r.e.’s 282 MWh Alfeld project in Germany. Smart Metering: Adani Energy Solutions agreed to buy IntelliSmart for ₹3,050 crore, expanding its smart meter footprint to 4.7 crore units. Utilities & Bills: Michigan’s AG says she’ll fight Consumers Energy’s proposed $456M annual rate hike. Corporate Moves: Veregy acquired JDC Energy Services to expand in the Northeast; Reliance scaled battery plans toward 100 GWh. Energy Security Diplomacy: Cyprus pushed regional energy cooperation at a Washington meeting, while Ukraine shared drone-tech readiness with Nordic and Baltic allies.

Grid & Power Policy: Ohio’s Supreme Court backed Duke Energy Ohio’s $29M gas rate increase tied to retiring aging propane storage caverns, a reminder that infrastructure upgrades keep showing up in bills. Data Centers & Energy Demand: AWS is proposing a ~$7B Indiana data center campus and says it will pay $1.25B to offset added electricity costs for ratepayers, while Scotland’s groups push a charter for renewable power, efficiency, water limits, and district-heat readiness for new data centers. Energy Storage & Solar Tech: EVE Energy says it secured 67GWh+ in SNEC energy storage orders, and a Colorado solar installer highlights how batteries are shifting from backup to integrated daily-use storage. Aviation Decarbonization: Technip Energies, Airbus, Safran and Tereos plan a large Alcohol-to-Jet SAF venture at Dunkirk targeting ~160,000 tons/year. Geopolitics & Oil Prices: Iran-Israel tensions flared again, lifting crude and keeping energy risk premium elevated. Renewables Finance & Resilience: The World Bank added $9M for the fuel-import-dependent Marshall Islands to blunt higher energy costs.

Energy Security & Trade: SONATRACH has broken ground on Algeria’s section of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, aiming to move Nigerian gas through Niger into Algeria and onward to Mediterranean export routes, with the full line targeting 20–30 bcm a year. Food Inputs Under Pressure: FAO warns the Strait of Hormuz is now a global food-security risk, pushing fertilizer and production shocks; it urges open trade in agricultural inputs and better fertilizer use. Oil Market Reality Check: Opec+’s latest quota hike highlights a widening gap between paper supply and what can actually reach customers as Hormuz disruption and other constraints bite. Refining & Resilience: Aramco says underinvestment in refineries is leaving a 3mn bpd deficit, arguing for more pipeline and domestic refining to keep refined products flowing. US Power Demand & Costs: AWS plans a major Indiana data center, with a $1.25bn payment to offset added electricity costs for local ratepayers. AI’s Resource Strain: A UN report warns AI data centers could consume 9.3tn litres of water annually by 2030, alongside major electricity demand. US Policy: The US Supreme Court struck down a Biden-era rule on furnace and water-heater efficiency standards, sending the case back for reconsideration. Solar Policy: Connecticut expanded its solar tax and tightened a property tax exemption for solar facilities. Clean Industry Push: India is rolling out a new biogas blending policy as LNG imports are cut, while its low-carbon industrial project pipeline grows to $433bn.

Geopolitics & Oil Prices: Strait of Hormuz tensions are widening the split in energy strategy, with crude jumping on renewed Israel-Iran and Lebanon strikes and markets bracing for more shipping disruption risk. Nuclear Power: Iran’s Bushehr plant again ranks among the world’s safest and most efficient nuclear facilities, underscoring nuclear as a strategic electricity backbone. Grid & Storage Buildout: Türkiye targets $20B+ in energy efficiency investment by 2030, while residential storage trends keep rising—Hoymiles and TÜV SÜD publish a 2026 white paper on safety, simplicity, and smarter home energy management. Clean Tech & Data Centers: AWS plans a major Indiana data center campus and will pay $1.25B to offset local power-cost impacts, as data-center energy use and cooling efficiency stay in the spotlight. Regional Power Trade: Sarawak Energy says ASEAN power exchange is moving from MoUs to megawatts, but needs grid readiness and regulatory clarity. Finance for Energy Security: The US DFC backs a $1.5B Indo-Pacific energy infrastructure platform focused on LNG and other security assets. Industry Watch: India’s battery PLI scheme faces a potential decision on Rajesh Exports after SEBI’s fraud-related order. Energy Transition Capital: Mirova plans two new funds—regenerative agriculture in Europe and energy transition in Asia—as oil and fertilizer shocks reshape investment priorities.

Data Centers’ Energy Strain: A UN University report says data centers already use 448 trillion watt-hours of electricity and could see water, energy use, and pollution double in four years as AI ramps up. South Africa Gas-to-Power: Eskom and Zululand Energy Terminal signed a Heads of Agreement to push LNG import, storage, and regasification—aimed at underpinning Eskom’s 3,000MW gas-to-power plan. Energy Security Policy Pushes: Bangladesh’s parliamentary committee urged 3-month strategic fuel reserves, diversified imports, and full digital monitoring of the fuel supply chain. India Reform Pressure: World Bank ED Neelkanth Mishra said India needs faster energy reforms and tougher pricing decisions to cut import dependence. Aviation Fuel Gap: IATA warned SAF output will stay far below net-zero needs—about 0.8% of aviation fuel in 2026—calling for better policy sequencing and open fuel infrastructure access. EV Battery Circularity: Waymo plans to repurpose retired EV batteries into clean energy storage for community grid projects via B2U Storage Solutions.

Community Benefit Rules: Oxfordshire County Council is consulting on an interim policy for large clean-energy projects (solar, wind, battery storage), pushing developers to make annual community payments and offer shared ownership so local areas don’t miss out. Grid & Affordability Pressure: In Nevada, protesters disrupted an NV Energy conference over soaring bills and a planned daily demand charge starting Jan. 1, 2027. Nuclear Milestone: The U.S. Energy Department says Antares’ advanced microreactor hit criticality at Idaho National Lab, a step toward electricity generation. Energy Market Politics: Kansas legislators asked FERC to protect competitive bidding for transmission projects after a southcentral Kansas line was assigned to Evergy without a formal bid. AI Power Demand: A new report highlights how Malaysia’s data-center boom is driving electricity growth while gas-fired generation surges, complicating clean-energy goals. Tech for Efficiency: Danfoss says a new digital hydraulic system for electric construction equipment can cut battery energy use by 35% and boost runtime by 50%+.

Industrial Decarbonization: Rathi Steel and Power ran hot charging of mild steel billets to its TMT bar mill, cutting reheating needs and fuel use while producing Fe 550D rebars with better seismic performance. Energy Storage Boom: Oman’s renewables push is getting a boost from new storage investment, while the Dominican grid is moving toward private battery energy storage to stabilize supply. Grid Flexibility in India: NTPC invited EOI for flexible thermal units that can run at low loads (25%) to balance rising renewables. AI Meets Power Limits: Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey warned AI may need rationing as electricity supply can’t keep up, forcing “social choices” across sectors. Renewables Policy Push: Bhutan advanced a Renewable Energy Tax Exemption Bill to cut project costs and improve tariff competitiveness. Regional Energy Deals: India and Venezuela are deepening energy cooperation as Indian firms seek a bigger role in Venezuela’s oil and gas, with refinery visits and technology transfer on the agenda. Water-Tech Innovation: Scientists reported waste-free solar desalination that could reduce energy and brine impacts. Battery Projects: Saudi Arabia approved a 2.5GW grid BESS project, signaling scale-up for renewable reliability.

Supreme Court Power Ruling (India): India’s Railways must treat itself as a “consumer” for electricity procurement, shifting the cost burden for open-access clean power and pushing faster renewable contracting. Data Centers & Power Demand (Texas): Google and Intersect broke ground on the Meitner Energy Center in the Texas Panhandle, tying a new data center to new generation—another sign of AI-era load growth. Lithium Supply Push (U.S.): The DOE is funding $100M for U.S. lithium extraction innovation to strengthen battery mineral sourcing under IRA rules. Gas Prices & Iran (U.S.): Energy Secretary Chris Wright says lower pump prices depend on resolving Iran to increase oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz. Energy Affordability (Maryland): A new Maryland energy bill boosts grid upgrades and solar, but critics warn it cuts efficiency funding that helps keep bills down long term. Clean Energy Consumer Tools (Pakistan): Pakistan launched a consumer one-stop-shop to guide households and small businesses into solar and other renewables. Storage Innovation (Cyprus): Underwater compressed-air storage claims potential for major electricity bill reductions while boosting renewable use. Coal Politics (U.S.): Trump announced nearly $700M for coal investment, while Montana was left out of the plan.

Coal Revival Push: Trump announced a $700M plan to revive U.S. coal, including upgrades/restarts for 13 plants and support for new coal capacity, arguing it’s needed for AI data-center power—while critics say coal is costly and polluting. Grid & Rates Pressure: Duke Energy is seeking an 18% rate hike in North Carolina as customers warn data-center demand will make bills unaffordable; the decision now sits with the NC Utilities Commission. Energy Security & Shipping Risk: Strait of Hormuz disruption is reshaping energy security debates, with analysts pointing to the fragility of concentrated fossil fuel supply routes and the growing role of renewables plus storage. Oil & Gas Development: Empyrean Energy shares jumped after a binding contract for a jack-up rig to drill Indonesia’s Mako gas field. Clean Tech Hardware: Ingeteam launched a modular utility-scale BESS inverter; Waymo plans to reuse robotaxi batteries for grid storage. AI Governance: Anthropic urged the industry to build a “brake pedal” as AI moves toward faster self-improvement. Permitting Reform: Offshore permitting reform calls are growing as advocates push for more consistent, predictable approvals. Industry Partnerships: SFU teamed with Hanwha Ocean on Arctic tech, clean maritime energy, and advanced manufacturing.

Hydrogen Storage for Industry: Payal Industrial Park in Dahej, Gujarat, is partnering with Fourier to deploy hydrogen-powered long-duration storage, aiming to stretch backup from 12 hours to more than a week and keep renewables-backed power steady for factories. Long-Duration Batteries: HiTHIUM unveiled an 8-hour long-duration energy storage system at SNEC 2026, pushing longer backup as grids add more solar and wind. Energy Meets AI at ENERtec Asia: ENERtec Asia 2026 opened in Kuala Lumpur with a big focus on energy infrastructure for AI and data centres, spotlighting grid resilience and power supply readiness. India–Venezuela Energy Talks: India’s petroleum minister says a technical team will visit Venezuela to expand upstream and downstream cooperation, with Venezuela already a major crude supplier. RBI Holds Rates as Energy Costs Bite: India’s central bank kept the repo rate at 5.25%, citing West Asia-driven oil price pressure and rupee weakness. Coal Push in the US: Trump announced nearly $700m to support coal plants and exports, using defense-era powers to extend grid reliability. Grid Pressure from Data Centres: Duke Energy rate hikes face public pushback in North Carolina, with critics linking demand growth to data centres. Clean Power Finance: Inox Clean Energy is buying Vena Energy’s 6 GW renewables portfolio, while Origis Energy secured $75m financing for solar and storage projects. Saudi Stability Message: Saudi’s energy minister told SPIEF the world needs “every molecule” of energy and urged stabilization amid supply disruptions.

AI + Data Centers Power Crunch: Schneider Electric says Malaysia’s next AI buildout must be planned early across power, cooling, water, renewables access, and monitoring as data-center demand rises. Grid Hardware for AI: Estonia’s Skeleton Technologies launched a new UPS for AI data centers, pitching better grid compliance and efficiency. EU Tech Sovereignty (Energy Angle): The EU unveiled a tech sovereignty package to cut reliance on non-EU providers for chips, AI, cloud and energy digitisation, but analysts warn it won’t deliver independence overnight. Coal Revival via Defense Powers: Trump is set to use the Defense Production Act to push nearly $700m for coal plant upgrades, export infrastructure and new capacity—aimed at keeping prices low while expanding lifespans. Energy-Trade Diversification: India and Venezuela are deepening energy ties as Venezuela becomes a top crude supplier for India amid West Asia supply disruptions. Renewables Buildout in Malaysia: TNB says it delivered 4.3 GW of installed renewables and points to grid modernization to support data-center demand. Data Centers’ Environmental Cost: A UN report warns data centers’ electricity, carbon and water footprints are already comparable to major countries and could double by 2030. Storage Push: Romania is seeking Chinese partners for energy storage as high European prices open opportunity; Simtel completed a 100 MW/200 MWh BESS project in Romania. Policy + Affordability Fight: California and New York are weakening climate rules as energy costs rise, while the US debate over affordability vs climate action intensifies.

Energy & AI Infrastructure: Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim backed Tenaga Nasional (TNB) to steer an “energy transition” that’s “AI-driven,” as ETCon26 spotlights energy-for-AI and AI-for-energy ties. Emissions Software: IFS launched IFS Zero, an agentic emissions operating system to unify Scope 1-3 carbon calculations and produce audit-ready outputs for asset-heavy industries. Data Centers Power Crunch: EU unveiled a tech sovereignty package that also targets data-center energy demand and limits some U.S. cloud access, while analysts warn Europe still lacks a true Nvidia-scale champion. Grid Rules vs Clean Power: Reuters reports India’s tougher grid discipline for solar and wind (penalties from April 2027) is worrying investors and could cut returns sharply. Renewables Policy Moves: Kenya withdrew a proposed electricity tariff review, keeping bills unchanged; Nigeria’s NERC started Net Billing Regulations 2026 to let renewable “prosumers” export surplus. Geopolitics & Oil: A U.S.-Iran “double-sided ceasefire” paused hostilities and eased oil prices, but markets remain cautious as the situation looks fragile. Storage & Batteries: Indonesia urged to speed up a domestic battery industry roadmap as policy gaps and tech shifts narrow the window. Tech Sanctions: U.S. arrested Iran-linked tech CEO Jamshid Ghomi over alleged exports of restricted networking gear to Iran’s nuclear and military programs.

Nuclear Safety Watch: IAEA chief Rafael Grossi praised the UAE’s integrated peaceful nuclear program after touring Barakah, highlighting safety culture, transparency, and cooperation. Grid & Renewables Bottleneck: India’s SECI says it still can’t find buyers for 9.7 GW of renewable capacity from multiple auctions, even as it has found takers for 425 MW since March. Regulation & Costs: Michigan AG Dana Nessel says she’ll intervene in Consumers Energy’s $456M-a-year rate hike request, arguing the cycle of rising bills is squeezing families. EU Tech Sovereignty: The European Commission unveiled a technology sovereignty package targeting cloud, AI, chips, open source and an energy AI roadmap—aimed at cutting dependence on non-EU suppliers. Biofuels Legal Fight: AFPM challenged the EPA’s 2026-27 Renewable Fuel Standard volumes in court, calling them costly and impractical while Growth Energy says it’s ready to engage. Storage Deal: Aukera Energy reached €97.5M financial close for a 170 MW/340 MWh battery project in Belgium, targeting mid-2027 operations. Energy Markets Macro: The OECD cut its global growth forecast, warning the U.S.-Iran conflict is keeping energy disruptions and inflation risks alive.

Renewables in the field: The Philippine National Police’s Eastern Visayas HQ in Palo, Leyte switched on a 48-kilowatt solar PV system to cut power costs and push greener operations. Grid-scale control: Emerson says its Ovation Green SCADA is helping Holy Cross Energy run and optimize solar, wind and battery storage across four sites in Western Colorado. Energy transition execution: Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister backed Energy Transition Conference 2026 as a shift from ambition to delivery, stressing partnerships across utilities, developers and finance. Energy tech for consumers: Sigenergy launched SigenAgent, a goal-based AI energy manager for solar, storage and EV charging, aiming to automate bill savings and system performance. Policy and markets: South Korea and Canada agreed on a critical-minerals and energy plan that includes more Canadian crude and extra LNG supplies. Geopolitics and prices: Oil rose on renewed Middle East tensions, while gold extended gains as investors leaned on safe havens. Industrial decarbonisation: A UK delegation highlighted the Humber region’s hydrogen and carbon capture plans to attract investment and jobs. Power reliability challenge: Nigeria’s Discos collected N196.13bn in March vs N246.43bn billed, leaving revenue recovery at 79.59% amid weaker billing efficiency.

Grid & Renewables in Action: The Philippines’ PNP is going solar, switching on a 48-kilowatt PV system at its Eastern Visayas headquarters in Leyte to cut power costs and push renewable use. Energy Storage Deals: EDF power solutions North America and Masdar secured 15-year power purchase agreements for California’s BigBeau 128 MW solar plus 40 MW/160 MWh battery project. Battery Buildout in the UK: Eelpower Energy bought a 50 MW/100 MWh battery storage project in Devon, targeting construction in 2027 and operations in 2028. Solar Still Growing: A US report argues solar is still booming despite political headwinds, helped by demand from data centers and faster approvals for some projects. AI’s Power Pressure: Australia’s data-center boom could lift household electricity prices by up to 26% by 2035, with AI-driven load growth stressing grids. Inflation Watch: Euro zone inflation hit 3.2% in May as elevated energy prices keep pressure on consumers. Tech for Energy: China says daily seawater desalination capacity has topped 3 million tonnes, with new projects pairing solar and storage. EV Market Reality Check: China’s NEV sales keep rising, but industry profit margins are squeezed, highlighting tougher economics for automakers.