This week’s news mixed large construction and investment milestones with signs of political and regulatory friction: a 650-megawatt Missouri solar plant broke ground on former coal land, Constellation and Google signed a multibillion-dollar deal to squeeze more power from existing nuclear reactors, South Korea unveiled a $747 billion decade-long green industrial strategy, and an offshore wind developer in Maryland gave up a planned manufacturing site as its project remains stuck in litigation.
Clearway breaks ground on 650-MW Missouri solar project on former strip mine
Clearway Energy Group has started construction on Swan Energy Center, a 650-MW solar facility located on portions of strip-mined land in northwestern Bates County, Missouri. The project is Clearway’s first in Missouri and is contracted under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
A bank consortium led by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, DNB Bank ASA and National Australia Bank Limited financed the $1.5 billion project. Clearway expects commercial operation in 2028, and says annual output will match the electricity use of about 200,000 average US homes. The project is part of a 1.2 GW portfolio the company announced earlier this year.
Constellation and Google sign $4.3 billion deal to uprate 11 nuclear reactors
Google and Constellation Energy signed a 20-year power purchase agreement designed to support $4.3 billion of upgrades at 11 nuclear units across the PJM Interconnection, slated to add 890 MW of generating capacity from Constellation’s existing reactors by the end of 2032. The first uprate is expected online by 2028. Google also signed a separate 15-year supply agreement covering 2,700 MW from Constellation’s existing PJM fleet.
Constellation spokesperson Paul Adams told Canary Media “each plant is different, so the scale of the projects and what is being done varies plant to plant.” The deal follows a separate agreement a week earlier: Constellation reached a deal with Amazon to add 190 megawatts to its Calvert Cliffs plant, the only nuclear plant in Maryland. The Trump administration wants to add 5 gigawatts of carbon-free nuclear power capacity by 2029 without deploying a single new reactor, a goal these deals are meant to advance.
South Korea unveils $747 billion green industrial strategy
South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has unveiled its KRW1,000 trillion (US$747 billion) Korean Green Transformation (K-GX) industrial strategy. The strategy supports the government policy goal of reaching 100GW of renewable energy generation capacity in South Korea by 2030.
Under the plan, the government will support ten strategic green industries, including electric vehicles, batteries, solar and wind power, small modular reactors, power equipment, power semiconductors, heat pumps, hydrogen, and carbon capture, utilization and storage. The strategy runs through 2035.
US Wind gives up Maryland manufacturing site amid offshore project delays
US Wind has relinquished its lease at Tradepoint Atlantic’s Sparrows Point site in Baltimore County, Maryland, to Anduril Industries. The site, where US Wind had planned to fabricate turbine foundations, will instead host Anduril’s plan to invest $3.7 billion in Arsenal-2, a 187-acre facility producing large assemblies and components for Virginia-class submarines.
US Wind’s CEO said the company’s offshore wind plans have been delayed by legal disputes and uncertainty from federal agencies, according to reporting by Baird Maritime. The company’s Maryland offshore wind plans include a 248-megawatt MarWin project and an 808.5-megawatt Momentum Wind project, both awarded Offshore Renewable Energy Credits by the Maryland Public Service Commission. The US Department of Transportation had already withdrawn $47.4 million in port infrastructure funding for the project in August 2025.
Mint Renewables wins approval for 800 MWh battery project in Western Australia
Mint Renewables has received planning approval for an 800MWh battery energy storage system near Kojonup in Western Australia, according to Energy-Storage.News. The approval adds to a growing pipeline of large-scale battery projects moving through the Western Australian planning system as the state’s grid operator looks for more dispatchable capacity to firm up variable wind and solar output.
Permitting reform bill backed by Senator Heinrich draws oil, clean energy and labor support
A federal permitting overhaul bill backed by Senator Martin Heinrich has drawn support from oil industry groups, clean energy developers and labor unions aiming to speed approvals for energy infrastructure projects, according to the New Mexico Political Report. Details of the bill’s provisions were not fully laid out in reporting available this week, but the unusual coalition reflects shared frustration across the energy sector with lengthy federal review timelines.
World’s tallest wind turbine set for inauguration in Germany
A 365-meter wind turbine built by Gicon in Lusatia, Germany, taller than the Eiffel Tower, is scheduled to be inaugurated on November 19, according to Renewable Energy World. The turbine is designed to demonstrate taller tower technology aimed at capturing stronger, steadier winds at greater heights to boost electricity output per unit.
The week at a glance
| Story | Topic | Region | Size or value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swan Energy Center groundbreaking | Solar | US, Missouri | 650 MW, $1.5bn financing | Solar Power World |
| Constellation-Google nuclear uprate deal | Nuclear / grid | US, PJM (IL, PA, NJ) | 890 MW, $4.3bn | Canary Media |
| Korea Green Transformation strategy | Policy | South Korea | $747bn through 2035 | Energy-Storage.News |
| US Wind cedes Sparrows Point site | Offshore wind | US, Maryland | Lease handed to Anduril ($3.7bn shipyard) | Offshore Wind |
| Mint Renewables BESS approval | Storage | Australia, Western Australia | 800 MWh | Energy-Storage.News |
| Heinrich permitting reform bill | Policy | US, federal | Not specified | New Mexico Political Report |
| World’s tallest wind turbine | Wind | Germany, Lusatia | 365 m | Renewable Energy World |
Next week
No major scheduled events were confirmed in research for the coming seven days. Looking further out, the 365-meter Gicon wind turbine in Lusatia, Germany, is scheduled for inauguration on November 19, 2026.
Sources
- Source: Missouri utility solar project will occupy former strip mine land
- Source: Clearway Starts Building 650 MW of Missouri Solar on Strip-Mined Land
- Source: Constellation and Google go in on nuclear uprates to unlock clean power
- Source: Google Deal Backs 890 MW of Constellation Nuclear Uprates at 11 PJM Reactors
- Source: Google squeezes more power from existing nuclear plants in Constellation deal
- Source: South Korea unveils US$475 billion Green Transformation industrial strategy
- Source: South Korea unveils KRW 1 quadrillion green transformation strategy
- Source: US Wind Gives Up Sparrows Point Site as Offshore Wind Project Faces Delays
- Source: US Wind surrenders offshore wind facility lease in Maryland in favor of Anduril’s $3b shipyard
- Source: US Wind
- Source: Mint Renewables wins planning approval for 800MWh battery storage system in Western Australia
- Source: Wind turbine taller than the Eiffel Tower aims to boost German electricity production