The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) announced a webinar discussing new polling on Americans’ views of data centers and the implications for U.S. AI policy.

• Event details: Wednesday, August 26, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT; format: webinar.
• Discussion focus: public opposition to nearby data center development, concerns about electricity prices, water use, land use, and quality of life, and what this means for U.S. AI competitiveness.
• Speakers:Daniel Castro (President, ITIF) and Seb Wride (Partner, Public First); audience questions collected via Slido.
• The event frames AI leadership as dependent on building the physical infrastructure that powers it and explores policy approaches to address community concerns without sacrificing infrastructure expansion.

The African Energy Chamber is previewing the “Invest in South Africa” session at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, highlighting South Africa’s energy transition and related investment opportunities.

• The article says the session will examine gas, renewables, hydrogen, and storage as South Africa works toward a more diversified and resilient energy system.
• It cites the Just Energy Transition Partnership, launched in 2021 with an initial $8.5 billion commitment, and references projects including the Zululand Energy Terminal, Ngqura LNG terminal, and Sasol’s Boegoebaai green hydrogen development.

The European Commission and EU partners discussed electricity security of supply at an ad-hoc Electricity Coordination Group meeting amid heatwaves and drought in Europe.

• The Group said there are no short-term adequacy risks, but supply is expected to remain tight in the coming week; reduced generation in some EU countries is linked to low water levels and high water temperatures.
• The meeting highlighted the role of high solar generation, the need for storage deployment, and voluntary demand-side measures in some EU countries, especially Hungary; ENTSO-E also said TSOs are preparing for the solar eclipse on 12 August.

The United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan have issued a joint statement marking the one-year anniversary of the White House Peace Summit and outlining progress on the August 8 Joint Declaration.

• The statement says the TRIPP transit route is advancing, including a U.S.-Armenia agreement to form the TRIPP Development Company; engineering surveys in Armenia are underway, and Azerbaijan is nearly finishing a highway and railroad to connect to TRIPP.
• The three countries also support an electricity transmission line through TRIPP; the U.S. granted $201 million to the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund, and the statement says close to 60,000 tons of goods have moved through Azerbaijan to and from Armenia within one year.

The CNMC has announced a new resolution establishing flexible access permits for electricity demand on transmission and distribution networks.

• The measure creates four permit types for flexible access, including provisions for storage facilities, remote disconnection, active flexibility management, and real-time reduction of consumption when needed for grid security.
• The resolution was approved on 31 July 2026, published on 11 August 2026, and will take effect on 1 September 2026; distribution network operators must also report annual usage data and publish flexible capacity maps.

Guyana and Siemens Energy are advancing the country’s 300 MW combined-cycle power plant as part of the broader Gas-to-Energy project.

• Siemens Energy was appointed in June 2026 to operate Guyana’s 300 MW combined-cycle power plant, which is expected to begin operations in early 2027 and is supplied by gas from the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block.
• The wider project includes a Natural Gas Liquids facility and upgraded transmission infrastructure; it is said to help double electricity generation capacity and cut electricity costs by about 50%. The article also says Caribbean Energy Week 2027 will hold its Guyana in-country launch at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Georgetown on September 1, 2026.

Troutman Pepper Locke commented on a Recharge News article about Texas delaying data centre grid connections amid increased oversight pressure.

• The memo says active ERCOT interconnection queue participants face a delay of indeterminate duration after the governor “pumps the brakes” on the ramp-up in Texas.
• The firm warned that investors in transmission, generation, and grid infrastructure tied to large-load projects should review project viability, lender security interests, committed capital deployment schedules, and counterparty termination rights, and noted clients using the 7 August deadline should review project documents.
• The article frames the development as making the path forward “materially less certain,” while noting ERCOT covers around 90% of the Texas grid and that the regulator may seek expanded authority over data centres.

The article argues that Vietnam must accelerate power-system upgrades, with a specific emphasis on battery storage, grid modernization, and demand management.

• June 24, 2026: Vietnam’s peak load exceeded 58,400 MW, and demand in the North passed 30,200 MW for the first time.
• The Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Circular No. 62/2025/TT-BCT in December 2025 (effective 26 January 2026) to set pricing methods for qualifying battery energy storage systems of at least 10 MW connected at 110 kV or above; Circular No. 29/2026/TT-BCT in June 2026 added DPPA participants and a regulatory framework for BESS in the wholesale market.
• EVNHANOI completed and commissioned five BESS units totaling 50 MW/100 MWh across five 110 kV substations in Hanoi in July 2026, described as Vietnam’s first large-scale grid-connected BESS deployment.

Troutman Pepper Locke is analyzing a new FCC restriction on foreign-produced connected power inverters.

• On July 28, 2026, the FCC added foreign-produced power inverters to its Covered List, blocking new models from receiving FCC equipment authorization for import, marketing, or sale in the United States unless they obtain Conditional Approval or fit an exemption.
• The rule applies prospectively only and does not affect previously authorized models; the article also explains coverage criteria, the 65% domestic content threshold (rising to 75% in 2029), and potential impacts on solar, storage, wind, EV charging, and microgrid supply chains.

The Government of Canada, through PacifiCan, has announced over $30.5 million in RTRI funding for 24 businesses and organizations across British Columbia to help them adapt to trade disruptions and expand into new markets.

• Over $30.5 million in RTRI funding will support 24 businesses and organizations across B.C. to improve productivity, reduce costs, and build more resilient supply chains.
• Named recipients include Accelovant ($990,000), BC Wood Specialties Group ($5,280,480), Nanaimo Forest Products ($5,500,000), Novarc Technologies ($1,988,184), Quadrogen ($3,600,000), and others; the release links this to advanced manufacturing, forestry, steel and aluminum, and export diversification.
• The announcement was made by Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for PacifiCan; one recipient, OSENSA Innovations, makes fibre optic sensing technologies used to monitor high-voltage electrical infrastructure such as data centres.

U.S. Energy Information Administration has published a data-driven update on Puerto Rico’s electricity reliability in 2025.

• Non-major-event outages averaged 36 hours in 2025, up 19% from 2024; the article also says the 2021-2025 average was 29 hours and mainland U.S. customers experienced about two hours annually.
• Major event days (MEDs) added 23 hours of interruptions in 2025; the article cites heavy rainfall and flooding in April-May 2025 and Hurricane Erin as contributors to grid disruption, while noting there were no major hurricanes directly affecting Puerto Rico in 2025.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission has ordered Dominion Energy to file a new cost assignment proposal within 90 days so data centers, rather than general ratepayers, bear transmission costs built solely to serve them.

• The SCC ruled on July 31, 2026 that large-load data centers cause the transmission line costs and that substations and other direct-connect transmission infrastructure should be assigned to the customers driving those costs.
• The ruling is not retroactive; already approved projects such as the Germanna Line and Daves Store Line remain shared, and the letter says the decision does not address new generation proposals, including multiple natural gas-fired power plants in Chesterfield and Cumberland.

Italy’s Ambassador to Estonia, Stefano Catani, describes Estonia as a strategically important, highly digitalized market while outlining Estonia’s green, transport, and digital infrastructure plans.

• Estonia is advancing green transition, transport, and broadband plans, including the Climate-Resilient Economy Act, the ENMAK/ESDP 2035 energy plan, the Piano di Sviluppo dei Trasporti e della Mobilità 2021-2035, and the Piano Banda Larga 2030.
• The article cites major funding figures such as €8.6 billion for building renovation investments between 2026 and 2035, over €12 billion for transport, €1.6 billion for Rail Baltica, and more than €70 million for broadband access networks; it also reports €957 million in Italy-Estonia trade in 2025.
• The piece is primarily a commentary/interview and country overview rather than a first-time corporate announcement, though it references recent policy decisions such as Estonia’s April defense-spending increase and January energy plan approval.

Eskom has reported that its financial year-to-date Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has reached a six-year high, reflecting sustained operational improvements across its generation fleet.

• EAF improved to 67.24% from 60.05% in the same period last year, the highest financial year-to-date level since 18 November 2020; Eskom said this has returned about 5.9GW of generating capacity to the grid.
• Unplanned outages fell to 7 718MW for 31 July to 6 August 2026, down 28.3% year-on-year from 10 758MW; Eskom also said it has 3 360MW in cold reserve and more than 85% of the coal fleet is operating at 70% to 92% EAF.

Troutman Pepper Locke’s energy team highlighted potential legal and regulatory impacts from Texas’ pause on data center grid connections.

• In an Aug. 4 client alert, John K. Arnold, Brandon Lobb, and Rachael Beavers advised investors and developers to review contract exposure tied to data center development schedules, especially change in law, force majeure, milestone extension rights, and termination triggers.
• The firm said the January 2027 convening of the 90th Texas Legislature could be the next chance for statutory changes, and noted the PUCT is seeking expanded statutory authority over the data center industry.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has reported that utility-scale battery storage capacity in the United States grew at an annual average rate of 70% over the last three years.

• Capacity reached 43.6 GW by the end of 2025, and operators added 8.3 GW in the first six months of 2026, bringing total nameplate battery storage capacity to nearly 52 GW.
• Operators report plans for an additional 54 GW over the next 2.5 years, including 14 GW in the second half of 2026, 26 GW in 2027, and 14 GW in 2028; the article also highlights Bellefield Solar and Energy Storage Farm, Manatee Solar Energy Center, and Gemini Solar Hybrid as major projects.

Vistra Corp. has announced its second quarter 2026 results and disclosed a new strategic investment in Helix Digital Infrastructure. - Q2 2026 results: Net income was $305 million and Ongoing Operations Adjusted EBITDA was $1,767 million, up more than 30% year over year.

• Strategic updates: Vistra announced Helix Digital Infrastructure with KKR, Kuwait Investment Authority, and NVIDIA, with an initial Vistra commitment of up to $1.0 billion; it also said the FERC approved the pending Cogentrix Energy acquisition.

South Africa’s Department of Electricity and Energy says Team South Africa has completed a China mission to attract investment and strengthen cooperation on energy infrastructure.

• Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa led a delegation at the South Africa-China Electricity and Energy Investment Conference in Beijing this week, where the mission focused on investment and strategic partnerships aligned with IRP 2025.
• The visit advanced several initiatives, including Sasol commissioning Envision to design a green hydrogen system for Sasolburg operations, and a Memorandum of Understanding between NRWDI and CNNC on advanced nuclear waste disposal technologies; site visits also covered green hydrogen, green ammonia, data centre energy supply, nuclear waste storage, ultra-high-voltage transmission, and Special Economic Zones.

The European Commission has proposed amendments to Spain’s recovery and resilience plan, including new and updated reforms and investments across mobility, energy, housing, industry, digitalisation, and public administration.

• The proposal updates the Council Implementing Decision approving Spain’s recovery and resilience plan, with detailed milestones and targets across components such as electric mobility, renewable energy, data centres, AI, and public spending review.
• The document includes multiple quantified funding allocations and transfers, including EUR 102.6 billion estimated total plan cost, EUR 7.26 billion for REPowerEU, and several later-stage transfers such as EUR 9.5 billion to ICO and EUR 325.01 million to ESA.
• This is a formal proposal/annex rather than a standalone commercial announcement; it references many prior legal acts, planned regulatory changes, and implementation milestones for Spain.

The European Commission has attached an annex to a proposal updating Italy’s recovery and resilience plan, setting out reforms, investments, milestones, and funding amounts.

• The document covers digital public administration, justice, procurement, energy, transport, education, health, climate, and social measures, with multiple milestones running from 2021 to 2026.
• It also sets financing figures including an estimated total plan cost of EUR 194.4 billion, REPowerEU costs of EUR 7.21 billion, and several transfer amounts and instalment amounts for specific measures.