Power Plant 101: How a Power Plant Is Built and Brought Online

PSEG — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:33:00 -0400

There’s a lot of talk these days about how New Jersey needs more power generation to supply its growing needs. Ever wonder how a power plant gets built?

Bringing a new power plant online in New Jersey isn’t as easy as flipping a switch – it takes broad collaboration. Like any large-scale infrastructure project, it requires regulators, developers, and local communities working together to make it happen. It must meet strict safety and environmental standards while still providing reliable power. And the power plant must make economic sense for the builder.

Step 1: Planning and permitting

The journey begins with planning and permitting. Just like building a home, developers must secure permits and approvals from the appropriate state and local agencies.

These permits cover things such as land use, zoning and building. Unlike constructing a home, permits may also include air emissions, water use and environmental permits.

During the permitting process, developers often engage with the local community to ensure the community is informed and the process is transparent. Developers also engage with the local utility and regional grid operator to ensure the new power plant will be able to connect into the grid, called interconnection.

Step 2: Construction and development

Building a power plant is like piecing together a massive puzzle where every part has to fit in sequence. After the location, everything starts with choosing the technology and equipment – whether it’s turbines, boilers or solar panels – based the project’s goals. From there, engineers create a detailed design, from the foundations and structures to the electrical and control systems that keep the plant running safely.

Planners map out the finances, estimating costs, projecting revenues and securing funding – all before a shovel can hit the ground. Once the financing is in place, the next piece of the puzzle is procurement: working with suppliers and contractors to get the most cost-effective, quality equipment and services.

Before construction, the site must be prepared for the power plant. The work needed depends on the land type – brownfield or greenfield.

Sites may need to be raised above flood zones, compacted with extra soil or reinforced with piles to support heavy equipment.

The puzzle is almost complete with the construction phase, where a skilled project team puts steel and concrete in the ground and project managers keep everything on track while ensuring safety and environmental standards are upheld.

Power-plant build times differ sharply by technology: utility-scale solar and onshore wind are the fastest, typically requiring 1–2 years of construction and about 2–5 years total including planning, while natural gas combined-cycle plants usually take 2–3 years to build and 3–5+ years overall.

Building a new nuclear power plant from start to finish typically takes about 10–15 years or more, reflecting lengthy planning, licensing, construction and commissioning phases. Construction of new sources of generation can be delayed beyond those timelines by issues such as supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and technical complexities.

Nationwide, a typical power plant output ranges from 50–100 megawatts (MW) for solar/wind farms to 500–1,000+ MW for gas, and nuclear plants. In New Jersey, most utility-scale solar installations are between 5-20MW.

Natural gas and nuclear plants need far less land than solar or wind. A gas facility uses about 200 acres (0.3 sq mi), while a nuclear plant requires around 832 acres (1.3 sq mi) In contrast, wind farms demand 50,000–70,000 acres (78–110 sq mi) per 1,000 MW, and solar farms need 5,000–10,000 acres (8–15 sq mi) per 1,000 MW.

(Battery storage is an important and unique element in the energy mix. We will cover how battery storage is built in a future article.)

Step 3: Testing and commissioning

After construction, plants undergo commissioning tests. Engineers gradually increase output, verifying that turbines, boilers or inverters operate correctly. Renewable projects often include battery storage systems, which are tested to confirm they can balance variable generation. These tests are coordinated with the regional grid operator PJM and regulators to assess compliance with technical standards and readiness for full-scale operation.

Step 4: Operational readiness

Once testing is complete, the plant transitions to operational readiness. Staff are trained, maintenance schedules established and monitoring systems deployed. At this stage, the facility begins delivering electricity, supporting demand across New Jersey and onto the grid. Here’s the moment when we can all step back and watch the finished puzzle come together.

A coordinated path to reliable power

Bringing a power plant from concept to operation requires the alignment of technical expertise, regulatory approval, financing and community support. Each stage – from planning and permitting to construction and commissioning – demands coordination across disciplines and an understanding of intricate timelines.

By the end, what began as an idea has transformed into a fully functioning power plant, ready to deliver energy to the grid and reliably power our modern lifestyles. To ensure that these individual projects fit into a broader, reliable statewide energy strategy, New Jersey needs a long-term plan that aligns future demand, supply and infrastructure needs.

DP World Perspective: Why Energy Security Is Becoming a Core Port Strategy

DP World — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Energy is rapidly moving from the background of port operations to the center of global trade strategy.

In a recent Forbes Business Council article – "Ports And Power: Why Energy Security Is Becoming A Port Strategy" – Morten Johansen, COO of DP World in the Americas, outlines how energy security is emerging as a defining factor for ports, supply chains, and nearshoring decisions.

The shift reflects a broader global trend. As volatility in energy markets increases and electrification accelerates across logistics, ports are facing new pressures — and new opportunities — to rethink how they power operations.

A Structural Shift in How Ports Compete

The article points to a clear evolution: ports are no longer competing on location and capacity alone.

Instead, three converging dynamics are reshaping the landscape:

Energy volatility is impacting trade reliability, with price swings and supply constraints affecting operations in real time
Electrification is accelerating across port equipment and infrastructure, increasing dependence on consistent, high-quality power
Grid limitations are emerging as a constraint, particularly as demand outpaces investment in energy infrastructure

Together, these forces are pushing energy strategy to the forefront of operational and investment decisions.

From Logistics Hubs to Energy-Enabled Ecosystems

As outlined in the piece, ports are evolving into more complex, integrated systems where managing energy is as critical as managing cargo.

This includes a growing focus on:

Diversifying energy sources, including on-site generation
Improving visibility into energy demand and usage
Supporting customers’ expectations around resilience and emissions

In this model, energy becomes a core enabler of both efficiency and decarbonization.

Why It Matters for Business Leaders

For companies evaluating supply chains, corridors, and nearshoring opportunities, energy is becoming a key decision factor.

The article highlights a shift in how leaders assess logistics ecosystems, placing greater emphasis on:

Reliability and resilience of power supply
Exposure to energy cost volatility
Ability to support long-term sustainability goals

In short, energy strategy is becoming inseparable from supply chain strategy.

Read the Full Perspective

As global trade continues to evolve and disruptions persist, the role of energy in shaping competitive, resilient logistics networks will only grow.

For a deeper look at how these trends are unfolding — and what they mean for business leaders — read Morten’s full article in Forbes Business Council: "Ports And Power: Why Energy Security Is Becoming A Port Strategy”

How Trane Technologies' Sajid Khanpuri Combines AI and Ambition to Transform Energy Efficiency at Scale

Trane Technologies — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 07:30:00 -0400

At Trane Technologies, we believe in a sustainable world made real through human ingenuity. As a global climate innovator, we are investors in tomorrow's possibilities — and the people who dare to create them. Climate innovation is not just our goal. It's how we operate.

Leaders like Sajid Khanpuri embody this spirit by building the technical infrastructure needed to deploy AI-enabled, cloud-based energy optimization at scale. Bold ideas, paired with the right culture and the right team, can turn ambitious goals into measurable results.

Where energy gets personal

Sajid Khanpuri is someone who likes big challenges — and his reasons for that run deeper than most. Growing up in Zambia, where most of his family still lives, Sajid witnessed firsthand what happens when a nation's growth outpaces its energy infrastructure. Power interruptions and load shedding were a fact of life, and they left a lasting impression.

"There was big expansion in the country," Sajid says. "However, the infrastructure of energy was not keeping up. And, to this day we still see ramifications of that."

For Sajid, energy efficiency was never just a concept — it was a lived experience. That conviction followed him when he relocated to Canada to study mechanical engineering at the University of Ottawa, and it stayed with him after he graduated in 2015. After a stint in medical manufacturing, he eventually landed at an HVAC controls company where he developed deep technical expertise in building automation systems, with an eye toward where he wanted to go next.

Big dreams meet real results

A tip from a friend in the HVAC industry led Sajid to BrainBox AI, a business within Trane Technologies specializing in AI-enabled energy optimization, and an interview quickly convinced him he'd found what he was looking for. Sajid joined in May 2021 as an onboarding engineer, drawn by the company's big ambitions and the way it thought beyond a single building to a set of built environments that could span an entire region, a country, even the globe.

"When I saw that they were leveraging AI, that's where my curiosity was piqued. Here was a company that wanted to impact the whole globe, and now had the technology to do it. I'd love to be part of that."

As BrainBox AI scaled, so did Sajid's role within it. What began as hands-on deployment work evolved into something larger — building and leading the Client Performance Services (CPS) team, a group dedicated to ensuring that deployed sites continue to perform and improve over time. In October 2025, he was named team manager, a reflection of both his technical expertise and his ability to lead through complexity. It's a role that has put him at the forefront of some of the most ambitious AI-enabled energy projects in the industry.

None has been more defining than the Dollar Tree project. Working within Trane Technologies' broader commitment to delivering scalable climate solutions, BrainBox AI leveraged Trane Autonomous Control technology to remotely integrate, control and optimize HVAC equipment across hundreds, then thousands of individual Dollar Tree stores. It was coordinated efficiency on a scale that had never been attempted before.

The challenge for Sajid's team was to keep HVAC units across a massive and rapidly growing portfolio performing at maximum efficiency. Starting with 616 sites and eventually scaling to nearly 3,000, every building presented its own set of variables — different layouts, different equipment, different conditions. Sajid's team built a monitoring system to track uptime and performance across all of them, ensuring the AI's decisions were continuously delivering the energy savings promised to the client.

"Our team's job, once the buildings were deployed, was to make sure they were not only performing but continuously improving," Sajid said. "The challenge was: how do we ensure that the AI's algorithm, the decisions it's making, are actually impacting the energy savings we're trying to extract?"

The result is an AI solution now managing 3,000 stores that has become the model for an entirely new approach to remote building management and optimization. To date, the project has delivered 7,980,916 kilowatt hours of energy savings, 5,632 tons of carbon emissions reduced and more than $1 million in cost savings. This is proof that for Sajid and his team, thinking big delivers real results.

The moment that made it real

When the first rounds of performance data came in and the results were presented to the Dollar Tree team, the numbers spoke for themselves. For Sajid, it was when the scale of what they had built truly sank in, and confirmation that the approach his team had developed could deliver at a level no one had attempted before. “It was the moment,” Sajid said, “that we were able to prove not only to our customers, but also to ourselves that we could take on these big challenges.”

"We're big dreamers — and we don't just leave them as dreams. The goal is always to turn them into reality. That's the drive I see in this culture every day, and it's what keeps me pushing forward."
_{Sajid Khanpuri}
_{Client Performance Services Team Manager}
_{Trane Technologies}

Dreaming big, every day

Sajid's work, and that of the entire BrainBox AI Client Performance Services team, is a powerful contribution to Trane Technologies' Gigaton Challenge — the ongoing commitment to reducing one billion metric tons of customer greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. For Sajid, that goal is personal. The power interruptions he witnessed growing up in Zambia taught him early that challenges as large as the global energy crisis demand solutions that match them in scale and ambition. At Trane Technologies, he's found the platform to pursue exactly that.

"Growth happens in the journey toward a goal,” Sajid reflects, “Even if you don't reach it exactly as you imagined, you always end up somewhere better than where you started."

Ready to make an impact? Engineer your future with Trane Technologies.

How Capturing Landfill Methane Can Strengthen Climate Resilience and Community Equity in Georgia

Ray C. Anderson Foundation — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:40:00 -0400

Landfill methane capture may not always make headlines, yet it represents a high-impact, market-ready climate solution that delivers measurable emissions reductions while improving air quality, supporting economic development, and strengthening community resilience. For Georgia’s policymakers and local leaders, it is a practical tool that turns a long-standing waste challenge into an opportunity. In the latest Georgia Climate Digest video interview, host Eriqah Vincent sits down with Garry Harris, Managing Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities, to explore why landfill methane capture deserves more attention and how it benefits communities across Georgia.

Eaton Unveils Brightlayer Energy, an AI-Powered Energy Management and Optimization Software To Drive New Levels of Efficiency and Flexibility for Healthcare, Education, Retail and Other Building Environments

Eaton Corporation — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 08:33:00 -0400

New Brightlayer Energy software delivers automated, dynamic and grid-interactive energy optimization
Comprehensive monitoring and reporting for Scope 1 and 2 emissions supports compliance with regional regulatory requirements in North America, Europe and the Middle East
Pilot projects demonstrate significant energy, cost, emissions and maintenance savings

PITTSBURGH, March 17, 2026 /3BL/ - Intelligent power management company Eaton today announced the availability of Brightlayer Energy, an AI-powered energy management and optimization system (EMOS). It is designed to help building owners manage, optimize and monetize energy investments, while meeting local regulatory requirements. The platform delivers real-time data analysis, forecasting and automated control to help maximize benefits from building electrical infrastructure and distributed energy resources.

There are significant opportunities to improve building energy performance. The average commercial building in the U.S. wastes 30% of its energy, while 75% of buildings have poor energy performance in the European Union. Brightlayer Energy software helps address these challenges as part of Eaton’s Buildings as a Grid approach, which transforms buildings into strategic and dynamic energy hubs that drive new efficiencies, advance energy resilience, reduce costs and accelerate progress toward sustainability goals, which are required in Europe under the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

“Building environments everywhere are becoming increasingly complex with diverse energy assets and evolving regional regulatory requirements—and digital tools are vital to simplify and improve energy management,” said Mark Roces, vice president, digital offer management at Eaton. “As a key part of our digital ecosystem for buildings that includes proven energy storage, microgrid control and electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, our Brightlayer Energy software provides the foundation to optimize building infrastructure investments and helps enable a reliable supply of low-cost, sustainable electricity, while meeting compliance obligations.”

Brightlayer Energy software early successes yield significant savings

Implementations in Europe and North America demonstrate energy efficiency, maintenance savings and emissions reductions. For example, the Florian Hotel in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, lowered electricity costs by more than 25% and reduced emissions by 27% while adding nine EV chargers. At an Eaton warehouse in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the company used the software to save 17% on energy costs overall and reduced forklift charging costs 66% by eliminating high energy demand spikes.

Eaton software designed for building energy optimization and performance

Brightlayer Energy software utilizes advanced algorithms that transform real-time data into actionable insights enabling energy use forecasting with 99% accuracy. The platform provides comprehensive oversight of energy consumption patterns, potential savings and efficiency improvements to help businesses evaluate energy strategies for cost-efficiency, sustainability and long-term reliability. With real-time weather data integration, users can forecast onsite solar generation and optimize energy production, automatically directing excess solar power to battery energy storage systems (BESS) for use when demand is high.

The platform also automates complex data aggregation and provides multi-tiered management at site, campus and enterprise levels for proactive energy oversight and optimization. The technology simplifies monitoring of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, manages EV charging, and implements peak shaving and tariff-based load shifting strategies. Additionally, the software integrates energy market data to strategically orchestrate energy production while providing recommendations for improved operations and compliance reporting.

Brightlayer Energy software is a part of Eaton’s digital ecosystem to optimize energy use in buildings that includes proven microgrid control and EV charging optimization. Learn more about how Eaton is helping electrify the buildings of the future.

Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come.

Founded in 1911, Eaton has continuously evolved to meet the changing and expanding needs of our stakeholders. With revenues of $27.4 billion in 2025, the company serves customers in 180 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact:

Regina Parundik
+1.412.559.1614
reginaparundik@eaton.com

Nicole Schada
+43 676 8995 3040
nicoleschada@eaton.com

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FTI and BioStar Renewables Expand Partnership to Accelerate Clean Energy Infrastructure Nationwide

BioStar Renewables — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:40:00 -0400

KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 13, 2026 /3BL/ - Faith Technologies Incorporated™ (FTI), a national leader in engineering, construction, manufacturing and clean energy is working with BioStar Renewables to support the development and delivery of clean energy infrastructure projects across the United States.

The collaboration brings FTI’s capabilities in engineering, manufacturing and electrical infrastructure together with BioStar’s experience in developing, financing and operating energy projects. The result is greater support for the deployment of solar, battery storage and next-generation energy systems for customers seeking reliable, scalable solutions.

Practical, Scalable Energy

Demand for resilient, affordable renewable energy continues to grow as organizations look to strengthen operations, manage long-term energy costs and meet sustainability goals. In 2025, U.S. electricity demand rose by about 3.1% — one of the largest annual increases in recent years. Solar generation also increased about 27% over 2024 and met roughly 61% of the nation’s electricity demand growth, which shows the increasing role of renewable resources in meeting overall energy needs. Customers want solutions they can trust with systems that perform reliably, reduce long-term operating costs and support sustainability commitments without adding complexity.

“FTI and BioStar share a commitment to innovation and excellence,” said Charlie Fredrickson, executive vice president with FTI. “That alignment helps customers move forward with confidence as they invest in renewable energy infrastructure built to perform over the long term.”

“Our relationship with FTI is about making clean energy more accessible and more achievable for the customers that need it most, especially in a market that is demanding speed and reliability,” said Bill Love, CEO, BioStar Renewables. “By uniting our teams, we’re able to deliver projects that are thoughtful in design, efficient to build and dependable for decades.”

Love added, “My relationship with FTI spans more than three decades, and when choosing a long-term partner to complement our origination and development business, FTI was the obvious choice. In a market that is demanding speed, creativity, and reliability, we knew that FTI’s reputation, capabilities and ethics were well suited for a long-term partnership.”

Experience and Vision

The partnership is strengthened by a proven history of collaboration and shared values. FTI and BioStar have worked together on multiple clean energy projects, including a solar and energy storage microgrid currently under construction for MasterCard’s data center in O’Fallon, Mo. This collaboration is further supported by deep electrical expertise rooted in Bill Love’s founding of SKC Electric and its later integration into FTI, bringing complementary skillsets and aligned values that enhance the value proposition for customers.

Through this collaboration, customers benefit from coordinated expertise across key areas, including:

Engineering, procurement and construction of distributed energy microgrids and battery energy storage systems (BESS)
Electrical infrastructure design and installation, including EV charging and fleet adoption support
Project financing and long-term ownership models that foster long-term relationships with customers
Ongoing performance monitoring, maintenance and optimization ensuring that assets perform maximally for the entirety of their useful life
Support in achieving decarbonization, resilience and sustainability goals amid tight timelines

This vertically integrated approach helps reduce complexity, streamline delivery and ensure systems are designed with both performance and practicality in mind.

From Fortune 500 campuses to municipalities and school districts, customers are seeking dependable clean energy solutions that strengthen their operations. FTI and BioStar are currently supporting clean energy projects across the country to meet that growing demand.

For more information on FTI and its services, visit faithtechinc.com.

# # #

About BioStar Renewables

BioStar Renewables is a national leader in clean energy development, EPC services and long-term asset operations. We help organizations reduce energy costs, improve resilience and meet sustainability goals through practical, high-performance renewable energy solutions. Learn more at BioStarRenewables.com.

Iran War: Hormuz Closure Puts up to $2.2 Trillion of Global GDP at Risk

SolAbility — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

ZURICH and SEOUL, March 13, 2026 /3BL/ - Modelling the impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure to global GDP through economic analysis calculates global economic losses from $330 billion to $2.2 trillion, depending on the length of the conflict. The risks to the global economy increases with each day the war continues.

Approximately 20 million barrels per day — roughly one-fifth of globally traded petroleum — normally transit through the 33-kilometre wise Strait of Hormuz. The ongoing conflict has effectively closed the waterway, stranding an estimated 14.8 million barrels of oil production per day with no viable export route. Saudi Arabia and the UAE hold limited pipeline bypass capacity; Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain have none. Qatar's 81-million-tonne annual LNG export facility — supplying approximately 22% of world liquefied natural gas — has declared force majeure.

Applying the IMF's established oil gap transmission coefficient — every sustained 10% rise in oil prices reduces global GDP by up to 0.2 percentage points, the analysis models three potential outcomes:

Short conflict (<2 weeks): ~$330 billion global GDP loss, Brent crude ~$80/bbl, global inflation rises by up 0.4pp, Gulf GDP is 4% down
Medium conflict (4–6 weeks): ~$770 billion global GDP loss, Brent price at $100–120, global inflation increases up 1.0pp, Gulf GDP is down 11%
Prolonged conflict (3–6 months): ~$2.2 trillion global GDP loss, Brent $130+, global inflation rises up 2.5pp, Gulf GDP is down by 22%, leading to global stagflation conditions comparable to the 1973–74 Arab oil embargo

The analysis shows the hidden economic cost of fossil fuel dependency - dependency that is hardest felt in countries that have not yet diversified their energy base. Nations that have invested in domestic renewable capacity are measurably less exposed to the current shock. Countries that invested les in renewable (domestic) electricity remain dependent on a supply chains that can be disrupted by a single choke-point (the Strait of Hormuz).

The countries best placed to weather this disruption are those that have already begun reducing their fossil fuel dependency, it is the structural argument for sustainable competitiveness as a national strategy.

The full interactive report, including scenario modelling by region and country-level export data, is
available at the research website of SolAbility here.

The analysis also connects to the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index, which measures long-term national economic resilience across 192 countries. Economies scoring higher on resource intensity/efficiency, intellectual capital, and governance quality demonstrate greater structural resilience to external geopolitical shocks and lower dependency to fossil fuel price volatility.

Key data points for editors:

14.8M bpd of oil production stranded with no export route
$745M/day oil & gas revenue loss in the Gulf countries
Gulf equity markets are down 15–35% from pre-war levels
European LNG prices (TTF) are up 180% from pre-war levels
War-risk insurance premiums up 300–500% for Gulf vessels
62M+ GCC residents depend on desalination for drinking water from 400+ desalination plants along the Gulf Coast, all of which are in range of Iranian drones

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About SolAbility

SolAbility is an independent research and advisory boutique specialising in sustainable competitiveness. We are the proud publisher of the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSCI), a composite measure of long-term national economic resilience covering 192 countries. http://www.solability.com

Media contact: contact@solability.com

Eaton and SPAN Establish Strategic Partnership to Transform How Power Is Managed in Homes and Further Enable Affordable Electrification

Eaton Corporation — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Partnership tackles grid constraints and rising household energy demands with smart, flexible solutions
Gives customers greater control and flexibility for reliable, affordable and future-proof electrification
Increases Eaton’s expansive residential portfolio and expands SPAN smart panel reach

CLEVELAND, March 10, 2026 /3BL/ - Intelligent power management company Eaton today announced a strategic partnership with SPAN, a pioneer in smart panel and power controls technology, to further enable affordable home electrification at scale. The companies’ approach to electrification will help save thousands of dollars on new home construction and retrofit projects, while also reducing the amount of power and infrastructure needed from the grid. Eaton invested $75 million in SPAN to power the next phase of the company’s growth and innovation.

Together, the companies will bring to market SPAN panels, smart electrical panels that provide whole-home energy insights and advanced power controls. The partnership offering will save time and money for retrofit and new home construction projects by dynamically managing how power is used in homes and cost-effectively enabling near-term and future electrification. The companies’ collaboration aligns with Eaton’s Home as a Grid strategy that supports flexible power systems that enable customers to do more with the power they have.

“Energy affordability and electrification require smart energy management,” said Heath Monesmith, president and chief operating officer, Electrical Sector at Eaton. “Working with SPAN, we’re removing barriers to electrification and lowering costs for homeowners, builders and contractors. Eaton is trusted to manage power from the grid to the receptacle, and together we’re expanding flexible and resilient solutions to power homes.”

Eaton will feature SPAN Energy Intelligence^TM technology at scale in its new smart panel offer, which will be available through its market-leading distribution, installer and homebuilder networks. The offer delivers energy affordability by decreasing costs for consumers and builders when adopting batteries, electric vehicle (EV) charging and home electrification solutions.

“In order to accelerate the energy transition and deliver impact at scale, we often look to align our fast-paced innovation with established market leaders with a shared vision,” said Arch Rao, founder and CEO of SPAN. “Eaton’s impressive track record in electrical safety and unparalleled distribution reach combined with the SPAN advanced technology platform to modernize home energy infrastructure, forms an enviable foundation for the future of grid-edge intelligence.”

SPAN smart electrical panels will integrate Eaton’s advanced circuit and surge protection technologies for enhanced safety, reliability and control. Both companies’ technologies, including SPAN smart panels and Eaton smart breakers, meet rigorous cybersecurity and safety design standards and are interoperable with energy storage systems and onsite distributed energy resources. Joint solutions are expected to be available in the second quarter of 2026.

Learn more about Eaton’s home energy management solutions and Home as a Grid approach.

About SPAN

SPAN is on a mission to enable a more efficient and affordable energy future. The company began by reinventing the electrical panel and continues to transform grid-edge energy infrastructure through combined hardware-software innovation and advanced residential power control systems. Utilities, homeowners and developers all benefit from a smart, affordable and distributed electric grid. With SPAN solutions, grid operators can efficiently meet energy demand without expensive infrastructure upgrades, and those at home can manage their usage without disruption or sacrifice. Powering homes and communities with abundant, clean energy should be human-centered, technology-forward, and simply delightful. With behind and at-the-meter solutions that provide visibility and scale, SPAN helps make that possible. For more information, go to www.span.io.

About Eaton

Regina Parundik
+1 (412) 559-1614
reginaparundik@eaton.com

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Entergy Advocates Energy Affordability During LIHEAP Action Day in Washington D.C.

Entergy Corporation — Mon, 9 Mar 2026 18:00:00 -0400

On Feb. 25, 2026, Entergy joined customers, community action agencies, and national advocates in Washington, D.C., for LIHEAP Action Day. In partnership with the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition, or NEUAC, our delegation met with members of Congress to deliver a unified message — access to affordable energy is essential to health, safety and economic stability.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, is a federally funded block grant that helps low-income households pay electric bills, address energy crises and improve home efficiency through weatherization. In 2024, nearly six million households nationwide received assistance.

“For many families, energy assistance can mean the difference between stability and crisis,” said Sandra Miller-Diggs, vice president of consumer and advocacy programs at Entergy. “That’s why it’s always important for us to put our advocacy into action and work alongside community partners and policymakers to strengthen programs like LIHEAP. Our presence on Capitol Hill reflects our commitment to making sure customers across our service area have access to the energy assistance they need for generations to come.”

Highlighting customer impact

The need for energy assistance is significant across Entergy’s service territory. In Louisiana alone, more than 551,311 households are eligible for LIHEAP support, yet only one in six receive assistance. In total, 93,645 Louisiana households within Entergy’s service territory were served through the program in 2025.

During the visit, Entergy’s delegation conducted 28 meetings with congressional offices representing Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The meetings featured bipartisan participation and strong support for LIHEAP, with lawmakers acknowledging that while the program is vital, current funding levels do not meet growing demand.

A customer from Entergy’s Mississippi service area and LIHEAP recipient attended the meetings and shared her personal experience. Due to unexpected medical expenses, she was unable to pay her electric bill. LIHEAP funding bridged the gap and provided stability during a time of urgent need. Her testimony highlighted the direct connection between energy security and public health.

Representatives from community agencies throughout our service territories also participated in the meetings, offering a frontline perspective on the program’s impact.

Federal funding allocations

Federal funding developments this year reflect growing recognition of LIHEAP’s importance. Congress recently approved an appropriations package that includes a $20 million increase for LIHEAP, the first increase in funding since 2024.

Despite earlier proposals to eliminate LIHEAP funding for fiscal year 2026, bipartisan support remains strong due to consistent advocacy efforts. Lawmakers across the political spectrum recognize that energy affordability impacts families in every district.

Building on our advocacy efforts

Entergy also supports vulnerable customers through programs like The Power to Care, which provides bill payment assistance to seniors and customers with disabilities, and Beat the Heat, which helps distribute fans to low-income households during the summer. The company also hosts Super Tax Day events that offer free tax preparation and assistance in claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit.

LIHEAP Action Day reinforces the powerful message that energy assistance protects health, stabilizes families, and strengthens communities. Advocacy is not a single event, but an ongoing commitment. Entergy will continue to engage policymakers and partners to protect and strengthen this vital program.

About Entergy

Entergy (NYSE: ETR) generates, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for more than 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re focused on keeping costs for our customers as low as possible while providing reliable energy that our communities count on. We’re also investing in growth for the future with a more resilient, cleaner energy system that includes modern natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy generation. As a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship, we deliver more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to the communities we serve through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn more at Entergy.com and connect with @Entergy on social media.

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Baker Hughes and Giammarco Technologies Collaborate To Advance and Commercialize Hot Potassium Carbonate for Post-Combustion Carbon Capture

Baker Hughes Energy Services LLC — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:35:00 -0500

Exclusive collaboration combines Giammarco Technologies’ proven process with Baker Hughes’ world-class turbomachinery
Companies to deliver integrated, fit-for-purpose and cost-competitive solutions that enable energy and industrial decarbonization, at scale
Joint solution to build on pilot plant testing and experience from more than 400 HPC industrial projects.

FLORENCE and VENICE, Italy, February 27, 2026 /3BL/ - Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, and Giammarco Technologies S.r.l., renowned licensor of Hot Potassium Carbonate (HPC) process, announced an exclusive collaboration to advance and commercialize HPC solutions for post-combustion capture across a range of energy and industrial sectors. The announcement was made at the 2026 Baker Hughes Annual Meeting in Florence, Italy.

Giammarco Technologies’ proven HPC process is already widely used across more than 400 industrial projects and leverages a safe and sustainable potassium-based solvent to efficiently capture CO₂ from gas streams. Under the collaboration, this process will be integrated with Baker Hughes’ turbomachinery technology – including trains for flue gas compression and expansion and mechanical vapor recompression – for post-combustion capture applications.

Together, the companies will seek to leverage multi-sector pilot plant testing and deliver fully integrated, customized solutions that will help lower the cost of carbon capture. Already supporting customers with feasibility studies and prospecting front-end engineering design (FEED), the companies will deliver projects through full execution across multiple industries.

“We’re proud to collaborate with Giammarco Technologies. Together, our complementary capabilities will expand the use of HPC across hard-to-abate sectors and unlock new pathways for energy and industrial decarbonization at scale,” said Ahmed Eldemerdash, vice president of Climate Technology Solutions at Baker Hughes. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to advancing technologies that improve the economic viability of CO₂ projects and to being a trusted partner to reduce emissions worldwide.”

“We are proud to enter into a strategic collaboration with Baker Hughes, representing a major step forward in the global deployment of our HPC process and further strengthening Giammarco Technologies’ position as a technology leader in post-combustion carbon capture,” said Giuseppe Giammarco, CEO of Giammarco Technologies. “Our advanced process, combined with Baker Hughes’ global execution capabilities, enable the delivery of high-performance, cost-effective and fully integrated solutions for industrial and energy sector decarbonization.”

Through this strategic collaboration, the HPC offering is now part of Baker Hughes broad portfolio of CCUS solutions, which includes consultancy, front-end design, capture and purification systems, fit-for-purpose compression and liquefaction technology, well design and construction for injection and monitoring, as well as long-term site stewardship.

About Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward – making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com.

About Giammarco Technologies
With over 70 years of expertise and more than 400 industrial references, Giammarco Technologies is a trusted leader in licensing advanced processes for capturing CO₂ from industrial emissions. Built on Hot Potassium Carbonate solvent, its sustainable and scalable solutions help industries worldwide reduce their carbon footprint and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future. Visit us at giammarcotechnologies.com.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations
Melanie Kania
832-727-5195
melanie.kania@bakerhughes.com

Media & Communications
Gabriele Olivo
+39 041-719387
g.olivo@giammarcotechnologies.com

Baker Hughes Expands Cordant™ Industrial Software To Deepen Insights, Improve Reliability and Advance Sustainable Operations

Baker Hughes Energy Services LLC — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:15:00 -0500

Cordant™ 26.1 brings together asset strategy, health insights and AI‑driven risk intelligence to reduce unplanned downtime and support faster, higher‑value decisions
Expanded platform capabilities deliver greater usability, global flexibility and scalability
Strong demand across energy and industrial sectors resulted in a 20% increase in software orders in 2025

FLORENCE, Italy February 26, 2026 /3BL/ - Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, announced the latest release of Cordant™ (Release 26.1) industrial software, featuring expanded capabilities to help customers improve operational reliability, enhance performance consistency, and support sustainability initiatives. Cordant™ 26.1 enhances energy and industrial operators’ enterprise-wide visibility across assets, delivering improved access to decision-grade data, and empowering a broader range of users through an increasingly open, composable and scalable platform architecture. The announcement was made at the 2026 Baker Hughes Annual Meeting in Florence.

“Energy and industrial operators are being asked to deliver more, with greater speed, precision and accountability,” said Aravind Yarlagadda, senior vice president of Industrial Solutions, Industrial & Energy Technology at Baker Hughes. “This release advances Cordant’s ability to connect asset insights, risk and operations data in a single environment, designed to reduce unplanned downtime, prioritize capital more effectively, and improve day-to-day operational performance across complex assets.”

Expanding Asset Performance Management for Greater Reliability and Risk Visibility
This release strengthens reliability and risk visibility by integrating asset strategy, integrity and health insights into a unified workflow. Updates include enhanced Failure Mode Analytics, waveform analysis and KPI drilldowns. These now connect directly to risk modelling, capital planning and integrity workflows, enabling teams to quantify asset risk more clearly and align on actions that reduce downtime. New AI-enabled capabilities, such as failure mode mapping between domains and automated risk alignment, aims to cut manual effort and help organizations drive consistent long-term asset strategies.

Process Optimization designed to Maximize Efficiency and Margin
Cordant™ Process Optimization introduces a flexible objective function that enables operators to evaluate multiple operational scenarios, whether maximizing production, reducing energy use or optimizing both. Real-time, context-aware recommendations provide users with clear pathways to impact throughput, efficiency, and margin performance. These enhancements support customers in navigating increasingly dynamic market and operational environments, while embedding sustainability into process decisions. Outcomes depend on site conditions, configurations and user choices.

Enabling Sustainability at Scale
A new integration between Baker Hughes Energy & Emissions Management (EEM) and Cordant™ FastLCA, helps customers centralize emissions and energy data across assets and sites. This unified view can help operators identify hotspots, optimize energy use, and prioritize decarbonization actions based on consistent, auditable methodologies. By embedding trusted lifecycle data into day-to-day operations, Cordant™ supports compliance efforts and advances customers’ sustainability goals without adding complexity for users.

Enhancing Usability, Security and Global Flexibility
Foundational platform updates improve usability, adaptability, and enterprise readiness across all Cordant™ applications. Multi-language support, notifications, self-guided walkthroughs, and customizable reporting tools support faster onboarding and broader coverage across diverse roles and regions.

With a 100-year heritage of energy innovation, Baker Hughes is integrating digital solutions such as Cordant™ with the company’s proven technologies to help customers achieve greater efficiency, extend asset life, and maximize returns. Learn more about the company’s end-to-end digital portfolio here.

For more information, please contact:

Media relations
Kerry Davis
Kerry.Davis@BakerHughes.com
+44 7443 157 262

Reducing Energy Consumed by Hydraulic Power Systems by up to 80%

Rockwell Automation — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:00:00 -0500

Hydraulic systems power production equipment across a wide range of manufacturing sectors. Their electric motors use a significant portion of the total energy consumed by industry.* Green Hydraulic Power (GHP) was started in the United States to make hydraulic power more energy efficient. This industry disruptor’s advanced hydraulic systems use Rockwell Automation AllenBradley® PowerFlex® 755 VFDs to reduce energy consumption by up to 80%.

“In many manufacturing environments, there’s a lot of dwell time when there’s no action on the production line, so there’s no need for flow or pressure,” said Soren Rasmussen, managing director, Green Hydraulic Power. “Yet, traditional hydraulic systems run continuously, and at high speeds, so that they’re available when needed. That wastes a lot of energy and other resources.”

By engineering hydraulic systems to use variable frequency drives (VFDs) to optimize power use, GHP helps its hydraulic power customers improve their operational sustainability. GHP’s patented systems also generate less heat, so little to no energy-intensive cooling is required. In some cases, GHP’s customers have been able to eliminate cooling towers in their facilities.

Improving workplace safety is another benefit the VFD-powered hydraulic systems deliver. Conventional hydraulic units are extremely loud, which can impact worker safety. On average, GHP’s systems lower noise levels by 20 decibels. “When we install this type of equipment, most of the feedback is about the noise reduction,” said Rasmussen. “You can actually stand next to our machines and carry on a normal conversation.”

Watch the interview. Discover additional sustainability stories by reading the Rockwell Automation 2025 Sustainability Report.
*INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, 2020.

Baker Hughes Keynote: The Energy Equation™

Baker Hughes Energy Services LLC — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:45:00 -0500

As the world aspires to better things, it demands more from industry. Industry can only deliver when energy does— because every process, every breakthrough, and every outcome that improves life starts with reliable, sustainable energy supply.

This is The Energy Equation™: the interdependence between industrial outcomes and energy sources that drives human progress and keeps the world in balance.

Our Chairman and CEO opened the Baker Hughes Annual Meeting 2026 with a powerful call to action, urging industry and energy to evolve faster, operate smarter, and deliver at the pace the world now demands.

As we face that challenge together, we are ready to lead. We power the industrial outcomes that advance the world, and we deliver energy, irrespective of the molecule.

We stand on both sides of The Energy Equation™— a position no one else holds, and no one else can.

We are Baker Hughes, and we rewrite The Energy Equation™.

Baker Hughes and Hydrostor Deepen Strategic Collaboration To Advance Reliable, Resilient and Sustainable Power Systems

Baker Hughes Energy Services LLC — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:00:00 -0500

FLORENCE, Italy and DENVER, Colo., February 20, 2026 /3BL/ - Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR), an energy technology company, and Hydrostor, a leading global long duration energy storage (LDES) developer and operator, announced a strategic technology solutions and equity agreement. Baker Hughes will deepen its relationship with Hydrostor, integrating Baker Hughes’ technology capabilities as part of Hydrostor’s core design offering for its advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) solution. This includes up to 1.4 GW of Baker Hughes equipment orders for Hydrostor’s flagship projects. The announcement was made at the 2026 Baker Hughes Annual Meeting in Florence.

"Increasing pressure on electric grids is making long-duration energy storage an urgent priority. Hydrostor's innovative approach offers a low-carbon solution to ensure power reliability across a diverse mix of generation resources," said Lorenzo Simonelli, chairman and CEO of Baker Hughes. “We are proud to support Hydrostor with critical technology to accelerate these projects, supporting greater global grid resilience, and enabling sustainable power systems at scale.”

“The agreement Hydrostor has signed with Baker Hughes underscores the momentum behind our A-CAES technology platform that is able to cost-effectively provide reliability and resiliency to grids around the world,” said Curtis VanWalleghem, cofounder and CEO. “We’re excited to build on our relationship with Baker Hughes as we near construction for our flagship projects and work to expand our project pipeline, as load grows and AI data center infrastructure is being built out globally.”

Baker Hughes has been an investor in Hydrostor since 2019. This latest strategic agreement marks an expansion of the relationship as Hydrostor nears construction on its flagship projects in the U.S. and Australia. In the initial phase of the expansion, Hydrostor will be deploying up to 1.4 GW of power generation and compression technology solutions from Baker Hughes’ extensive portfolio including compression, expander, motor and generator technology.

About Hydrostor Inc.
Hydrostor is a leading developer and operator of long duration energy storage systems, leveraging a proven, patented technology solution for delivering long duration energy storage to power grids around the world, using compressed air and water to store energy.

Founded in 2010 and with headquarters in Toronto, Canada, and offices in Melbourne, Australia, and Denver, USA, Hydrostor is backed by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, CPP Investments, Canada Growth Fund, and other forward-thinking institutional investors, providing financial security to commit to top-tier energy projects. Hydrostor has an extensive pipeline of A-CAES projects in North America, Australia, and Europe, poised to meet evolving grid and reliability needs.

Advisors

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, National Bank Capital Markets, and Rothschild & Co. acted as financial advisors to Hydrostor.

45Z Proposed Regulations Add Clarifications on Sales, Production, and Eligibility Framework

Baker Tilly — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

By Baker Tilly’s Gideon Gradman, Bob Hofacker, Shristhi Negi, Beckett Woodworth

The Treasury Department and the IRS have issued proposed regulations on Feb. 3, 2026, providing expanded guidance on the Clean Fuel Production Credit under IRC section 45Z and significantly building on the framework previewed last year in Notice 2025-10. The proposed rules formalize definitions and procedures and introduce several important clarifications regarding who qualifies as a producer, what constitutes “production,” how qualified sales through intermediaries are treated, and safe harbors for substantiating a fuel's emissions rate and qualified sales.

Background

Section 45Z, enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act and later amended by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), provides an income tax credit for domestic production of qualifying clean transportation fuels sold after Dec. 31, 2024, and before Jan. 1, 2030. For production years after 2025, the credit amount equals to $0.20 per gallon or gasoline gallon equivalent, depending on the fuel emissions factor.

The credit amount is increased to $1.00 if prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements are satisfied. Additionally, OBBBA imposed new prohibited foreign entity (PFE) and foreign feedstock limitations for purposes of claiming a section 45Z PTC beginning in taxable years after enactment, generally Jan. 1, 2026.

Earlier guidance included:

Notice 2024-49: addressing registration requirements
Notice 2025-10: announcing forthcoming regulations and proposed rule concepts
Notice 2025-11: issuing initial emissions-rate methodologies and tables

The proposed regulations now consolidate and expand these rules into a comprehensive regulatory framework.

Key updates and clarifications from the proposed regulations

Broader “qualified sale” rules for producers

One of the most notable changes from Notice 2025-10 involves defining a qualified sale. The earlier draft language in Notice 2025-10 suggested a narrow interpretation that required fuel to be “sold for use in a trade or business” to mean sold for “use as a fuel” in a trade or business. Industry commenters noted this would disqualify common wholesale and intermediary sales structures.

The proposed regulations revise Treasury’s initial approach by removing the restrictive “use as a fuel” standard introduced in Notice 2025-10, clarifying that sales to wholesalers and resellers may qualify, and adding a look-through rule that allows sales made through related intermediaries to count as sales to unrelated persons. These changes are expected to make it easier for producers operating through dealers, marketers, or related distribution entities to satisfy the statutory sale requirement.

The proposed regulations would also clarify the term “suitable for use as a fuel in a highway vehicle or aircraft” (suitable for use) to mean that the fuel has practical and commercial fitness for use as a fuel in a highway vehicle or aircraft, or may be blended into a fuel mixture that has practical and commercial fitness for use as a fuel in a highway vehicle or aircraft. Actual use as a fuel in a highway vehicle or aircraft is not required.

The look-through rule provides that a producer does not lose eligibility for the section 45Z credit merely because fuel is first sold to a related entity, provided that the related party ultimately sells the fuel to an unrelated person. While Notice 2025-10 primarily followed the statutory consolidated group rule, the proposed regulations adopt a broader look-through framework that applies to both corporate and non-corporate structures, including partnerships, limited liability companies, and other pass-through structures. Under this approach, a sale to a related intermediary is treated as a qualified sale if that intermediary subsequently resells the transportation fuel in a qualifying transaction to an unrelated customer.

Finally, Notice 2025-10 used the term “qualifying sale.” The proposed regulations instead standardize the term “qualified sale.”

Blending with fossil fuels permitted prior to sale

The proposed regulations also clarify that, although blending activities generally do not themselves constitute “production” for purposes of section 45Z, a producer does not forfeit credit eligibility merely because a qualifying transportation fuel is blended with fossil fuels or other components prior to sale. In other words, blending does not constitute production, but it also does not disqualify an otherwise qualifying producer. So long as the taxpayer has already completed the substantive production process (i.e., transforming feedstocks into a finished clean fuel), the subsequent mixing of that fuel is treated as a post-production handling step rather than a new production activity.

RNG processor, not compressor, treated as producer

The proposed regulations also reaffirm which party is treated as the “producer” of renewable natural gas (RNG) for purposes of section 45Z, confirming that the credit attaches to the entity that performs the substantive upgrading of raw biogas rather than to downstream service providers. Specifically, the proposed regulations provide that the person who processes and conditions raw landfill gas or digester gas so that it becomes interchangeable with fossil natural gas, by removing water, carbon dioxide, and other impurities to meet pipeline-quality specifications, is treated as the producer, even if that entity does not perform subsequent compression to satisfy American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D8080 or other transportation standards. Compression and similar steps are characterized as post-production handling activities rather than fuel production.

Negative emissions rates

The proposed regulations also confirm that negative emissions rates are only possible for animal manure feedstocks. A revised 45ZCF-GREET model will still need to be released to determine the exact value, but no caps or restrictions were noted for animal manure feedstocks. Other feedstocks are barred from utilizing negative emissions rates for production years after 2025.

Safe harbors for substantiating emissions rates and qualified sales

The proposed regulations move beyond general recordkeeping concepts and establish two formal, certificate-based safe harbors to substantiate both a fuel emissions rate and whether a sale qualifies under section 45Z.

First, for non-SAF transportation fuels whose lifecycle emissions are determined using the 45ZCF-GREET model, Proposed Reg. section 1.45Z-4(g)(2) allows taxpayers to rely on a safe harbor if they obtain third-party certification in substantially the same form and manner required for SAF under Proposed Reg. section 1.45Z-5. In effect, Treasury extends the SAF-style independent verification framework to non-SAF fuels, permitting taxpayers to rely on certified emissions determinations rather than recreating or defending technical modeling assumptions during an IRS examination.

Second, Proposed Reg. section 1.45Z-4(g)(3) provides a safe harbor for demonstrating that a transaction constitutes a “qualified sale.” Under this rule, the producer must obtain a certificate from the purchaser, signed under penalties of perjury, attesting that the fuel will be used in a qualifying manner. For single transactions, the certificate must be secured at or before the time of sale; for ongoing sales, it must be obtained before or contemporaneously with the first covered purchase. The producer may rely on the certificate so long as it has no reason to know the information is false and retains the documentation in its books and records. The proposed regulations include an example of a qualified sale certificate in Proposed Reg. section 1.45Z-4(g)(3)(ii).

Clarity on facility definition and anti-stacking rules

The proposed regulations also adopt a more precise definition of a “qualified facility,” narrowing the scope of what constitutes credit-eligible property, and providing clearer boundaries for purposes of coordinating section 45Z with other clean energy tax credits.

Rather than defining a facility broadly by geographic location or site, the proposed regulations treat a facility as a single production line comprised of interdependent equipment that collectively performs the fuel production process. Equipment that is ancillary or post-production—such as storage, transportation, or compression assets—is generally excluded. The proposed regulations did not add additional detail about what components specifically qualify or offer concrete examples of components included in the qualified facility definition.

This definition also facilitates compliance with statutory anti-stacking rules by clarifying which specific production line is eligible for section 45Z and ensuring that the same property or process cannot simultaneously generate benefits under other clean energy credit provisions, such as sections 45V (clean hydrogen), 45Q (carbon capture), or 48(a)(15) investment tax credit elections. In practice, this approach provides clearer credit boundaries for multi-technology or co-located sites.

In addition, the proposed regulations introduce clear anti-double-crediting rules designed to prevent multiple section 45Z credits from being claimed across successive stages of a fuel production chain. The rules provide that transportation fuel produced from another fuel that has already generated a section 45Z credit generally does not independently qualify for an additional credit, effectively limiting eligibility to the first qualifying production activity. This provision addresses scenarios in which an intermediate clean fuel is later converted into a second fuel product and could otherwise create opportunities for stacked incentives. For example, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from ethanol, or hydrogen produced from renewable natural gas that has already been treated as section 45Z-eligible, may not generate a second credit if the upstream fuel has already benefited from section 45Z.

Registration and compliance framework

The proposed regulations also clarify and expand the registration requirements under section 4101. Building on the framework first introduced in Notice 2024-49, the proposed regulations require each credit-claiming entity to register separately at the EIN level, including disregarded entities and other business units that might otherwise be consolidated for tax purposes.

The rules further clarify that registration is not always a one-time exercise: taxpayers must update or re-register when there are material changes in ownership, organizational structure, or business activities. Importantly, the proposed regulations emphasize that a registration letter is not a substantive determination of eligibility and does not preclude later IRS examination of the credit. Treasury also expressly reserves the authority to deny, suspend, or revoke registrations where a taxpayer fails to satisfy the regulatory requirements or maintain adequate records.

The proposed regulations also maintain the safe harbor in Notice 2025-10 for entities that are required to re-register as a producer of transportation fuel due to a change in ownership or EIN as of the date the IRS received the application for re-registration, even if, at the time of fuel production, the IRS has not yet approved the re-registration.

Transferability and elective pay ownership rules clarified

The proposed regulations also include conforming amendments to the elective payment and transferability rules under sections 6417 and 6418 to address a technical issue specific to section 45Z. Unlike other clean energy credits that are tied to ownership of tangible credit property, section 45Z is based on the production and sale of qualifying fuel, raising questions about whether the general requirement to own “eligible credit property” could inadvertently restrict elective payment or credit transfers. The proposed regulations resolve this uncertainty by clarifying that ownership of underlying production assets is not required for section 45Z purposes when making an elective pay election or transferring the credit.

Energy attribute certificates

The proposed regulations also introduce new, explicit rules governing the use of energy attribute certificates (EACs) when calculating lifecycle emissions rates under the 45ZCF-GREET model, an area that Notice 2025-10 did not address. Rather than simply allowing modeled electricity inputs, the proposed regulations incorporate by reference the framework used for the section 45V clean hydrogen credit, providing that rules similar to Reg. section 1.45V-4(d) apply to EAC usage. As a result, taxpayers must satisfy an incrementality requirement, meaning EACs generally must be associated with newly placed-in-service generation rather than legacy renewable assets.

The proposed regulations further impose a 36-month commercial operations date (COD) test, under which the electricity-generating facility tied to an EAC must have begun operations no earlier than 36 months before the first taxable year the fuel facility produces qualifying transportation fuel. The rules also clarify that, for purposes of applying this timing test, a clean fuel facility is treated as placed in service in the first year it produces transportation fuel and include an example illustrating how older production sites retrofitted for section 45Z eligibility must rely only on relatively recent power generation.

PER process explained and expanded

The proposed regulations also describe the mechanics for obtaining a Provisional Emissions Rate (PER), converting the conceptual framework in Notice 2025-10 into a practical guide. While Notice 2025-10 previewed that taxpayers could seek a PER by first obtaining an emissions value from the Department of Energy (DOE), the proposed rules now establish detailed procedures under Prop. Reg. section 1.45Z-2(f).

Taxpayers must submit an emissions value request (EVR) to DOE, obtain a calculated emissions value letter (CEVL), and then file a formal PER petition with Form 7218 attached to the first return on which the section 45Z credit is claimed. The proposed regulations further provide that a properly filed petition is deemed accepted by the IRS, with the deemed acceptance constituting the Secretary’s PER determination, and allows taxpayers to rely on the DOE-provided emissions value absent inaccuracies in the underlying representations.

In addition, the proposed regulations clarify that PERs are available only for fuels or categories not already covered by the annual emissions rate table and introduce a relation-back rule under which newly established emissions rates or PER determinations apply retroactively to production beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

However, at the time the proposed regulations were published, the PER application was not yet available on the DOE website. Credit claimants must continue to wait for the PER application to open before submitting an EVR.

Section 45Z-specific Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator

The proposed regulations also preview the incorporation of a section 45Z-specific version of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator (FD-CIC) to account for emissions reductions associated with certain agricultural practices used to produce qualifying feedstocks. The preamble explains that, once finalized, this 45Z-specific FD-CIC module will be integrated into the 45ZCF-GREET model and used to calculate carbon intensity adjustments for feedstocks grown using practices such as no-till or reduced-till farming, cover cropping, and improved nutrient management.

Other key considerations

The proposed regulations also address anti-abuse concerns, particularly regarding imported used cooking oil (UCO). To mitigate potential abuse, UCO will initially be excluded from the 45ZCF-GREET model until the Treasury and IRS issue further guidance on appropriate substantiation and recordkeeping.

The proposed regulations did not expand on foreign entities of concern rules, alter prevailing wage and apprenticeship compliance requirements promulgated in Reg. section 1.45Z-3, or offer concrete examples of components included in the qualified facility definition.

Conclusion

Baker Tilly is actively monitoring developments related to the proposed section 45Z regulations and is continuing to evaluate the technical and operational impacts for fuel producers, developers, and investors. We will share additional insights and guidance as the Treasury and IRS issue further updates or move toward final rules.

In the meantime, the Treasury and IRS are inviting public comments on these proposed regulations. All written and electronic comments must be submitted by April 6, 2026. A public hearing on the proposed rules has been scheduled for May 28, 2026. Parties interested in submitting comments or who wish to speak at the hearing can do so through the Federal e-Rulemaking portal.

Contact a Baker Tilly specialist to learn more

From Outages to Resilience: Why Grid Modernization Needs To Speed Up

Keysight Technologies — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:35:00 -0500

By Hwee Yng Yeo, Contributor

A routine click on a recommended link via the AI overview of my browser on November 18 yielded a glaring “internal server error” (Figure 1) when I clicked on a search-referenced website. The Cloudflare outage disrupted connectivity on various platforms, including ChatGPT, Canva, and X. Undaunted, the cyber community had a memes field day when services were restored, flooding their feeds with humorous outage memes.

On a more serious note, data center and internet outages are no laughing matter, impacting businesses from online shopping to cryptocurrency exchanges. While the November outage at Cloudflare was attributed to configuration errors, another outage two years earlier was due to power failure at one of its data centers in Oregon. Cloudflare is not alone in their outage woes. In fact, power failures outweigh network and IT issues when it comes to disrupting online user experiences.

Data from the 2025 Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey shows that although 50% of data centers experienced at least one impactful outage over the past three years, down from 53% in 2024 (see Figure 2), power issues remain the top cause.

It’s not surprising that just a few years ago, electric vehicles (EVs) were deemed to be the new energy guzzlers of the decade, only to be rapidly overtaken by data centers. From crypto mining to generating “morph my cat to holiday mode” image creation prompts, each click adds strain to the power grid, not forgetting the heat generated.

Why must grid modernization happen sooner than later?

Data centers currently consume almost five times as much electricity as electric vehicles collectively, but both markets are expected to see a rise in demand for power in the coming years. In developed countries, power grids are already feeling the strain from these new energy guzzlers. Grid modernization must happen sooner than later, to buffer the impact of skyrocketing electricity demand from both data centers and the EV market, to ensure the power grid’s resilience, stability and security. Without swift upgrades, older grids are at risk of instability, outages, and bottlenecks as digital infrastructure and EV adoption accelerate.

What does grid modernization entail?

Grid modernization requires a strategic overhaul of legacy power infrastructure at the energy, communications, and operations level, as illustrated in Figure 4. Existing energy infrastructure must be scalable and be able to incorporate and integrate renewable and distributed energy resources (DERs). Bi-directional communication protocols must continue to evolve to enable real-time data exchange between power-generating assets, energy storage systems, and end-user loads.

This transformation demands compliance with rigorous interoperability standards and cybersecurity frameworks to ensure seamless integration across heterogeneous systems, while safeguarding grid reliability and resilience against operational and environmental stresses.

Towards Grid Resilience

Grid modernization can significantly reduce both data center outages and power shortages for EV charging, although the impact will depend on how fast the power infrastructure gets upgraded. The modernized grid will employ advanced sensors, automated controls, and predictive analytics to detect and isolate faults quickly. This will further reduce the number of data center outages due to power issues, and mitigate the dips in power currently plaguing some cities’ EV charging infrastructure. As the world powers on with increasing load demands, our grid energy community must work together to plan, validate, and build a resilient grid.

Keysight can help you with your innovations for this exciting grid transformation. Our design validation and testing solutions cover inverter-based resources (IBRs) and distributed energy resources (DERs), to tools enabling systems integration and deployment, as well as operations.

^{[1] Data source:}^{Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey 2024}
^{[2] Image source:}^{Keysight’s Accelerate Grid Modernization Poster}

Smurfit Westrock Partners With SLR and RIZM To Accelerate Net Zero Transition Across Its European Recycled Paper Mills

SLR — Thu, 5 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0500

February 5, 2026 /3BL/ - Smurfit Westrock, a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging, is collaborating with global environmental consultancy SLR and energy system optimization specialists RIZM to define detailed, site-specific transition plans across numerous recycled paper mills across Europe. The project aims to harness site-specific solutions and initiatives to achieve Net Zero targets.

The site transition plans serve multiple purposes. Firstly, recycled paper mills are energy-intensive operations, and a practical understanding of how to achieve decarbonization is critical to Smurfit Westrock achieving its company-wide Net Zero Transition Plan. Secondly, the plans mitigate the risk of escalating EU-ETS costs due to the gradual phase-out of free allowances in coming years. Lastly, Smurfit Westrock seeks to future-proof its energy transition following recent structural energy market and policy shifts in Europe.

Under the collaboration, SLR and RIZM will deliver an integrated service based on their strong partnership and complementary strengths. SLR leads the studies, engages all stakeholders, provides data and outlooks on technologies, markets and regulation, and runs integrated scenario simulations and optimizations to minimize total cost of ownership. RIZM provides world-class software to build a digital twin of an energy system that will run advanced AI algorithms and enhance digital capabilities for future planning and operations by Smurfit Westrock.

The three parties are developing site-specific transition plans with technically and economically viable projects aligned with site operations, energy systems, markets, and policies. The plans define key technologies, investments, energy sourcing, costs, and emissions pathways, and will guide execution of Smurfit Westrock’s Net Zero Transition Plan in Europe.

“Our recycled paper mills are at the heart of Smurfit Westrock’s sustainability journey. Developing net zero roadmaps turns our ambition into actionable plans that balance environmental responsibility with economic performance, empowering us to make the right decisions at the right time,” said Pim Wareman, Chief Executive Officer Recycled Paper Europe of Smurfit Westrock.

“This collaboration with Smurfit Westrock and RIZM reflects SLR’s commitment to supporting our clients and the planet through energy transition and more sustainable product systems. Through working with like-minded partners and combining strategic and market insights, advanced analytics with technical expertise, we’re helping turn net zero ambition into robust, site-specific transition plans that stand up economically and environmentally. It’s through these kinds of sustainability coalitions that we can make a real difference,” said Bradley Andrews, Chief Executive Officer of SLR.

- Ends -

Media contact: Cecilia Law, Global Head of External Communications, SLR: claw@slrconsulting.com

Notes to editors:

About Smurfit Westrock

Smurfit Westrock is a leading global provider of paper-based packaging solutions, with approximately 100,000 employees across 40 countries.

Find out more: www.smurfitwestrock.com

About SLR

SLR is a leading global environmental and advisory consultancy, with a team of 4,500+ talented professionals operating from a network of offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

Our purpose - Making Sustainability Happen - means delivering outcomes that are grounded in evidence, shaped by experience, and built to last. Our team of scientists, engineers, economists, data modellers, and technicians work across our clients' full sustainability journeys, from strategy through to on-the-ground project planning, execution and ongoing operations, all supported by robust data and science-based modelling.

Guided by our philosophy of Rational Sustainability, SLR specialises in the energy, mining, finance, industry & technology, government & infrastructure, and built environment sectors. Operating across more than 50+ technical disciplines, we’re helping a growing base of business, regulatory and government clients navigate the ever-shifting context of sustainable business.

Find out more: www.slrconsulting.com

About RIZM

RIZM supports industrial companies with AI and algorithms to utilize existing energetic flexibility, in order to shift energy consumption as much as possible to times when energy is green and inexpensive. To achieve this, the software intelligently identifies the optimal operation of power plants, provides signals to production planning, and assists with Energy Trade & Risk Management. Since industry often has only limited flexibility in the status quo, RIZM's Energy System Designer can also find the most economically attractive way to build up more flexibility, structurally transform the plants, and achieve climate goals.

RIZM is already in use at more than 10% of DAX-40 companies, including companies such as the BMW Group, Daimler Truck, Continental, Schaeffler, and Bosch (B/S/H), as well as customers from the chemical, steel, and paper industries.

Find out more: www.rizm.de

Thermal Management Systems for a Sustainable Future

Trane Technologies — Thu, 5 Feb 2026 07:30:00 -0500

This article is authored by Jose La Loggia, Group President, EMEA, Trane Technologies.

Across industries around the world, business leaders understand that the energy consumed by the built environment has significant climate impacts, contributing up to 30% of global emissions. But for the people responsible for keeping a hospital running, a factory productive or a campus comfortable, the energy transition can feel complex and hard to prioritize.

I’ve spent three decades in this industry, from my early days as a young engineer in Australia and La Crosse, Wisconsin, to my current role as Trane Technologies group president across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In that time, I’ve lived in all kinds of climates and experienced the full temperature spectrum, from +40°C summer days in Sydney to –30°C winters in Wisconsin. Through those extremes, one thing remains constant: heating and cooling keep our infrastructure running, from our daily living environments to manufacturing and the cold chain.

The real question is how we choose to meet these heating and cooling needs, in a way that is reliable, cost effective and low carbon. One of the most powerful tools we have for decarbonizing buildings while saving on energy costs is a technology that may still feel new to some people: thermal management systems.

What is a thermal management system?

Traditionally, the industry has treated heating and cooling as two separate silos. One system is for cooling, and another for heating, with excess heat vented out into the atmosphere. The result is wasted energy: one part of the system is throwing heat away while another burns fossil fuels to create new heating. From both cost and emissions perspectives, that’s a huge missed opportunity.

Thermal management systems can help solve this issue. They provide an integrated approach that manages both heating and cooling needs holistically across a building or a site, rather than as separate silos. These systems capture heat that would normally be wasted, and reuse it for comfort heating, hot water or other needs instead of burning new fossil fuels. By recovering and reusing this energy, thermal management systems can deliver much higher efficiency and lower emissions than traditional setups.

What do thermal management systems look like in practice? Depending on the building or site’s needs, a thermal management system might use heat pumps, high-efficiency chillers, heat recovery units, thermal energy storage or a combination of these tools for maximum efficiency. With the addition of cutting-edge technologies like intelligent digital building controls and AI-powered energy optimization, we can coordinate these systems together to heat and cool in the most efficient (and cost-effective) way possible.

The ROI of thermal management

Often, building owners, managers or even design engineers just aren’t aware that their facilities are heating and cooling at the same time while using separate systems. They don’t see the hidden flows of energy or the heat being ejected on one side of the building while another system works hard to generate new heat. This “leakage” of energy that’s already been paid for is an avoidable cost, funding waste instead of efficient performance.

But when people learn that a thermal management system can significantly reduce both emissions and operating costs, sometimes the next assumption they make is that it will be too expensive or too difficult to implement. In reality, thermal management systems that manage heating and cooling can be up to 400% more efficient than traditional systems, creating both cost savings and decarbonization.

Often, the cost of moving to a thermal management system can achieve full payback of the incremental system cost in just a few years through avoided energy costs and improved efficiency, even before factoring in emissions reductions and sustainability goals. There is no tradeoff, investments like these can have multi-faceted returns, reducing emissions and saving money at the same time.

Starting small: lessons from Organon

One of my favorite examples comes from Organon, a global pharmaceutical company focused on women’s health. Their largest manufacturing site in Oss in the Netherlands has a complex mix of processes, utilities and office space. It’s exactly the kind of environment where a thermal management system can make a big difference.

Their sustainability lead, Stan Van Hastenberg, did not start with a mega-project. He started with good, old-fashioned detective work. First, the team looked at basic energy-saving measures. Then, they broadened the lens to the longer-term energy transition and the role of their thermal energy system.

One major opportunity they found was in their compressed air system. The compressors needed to be cooled, and that cooling was generating a lot of excess heat that had historically been blown into the air. By introducing two heat pumps, they were able to cool the compressed air more efficiently and feed the captured heat back into their central heating system. The result was a reduced reliance on gas-fired boilers, lower energy use and a big step toward their goal of climate neutrality by 2035, all by rethinking how they managed and reused heat.

The Organon team is now applying similar thinking in their office buildings, pairing heat pumps with an aquifer thermal energy storage system in the soil to provide heating in winter and cooling in summer. Those steps have created momentum for bigger projects.

Harnessing heat for a sustainable future

Buildings — the spaces where we live, work, learn and play — will remain central to our lives and are one of the biggest opportunities for decarbonization. The most important step is to begin: start a project, learn from it, then scale.

The technology we need for efficient thermal management systems is available today, and the business case is strong. When a system can be up to four times more efficient than traditional setups, creating both cost savings and decarbonization, there are few reasons not to make the change.

The challenge, and the opportunity, is to rethink how we treat heat: not as waste to be thrown away, but as a valuable resource that we can recapture, redistribute and reuse. When we implement the technology to do that, we cut energy costs, reduce emissions and build more resilient operations on the path to a net-zero future.

Listen to this Healthy Spaces podcast episode to learn more about how to harness heat with thermal management systems.

Explore careers that make an impact at Trane Technologies.

Antea Group USA Announces Strategic Partnership With Gridify To Streamline Renewable Energy Credit Procurement and Accelerate Corporate Decarbonization

Antea Group — Wed, 4 Feb 2026 09:55:00 -0500

ST. PAUL, Minn., February 4, 2026 /3BL/ - Antea Group USA, a leading global environmental consulting firm, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Gridify, a premier digital infrastructure firm that specializes in making the procurement of renewable energy credits (RECs) faster, more transparent, and scalable. This alliance enhances Antea Group’s ability to help clients achieve their renewable energy goals by simplifying the complex process of sourcing and retiring high-quality RECs.

Streamlining REC Procurement through Digital Innovation

Through this partnership, Antea Group leverages Gridify’s technology to transform how organizations access clean energy markets. The Gridify platform streamlines the procurement process through a four-step digital workflow:

Request Entry: Antea Group identifies client needs—such as specific fuel types, locations, or budget targets—and enters them directly into the platform.
Instant Quote Comparison: The platform provides access to over 150 vetted clean energy suppliers, allowing for immediate price transparency and the ability to compare multiple competitive offers in one place.
Simplified Selection: Once the best fit is identified, quotes are shared with clients via a one-click review process.
End-to-End Management: Gridify automates the remaining hurdles, including standardized contracting and secure, simplified payment processing.

This centralized transaction hub provides clients with a secure portal to access all contracts, invoices, and retirement certificates, eliminating the administrative burden typically associated with REC purchases.

Strengthening Climate Advisory and Decarbonization Services

The partnership with Gridify significantly bolsters Antea Group’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Climate Change Advisory services. By integrating direct REC procurement into the broader decarbonization journey, Antea Group provides a more comprehensive suite of tools for clients to meet their sustainability commitments.

Key benefits to Antea Group’s climate change advisory services include:

Enhanced Target Setting: The ability to secure vetted RECs supports clients in establishing and meeting Science-Based or other emission reduction targets based on accurate company benchmarking.
Actionable Decarbonization Planning: RECs serve as an implementable element of a client’s decarbonization roadmap, providing a clear path to reduce GHG emissions alongside operational changes and capital investments.
Robust Annual Reporting: The Gridify platform ensures that RECs are properly retired in tracking systems, providing the necessary documentation for voluntary and required disclosures.
Verified Quality and Integrity: Gridify reviews all suppliers for registry certifications and track records of delivery, ensuring that credits meet high standards for additionality, verification, and transparency.

"Our partnership with Gridify allows us to offer our clients a more transparent and efficient way to manage their renewable energy purchases," said Dr. Susan Lewis, Climate and Carbon Accounting Services Lead at Antea Group USA. "By removing the administrative challenges of REC procurement, we can focus on helping our clients accelerate their decarbonization plans and reach their climate targets with greater confidence."

For more information on Antea Group’s climate change and carbon management services, please visit Antea Group Climate Services. To learn more about the Gridify platform, visit Gridify.ai.

About Antea Group

Antea Group is an international environmental consulting firm that specializes in full-service solutions in the fields of environment, infrastructure, urban planning, and water. By combining strategic thinking and multidisciplinary perspectives with technical expertise and pragmatic action, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future.

About Gridify

Gridify is a digital infrastructure firm focused on building transparent clean energy markets where every organization can power its impact with integrity. With over 1 TWh of RECs procured to date and a network of 150+ vetted suppliers, Gridify simplifies the clean energy transaction process for consultants and their clients worldwide.

BONUS: Solving Community, Compliance, and Permitting Challenges in Solar

Inogen Alliance — Tue, 3 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

In this bonus episode, Host Angie Dickson, President of the Inogen Alliance and EVP of Antea Group USA, speaks with Sasikumar, Senior Leader at Chola Risk Services in India. Sasikumar shares a real-world case study from a 750 MW solar project that faced significant regulatory, permitting, and community challenges mid-development. The conversation highlights the blocks and bottlenecks they faced, and how they were overcome.

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Guest Quote

“ This solar project is uh, for capacity of seven 50 megawatt, which was in a central part of India, which was taken up by one of large corporate in India. And what had happened over that was they had some issues related to regulations, local agitations from the village, and they came to us.” - Sasikumar

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction to the Energy Transition Bonus Case Study
00:45 Overview of the 750 MW Solar Project in Central India
01:55 Regulatory, Forest Zone, and Water Body Constraints
03:45 Community Resistance and Public Hearing Challenges
04:55 Addressing Livelihood Concerns and Misconceptions About Solar Heat
05:45 Education, Safety Communication, and Local Language Engagement
06:25 Design Changes: Pathways, Access, and Infrastructure Adjustments
07:30 Key Lessons: Compliance, Planning, and Stakeholder Trust
08:10 How the Project Shaped Future Solar Developments