Constellation Energy is officially set to become the heavyweight champion of US power generation, settling an antitrust suit by agreeing to sell off a few prized assets. (Utility Dive)
The deal: To close its $26.6B acquisition of Calpine, Constellation agreed to divest six power plants (plus a minority stake in a seventh) in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Delaware—satisfying federal regulators who worried the new mega-utility would have too much power to manipulate prices.
The scale: Even after selling those assets, the combined company will control roughly 55 GW of capacity—including the nation’s largest nuclear fleet—effectively making it the biggest wholesale power provider in America.
Worth noting: This was the first time in 14 years the DOJ’s antitrust division filed a consent decree for an electricity merger, signaling a tougher federal stance on power sector consolidation.