POWER Digest [September 2025]

News briefs curated from August 2025 by the editors of POWER, highlighting key developments across global power markets, technology, finance, and energy infrastructure.

Hitachi Energy, E.ON Ink $700M Deal to Strengthen German Grid. Hitachi Energy, the world’s largest transformer manufacturer, has signed a deal worth up to $700 million with German utility E.ON to supply power and distribution transformers for grid expansion and modernization. Announced on July 28, the agreement is among Hitachi’s largest in Germany and comes as the new German government launches a €500 billion infrastructure fund that will focus on energy resilience as a top priority. Hitachi Energy is investing $9 billion worldwide to boost production in Germany. The multi-year deal, which secures manufacturing capacity for E.ON’s critical projects, could enable faster renewable integration and reduce risks of grid connection delays.

GE Vernova and Crusoe Ink Gas Turbine Deal for Data Center Power. GE Vernova and Crusoe on July 22 announced an agreement for the delivery of 29 LM2500XPRESS aeroderivative gas turbine packages to Crusoe’s expanding artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in the U.S. The order, split between 10 units booked in December 2024 and 19 units booked in June 2025, is expected to provide almost 1 GW—making it one of the largest deployments of aeroderivative turbines for digital infrastructure to date. The turbine units are engineered for fast installation and flexible operation. Each 35-MW LM2500XPRESS turbine can start independently of the grid, ramp power up or down in minutes, and comes equipped with advanced selective catalytic reduction technology to slash nitrogen oxide emissions by 90% compared to traditional reciprocating engines. The system’s modular approach means 95% of assembly happens in the factory, reducing the footprint and site work needed. Both companies highlighted how this technology supports data center reliability, speed-to-power, and emissions goals as AI-driven energy demand surges. The deal illustrates the integration of efficient generation into digital industries, where power supply and sustainability are critical.

Rolls-Royce SMR Signs Czech and UK Supply Agreements. Rolls-Royce SMR on Aug. 1 announced two agreements to advance the development and deployment of its small modular reactor (SMR) technology. In the Czech Republic, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with engineering firm Škoda JS, owned by utility CEZ, to explore production of key reactor components. The partnership is intended to prepare the Czech supply chain for the potential deployment of up to 3 GW of SMRs in the country. Rolls-Royce SMR also signed a contract with Czech nuclear research company ÚJV Rež for analysis and testing of SMR components. In the UK, Rolls-Royce SMR agreed on a multi-million-pound contract with Curtiss-Wright’s UK nuclear business to design, test, and supply non-programmable diverse reactor protection systems, safety systems that provide an independent means of shutting down a reactor without the use of software or programmable devices. The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470-MWe pressurized water reactor design, with about 90% of each unit built in factories before onsite assembly.

Primergy Announces Commercial Operation of Ash Creek Solar Project. Primergy Solar declared the Ash Creek Solar project commercially operational on July 17. Spanning six square miles in Hill County, Texas, Ash Creek features 408 MWac of photovoltaic capacity and represents a nearly $1 billion private investment. Microsoft will be the primary offtaker under a long-term power purchase agreement, enabling the tech giant’s aggressive renewable procurement strategy. Ash Creek underscores Texas’s leadership in large-scale solar development driven by strong corporate demand and favorable interconnection processes.

Cox Acquires Iberdrola Mexico in $4.2B Deal. Cox, a global water and energy management company, has completed the $4.2 billion acquisition of Iberdrola Mexico, finalizing one of the largest utility transactions in the country’s history. The deal encompasses 15 operational power plants totaling more than 2,600 MW of capacity—1,368 MW from combined cycle and cogeneration units, and 1,232 MW from renewable sources—along with a 12 GW project pipeline. It also includes Mexico’s largest qualified-user supply business, with a 25% market share and over 20 TWh distributed to more than 500 clients annually. Cox said the purchase will lift 2025 pro forma revenues and complete its 2025–2028 strategic plan three years early. Cox has designated Mexico as a core growth market under the country’s new “Plan Mexico” regulatory framework and plans to invest $10.7 billion in the country between 2025 and 2030. The program includes new energy generation projects, water concession assets, and co-development initiatives with the state utility Comisión Federal de Electricidad.

Québec’s La Caisse Finalizes Innergex Privatization Deal. La Caisse, formerly Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, has completed the privatization of Innergex Renewable Energy, marking a strategic shift for the Québec-based renewable power producer. The transaction keeps the majority of Innergex’s ownership in Québec while removing the company from public markets to give it greater financial flexibility for large-scale project development. As part of the process, La Caisse concluded a syndication of up to 20% of its investment to institutions aligned with Innergex’s long-term strategy. The investor group includes Québec entities such as Investissement Québec, Desjardins Global Asset Management, and Fondaction, alongside 14 Swiss institutional investors. La Caisse remains the lead shareholder and will leverage its infrastructure expertise and global renewable portfolio to back Innergex’s expansion. Innergex, headquartered in Longueuil, operates across North America, France, and Chile, with a focus on long-term, sustainable power generation.

Mocean Energy and SolarDuck Collaborate on Offshore Renewable Power Solution. Scottish ocean energy pioneer Mocean Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with Netherlands-headquartered floating solar developer SolarDuck. The strategic collaboration aims to deliver hybrid power systems that combine SolarDuck’s cutting-edge floating solar platforms with Mocean Energy’s innovative wave energy technology. The pair plan to deliver a high-level joint concept that provides clean, reliable energy for power, communications, and auxiliary systems to support remote offshore assets.

Helion Energy Breaks Ground on Orion Fusion Power Plant. Helion Energy kicked off construction on its first commercial-scale fusion power plant, Orion, on July 30. Located on a 50-acre site adjacent to Rock Island Dam on the Columbia River near Malaga, Washington, the project seeks to deliver more than 50 MW of clean, carbon-free baseload electricity by 2028. Helion says its approach of “rapid iteration and testing” has enabled the company to make steady progress toward a commercial fusion machine. Its 7th-generation prototype, Polaris, is expected to demonstrate the first electricity produced from fusion. With its previous prototype, Trenta, Helion was the first private company to achieve a fuel temperature of 100 million C, “which is generally considered the required operating temperature for a commercial fusion power plant,” it said. Orion will employ a pulsed fusion system that fuses deuterium and helium-3, directly converting plasma energy into electricity without steam turbines. Microsoft has already signed a power purchase agreement to offtake electricity once the plant is operational. The milestone marks a critical step toward demonstrating fusion’s commercial viability in response to surging demand for reliable, 24/7 clean power from artificial intelligence data centers and technology companies.

—Sonal Patel is a senior editor for POWER.