The Daily Baseload Brief [2026-08-18]
DOE selects Brookfield and NextEra for a $100 billion AI campus at Paducah; Origin Energy's 300 MW / 650 MWh Mortlake BESS enters commercial service; ERCOT seeks PUCT ruling on Batch Zero on 20 August.
The DOE has selected Brookfield Asset Management and NextEra Energy to redevelop the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky into a $100 billion AI and high-performance computing campus, the largest economic development project in the state's history.
NextEra will build 2 GW of natural gas-fired generation and up to 2.6 GW of battery storage to power a 1.8 GW AI campus targeted for completion in 2031, with the power service agreement still subject to approval by the Kentucky Public Service Commission. The campus will occupy roughly 600 acres of the former uranium enrichment site, with first components potentially online by 2028.
Origin Energy's 300 MW / 650 MWh Mortlake battery energy storage system in south-west Victoria commenced commercial operations on 15 August, becoming the second-largest rated battery in the state. The AU$400 million project, built by Fluence at Origin's existing Mortlake Power Station site, uses grid-forming inverter technology and connects directly to AusNet's 500 kV switchyard, reducing the need for new transmission infrastructure.
ERCOT will seek a good cause exception from the PUCT at the commission's 20 August open meeting after suspending Batch Zero large-load classification notifications that had been scheduled for 7 August. The Batch Zero queue covers roughly 205 GW of qualifying large-load requests, approximately 89% from data centers, and the PUCT ruling on 20 August will determine when classification notices - and with them, real grid-connection pathways - can be issued.
The EIA's August 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook shows US solar generation grew 21% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, with hydropower up 9% and wind up 6%. US marketed natural gas production is forecast to average 122.5 Bcf/d in 2026, surpassing the previous record of 118.5 Bcf/d set in 2025.
Global energy storage cell shipments reached 467.84 GWh in the first half of 2026, up 94.8% year on year, according to InfoLink Consulting, reflecting accelerating demand from utility-scale projects and AI data center co-location deals.
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