Today's Energy Pulse
Scania pilots megawatt‑scale V2G for heavy‑duty electric trucks
Scania demonstrated one of the first vehicle‑to‑grid systems for heavy‑duty electric trucks using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The pilot showed bi‑directional power flow, allowing trucks parked at depots to feed electricity back to the grid, with real‑time communication between the truck, charger and energy‑management platform enabling dynamic charging and discharging. The test marks a step toward integrating large‑capacity EVs into grid balancing.
Also developing:
The World’s Data Lifelines Are Increasingly Exposed to Sabotage
Undersea cables transport roughly 99% of global internet and AI traffic and are increasingly used to move renewable power from offshore projects. The network is set to expand dramatically, with 119 new cables slated for deployment in 2026, up from 66 in 2020. However, the system remains exposed to accidental damage, natural events and deliberate sabotage, prompting heightened security concerns. Governments and operators are investing in monitoring technologies and redundancy to protect these critical lifelines.
Trump Exaggerates Iran Oil Storage Timeline, Predicts Explosions
President Trump seems to assume Iran runs of oil storage in three days (so April 29). My sense is that Tehran has longer to keep storing. He also says when storage runs out, "oil lines" would "just explode." Here, I...
Lagos Seals Power Deals with IPPs to Boost Supply by up to 400MW
The Lagos State Government signed Power Purchase Agreements with three independent power producers—Mainland Power Limited, Akute Independent Power Plant and newcomer Fenchurch Power Limited—to bolster electricity supply. The trio currently operates about 60 MW of capacity, with plans to scale output...
Solar-Powered Boat Travels Thousands Of Miles
A Finnish entrepreneur built a solar‑powered electric boat for about €30,000 (≈$32,000) and now sails from Finland to Spain. Operating costs stay under $1,000 per month, mainly food, with virtually no fuel expense. He estimates that building the same vessel...
The City Of Providence, Rhode Island Is Ready To Decarbonize
Mayor Brett Smiley announced Providence’s first green revolving fund, a $3 million capital pool to finance renewable‑energy and decarbonization projects in city‑owned buildings. The fund will recycle cost‑saving proceeds, allowing continuous investment in rooftop solar, electrification and energy‑efficiency upgrades. Providence has...
Harvard Economist Ken Rogoff: Iran, Oil & the Global Economy at Risk
Harvard professor and former IMF chief economist Ken Rogoff discussed the escalating war in Iran and its ripple effects on oil, gasoline, and fertilizer markets. He highlighted the strategic vulnerability of the Strait of Hormuz and warned that energy price...
Perovskite Solar Cells Are the 'Impure' Bad Boys of Next-Gen Photovoltaics
Researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria have shown that microscopic domain‑wall networks inside lead‑halide perovskite crystals act as highways for charge transport, overturning the belief that structural purity is required for high efficiency. By using silver‑ion staining...
Canada Just Opened North America's First Battery-Grade Lithium Refinery
Mangrove Lithium opened North America’s first commercial electrochemical lithium refinery in Delta, British Columbia, with a 1,000‑tonne annual capacity of battery‑grade lithium—enough for roughly 25,000 electric vehicles. The plant is a direct response to China’s control of about half the...
Phillips 66 to Acquire Lindsey Oil Refinery Assets From Prax Group
Phillips 66 said it will acquire the Lindsey Oil Refinery assets from Prax Group, adding a key UK processing hub to its portfolio. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the move signals Phillips 66’s push to expand its downstream...
Univers Renewables Appoints Ganesh Laxman Kamble as COO for India Operations
Univers Renewables announced the appointment of Ganesh Laxman Kamble as chief operating officer for its India operations. Kamble, who brings a decade at ReNew and 16 years at Suzlon, will lead customer delivery, digital asset solutions, and governance as the firm...
IMF Urges Asian Economies to Diversify Energy Supplies as Oil Spikes 55% Post‑Iran War
IMF Economic Counsellor Pierre‑Olivier Gourinchas told reporters on April 14 that Asian economies need to broaden energy sources after the Iran‑Israel conflict sent Brent crude up more than 55% to $120 a barrel. The shock, which cut global oil supply by 12 million bpd...
Jet‑Fuel Shortage Fears Prompt Warnings From Europe’s Top Low‑Cost Carriers
Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, Wizz Air and British Airways have all issued statements warning of possible jet‑fuel shortages amid Middle‑East tensions. The UK government and regulators have reassured passengers but introduced flexible slot rules, while investors watch the impact on Euro‑listed...
SLB Reports 10% Revenue Drop as Middle East Turmoil Hits Earnings, While Digital Push Fuels Growth
SLB (formerly Schlumberger) posted a 10.5% sequential revenue decline, driven by Middle East disruptions, while its digital division grew 9% to $640 million. Management flagged a $0.06‑$0.08 EPS headwind from the region and confirmed a $451 million share‑repurchase program.
Republic Services Orders 150 Electric Garbage Trucks, Highlighting Heavy‑Duty EV Niche
Republic Services announced a purchase of 150 battery‑electric garbage trucks, a deal that represents roughly 0.08% of the U.S. refuse‑truck fleet. The order underscores the growing practicality of electrifying heavy‑duty municipal vehicles, even as overall penetration remains low.
Middle East Blockade Tightens Oil Supply, Spurring Global Fuel Price Spikes
A U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and renewed strikes in the Strait of Hormuz have constrained crude exports, prompting fuel price surges in Jamaica and raising concerns about broader market volatility. Industry analysts warn the supply shock could ripple...
Climate‑Tech IPOs Reopen: X‑Energy Raises $1B, Fervo Files for $3B Valuation
Nuclear startup X‑Energy went public this week, pulling in $1 billion and jumping 25% in its first hour of trading. At the same time, geothermal firm Fervo filed for an IPO that values it near $3 billion, marking the first sizable climate‑tech...
New HOEC Chief Hints at ‘Strategic Partnerships’
Baroruchi Mishra, appointed Managing Director and CEO of Hindustan Oil Exploration Company (HOEC) on April 1, said the firm will pursue strategic partnerships to expand exploration and production, especially in deep‑water assets. He also signaled an evaluation of green fuels such...
Hormuz Crisis Accelerates Global Shift to Renewable Self‑Power
Iran war, Strait of Hormuz closure forces embrace of renewable energy @RollingStone @thor_benson "The fact that countries must import fossil fuels from faraway regions subjects them to uncertainties. It is obvious that many countries want to reduce this reliance. The...
2026 Energy Surge Likely
Just a Short Cleansing Range Trade in Energy Prices? The enduring lesson of weak underlying-commodity price performance vs. producer equities is playing out in 2026. The question is whether it's a normal rotation lower or start of sustained higher prices. My...
The Green Hydrogen Dream Is Slipping Further Out of Reach
Green hydrogen projects are lagging far behind the IEA’s 190 GW target for 2030, with global capacity projected at just 4 GW by 2025. Only 7% of announced projects have stayed on schedule, reflecting high costs, regulatory gaps, and infrastructure shortfalls. A...
Blockade Won’t Push Oil Past $150, Here’s Why
I did a live stream yesterday covering the ins and outs of the blockade and closure of the Strait. Single biggest question - as long as the blockade lasts - is how high oil prices go from here. I go...
Clean Power Hits Historic Milestones, Outpacing Coal Worldwide
Good climate news (past 4 weeks) 1 Global: In 2025, for 1st time in history, clean power met every single unit of new global electricity demand 2 Global: In 2025 renewables (33.8%) officially crushed coal (33.0%) for 1st time in 100 years 3...
Lithium Mining in Chile Faces Growing Environmental and Social Scrutiny as EV Demand Soars
Thea Riofrancos, author of “Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism,” warns that lithium mining in Chile’s Salar de Atacama—responsible for about one‑fifth of global supply—is depleting scarce water, threatening flamingos and disrupting Indigenous agriculture. The concerns come as electric‑vehicle sales...
LONGi’s EcoLife Modules Break 25% Efficiency Barrier, Redefining PV Benchmarks
LONGi Green Energy’s EcoLife solar modules have achieved a 25% conversion efficiency in mass production, securing the top spot in Taiyang News’ April 2026 ranking. The breakthrough, driven by the company’s HIBC back‑contact technology, promises higher power density and lower...
Chemicals Bottleneck Triggers Massive Price Hikes Ahead
Lots of attention (rightfully so) focused on all that oil stuck in the SoH. But there's massive amounts of chems stuck as well. And even if the strait opens tomorrow, these ships will be the last to pass. Listen to what...
Goldman Sachs Spots Upside Risks to $90
GS: Net Upside Risks to Our Brent Forecast of $90 in 2026Q4, Which Is Above Market Pricing https://t.co/XJuQAU1kbl
ITC Holdings CEO Calls Grid Monitoring Key to Modernizing U.S. Transmission
ITC Holdings CEO Charles Marshall said the company’s expanded grid‑monitoring platform and a 450‑mile transmission build‑out in Michigan will boost reliability and accommodate renewable generation. The comments come as the firm operates 16,000 miles of high‑voltage lines across the Midwest.
US NatGas Futures Slip to $2.52, Further Decline Expected
U.S. natural gas futures price fell $0.15 from $2.67 to $2.52 for the week ending April 24 Price is likely to fall on Monday based on 12-month spreads #energy #NaturalGas #shale #fintwit #oilandgas #Commodities #ONGT #natgas #LNG https://t.co/hEDoW0nq6u
Oil Forecast Rise Signals 3.4% Headline PCE Inflation
GS: Our Commodities Strategists Have Just Raised Their Oil Price Forecast, and We Now Expect Year-over-year Headline PCE Inflation to Stand at 3.4% and Core PCE Inflation at 2.6% in December 2026 https://t.co/JgB1CnXmdx
Cameco's Uranium Surge Gains Traction as Oil Prices Spike on Middle East Conflict
Cameco's shares have surged more than 200% over the past year as soaring oil prices from the Middle‑East conflict spotlight nuclear power as a clean‑energy alternative. The uranium producer’s recent 50% stake in Westinghouse and rising uranium prices have boosted...
Autonomous Nomadic Drones Boost Grid Resilience
Nomadic #Drones Revolutionize Grid Resilience with #Autonomous, Self-Recharging Inspection Systems via @WevolverApp #EmergingTech #Innovation #Technology #Tech https://t.co/1WN35ORJtB
Soaring Oil Prices Set to Boost BP Earnings
Nice to get a mention in the Standard on BP results next week What impact will soaring oil prices have on BP’s earnings? https://t.co/Ty95yw49pH
Drilling Into LandBridge's Value with Chadd Garcia $LB
In a recent episode of the Yet Another Value Podcast, Chadd Garcia breaks down LandBridge’s (ticker $LB) land‑based royalty model, emphasizing surface rights, produced‑water handling, and infrastructure as core revenue drivers. He details the company’s expansion through pore‑space growth, strategic...
5 MW Battery Ready This Year Cuts Peak Costs
“A distribution-connected 5 MW battery can be deployed this year, at a fraction of the cost, and begin shaving coincident peak exposure immediately. “The number the transmission utility has to solve for, then, is lower,” https://t.co/hKXw8KnF7M
Italy Issues 30 MW Floating Solar Tender
Italy launches tender for 30 MW of floating PV #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/C9e5XA9jum
China Is Poised to Reap Rewards as Energy Shock Heats up the Race for Renewables
China’s renewable‑energy footprint is expanding as the global oil crisis accelerates demand for clean power. In Cuba, Chinese‑made solar panels lifted solar’s share of generation from 6% to over 20% within a year, and the country expects 2 GW of Chinese‑financed...
Hanoi Oil Facility Fire Underscores Endless Chain of Crises
Today, a MASSIVE fire broke out in an oil storage facility in Hanoi, Vietnam. Just more confirmation of Hanke's Schoolboy Theory of History: It's just one damn thing after another. https://t.co/3yDqpn33da
China's Solar Exports Could Brighten Africa's Underused Sunlight
“Africa is the sunniest continent on the planet. But despite its abundance of natural light it generates less than five percent of its electricity from solar energy. China’s surging exports of solar panels could change that.” @economicsnoah https://t.co/iEIden3G7Z
Fuel Shortage Triggers Panic Buying in Andhra, CM Reviews Situation
Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister reviewed a sudden fuel crunch after 421 of the state’s 4,510 outlets were temporarily shut amid panic buying. Daily sales of petrol and diesel surged over 50% above normal, reaching 10,345 kilolitres and 14,156 kilolitres respectively on Saturday....
Iberian Peninsula Sees Record Q1 Negative Power Prices
Negative power prices all-time high on the Iberian Peninsula in Q1 #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/vjD6PpvY4D
U.S.-Israeli Conflict Fuels Growing Asian Oil Desperation
Thanks to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Asia is desperate for oil. AND THEY ARE GOING TO BECOME MORE DESPERATE. https://t.co/28Pmq8UCyZ
Hormuz: Single Chokepoint Threatening Global Supply Chains
Hormuz isn’t just an oil story. It’s a system story. Energy → food → industry → finance → daily life One chokepoint. Everything downstream. H/T to @ctindale for his helpful charts & posts #Hormuz #EnergyCrisis #SupplyChains #FoodSecurity #Geopolitics #Commodities https://t.co/vl2cMS8fQq
Market Predicts US Gas Hitting $5 This Year
How high will US gas prices get this year? The market says $5.00 @kalshi https://t.co/6iN7z5X7oB https://t.co/iVU1a4Krzb
Iran Refuses to Relinquish Strait of Hormuz Control
I am deeply shocked to learn that Iran has no intention of returning control of the Strait of Hormuz https://t.co/xQ2ZBHZVWi
CATL Unveils Breakthrough Sodium‑ion Battery Technology
A closer look at CATL’s new sodium-ion battery #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/ms8f0MrhgN
Samsung Unveils Residential Heat Pump with 4.9 SCOP
Samsung launches residential air-to-water heat pump reaching SCOP of up to 4.9 #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/fmoirj2pRG
Dated Brent Falls to Futures, Disproving Manipulation Myth
I hear endless stories that the futures market is manipulated. It's an urban legend. Easiest way to debunk this is to look at Dated Brent versus futures. The gap has closed significantly due to Dated Brent falling towards futures not...
Oil Won’t Hit $150–200; US Iran Blockade Proving Effective
Here's my discussion with @paulkrugman from March 19 where I argued oil prices won't go to $150 or $200 and recommended the US blockade Iran. It's as relevant to global oil markets today as it was back then. The blockade...
Brent Surges 60%, Fuel Shortages Hit Global Markets
This week will bring a drumbeat of physical shortage stories. Here's the deal. Brent is up 60% from before the war. That's more than 3x the rise after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The SoH is 3x Russia's oil exports to...
Officially Open Strait, Yet Tankers Remain Stuck?
🔷If both Iran and the US officially announce the Strait of Hormuz is open, will the stranded tankers actually cross? 🔷Exactly. 🔷I rest my case.