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DOE Announces Site Selection for Energy Infrastructure and AI Data Centers on Federal Lands

LCG, July 24, 2025--The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the next steps in the Trump administration’s plan to accelerate the development of AI infrastructure by using Federal lands to lower energy costs and help power the global AI race, as previously outlined in President Trump’s Executive Orders on Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security, and Unleashing American Energy.

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Enbridge Announces 600-MW Solar Project in Texas to Power Meta Data Center Operations

LCG, July 22, 2025--Enbridge Inc. (Enbridge) today announced that it has reached a final investment decision on the Clear Fork solar project located near San Antonio, Texas. Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta), has signed a long-term contract for all of the renewable power generated from the 600-MW project.

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Industry News

Shell Valuation of Power Agreements Too Optimistic, Former Manager Says

LCG, July 18, 2002--A former manager at the energy trading unit of Royal Dutch Shell ("Shell") in Houston who was dismissed in August 2001 told the Financial Times and Reuters that the company's valuation of options it held on power purchases relied on overly optimistic assessments of future power prices.

Shell's agreements with independent power producers require it to make capacity payments of $7.4 billion over 20 years. The power producers run plants using natural gas from Shell, which may exercise options to sell power from the plants should power prices rise. The agreements were sealed three years ago, when power prices in the U.S. were about 50% higher than they are currently. The manager, George Namur, claimed that "We knew what our capacity payments would be and then had to use highly optimistic power price forecasts and other creative items to exceed the 15 per cent return rate." The forecasts used in valuation of such options are potentially wide-ranging.

A statement by Shell indicated that "rigorous due diligence and evaluation processes" were undertaken prior to the company's completing the deals, which are not uncommon in the energy industry. Shell stated that 2001 accounting recognized profits from the deals as the agreements progressed. Most payments for the "tolling" agreements will be due in 2007.
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