Energy, Utilities & Environment

Europe – October 31, 2026 -- The EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) will open a public consultation on 5 November 2026 on the preliminary version of EU-Flex, an open-source electricity market model built to assess flexibility needs across the EU. The consultation will run until 17 December 2026.

ACER must estimate EU flexibility needs under the 2024 market design reform

The 2024 Electricity Market Design reform tasks ACER with estimating flexibility needs across the EU and identifying potential gaps. Flexibility is the power system's ability to respond to changes in supply and demand. ACER plans to publish its first assessment in July 2027, with EU-Flex supporting the process.

Preliminary release includes source code, test case data and methodology

The preliminary release will contain three components:

European Union – October 31, 2026 -- The EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has published the first of three sets of revised REMIT data reporting guidance. Its first-phase requirements apply from 29 October 2027.

Three-phase rollout runs from October 2027 to July 2028

The revised REMIT framework (2024) and its secondary legislation (2026) introduce new reporting obligations in three phases between October 2027 and July 2028. ACER is issuing one guidance set per phase. Until 29 October 2027, reporting continues under the current framework and existing guidance.

The first set covers exposure and continuous reporting, LNG market data and bilateral transactions with energy-intensive consumers.

FREMONT – October 31, 2026 -- Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) has been named Best Food Waste Initiative of the Year 2026 at the Middle East Waste & Recycling (MEWAR) Awards 2026 for diverting food waste from landfill across its Dubai operations with Power Knot LLC's LFC biodigester.

The LFC biodigester uses beneficial microorganisms to convert food waste into grey water within 24 hours. Each unit connects to the LFC Cloud, which provides real-time data on waste processed and environmental impact. Judges cited the carbon footprint reduction compared with landfill disposal, along with operational improvements, enhanced security and cost savings.

GREENSBURG, Pa. – October 30, 2026 -- The FirstEnergy Foundation is investing $115,000 in 14 Pennsylvania organizations that provide housing assistance and support services to people facing homelessness, domestic violence and other housing-related challenges.

The grants are part of the Foundation's expanded Shelter, Safety and Stability initiative. The Foundation increased funding for the program fivefold this year, from $100,000 to $500,000. The initiative covers organizations across FirstEnergy's service territory that offer emergency shelter, transitional housing and support services.

Blackburn Center receives $5,000 for shelter operations in Westmoreland County

The Blackburn Center has served survivors and victims of domestic violence and other crimes in Westmoreland County for nearly 50 years. Its $5,000 grant will support shelter operations, basic necessities and programs for families in crisis.

NEW ORLEANS – October 30, 2026 -- Entergy (NYSE: ETR) Chair and CEO Drew Marsh and senior leaders will meet with investors at the Edison Electric Institute Financial Conference on Nov. 8-10.

Entergy serves more than 3 million customers across four states

The Fortune 500 utility generates, transmits and distributes electricity through operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. It employs approximately 12,000 people and is headquartered in New Orleans.

Entergy's generation growth plans center on modern natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy, and the company says it is working to keep customer costs as low as possible. It reports delivering more than $100 million in annual economic benefits to the communities it serves through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy.

OAKLAND – October 30, 2026 -- The PG&E Corporation Foundation is awarding $500,000 to five community organizations in Northern and Central California, completing a five-year, $2.5 million investment in 25 organizations through its Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant Program.

Each of the five 2026 recipients receives $100,000 for projects focused on land, air quality and water stewardship. Funding comes from PG&E shareholders, not customers. With the final selection, the application period has closed and the program no longer accepts applications.

Program Closes After Funding 25 Organizations Since 2022

Launched in 2022, the program has distributed grants across the service area of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The 2026 recipients are based in each of PG&E's five regions: North Coast; North Valley and Sierra; Bay Area; South Bay and Central Coast; and Central Valley.

Oakland – October 30, 2026 -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has become the first energy utility in the world to earn accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP), after meeting all 73 of the body's emergency management standards with zero nonconformances.

The independent, internationally recognized third-party accreditation covers preparedness, response and recovery. PG&E serves more than 16 million customers in Northern and Central California.

PG&E joins only three other private-sector organizations with EMAP accreditation

Amtrak and the District of Columbia Water & Sewer Authority are among the other accredited organizations. EMAP-accredited programs span state, local and international emergency management organizations, plus a small number of entities outside traditional government agencies. PG&E's accreditation extends that reach to the energy utility industry for the first time.

ATLANTA – October 30, 2026 -- Southern Company (NYSE: SO) will place its entire generation fleet, including nuclear, under a single executive from January 1, 2027, as part of a leadership overhaul announced by Chairman, President and CEO Chris Womack.

Kim Greene takes system operations, enterprise strategy and the full generation fleet

Kim Greene, currently chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power, becomes president of Southern Company Operations. She will oversee generation, system planning, safety, transmission operations and policy, commercial operations, research and development, environmental affairs and sustainability, shared services and systemwide power delivery strategy. She will also lead enterprise strategy.

Münster – October 30, 2026 -- The partners of the GET H2 initiative have published a seven-point paper setting out measures to remove the bottlenecks slowing Germany's hydrogen ramp-up, supplementing the impulse paper the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) released on October 20.

The partners welcome the ministry's renewed focus on hydrogen and say the direction is right. Their paper adds practical detail to the proposed measures. It stresses the urgency of pending regulation, in particular the still-outstanding transposition of the EU Internal Market Directive for gas and hydrogen through an amendment of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG).

Pittsburgh – October 30, 2026 -- Mercuria Energy Group has committed $4 million over four years to nonprofit Energy Corps, funding five energy access projects in Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Panama and Zambia in 2026.

The partnership gives Energy Corps four years of stable funding to expand its grantmaking and to compare projects across different settings. It also adds Mercuria's technical expertise and global network to Energy Corps' locally led, energy-agnostic model. Mercuria Chief Investment Officer Brian Falik said the company is applying its capital and market expertise to projects meant to expand reliable energy access and the economic opportunity that follows.