Stock Performance - NRG Energy's stock price decreased by 16% [1] Business Transaction - The power producer's initial agreement to provide electricity to data centers failed to meet investor expectations [1]

Core Insights - Clearway Energy Inc. (CWEN) reported second-quarter 2025 earnings of 28 cents per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 67 cents by 58.2% and declining from 43 cents per share in the same quarter last year [1][8] - Total revenues reached $392 million, falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $427 million by 8.2%, but representing a 7.1% increase from $366 million in the prior year [2][8] Financial Performance - Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $343 million, down from $353 million in the year-ago period [3] - Total operating costs and expenses increased to $307 million, an 8.9% rise from $282 million a year earlier, driven by higher operational costs and depreciation [3] - Interest expenses decreased to $83 million from $88 million in the previous year [3] Strategic Developments - On July 18, 2025, Clearway Group proposed partnership opportunities for cash equity interests in a portfolio of 291 megawatt (MW) storage projects in California and Colorado, expected to commence operations in 2026 [4] - The company acquired Catalina Solar Lessee Holdco LLC for approximately $127 million, which operates a 109 MW solar facility in Kern County, CA [4] Financial Position - As of June 30, 2025, cash and cash equivalents were $260 million, down from $332 million as of December 31, 2024 [5] - Total liquidity decreased to $1.298 billion from $1.330 billion at the end of 2024 [5] - Long-term debt rose to $8.25 billion from $6.75 billion as of December 31, 2024 [5] Cash Flow and Guidance - Net cash provided by operating activities in the first half of 2025 was $286 million, compared to $277 million in the same period last year [6] - The company updated its 2025 adjusted EBITDA guidance to a range of $1.2-$1.235 billion, up from the previous range of $1.195-$1.235 billion [7] - Cash from operating activities guidance was raised to $860-$900 million from $844-$884 million [7] - The new guidance for cash available for distribution (CAFD) is between $405 million and $440 million, slightly up from the previous range of $400-$440 million [9]

Core Viewpoint - Alliant Energy (LNT) is set to release its second-quarter 2025 results on August 7, following a significant negative earnings surprise of 45.6% in the previous quarter [1] Group 1: Factors Impacting Q2 Performance - The Janesville Community Solar Garden, a 2.25-megawatt project, began generating energy in May 2025, likely contributing positively to the upcoming quarterly results [2] - Alliant Energy's 200-MW solar facility in Linn County, renamed Pleasant Creek Solar, became operational during Q2 2025, expected to power approximately 40,000 homes annually, which may enhance the company's bottom-line performance [3] - An order from the IUC authorized annual base rate increases of $185 million for IPL's retail electric customers and $10 million for retail gas customers, likely boosting revenues for the quarter [4] - Increased demand from data centers and capital investments are expected to further support the bottom-line performance [4] - However, higher depreciation expenses and financing costs may have negatively impacted quarterly performance [5] Group 2: Q2 Expectations - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is 62 cents per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 8.8% [6] - Revenue estimates are set at $987.4 million, indicating a year-over-year increase of 10.5% [6] - Total electricity delivered is estimated at 7,729.98 megawatt-hours (MWh), up 0.4% year over year [6] Group 3: Earnings Prediction - The current model does not predict an earnings beat for Alliant Energy, with an Earnings ESP of +0.27% and a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) [7][8] - The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a higher Zacks Rank typically increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case for Alliant Energy this time [7] Group 4: Additional Context - New solar facilities launched in Wisconsin and Iowa are expected to enhance Q2 energy generation [9] - Rate increases for IPL electric and gas customers may have supported second-quarter revenues [9] - Earnings are likely under pressure from increased depreciation and financing expenses [9]

Group 1 - Laura Starks is the founder and CEO of Starks Energy Economics, LLC, established in 2007, with expertise in energy investments [1] - Starks holds a degree in chemical engineering and an MBA focused on finance, which she utilizes for personal investments and insights on energy companies [1] - The coverage of Starks includes various sectors such as utilities, independent power producers, energy service companies, petrochemical companies, and all segments of oil and natural gas: upstream, midstream, and downstream [1]

Poland’s new energy minister said he supports a moderate path to meet the country’s climate ambitions, allowing some coal-fired power plant to still be used in 2040 https://t.co/8cRUwRkHrj ...

Stock Commentary - Apple may be finding support and doesn't seem to want to go down anymore [1] - Industrials have been a great trade, reaching a record high and becoming the second-best sector this year [2] - Industrials are absorbing the tariff impact and are beneficiaries of infrastructure [2] Company Specifics - PG&E is a California utility, and there's starting to be clarity about what they might have to pay to resolve the wildfires [1]

Investment Thesis - Dominion Energy is positioned as a growth stock due to its role in supplying electricity to data centers, particularly in Lowden County, Virginia, which handles 70% of global internet traffic [2][8][10] - The company's traditional shareholder base, attracted by its dividend payments, is now joined by investors recognizing the increasing electricity demand driven by AI and data center buildout [9] - The stock is potentially breaking out above historical resistance at around $60-$61, supported by a moving average crossover (golden cross) [6] Growth Drivers - Amazon has invested $52 billion between 2011 and 2021 in the region and committed to spending another $35 billion between now and 2040, with plans to add 42 million square feet of data center space [3] - Dominion Energy experienced nine of its top 10 all-time peak electricity demand days in Virginia this year [4] - Hyperscaler capex is reaccelerating, leading to increased data center and energy needs, indicating a secular trend for utility companies [10] - Natural gas is expected to fill the void in power generation for data center demand, further benefiting utility companies [11] Financials and Catalysts - Dominion Energy affirmed its dividend and earnings outlook for the year, maintaining its creditworthiness [5] - The company has a 45% yield [7] - A rate case decision is expected in September, which could act as a catalyst if regulators approve increased rates for serving data centers [6][7] Risk Management - A break below $50 would be a signal to re-evaluate the investment [7]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.01 per share, a significant increase from a loss of $0.14 per share a year ago, reflecting growth across all business segments [7][8] - Adjusted earnings for the third quarter totaled $4.1 million, an increase of over $8 million compared to the previous year [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Gas Utilities segment had an adjusted loss of $10 million in the third quarter, which was $1 million better than the prior year, driven by higher contribution margin at Spire Missouri [18] - Earnings in the Gas Marketing segment increased by over $4 million, indicating strong performance [19] - The Midstream segment saw strong earnings growth due to additional capacity and asset optimization at Spire Storage, despite higher operating costs [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Year-to-date capital expenditures totaled $700 million, with a nearly 20% increase in utility CapEx year-over-year, focusing on upgrading distribution infrastructure [20] - The capital investment target for fiscal 2025 has increased to $875 million, reflecting a $10 million increase in Midstream and a $25 million increase in Spire Missouri [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is committed to a long-term EPS growth target of 5% to 7%, supported by a ten-year $7.4 billion capital investment plan [11][22] - The recent acquisition of the Piedmont Natural Gas business in Tennessee is seen as a strategic move to enhance scale and diversify the regulated utility portfolio [12][13] - The company aims to maintain a strong balance sheet while supporting long-term adjusted EPS growth and dividend growth [14][27] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving financial and operational goals, emphasizing the importance of delivering safe and reliable natural gas service [26][28] - The company is focused on achieving constructive regulatory outcomes and strengthening recovery mechanisms to support continued investment [27] Other Important Information - A unanimous stipulation and agreement has been filed for an annual revenue increase of $210 million in Missouri, pending approval [10][15] - The company anticipates adjusted earnings at the Utility segment to be significantly higher in 2026 due to new rates and improved regulatory frameworks [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Is the FFO to debt target of 15% to 16% still applicable? - Management confirmed that these targets remain relevant, although achieving them may be slower during the acquisition transition [34] Question: How much of the midstream results is attributable to storage expansion? - Approximately 90% of the increase in midstream results year-over-year is attributed to storage [39] Question: Will the strong marketing results continue into Q4? - Management indicated that Q4 is typically quieter, but they feel confident about the operations and targets for the marketing business [41] Question: Does the long-term 5% to 7% growth rate include impacts from the Missouri rate case? - The growth rate is primarily based on capital deployment, with potential catch-up from previous recovery delays in Missouri [57] Question: How does the company plan to manage O&M expenses going forward? - The target is to keep O&M expenses at or below the rate of inflation, with current year-to-date O&M running less than 1% higher than the prior year [61]

Financial Performance - PSEG's Q2 2025 net income was $585 million, or $1.17 per share, compared to $434 million in Q2 2024[21, 12] - PSEG's Q2 2025 non-GAAP operating earnings were $384 million, or $0.77 per share[21, 12] - For the first half of 2025, PSEG's net income was $1.174 billion, compared to $966 million for the same period in 2024[26] - PSEG reaffirms its full-year 2025 non-GAAP operating earnings guidance of $3.94 to $4.06 per share, representing approximately a 9% increase at the midpoint over 2024 results[14, 15] Capital Investment and Growth - PSE&G invested approximately $0.9 billion in Q2 2025 and approximately $1.7 billion year-to-date, with a regulated capital investment program of approximately $3.8 billion for 2025 on track[12, 34] - PSEG's regulated capital investment program for 2025-2029 is projected to be $21 billion to $24 billion, driven by infrastructure modernization, energy efficiency, and growing customer demand[12] - PSEG anticipates a long-term non-GAAP earnings growth outlook of 5%-7%, based on the midpoint of the 2025 guidance range[18] - Approximately 90% of PSEG's projected non-GAAP operating earnings over the 2025-2029 period are expected to come from PSE&G[18] PSE&G Operations and Regulatory Updates - PSE&G successfully managed a summer peak load of 10,229 MW on June 24th, the highest system load since 2013[12] - PSE&G's residential electric and gas customer count each grew by approximately 1% for the trailing 12 months ended June 30, 2025[35] - The BPU approved an annual revenue increase of $49 million for investments under the GSMP II Extension, effective August 1, 2025, and $9 million for investments under IAP, effective May 1, 2025[35] PSEG Power and Nuclear Generation - PSEG Nuclear achieved a capacity factor of 88.8% for Q2 2025 and 94.3% year-to-date[12, 37] - Total nuclear generation is forecasted to be 30-32 TWh for 2025[42]

Brookfield Asset Management agreed to buy a 19.7% stake in Duke Energy Corp.’s Florida utility for $6 billion, a deal that will accelerate investment in the grid as the state’s population soars https://t.co/icYFOMEkam ...