Energy affordability & reliability: Maryland bills jumped 50.9% in five years, now 24% above the US average, as Governor Wes Moore blames utility “double dipping” and data-center demand while critics argue state decarbonization rules are squeezing in-state supply and pushing imports (43%), raising blackout risk by summer 2027. Grid stress & governance: Pakistan’s regulator Nepra flagged mismatched demand projections and surplus capacity payments, warning of a self-reinforcing cycle of falling sales and higher per-unit costs. AI power demand hits policy: South Korea’s Kepco is seeking to get semiconductor makers to prepay five years of electricity bills to ease grid expansion debt, while Google’s €13bn Finland plan targets nuclear output, wind, batteries and new data centers. Nuclear & waste debate: A fresh look at nuclear’s comeback highlights the unresolved problem of spent-fuel disposal. Geopolitics on the wires: Russian strikes damaged Mykolaiv energy infrastructure, leaving districts without power; Zelensky warns of reciprocal energy retaliation this winter. Local outage flashpoints: Bohol (Philippines) called a stakeholder meeting over rotational brownouts; Georgia faces recurring disconnections tied to rising bills and summer heat. Renewables politics: Kerala’s CM promises a comprehensive October power policy focused on renewables and solar, while Lebanon’s ally warns against adding fees or restrictions on residential solar amid chronic outages. Market & investment signals: NuScale shares jumped on sector enthusiasm despite no commercial reactor; BRICS coverage keeps pushing “productive power” for Africa beyond raw exports.