KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed lower on Friday amid mixed regional market performance as investors turned cautious over a possible rate hike by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and upcoming US economic data that may influence the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) interest rate decision next week. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) pared most earlier losses to settle 4.55 points easier, or 0.28 per cent, to 1,616.52 from Thursday’s close of 1,621.07. The benchmark index, which opened 0.37 of-a-point lower at 1,620.70, moved between 1,609.67 and 1,621.25 throughout the day. The broader market was negative, with decliners outpacing advancers 604 to 439. A total of 550 counters were unchanged, 1,151 untraded, and 18 suspended. Turnover declined to 3.17 billion units worth RM2.24 billion from 4.48 billion units worth RM2.75 billion yesterday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-presiden...
Key Highlights:
- Loan Purpose: The $15 billion conditional loan will fund climate resilience projects, upgrade electrical grids, and refurbish PG&E’s hydroelectric infrastructure and power lines.
- Additional Investments: The funds will also support battery energy storage expansion and enhanced transmission systems.
- Strategic Timing: The Biden administration is accelerating financing ahead of President-elect Donald Trumptaking office on Jan 20, given uncertainties about future climate-related funding.
Why It Matters
- Climate Resilience: PG&E’s infrastructure upgrades aim to tackle challenges posed by extreme weather events, including wildfires and hurricanes, which threaten California's power grid.
- Energy Transition: Enhancing storage and transmission aligns with the rising energy demands from industries like data centers, crucial for the clean energy shift.
- Utility Funding: The loan follows PG&E’s recent $2.4 billion stock offering, as utilities increasingly seek external financing to modernize outdated grids.
Next Steps
- The US Department of Energy and PG&E must meet technical, legal, and environmental conditions before finalizing the loan.
- Funds will be disbursed over several years in cash installments.
This record loan highlights the urgency of strengthening US energy infrastructure to address climate risks while supporting the clean energy transition.
Comments
Post a Comment