European Commission Press release Brussels, 22 Dec 2025 The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, the reform of the French electricity capacity mechanism. This aid measure aims to ensure that th...

Persbericht van de Europese Commissie Brussel, 22 december 2025 De Europese Commissie heeft, onder EU-steunregels, de hervorming van het Franse capaciteitsmechanisme voor elektriciteit goedgekeurd. Deze steunmaatregel heeft tot doel voldoende capaciteit te waarborgen.

The U.S. Department of Energy has issued an emergency order designed to bolster the power grid and avert potential blackouts across the Midwest as energy needs surge with the arrival of summer. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s directive focuses on maintaining a secure electricity supply for the region. The order mandates that the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) coordinate closely with Consumers Energy to keep the J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in West Olive operational. This plant, with a substantial generating capacity of 1,560 megawatts, was slated for premature decommissioning at the end of May, well before its expected lifespan. “This emergency action is vital to guarantee Michiganders and the broader Midwest maintain essential power generation capacity during a period of high electricity demand,” Secretary Wright explained. He reiterated the administration’s dedication to accessible and dependable energy for American families, particularly given current energy policies that could impact electricity stability and costs. The action, issued by the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), is legally supported by Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act and aligns with President Trump's declaration of a National Energy Emergency. The overarching goal is to preserve power generation availability within the region, preventing capacity from falling below expected 2024 levels. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has identified a potential risk of diminished operational reserves within the MISO region as demand peaks. This heightened risk stems from a combination of factors, including the scheduled phasing out of traditional power plants and anticipated limitations in energy supply later in the summer, exacerbated by earlier declines in solar energy production. The focus now is on proactively safeguarding the region’s energy infrastructure to meet the anticipated demands and avoid disruptions.

Erongo Regional Electricity Distributor (Erongored) chief executive Tino !Hanabeb says the entity is losing nearly N$5 million due to copper theft yearly. He was speaking to Desert Radio on Wednesday morning after Erongored suffered theft of its power poles at Swakopmund and Henties Bay last week. “At Walvis Bay alone we have 10 cases that were recorded over the past 12 months and at Swakopmund, around 15 cases that were also recorded. So, every month we have one case.” “We have caught some culprits but you should know that it takes time for these cases through the courts to be completed. But, nonetheless, we are really thankful to some of the community members that are reporting these incidents,” he said. The latest incident of vandalism and theft at Swakopmund resulted in the Omdel water scheme going without a power supply to the facility. According to a statement by Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater), the Orano Desalination Plant also went offline due to high sulphur levels, meaning that no water was being received from this source. NamWater was consequently forced to engage the Swakopmund municipality to reduce water supply in response. At Henties bay, theft of power poles significantly affected power supply to NamWater’s infrastructure that is critical to the water supply system, spokesperson Lot Ndamanomhata says. !Hanabeb has in the meantime cautioned perpetrators that the consequences will be severe when caught. “Your time is up. We are on you. We know where you are. We know where you are selling all this stolen copper and all the other items and, therefore, we will get you.” “We also have stakeholders set up in all the mines and all the key affected entities. We are working around the clock to be able to close opportunities that exist within the market for these perpetrators and we’ll bring them to book together with the police. “We’d also like to thank the police commissioner of the region and his team for the support and timely response,” he said. The post Erongored loses N$5 million from copper theft appeared first on The Namibian.