Energy Update | Week 5 – Oct 2025: Nuclear Revival, Offshore Wind Setbacks & AI Grid Innovation
1.) Solar Edge Technologies says it has enrolled over 500 MWh of residential battery storage into Virtual Power Plant programs across 16 U.S. states and Puerto Rico.
2.) U.S Secretary of Energy Chris Wright directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to initiate a rulemaking to “rapidly accelerate” the interconnection of large loads – over 20 MW - to the grid.
3.) Shell New Energies US voluntarily withdraws from 5000+MW Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC off the coast of New Jersey and assigns 50% interests to JV partner, EDF-RE.
4.) Ford indefinitely pauses production of F150 Lightning electric truck after fire at aluminum supplier’s factory.
5.) Leading AI chip manufacturer Nvidia deploys software from Emerald AI at new data center in Virginia, assisting the facility to use electricity in a more flexible manner. Initial test demonstrates AI power consumption could be cut by 25% over a three-hour period.
6.) Glassmaker Corning’s Michigan silicon ingot and wafer factory is now online and will soon produce over 1 million wafers daily. Corning says 80% of polysilicon and wafer capacity already claimed over the next five years.
7.) President Trump announces major projects advancing Japan’s previously announced $550 billion investment commitment to strengthen the U.S. industrial base. Up to $332 bn will support critical energy infrastructure, including the construction of AP1000 and small modular reactors (SMRs), in partnership with Westinghouse; and construction of SMRs in collaboration with GE Vernova and Hitachi.
8.) The U.S. signs deal with Brookfield Asset Management and CAMECO - owners of Westinghouse - to develop at least $80 billion in nuclear reactors.
9.) Energy measurement platform WattCarbon launches program incentivizing large users to buy capacity from VPPs including numerous distributed energy resources. Watt Carbon to amount of flexibility and extra capacity VPPS add to the grid.
10) Form Energy begins deploying first commercial 100-hour batteries at Great River Energy’s 1.5 MMW, 1,500 MWh project in Minnesota.