What is Grid & Storage?

Topic · Energy

Grid & Storage

Transmission, interconnection, batteries and the modernisation of electricity networks.

Grid & Storage

Why now?

Interconnection is the bottleneck for both renewables and data centres
Battery costs keep falling and deployments keep accelerating
Grid software is becoming a competitive market

Latest

Climate

Climate Pledges Now Add Up to a 6% Emissions Cut by 2035

UN Climate Change synthesised 127 new national pledges covering 71 per cent of global emissions and found they would cut output 6 per cent below 2019 levels by 2035. The same morning the WMO put atmospheric carbon dioxide at a record 426.8 parts per million.

28 October 20263 min read

Energy

Power Poles in Melbourne Cost NextDC A$140m of FY27 Revenue

NEXTDC cut FY27 net revenue guidance to A$475m to A$500m from A$615m to A$640m on 21 October 2026 after its electricity distributor suspended network works. Shares fell 42 per cent the same day, their lowest since 2018.

24 October 20263 min read

Energy

Amazon Funds a 960MW Reactor Study at an Indiana Coal Site

AEP agreed on 19 October 2026 to study 960 megawatts of small modular reactors at a retired Indiana coal site, with Amazon funding development and contracting for the power. There is no final investment decision, no disclosed cost and no in-service date.

20 October 20263 min read

Business

Microsoft Walks Away From Britain's Largest AI Data Centre

Reuters reported on 18 October 2026 that Microsoft has terminated its agreement at Nscale's data centre in Loughton, Essex, where the grid connection has slipped to the 2030s. Nscale says it still intends to build and is looking for alternative power.

19 October 20263 min read

Energy

NERC Grid Rules Clear Ballot With 36-Month Recorder Delay

NERC announced on 15 October 2026 that Project 2026-02, a package of three new reliability standards for data centres, AI facilities and cryptocurrency mines, had passed its final stakeholder ballot. It now goes to NERC's Board of Trustees and then to FERC, which ordered the standards filed by 31 December 2026.

17 October 20263 min read

Energy

DOE Clears PJM Plants to Exceed Emissions Limits to 16 October

Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed Order No. 202-26-50 on 12 October 2026, letting PJM run named units past their environmental permit limits and direct data centres onto backup generation before firm load shedding. It expires on 16 October.

15 October 20263 min read

Energy

FERC Rejects the Core of PJM's Data Centre Connection Plan

FERC's order in docket ER26-3515 rejects the mechanism that would have let data centres join the largest US grid before matching generation existed, on the grounds that it sets retail rates and dictates which retail customers are curtailed. It is the second PJM large-load proposal the commission has sent back in six weeks.

13 October 20263 min read

Energy

DOE Tells PJM to Fix Data Centre Cost Allocation by 29 October

DOE intervened in FERC docket ER26-3380 to argue that the cost of generation built to serve new data centres must not fall on existing PJM customers. PJM pulled the 6.8 GW procurement on 30 September and now plans a revised filing by 29 October.

9 October 20263 min read

Energy

MISO Asks FERC to Fast-Track 200MW Loads and Their Power

MISO's Large Load Addition Resource Study would be open to loads above 200 MW with generation in the same local resource zone. Up to 10 applications per study period, non-refundable deposits, and a decision requested from FERC by 2 December.

6 October 20263 min read

5 things worth knowing today.

A five-item daily brief: what happened, why it matters and what to watch. Written by the desk, verified by editors.

Grid & Storage

Why now?

Latest

Climate Pledges Now Add Up to a 6% Emissions Cut by 2035

Power Poles in Melbourne Cost NextDC A$140m of FY27 Revenue

Amazon Funds a 960MW Reactor Study at an Indiana Coal Site

Microsoft Walks Away From Britain's Largest AI Data Centre

NERC Grid Rules Clear Ballot With 36-Month Recorder Delay

DOE Clears PJM Plants to Exceed Emissions Limits to 16 October

FERC Rejects the Core of PJM's Data Centre Connection Plan

DOE Tells PJM to Fix Data Centre Cost Allocation by 29 October

MISO Asks FERC to Fast-Track 200MW Loads and Their Power

Related topics

Energy for AI

5 things worth knowing today.