Today's Energy Pulse
Scania pilots vehicle‑to‑grid charging for heavy‑duty electric trucks
Scania demonstrated one of the first vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) systems for heavy‑duty electric trucks using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The pilot showed bi‑directional power flow, letting trucks feed stored electricity back to the grid while parked at depots. Real‑time communication between the truck, charger and energy‑management platform enabled dynamic charging and discharging.
Also developing:
Debunking the Global Oil Inventory Crisis: Narratives Vs. Reality
Anas Alhajji’s May 2026 Substack post challenges the prevailing narrative of a looming global oil inventory crisis, arguing that claims of an 11 mb/d shortfall and a loss of over one billion barrels are unfounded. He backs the argument with a series of charts showing stable or modestly rising global crude stocks, a net increase in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) of 68.6 million barrels followed by a 41.3 million‑barrel drawdown, and consistent refinery utilization rates. The piece emphasizes that data misinterpretations, not actual supply shortages, are driving alarmist headlines. By dissecting the numbers, Alhajji aims to restore perspective to market participants and policymakers.
Hormuz Blockade Triggers Looming Global Commodity Shortages
✍️ Martin Wolf @ftopinion 👉”First came the war. Then came the blockade. Now come the shortages. 👉”The tankers full of essential commodities — oil, liquid natural gas, urea, refined oil products, hydrogen, helium and so forth — have not sailed through...
Miners, Microgrids, EVs and Other Loads: New Inverter Technologies Take Battery Storage to New Markets
Chinese inverter leader Sungrow launched a suite of storage and micro‑grid solutions, including the PowerTitan 3.0 battery with over 600 stacked cells and 92% round‑trip efficiency, and the PowerMatrix platform that slashes capital costs on large‑scale projects. The company’s AC‑block design...
How Australia’s Most Advanced Renewables State Has Dropped the Ball on the Gas Network Death Spiral
The Australian Energy Regulator approved Australian Gas Networks to recover about $904 million USD in revenue from 2026‑2031, a modest cut from the network’s original request. South Australia’s gas demand is projected to shrink 20% over the same period, prompting average...
Largest Solar-Battery Financing Deal Just the Tip of the Iceberg, as Bankers Pile Into Fashionable Hybrids
Edify Energy secured a landmark $3.35 billion greenfield financing package for Australia’s largest solar‑battery hybrid projects, including the 600 MW Smoky Creek and Guthrie’s Gap farms with 2,400 MWh of storage. The hybrids will deliver firm power to Rio Tinto’s aluminium operations, proving renewables...
KALiNA Power Welcomes New Canadian Regulatory Framework on Carbon Management and Emissions
KALiNA Power’s subsidiary, KALiNA Distributed Power, will benefit from a new Canada‑Alberta regulatory framework that harmonises carbon‑management policies and introduces 75 million tonnes of carbon contracts for difference (CFDs) to support CCS projects between 2030 and 2040. The agreement suspends Alberta’s...
World Built More Coal Power in 2025 but Used Less
In 2025 the world added 3.5% more coal‑power capacity, yet global coal generation slipped 0.6% as renewables expanded. The bulk of new capacity—95%—came from China and India, where generation fell despite the build‑out. The United States was the only major...
Ithaca Energy Making Big Strides on New UK Projects
Ithaca Energy, a leading UK North Sea producer, is accelerating development of its Fotla gas project in the Central North Sea while also advancing two deep‑water gas discoveries in the West of Shetland. The company has earmarked significant capital, including...
When the Grid and Home Batteries Teach Consumers to Withdraw From the Market
Australian households are increasingly installing solar panels and batteries, not to become micro‑generators but to shield themselves from volatile electricity costs. The current tariff stack makes imported power appear expensive while export values remain low, prompting owners to maximise self‑consumption....
SwitchedOn Podcast: Consumer Energy Devices Aren’t Talking to Each Other – and It’s a Problem
Australia’s grid is shifting toward household‑owned resources, with more than four million homes now equipped with rooftop solar and a surge in batteries, electric vehicles and smart appliances. Despite this rapid adoption, many of these consumer devices cannot reliably communicate...
From Oil Shock to EV Push: How Global Energy Volatility Is Accelerating India’s Electrification Mandate
U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in February 2026 shut the Strait of Hormuz, instantly raising India's crude import costs by $12‑15 bn and widening its current‑account deficit. The shock accelerated the country's push to electrify transport, with FY26 EV sales...
Equis Launches GreenPoint Energy with 2.5GW of BESS and Wind Projects Across Australia’s NEM
Equis has launched GreenPoint Energy, a wholly‑owned subsidiary that unites its Australian renewable‑energy and battery‑storage assets into a 2.5 GW portfolio spanning 12 BESS and wind projects across every NEM‑connected state. The flagship Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub, a 600 MW/1.6 GWh Tesla Megapack...
Edify Energy to Proceed with 2,400MWh Solar-Plus-Storage Sites in Australia
Edify Energy announced financial close on two Queensland solar‑plus‑storage sites, Smoky Creek and Guthrie’s Gap, delivering 720 MWp of solar and a combined 600 MW/2,400 MWh battery capacity. The projects are backed by a 20‑year hybrid services agreement with Rio Tinto, which will purchase...
PJM Granted Emergency Authority to Curtail Data Center Loads Amid Heat Wave
The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order on May 18 allowing PJM Interconnection to curtail power to data centers and other large loads with backup generation during extreme heat. The move, aimed at preventing rolling blackouts as more...
US Gas Prices Hit $4.48/gal Ahead of Memorial Day, Near All‑Time Highs
GasBuddy projects the national average regular‑gas price to reach $4.48 per gallon this Memorial Day, 42% higher than a year ago and the second‑highest on record. The surge, driven by the Iran‑Hormuz crisis and record‑low U.S. oil inventories, is pushing...
Canada Isn’t an Energy Superpower—Stop the Pretense
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 To all Canadian followers: What do you think of what Joe Calnan wrote in the British Globe and Mail? 🔸Canada is not an energy superpower and shouldn’t pretend to be one🔸 May 18, 2026 Joe Calnan, Vice-president, energy and Calgary operations, at...
Chinese Tanker Slips Past US Blockade, Delivers Iraqi Oil
Ok, this Chinese oil tanker carrying 2 mb of Iraqi oil made it through the US blockade. https://t.co/0P4vqXU5l1
As War Engulfs the Middle East, China’s Xinjiang Is Thriving with Future Tech
Amid the Middle East conflict disrupting oil and chemical flows, China is accelerating its coal‑chemical expansion in Xinjiang. A 15,500 sq m industrial complex is under construction in the Gobi Desert to modernise coal mining and integrate advanced technologies. The project is...
BloombergNEF Predicts Solar Will Eclipse Coal and Gas by 2032
BloombergNEF’s New Energy Outlook 2026 says solar will become the top global electricity generator by 2032, surpassing coal (19.8%) and natural gas (19.2%). The forecast rests on falling solar costs, massive overcapacity and a 17‑fold surge in battery storage needed...
The Love Affair with Batteries and Energy Tech Just Keeps Getting Deeper
Australia’s Cheaper Home Batteries program has sparked a surge of roughly 250,000 new residential battery installations, mirroring the earlier rooftop‑solar boom. The average home battery now sits at about 30 kWh, letting owners shift evening loads off the grid. Parallel growth...
Community Batteries and the Missed Opportunities of Virtual Power Plants
Australia’s home‑battery boom is outpacing the rest of the world, accounting for 9% of global capacity in March alone, yet virtual power plants (VPPs) remain under‑utilised. In the UK a 10 kW battery can earn about $625 per year, with larger...
A Smarter Approach to Electricity Rationing
Energy shortages are outpacing policy, prompting a shift from Ukraine’s rotational blackouts to smart‑meter load limiting. Rolling blackouts cut power to entire neighborhoods for hours, delivering high welfare costs and regressive impacts on low‑income households. Load‑limiting caps household draw at...
Worley Wins Contract for Australia Gas Infrastructure Projects
Worley has signed a three‑year framework agreement with APA Group to provide engineering support for gas transmission and storage projects across Australia. The deal, delivered mainly from Worley's Brisbane office with specialist input from Melbourne and India, includes digital enablement...
Oil Swings After Steep Drop as Traders Await Iran Response to US
Oil prices rebounded on May 21 after a 5.6% plunge, with Brent hovering near $105 a barrel. The drop followed President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States was in the “final stages” of talks with Iran. Iran’s semi‑official Students’...
Crude Prices Plunge as More Tankers Traverse Strait
Crude oil benchmarks slumped on Wednesday as a surge of tankers cleared the Strait of Hormuz, lifting concerns over supply constraints. The increased flow signaled that more Iranian and global crude could reach markets, prompting a price drop of roughly...
B20 Expansion Targets Energy Security Boost
Thailand is fast‑tracking the rollout of biodiesel B20, aiming to have the blend available at 1,000 filling stations within a month, up from the current 600. The fuel is sold at a retail discount of seven baht per litre (about...
Siemens’ Microgrid Sets New Standard For Resilient, Sustainable Power
Siemens launched a 1.25‑megawatt on‑site microgrid at its Wendell, North Carolina plant, pairing a solar carport with a 3.9‑megawatt‑hour battery. The system delivers carbon‑neutral operations and cuts grid consumption by 2.5 MWh each year. Integrated with Siemens’ Desigo building management and...
Trump ‘Fabricated’ Timeline in Offshore Wind Deal, House Democrat Says
The Trump administration settled with TotalEnergies for nearly $1 billion to buy back U.S. offshore wind leases, citing a Department of War national‑security threat. House Democrats presented interior‑department emails showing a draft memorandum with Total was circulated in mid‑November, before officials...
Enbridge to Build 365 MW Solar‑Plus‑Storage Project for Meta in Wyoming
Enbridge announced a 365 MW solar‑plus‑storage project near Cheyenne, Wyoming, to supply power to Meta’s growing data centre footprint. The deal adds to a 1.6 GW energy‑offtake partnership across North America and underscores Meta’s shift toward renewable procurement for its AI‑driven infrastructure.
Woodside CEO Says Iran War Will Drag Down Global LNG Supply Longer Than Expected
At the Australian Energy Producers Conference in Adelaide, Woodside Energy CEO Liz Westcott warned that the war in Iran will depress global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply far longer than markets anticipate. She said the industry and consumers are underestimating...
Vitol Overtakes Shell in Ranking of USA Physical Gas Traders
Vitol Group surged ahead in U.S. physical natural‑gas trading in 2025, posting a 14% volume increase that lifted it past Shell Plc among the top ten traders. The growth outpaced all rivals except Koch Energy and matched Citadel’s 10.4 billion cubic...
A Huge 5 GWh Thermal Energy Storage System Is Now Delivering Power to a South Dakota Biofuels Facility
Stored Energy Systems (SENS) has commissioned a 5 GWh thermal energy storage (TES) plant that now supplies reliable power to a biofuels facility in South Dakota. The system uses molten-salt technology to store excess renewable electricity and dispatch it on demand,...
ConnectDER Meter Collar Compatible with EcoFlow Home Backup Storage
ConnectDER has integrated its IslandDER Meter Socket Adapter with EcoFlow’s OCEAN Pro home backup battery, enabling direct connection behind a home’s utility meter. The solution is rolling out in major solar markets such as California, Arizona, Illinois, Florida and Texas. By...
Off‑grid Solar Powers Dreams and Futures in Malawi
What does off-grid solar make possible for a family that has never had reliable electricity? In Lilongwe, Malawi, I spent time with Maya Stewart, cofounder of Yellow Malawi and one of the best entrepreneurs I've met, who is working in one...
Australia's Dirtiest Coal Mines Sold, Raising Environmental Alarm
Some of Australia’s dirtiest coal mines are about to change hands. Here’s why we should be worried #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/YSzzfe4O9J https://t.co/dAUb0HuT0v
Trina Launches Third Generation of Elementa BESS, Now Reaching 6.25 MWh
Trina Storage has introduced Elementa 3, the third generation of its utility‑scale battery energy storage system, featuring a 6.25 MWh single‑container capacity. The new platform delivers a 12.3% boost in module energy density and a 24.7% increase in site‑level energy density, which...
Western States Launch Bipartisan Geothermal Consortium
Exclusive: Western States Form New Bipartisan Geothermal Consortium #energysky -- via Heatmap News https://t.co/iHGKrSrC8B https://t.co/W0zwRobbs9
Growatt Unveils 95% DOD C&I Storage System
Growatt launches C&I storage system with 95% depth of discharge #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/mfmPuyQxwc
5-MW Solar Project on Closed Minnesota Landfill Now Complete
Cedar Creek Energy, Connexus Energy and Kearsarge Energy have launched Minnesota’s first solar farm on a closed landfill. The 5‑MW, single‑axis tracking array in Ramsey sits on MPCA‑managed land, part of a state program overseeing more than 100 legacy sites....
Florida DOT Leases Stormwater Ponds for Floating Solar
Florida DOT leases potentially all its stormwater ponds for floating solar development #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/Y5ii1gDZ2j
Australia Doomsday Scenario: $200 Oil
Australia’s Treasury included a worst‑case scenario in its 2026 budget, assuming an intensified Iran‑Israel conflict pushes crude oil to US$200 a barrel. The analysis warns that such a price shock would cripple global supply chains, especially through the Red Sea,...
A Demand-Driven Energy Transition
Clean energy now often costs less than new fossil generation, yet U.S. grids face a backlog of over a terawatt of renewable projects awaiting interconnection. Accelerating electricity demand—driven by AI data centers, electric transport, and industrial electrification—has outpaced infrastructure capacity,...
Breakthroughs for Batteries Could Soon Make Them Much Better
Lithium‑ion batteries, the workhorse of smartphones and electric vehicles, are nearing their theoretical performance ceiling, with gains in energy density and safety becoming increasingly marginal. Researchers highlighted several emerging chemistries—solid‑state, lithium‑sulfur, and sodium‑ion—that could overcome these limits by offering higher...
Aussie Stike to Worsen LNG Crisis
Australian union leaders have announced a two‑week strike at a major LNG export facility starting May 27, 2026. The action comes as global LNG supplies are already constrained by the ongoing Iran‑Israel conflict and the closure of the Strait of...
Investors Back US Renewable Energy Projects But Want Market Uncertainties Fixed
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) projects $120 billion in U.S. renewable‑energy investment for 2026, potentially adding a record 62 GW of new capacity. Solar and battery storage are expected to attract the bulk of capital, with $53 billion and $22 billion respectively,...
Beach Energy Positions Itself as M&A Magnet After Australia’s Domestic Gas Mandate
Beach Energy Ltd., valued at A$2.6 billion ($1.8 billion), says the new Australian policy requiring gas producers to retain a share of output for domestic use makes it a prime takeover target, especially for export‑focused rivals on the east coast.
Italian Group Eni Considers Third Floating Natural Gas Platform Off Mozambique
Italian energy giant Eni is weighing the addition of a third floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) platform off Mozambique’s coast. The company already committed to its second FLNG unit, Coral North, which is slated to double the country’s LNG output...
Oil Prices Swing as Trump Delays Iran Strike, Brent Near $110 Amid Supply Fears
President Donald Trump announced a pause to a planned strike on Iran, sending Brent crude down to $110.83 per barrel. Traders remain jittery over the Strait of Hormuz blockage, with Citi forecasting Brent could climb to $120 if supply gaps...
PV Electricity for E-Mobility: Tion Renewables to Supply Solar Power for German IONITY Fast-Charging Network
Tion Renewables and IONITY have signed a long‑term power purchase agreement under which Tion will supply solar electricity to IONITY’s German fast‑charging sites starting in 2027. The deal supports Tion’s target of 3 GW installed solar capacity by 2030 and gives...
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[Episode #276] – Electricity Reform in South Africa
In this episode, Chris Nelder explores South Africa’s sweeping electricity reforms, focusing on the creation of the South Africa Wholesale Electricity Market (SOWEM) and the unbundling of Eskom into separate generation, transmission, and distribution units. He interviews economist Dr. Kenneth...