KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
Data centers surge, grid supply stalls, and energy prices skyrocket in the PJM region
Key Takeaways:
PJM Interconnection, the largest US power grid covering 13 states and 67 million customers, is under immense strain due to the explosive power demands of AI data centers and chatbots.
Electricity bills in some parts of PJM’s territory are expected to rise over 20% this summer.
PJM’s capacity auction prices have soared 800%, raising concerns among state leaders and prompting political threats to exit the grid.
Power Crunch Reality:
PJM projects 32 GW of new demand by 2030, mostly from data centers, but new supply is not being built fast enough.
Over the past decade, PJM lost a net 5.6 GW in capacity while demand keeps rising.
Connection delays, project opposition, and regulatory backlog have slowed renewable and traditional plant construction.
Fallout and Risks:
PJM's CEO resigned, board members were voted out, and states are threatening to leave.
Microsoft has contracted the restart of a nuclear plant (Three Mile Island, renamed Crane Clean Energy Center), but it won’t come online until at least 2027.
Even with reforms, interconnection queues are clogged, delaying real solutions to the crisis.
Investor Insight:
Expect energy price volatility and regional investment opportunities in utilities, renewables, and grid modernization tech.
Watch for regulatory and policy shifts as states push back on high costs and delayed infrastructure.
Companies involved in fast-grid expansion, battery storage, and clean energy could benefit from urgent demand to stabilize the PJM grid.
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