Key Takeaways
- Serbia is accelerating plans for its first nuclear power plants, aiming for 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of capacity from small modular reactors (SMRs) by 2050 to meet a projected quadrupling of electricity consumption and phase out coal-fired thermal units.
- A severe winter storm has caused significant power outages across the United States, initially affecting over 600,000 Americans, with more recent reports indicating over 160,000 customers without electricity primarily in Louisiana and Texas.
- Tensions in the Middle East escalated as an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon resulted in one fatality in the town of Dardghaya, Tyre district, despite a standing ceasefire with Hezbollah since November 2024.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić announced on January 25 that the nation will expedite preparations for its inaugural nuclear power plants. This strategic shift is a direct response to a projected fourfold increase in electricity consumption by 2050 and the ongoing efforts to decommission outdated thermal-power units, which currently account for nearly 70% of Serbia's electricity generation and contributed to an estimated 15,000 pollution-related deaths in 2023. The country's National Assembly had already voted in December 2024 to amend energy laws, lifting a 35-year moratorium on nuclear power plant construction that was enacted after the Chernobyl disaster.
Serbia is particularly interested in developing at least four small modular reactors (SMRs), which would provide 1,200 megawatts of capacity. This ambitious project is estimated to cost up to €8 billion ($8.6 billion), and Serbia is actively seeking financial and technical support from leading European Union nations to realize its nuclear energy ambitions. In October 2024, French companies EDF and Egis were contracted to conduct a preliminary technical study, signaling concrete steps towards this energy transition.
Meanwhile, a powerful winter storm has disrupted daily life and infrastructure across large parts of the United States. Initial reports indicated that the storm caused power outages for over 600,000 Americans. More specific data from January 25, 2026, showed that over 160,000 U.S. customers were without electricity, predominantly in states such as Louisiana and Texas, with approximately 134,000 homes and businesses affected by Saturday afternoon. The storm has also led to the cancellation of thousands of flights and widespread warnings of heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the eastern two-thirds of the nation.
In the Middle East, geopolitical tensions remain high following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. A person was killed in the town of Dardghaya in the Tyre district, according to the Lebanese News Agency. This incident comes despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah that has been in effect since November 2024. Reports from January 16, 2026, also detailed two Lebanese fatalities from Israeli airstrikes in the Tyre and Nabatieh districts, targeting a small truck and a car. The ceasefire, which followed over a year of conflict, was intended to include an Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon by January 2025, but Israeli forces reportedly maintain a presence in several border outposts.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.