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How Is Constellation Energy Accelerating Growth Through PPAs?
ZACKS· 2025-09-04 16:46
Core Insights - Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG) focuses on Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to achieve its goal of providing carbon-free energy, particularly through long-term contracts for nuclear facilities and renewable energy projects via its Constellation Offsite Renewables (CORe) program [1][5] PPA Benefits - PPAs provide a steady, long-term income source by ensuring payments for power generated over a predetermined period, allowing businesses to support renewable energy initiatives [2] - CEG's CORe product enables efficient offsite renewable energy contracts, aligning with corporate sustainability goals [2] Strategic Partnerships - CEG has expanded its PPA portfolio with major corporations, including 20-year nuclear agreements with Meta and Microsoft [3] - In January 2025, CEG secured a contract exceeding $1 billion to supply nuclear electricity and energy-saving technologies for federal buildings, with plans to add over 1,100 MW of sustainable energy by 2028 [4] Industry Trends - Utilities are increasingly utilizing PPAs for financial stability and to promote renewable energy expansion, with companies like Vistra and Dominion Energy also relying on long-term PPAs [6] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates an earnings per share increase of 8.54% for 2025 and 25.99% for 2026 [7] Stock Performance - CEG shares have risen 33.1% over the past six months, outperforming the industry growth of 27.7% [8][12] - CEG is trading at a premium with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 27.89X compared to the industry average of 20.51X [10]
Google's data center energy use doubled in four years
TechCrunch· 2025-07-01 19:52
Core Insights - Google's data centers have seen a dramatic increase in electricity consumption, more than doubling from 14.4 million megawatt-hours in 2020 to 30.8 million megawatt-hours in 2024, indicating a growth of over 113% in just four years [1][2][5] - Data centers are responsible for 95.8% of Google's total electricity usage, highlighting the significant impact of this segment on the company's overall energy consumption [2] - The company's power usage effectiveness (PUE) has improved only marginally over the past decade, reaching 1.09 in 2024, suggesting that further efficiency gains may be challenging to achieve [6] Energy Strategy - Google is committed to using only carbon-free electricity sources, which has led to substantial investments in various energy technologies, including geothermal, nuclear fission, and fusion [7][10][15] - The company has made significant renewable energy purchases, including 600 megawatts of solar capacity in South Carolina and 700 megawatts in Oklahoma, as part of a broader $20 billion investment in carbon-free power plants [11][12] - Currently, about 66% of Google's data center electricity consumption is matched to the hour with carbon-free sources, but there are regional disparities, with Latin America achieving 92% while the Middle East and Africa only reach 5% [14]
NuScale Power vs. Centrus Energy: Which Nuclear Stock Has an Edge Now?
ZACKS· 2025-06-25 16:35
Core Insights - NuScale Power and Centrus Energy are significant contributors to the advanced nuclear technology sector, with NuScale focusing on small modular reactors (SMRs) and Centrus specializing in High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) enrichment [1][2] Market Overview - The global SMR market was valued at $5.81 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $8.37 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 4.98% from 2025 to 2032 [2] NuScale Power Insights - NuScale Power is experiencing growth due to advancements in SMR technology and an expanding partner base, including major tech companies and financial institutions [4][7] - The increasing energy demand, particularly from data centers, is a significant growth driver for NuScale Power, as these centers are expected to triple their energy use over the next three years [5][6] - NuScale Power's technology is well-positioned to meet the energy needs of hyperscale data centers, which are projected to account for 12% of U.S. electricity consumption by 2028 [6] Centrus Energy Insights - Centrus Energy is benefiting from rising demand for nuclear fuel, especially HALEU, and has secured a contract extension with the U.S. Department of Energy for HALEU production through June 30, 2026 [8][9] - The Department of Energy's support for HALEU highlights the growing demand for this type of uranium, which is crucial for advanced reactors [8] Financial Performance - Centrus Energy's 2025 EPS estimate increased by 9.2% to $3.53, while NuScale Power's estimate reflects a loss of 41 cents [11] - Year-to-date, NuScale Power's shares have appreciated by 141.2%, while Centrus Energy shares surged by 188.2% [12] - Valuation metrics indicate that both SMR and LEU shares are currently overvalued, with SMR trading at a Price/Sales ratio of 119.46X compared to LEU's 7.23X [15] Conclusion - Both NuScale Power and Centrus Energy are positioned to benefit from the nuclear energy boom, but Centrus Energy appears to have a stronger earnings potential and demand for nuclear fuel, particularly HALEU [19]