Yazılar

Renewables stocks surge as investor inflows return and power demand outlook brightens

/in /tarafından

After two years in decline, renewable energy stocks are staging a strong comeback, driven by renewed investor inflows and a powerful shift in global electricity demand. The sector has posted its best quarterly performance since 2020, as confidence returns amid clearer U.S. policy direction and soaring energy needs from AI data centers and electrification.

Data from Lipper shows alternative energy funds attracted nearly $800 million in September, their biggest monthly inflow since April 2022, while Morningstar reports fund outflows have dropped to their lowest in over a year. The MSCI Global Alternative Energy Index rose 17% in the third quarter, doubling the broader market’s gains.

BlackRock’s Alastair Bishop said valuations had become so depressed that even negative policy news turned into a “positive catalyst,” helping investors refocus on fundamentals. Similarly, Robeco’s Roman Boner said inflows into the firm’s clean-energy strategies have resumed.

The rally has been powered by Big Tech’s AI-fueled data center boom, accelerating electrification of transport and industry, and upgrades to grid infrastructure. U.S. power consumption, flat for a decade, is now expected to surge, with solar-plus-storage emerging as the fastest way to meet demand. “Every electron counts,” Boner said.

Private equity is also reentering the space, with Global Infrastructure Partners reportedly in talks to acquire AES Corp. Analysts say renewable stocks still trade at a 40% discount to global equities, leaving room for upside as earnings momentum builds.

Despite risks from higher interest rates and political shifts, managers believe the rally could persist as short positions unwind and clean-energy earnings recover.

U.S. Data Center Construction Hits Record $40 Billion Amid AI Boom

/in /tarafından

Construction spending on U.S. data centers hit a record $40 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in June, according to a new report from the Bank of America Institute. The surge reflects the massive capital pouring into AI infrastructure by major technology companies.

By the Numbers

The $40 billion figure represents a 30% jump from last year, following an even steeper 50% surge in 2024, based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

Why It Matters

The explosive growth of generative AI and machine learning has triggered an unprecedented demand for computing power. Tech giants including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are investing billions to expand their hyperscale data centers, enabling them to run AI workloads at scale. This infrastructure boom has also fueled record sales for Nvidia, whose GPUs power much of the AI ecosystem and now account for the bulk of its revenue.

Key Quotes

“Hyperscalers are a big part of the increased demand for power, but they’re not the whole picture,” Bank of America Institute economists led by Liz Everett Krisberg noted.
They emphasized that much of the projected growth in U.S. electricity demand through 2030 will also come from EV adoption, industrial reshoring, building electrification, and heating systems — highlighting how AI-driven infrastructure is just one force in a broader energy transformation.

Malaysia Plans 50% Increase in Gas-Fired Power Capacity to Support Booming Data Centre Demand

/in /tarafından

Malaysia aims to expand its gas-fired power capacity by 6 to 8 gigawatts by 2030 to meet soaring electricity demand driven largely by the rapid growth of data centres, an industry official said. This expansion would represent a 40-54% increase from the current 15 GW of gas capacity, as the country seeks to reduce reliance on coal.

According to Megat Jalaluddin, CEO of state utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad, the government plans to build new gas plants and extend the lifespan of existing ones, positioning gas as the key transitional fuel after coal. Total electricity consumption in Malaysia is projected to rise by 30% by 2030.

Malaysia is expected to see the fastest growth in data centre power demand in Southeast Asia, with data centres’ share of electricity consumption in the region forecasted to triple to 21% by 2027 from 7% in 2022, based on a May report by Bain & Co, Google, and Temasek.

Petronas, Malaysia’s LNG exporter, may start importing liquefied natural gas within four to five years due to rising gas demand. The country also targets adding up to 10 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, more than doubling its current 9 GW, as data centres push for greener energy sources.

Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof highlighted that data centres will require 19.5 GW of power generation by 2035, making up 52% of Peninsular Malaysia’s electricity use, up sharply from about 2% today.

Malaysia’s southern state of Johor has become a leading data centre hub in Southeast Asia, favored for its proximity to Singapore, affordable land and power, and faster regulatory approvals. Tech giants like Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, and ByteDance have committed billions in investments since early 2024, fueling an infrastructure boom.