CATL told investors on October 27 that it still expects small-batch production of all-solid-state batteries in 2027, with large-scale manufacturing around 2030. The reply went out on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s investor Q&A platform. Six days earlier QuantumScape said its first commercial-scale cell line would be sized at 100 MWh and start production in 2028. So two of the most watched solid-state programs gave updates in the same week. Neither one brought a date forward.

A data centre can secure land, announce a supply agreement and order computing equipment while still lacking the grid connection needed to operate at the intended scale. That gap makes local electricity infrastructure central to the AI power debate. National generation totals matter, but a project needs deliverable power at a particular place, with an acceptable connection date and a workable operating arrangement. The International Energy Agency’s Electricity 2026 report places grid constraints and connection queues among the major issues facing expanding electricity systems.

Willdan Group is buying Mantis Innovation, a Houston energy services firm, for $285 million in cash. It’s a big step for Willdan, an engineering and energy efficiency consultancy that mostly works for utilities and public agencies. Mantis gives it a much stronger foothold with private commercial and industrial customers, data centers among them. Mantis employs more than 220 people and expects about $120 million in net revenue this year, with adjusted EBITDA margins in the low 20s.

Two energy financings closed within hours of each other, aimed at the same shortage from opposite ends. Antares, developing one-megawatt reactors for United States military bases, raised $370 million in equity and $100 million in debt in a round co-led by Paradigm and Caffeinated. French carrier Orange and infrastructure investor Morrison agreed to build a data center platform in France targeting 400 megawatts, backed by a €3 billion investment program.

Sungrow, the world’s leading provider of PV inverters and energy storage systems, showcased its full-scenario energy solution at the Sungrow Global Renewable Energy Summit (GRES) 2026 on April 24th, laying out a comprehensive roadmap for addressing surging industrial power demands through integrated, scenario-specific energy solutions. A Market in Transformation The scale of the challenge is significant. Combined annual electricity demand from sectors including mining and microgrids, hydrogen production, and EV charging is projected to reach 4,000 TWh by 2030, according to third-party analysis.

Elevate Renewables (“Elevate”), a leading developer and operator of energy infrastructure, has closed a $50 million Energy Transition Supplier Finance Facility arranged by Rabobank, one of the world’s largest cooperative banks and a global leader in financing food, agribusiness and energy. The facility is earmarked for a large solar and battery energy storage project contracted to power a data center, tightening the operational link between clean energy infrastructure and the surging digital economy.