Americas
* Pacific Gas & Electric has entered into an agreement with NRG Energy subsidiary Alpine Sun Tower to purchase 92 MW of solar from its Lancaster, Calif.-based project (TradingMarkets, 6/25).
* American Electric Power and Southern Co. are withdrawing from the planned 275 MW, coal-fired FutureGen plan in Mattoon, Ill. (Tulsa World, 6/25).
* Riverstone Holdings announced the acquisition of Babcock & Brown's wind development portfolio and will form Pattern Energy Group (MarketWatch.com, 6/25).
Europe/Middle East
* Turkish power company Zorlu Enerji is increasing capital by 245% with a $128.5 million rights issue and by selling stakes to parent company Zorlu Holding (Financial Times, 6/25).
* Czech power company CEZ plans to invest $1.07 billion in an 841 MW gas-fired plant in the northwest region of the country (Reuters, 6/25).
* Lars Josefsson, ceo of German company Vattenfall may sell stakes in local utilities this year to foster growth abroad (Bloomberg, 6/25).
Asia/Africa
* South African state-backed utility Eskom has garnered a 31.3% rate increase from regulators as it faces a $3.4 billion funding shortfall (Bloomberg, 6/25).
* Hong Kong power plant operator GCL-Poly Energy has agreed to acquire solar polysilicon company Jiangsu Zhongneng for HKD$26.4 billion ($3.4 billion) (Financial Times, 6/24).
* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is in Nigeria to sign joint ventures with the nation for natural gas, nuclear power and satellites (Bloomberg, 6/24).
* Tanzania Electric Supply Co. is planning to spend TZS1.95 trillion ($1.48 billion) in the next five years to increase power supply in the country (Bloomberg, 6/24).
* The Electricity Holding Co. in Egypt has invited international companies to bid for a consultancy service contract for a 650 MW thermal station (Bloomberg, 6/24).
* Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Corp. have signed an agreement with the Australian government to study the feasibility for a A$4.3 billion ($3.4 billion), 530 MW cleaner-burning coal-fired plant (Bloomberg, 6/22).