Today's Energy Pulse
Scania pilots vehicle‑to‑grid power for heavy‑duty electric trucks
Scania showcased one of the first V2G systems for heavy‑duty electric trucks using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The pilot demonstrated bi‑directional power flow, letting trucks feed stored electricity back to the grid while parked, with real‑time communication enabling dynamic charging and discharging. The company also opened orders for trucks equipped with an extra battery pack and MCS.
Also developing:
War in Iran Is Causing Biggest Energy Crisis in History, IEA Says
The International Energy Agency’s chief, Fatih Birol, warned that the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel has triggered the worst energy crisis in history. The conflict has choked the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for about 20% of global oil and LNG shipments, compounding the supply shortfall already created by Russia’s war in Ukraine. In March the IEA released a record 400 million barrels from strategic stockpiles to temper soaring prices. Birol says the combined shock exceeds the 1973, 1979 and 2022 crises combined.
Dutch Activists Launch New Case Against Shell Over Emissions
Dutch climate group Friends of the Earth Netherlands filed a fresh lawsuit in The Hague demanding Shell immediately cease investing in new oil and gas projects. The case builds on a 2024 appeals ruling that held Shell responsible for cutting...
Norway's March Oil, Gas Output Tops Forecast
Norway’s offshore sector delivered 0.691 million standard cubic metres per day in March, equating to 4.35 million barrels of oil equivalent, surpassing the regulator’s forecast by 2.8%. Crude‑oil output jumped 8.1% year‑on‑year to 1.94 million barrels per day, outpacing the 1.80 million‑bpd estimate. Natural‑gas...
Reading the 2026 Fuel Adjustment: A Middle-Class Story
Indonesia’s April 2026 fuel-price adjustment raised only select nonsubsidized grades—Pertamax Turbo, Dexlite and Pertamina Dex—while keeping Pertamax, the most common fuel, and the subsidized Pertalite unchanged. The move shields the poorest but shifts the burden to the middle class, whose...
The World Is Embracing Offshore Wind — Even as the US Retreats
Global offshore wind capacity grew 16% in 2025, adding over 9 GW to bring the total to about 92 GW worldwide, while the United States has stalled under the Trump administration’s leasing freeze. Europe and Asia are accelerating projects, with the United...
Haryana Turns the Heat on Power Thieves, to Recover ₹8.2k Cr
The Haryana government has launched a crackdown to recover roughly ₹8,200 crore (about $1 billion) in unpaid electricity bills, using the Land Recovery Act to attach properties of defaulters. Consumers have a 15‑day window to settle dues before civil recovery and possible...
Asia’s Largest Oil Buyers Running Low on Hormuz Alternatives
Asia’s biggest oil importers—including China, India, Japan and South Korea—have relied on a patchwork of alternative routes and supplies for more than seven weeks of war in the Persian Gulf, which has threatened the strategic Strait of Hormuz. These workarounds,...
Insurance Premiums Trending Down Despite Severe Weather Threat for Solar
Australian renewable energy underwriter Tokio Marine GX says insurance premiums for large‑scale solar, wind and battery projects are set to fall in 2026, though the decline is uneven. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are seeing faster premium reductions thanks to...
Emerging Nations Power 80% EV Growth
New IEA data: EV sales in emerging markets surge 80% in 2025 >India: EVs up 75% to record 2.3m EV units sold >Indonesia: 125% increase >Viet Nam: EVs hit staggering 40% share of new car sales >Thailand: EV share of new sales hit 21% >Latin...
Malaysia Consumes 700,000 Barrels of Oil a Day, Twice Its Daily Production, so Importing Still Needed – MoF
Malaysia consumes about 700,000 barrels of oil each day, roughly twice its domestic production of 350,000 barrels. To meet the shortfall, the country imports roughly 48% of its crude, with about 40% of those imports transiting the conflict‑affected Strait of...
The Forces of Scarcity Hitting Asia May Soon Spread Across the World
The United States and Israel’s war on Iran has triggered a rapid, region‑wide scarcity shock across the Asia‑Pacific. Jet fuel prices have doubled and air traffic has fallen by roughly a third, while manufacturers face fuel‑driven cuts to output, from...
WindEurope's 10-Point Plan to Boost Wind Power in Face of Iran Energy Crisis
WindEurope unveiled a 10‑point plan aimed at accelerating wind‑power deployment across Europe. The roadmap targets faster permitting, grid reinforcement, and new financing tools to help the continent reduce its dependence on oil and gas. It comes as the ongoing conflict...
Cellcentric Launches 375 kW Truck Fuel Cell System
cellcentric introduced the BZA375, a 375 kW heavy‑duty fuel‑cell system weighing under 500 kg, at Hannover Messe 2026. The single‑module design replaces the twin‑stack BZA150, delivering 20% lower hydrogen consumption and 40% higher power density. It fits 13‑litre diesel engine bays, targets...
'Price of Red Diesel Is Putting Us in the Red'
UK farmers are grappling with a steep rise in red diesel, the off‑road fuel used for tractors, which jumped from about £0.78 per litre ($1.00) before the Middle‑East conflict to £1.38 ($1.75) on Monday – a 56% increase. The price...
Enercon Profitable Again but CEO Rules Out Discounts Amid Falling Onshore Tender Prices
German wind turbine manufacturer Enercon reported an operational profit for 2025, marking a turnaround after years of losses. Despite the rebound, CEO Udo Bauer said the company will not offer temporary discounts to developers, even as onshore wind tender prices...
Labour’s Great Green Energy Plan Could Be a Legacy as Vital as the NHS | Polly Toynbee
Labour is positioning its green energy programme, led by Ed Miliband, as a transformative legacy comparable to the NHS. The plan promises to boost domestic renewable generation to 95 % of electricity by 2030, backed by new offshore wind, the largest‑ever...
Sadhbh O'Neill: The Simple Text Message that Helped France Reduce Its Electricity Usage by 10%
France’s grid operator launched the Ecowatt app, sending colour‑coded text alerts that prompted households to shift usage away from peak periods. The campaign, part of a 15‑point “energy sobriety” plan, trimmed electricity consumption by 10% in December 2022. Across the EU,...
Uganda’s Power Paradox: Cheap for Industry, Costly for Households
Uganda offers the continent’s second‑lowest industrial electricity tariff at $0.055/kWh, yet its residential price sits at $0.206/kWh, the second‑highest among COMESA members. The disparity stems from a deliberate policy to subsidize manufacturing and spur industrialisation, even as the country enjoys...
The Cautious Optimism Holds as Markets Wait on US-Iran Talks Next
Iran has re‑imposed a de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, signaling a hard‑line stance ahead of upcoming US‑Iran talks. President Trump is publicly confident a new deal will surpass the 2015 JCPOA, fueling market optimism despite mixed signals. Oil...
“It Should Not Be Rushed:” Bowen Says Road User Charge Will only Happen “when It Is Ready”
Australian climate minister Chris Bowen cautioned that a road‑user charge for electric vehicles will only be introduced when the policy framework is ready, rejecting calls for an immediate tax. Motoring groups have floated a 3 c per kilometre levy, roughly $400...
Kudlow - Monday, April 20
Fox Business aired a 41‑minute episode of "Kudlow" on Monday, April 20, where host Larry Kudlow examined three high‑profile issues: the Iranian regime’s aggressive posture, U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s ongoing investigations, and the risk of a Hormuz Strait blockade....
LNG Has Killed Australia
Australia has moved to introduce a gas reservation policy intended to secure domestic LNG supplies, a shift that could reshape the nation’s export landscape. The policy’s principle has been accepted, but its detailed design remains unsettled, leaving exporters uncertain about...
EnergyX Starts First U.S. Direct Lithium Extraction Plant in Texas
EnergyX has commissioned the United States' first direct lithium extraction (DLE) plant at its Texas site, aiming to prove the technology at commercial scale and cut reliance on imported lithium. The modest‑capacity pilot marks a tangible move toward a homegrown...
Parsons Wins $— Contract to Quad Demand‑Response Capacity for Los Angeles Water & Power
Parsons Corporation has been chosen by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power to supply a Demand Response Management System that will more than quadruple LADWP’s demand‑response capacity over a five‑year contract. The deal underpins the utility’s push to...
EBRD Grants $65 Million to Power Egypt’s 200 MW Solar‑Plus‑Storage Project
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved a $65 million loan to HAU Energy to build a 200 MW solar PV plant paired with a 120 MWh battery system in Benban, Egypt. The financing, backed by a gender‑focused technical cooperation package, aims...
Data Centers Fueled Half of U.S. Power Growth in 2025, Sparking Backlash
The International Energy Agency reported that data centers generated roughly 50% of the United States' electricity demand growth in 2025, a year when overall power use rose 2%. The surge, tied to AI model training, has ignited local resistance and...
Turbo Energy and Hithium Link AI Optimization to Battery Storage Across Europe and Latin America
Turbo Energy announced a strategic partnership with battery maker Hithium to integrate its AI-driven optimization platform into Hithium’s storage systems, aiming to roll out software‑defined energy assets across commercial and industrial sites in Europe and Latin America. The deal builds...
The Commodities Feed: Peace Talk Optimism Clouds Reality
Oil markets rallied on optimism that renewed US‑Iran peace talks could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but analysts warn the price gains under‑price the ongoing supply disruption. European gas prices remain low, with the Dutch TTF below €40/MWh despite a...
If Labor Cares About Fairness, It Will Cut EV Subsidies
Australian electric vehicle sales surged in March, reaching a record 15,839 units – a 42% jump from February – and EVs made up 14.6% of all new car sales in February. The primary catalyst has been the Fringe Benefits Tax...
Oil Giants Post 2nd‑Worst 50‑Year Underperformance
Over the last 3 weeks, a basket of ExxonMobil, Chevron, Conoco, and Occidental Petroleum has witnessed its 2nd-worst underperformance vs the S&P 500 of the last half century. Collectively, the market has beaten these four by 26 percentage points since...
China's CO2 Emissions Flat, Coal Power Declines.
Hi Harriet, you might have missed it but China's CO2 has been flat or falling for nearly two years https://t.co/xqAnUNQOdR The "rising coal" in your link is coal power capacity, not actual coal demand https://t.co/5xxRPefgvj Coal power fell last year https://t.co/lZal4xcGlg
Luis Yanza, Campaigner Who Battled Big Oil in the Amazon Rainforest
Luis Yanza, the grassroots organizer who linked more than 80 Amazon villages to the multibillion‑dollar Chevron lawsuit, died on March 27, 2026. He helped build the legal strategy that led to a 2012 Ecuadorian court ordering Chevron to pay billions...
UK to Curb Gas Power with Fixed-Price CfDs
NEW: Details of UK govt plans to "break influence of gas on electricity prices" Carrot: Offer fixed-price "wholesale CfDs" to old renewables, replacing wholesale ££ but not RO top-up Stick: Higher windfall tax of 45–>55% on 1 July for old renewables/nuclear 1/3 https://t.co/zMNwT7DWGm
ECO4's Demise Blamed on Governance, Not Policy
New paper out 🎉 The UK just ended 32 years of Energy Efficiency Obligation Schemes. We argue it's a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater — ECO4 failed due to governance failures, not instrument failure. https://t.co/4nb2f6M2rK https://t.co/j2c2tMw7lG
Oil Falls as Investors Assess Mixed Messaging on Iran Peace Talks Ahead of Ceasefire Deadline
Oil prices slipped on Tuesday as investors weighed mixed signals from the United States and Iran ahead of a looming cease‑fire deadline. Vice President JD Vance is expected to head a U.S. delegation to Pakistan, while Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned...
Russia to Supply China Gas at One‑third Cheaper than Europe
China is getting cheap natural gas from Russia 🇨🇳🤝🇪🇺 The Russian government expects to sell gas to China through 2029 at about a third less than the price paid by Europe (this includes Turkey) https://t.co/LgIAxNwHXq https://t.co/5t7y1oF7zy
Dominican Republic Launches 600 MW Renewable Energy Tender
Dominican Republic opens bids for 600 MW renewables tender #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/ai0coBXS9J
Advanced Solar Inverters Heighten Cybersecurity Imperative
Solar inverter advancements stress growing need for cybersecurity #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/iuXwYPtSrM
BESS Analytics Connect Performance Data to Profitability
BESS analytics ‘bridge the gap between technical performance and commercial outcomes’ #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/KeCuSEoFbP
Trump's Energy Emergency Echoes a Long‑standing Power Crisis
Trump calls an energy emergency for electric power The problem is real but hardly new I'll be generous & say that maybe he's using the urgency of war to do the right thing https://t.co/l7j3ITBLby
Ceasefire Optimism Drops Energy Stocks, yet Oil Prices Stay Elevated
Energy stocks sold off on ceasefire optimism, but oil infrastructure damage suggests prices won't return to pre-war levels even after peace. 🔒 Members-Only https://t.co/DPbKdFmVMI
Tokyo Gas, HDRE Secure 150MW BESS for Trading, Relief
HDRE, Tokyo Gas sign 150MW BESS deal in Japan as trading, curtailment and disaster relief drive use cases in growing market #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/VW58H4VB7y
Indonesia's Biofuel Promises Outpace Realistic Production
Indonesia independence by July” sounds great. Biodiesel substitute is doubtful at scale. Palm oil to gasoline is experimental & nowhere near commercial scale. Policy is sprinting. Reality is crawling. Someone needs a reality check. https://t.co/MHb97ZH369 #EnergyCrisis #Biofuels #Indonesia #OilMarkets
Asia Foreshadows Global Energy Shock, US Unprepared
Asia is the trailer for the global energy shock "You’ve seen tsunamis," says The Atlantic Council's Phillip Cornell “I find it breathtaking to see the degree to which American policymakers think that they are insulated.” https://t.co/hZtCnd3mey #EnergyCrisis #OilMarkets #Geopolitics #SupplyChains
Overusing DPA Pushes Industry Toward State Ownership
I'm not here to knock the expansive use of DPA. There are smart ways to pair it w/ American o&g industry's capabilities But taken to such a maximalistic limit (is industry really incapable of producing enough light sweet?), it's the rational...
Trump Claims U.S. Oil Production Insufficient for Defense Readiness
Something very funny about President Trump officially determining that American industry is incapable of producing enough oil for American defense readiness without the use of the Defense Production Act. https://t.co/g6HmXNjprJ
Drones Revolutionize China's Power Grid Construction
Sky Builders: #Drones Transform Power Grid Construction in China via @XH_Lee23 #Technology #Innovation #EmergingTech #TechForGood https://t.co/M1JxNH86IA
Fervo’s Cape Station Begins 100 MW Build
Let’s look at Fervo’s near-term pipeline Cape Station (Utah) Total planned: ~500 MW Currently under construction: first ~100 MW phase (expanding to full 500 MW)
Gulf Oil Turmoil Spurs Shift Toward China
US fights Iran. Gulf oil market is roiling. In the meantime, Gulf states are shifting toward China. Day what?!
Pacific Energy to Supply 81 MWh Battery Storage in NT
Pacific Energy to deliver 81MWh battery storage systems to Australia’s Northern Territory #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/z79yYnDVND