Know What's Happening in Energy
Know What's Happening in Energy
Flex to acquire Electrical Power Products for $1.1 billion
Flex Ltd. announced a definitive agreement to buy Electrical Power Products for about $1.1B in cash. The acquisition adds roughly $323M of annual revenue and delivers a mid‑to‑high‑teens EBITDA margin. Flex expects the transaction to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share in the first full fiscal year after closing.
Venture capital in Africa is pivoting from fintech to solar microgrid projects as investors chase more predictable, asset‑backed returns. After a fintech boom between 2016‑2021, market saturation, rising customer‑acquisition costs and tighter regulation have eroded margins. Solar microgrids, backed by falling panel prices, improved storage and pay‑as‑you‑go billing, now offer stable cash flows and lower risk. Blended finance, ESG mandates and supportive policies further de‑risk the sector, making it the new venture‑backed asset class on the continent.
Saudi Arabia’s largest oil shipper, Bahri, provisionally chartered five very large crude carriers as daily charter rates neared $200,000, the highest level since 2020. The vessels are slated to move Saudi crude to Asian markets, chiefly China, in the coming...
Surge Battery Metals, together with Evolution Mining, released the final assay results from its 2025 core drilling program at Nevada North Lithium Project. Infill drilling returned a 116‑metre interval averaging 3,752 ppm lithium, including a 32.1‑metre zone grading 4,521 ppm, confirming a...
![[Episode #270] – View From the Energy Transitions Commission](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://cdn.xenetwork.org/ets/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/powerpress/ETS-PodcastArtwork-full.png)
In this episode, host Chris Nelder talks with Lord Adair Turner, co‑chair of the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC), about the commission’s role as a cross‑sector coalition that produces techno‑economic roadmaps for net‑zero pathways. Turner explains how the ETC balances diverse...
Germany's Bundestag will vote on a hydrogen acceleration law that expands eligible infrastructure to include carbon‑capture‑and‑storage (CCS) based hydrogen production. The amendment also adds import facilities for power‑to‑liquid fuels such as synthetic aviation fuel. Projects designated as "overriding public interest"...
Last night’s State of the Union address tied AI dominance to power plants, permits, and domestic mining. Earlier in the day, the House Energy & Minerals Subcommittee debated how to actually fix the mineral markets behind that ambition via the SECURE...
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on 12 tankers and their owners that have shipped hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products. The designations also include nine individuals and entities in Iran,...
German startup Solarsecure Tech introduced the SolarSecure Vision gateway, a hardware‑agnostic device installed at the meter connection point that intercepts and validates inverter‑to‑cloud communications. The gateway blocks unverified kill‑switch commands while allowing authenticated signals, including mandatory grid‑operator directives, to pass via a...
Ontario natural gas storage remains well below the five‑year average, sitting 27.7 Bcf short and driving Dawn hub prices higher as winter ends. Seasonal withdrawals are the third‑largest on record, with the March exit projected near 60 Bcf. The forward price curve...
Good piece by @atrembath and @TedNordhaus on the distinction between solar optimism and solar maximalism. I'm definitely quite bullish on solar, but we also need other clean energy technologies (wind, storage, nuclear, geothermal, CCS for some industrial processes) alongside it....
South Africa’s Minerals Council criticised the 2024 budget for omitting any reduction in electricity tariffs for the ferroalloys sector, despite industrial power costs soaring over 900% since 2008. The omission threatens the ferrochrome industry, which supports more than 20,000 jobs,...
U.S. shale isn’t dead but frack fleets are heading overseas “The opportunity in Argentina is one of the most promising," says Patterson-UTI Energy CEO. https://t.co/BGmL1ZLCnL #Shale #Oil #Fracking #EnergyMarkets #SupplyConstraints
The episode examines the looming loss of Renewables Obligation (RO) support for UK waste‑wood biomass plants in 2027 and the resulting risk of a 3 million‑ton oversupply of waste wood. Richard Coulson of the Wood Recyclers Association explains how the sector...
OPEC+ likely to restart supply hikes The oil glut is looking more like Y2K Still, OPEC+ increases will probably be cautious. https://t.co/XT9I0sGhYp #Oil #OPECPlus #EnergyMarkets #Geopolitics #Shale
New filings suggest the Keystone XL pipeline is being resurrected South Box in Canada & Bridger Pipeline in the U.S. are involved. https://t.co/Gl3HfeV9C5 #KeystoneXL #Pipelines #EnergyPolitics #Oil #Canada #US
Siemens and CAPHENIA announced a partnership to accelerate commercial Sustainable Aviation Fuel production by integrating Siemens’ digitalisation and automation tools with CAPHENIA’s plasma Boudouard reactor technology. The reactor splits bio‑methane into synthesis gas at 1,500 °C with over 86 % efficiency, enabling...
🇺🇸U.S. ethanol production continued at a strong rate last week, topping 1.11M barrels per day for a third straight week. For the last three weeks, output has been about 3% above the year-ago levels. https://t.co/VcHmt2Mthb
Last week global gas markets split, with Asian spot LNG rallying to the low‑$11/MMBtu range while European TTF and US Henry Hub prices eased. In Northeast Asia, the JKM benchmark rebounded after a brief dip, driven by renewed buying from...
Germany’s regulator is reconsidering the grid‑fee exemption for utility‑scale battery storage, creating uncertainty for projects commissioned before 2029. While the Bundesnetzagentur expects storage capacity to surge to 68 GW by 2037, the potential retroactive fees could dampen investor momentum. At the...
Researchers have created a high‑entropy alloy (HEA) catalyst composed of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu, derived from a layered double hydroxide precursor. The HEA nanoparticles are uniformly anchored on nitrogen‑doped carbon nanotubes via dicyandiamide‑assisted pyrolysis, yielding a single‑phase fcc...
Sunbolt announced an expanded Eclipse Solar Charging Umbrella lineup, adding a refreshed fabric‑canopy version with 88 W of high‑efficiency panels and a new permanent Aluminum Canopy model delivering 110 W. Both units are built in the United States, feature six dual‑port USB/USB‑C...
Russia's finance ministry announced plans to lower the cut‑off price that triggers the transfer of oil revenues into the budget reserve fund. The move aims to channel more of the declining oil proceeds into the $56 billion reserve to protect it...
Japan’s LNG resales hit a record in fiscal 2024, surpassing the volume imported from any single supplier. Declining domestic consumption, driven by nuclear restarts, efficiency gains and renewable growth, has pushed utilities and trading houses to redirect surplus cargoes to...
EDP Renovaveis reported a 50% jump in recurring net profit for 2025, reaching €330 million, driven by rapid U.S. capacity expansion. EBITDA rose 17% to €1.95 billion, with a target of €2.1 billion for 2026. The company added 2 GW of new capacity, over...
At the Energy Storage Summit 2026 in London, analysts warned that pairing batteries with under‑performing solar farms is not a universal remedy. While co‑located projects can make efficient use of land, experts argue that standalone storage delivers the most valuable...
RBOB gasoline futures down 1% YoY... very likely to turn up YoY in the weeks ahead... $3 pump prices absolutely coming $UGA $RB_F https://t.co/H5sX1paGVU
Crude oil rallied to $65.89 per barrel this morning as concerns over a potential Iranian conflict resurfaced, while the Canadian dollar held near 65.89 U.S. cents. In the grain sector, canola futures slipped to C$690.20 a tonne, pressured by a...
How China’s 5-year energy plan could change the way it powers its economy Beijing will prioritise energy security through large-scale projects and greater regional self-reliance, as risks mount at home and overseas https://t.co/HwoETxozqe via @scmpnews
European day‑ahead power contracts plunged on Wednesday as wind generation surged and demand fell across the region. Germany's baseload price dropped 20.6% to €75/MWh, while France’s fell 30% to €21/MWh. Wind output is set to reach 23.8 GW in Germany and...
Britain has placed sanctions on New Zealand‑based Maritime Mutual Insurance Association and its Gibraltar affiliate, accusing them of insuring dark‑fleet tankers that transport Iranian and Russian oil. The measures include an asset freeze and the disqualification of company directors. Maritime...
The EU’s revised Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) now obliges funds to disclose and potentially divest from fossil‑fuel holdings, prompting German NGOs to warn that an extra €9 billion of assets may need to be sold. The European Securities and Markets...
I can't remember--who was the president 10 years ago? That Administration's decision to grant permits for LNG exports was a boon for the domestic O&G industry while also helping U.S. and European security by reducing dependence on Russian energy exports.
On February 5, the United States and Argentina signed a bilateral agreement that goes beyond tariff cuts to align trade, investment, and national‑security priorities in critical minerals and energy. The pact obliges Argentina to facilitate U.S. investment across the entire...
Australia’s coal output remained flat in 2025 at roughly 65 mt, buoyed by the Olive Downs Complex and efficiency gains at Hunter Valley and Dawson. A 3.9% rise to 483.2 mt is forecast for 2026, driven by the Maxwell underground ramp‑up, capacity...
UK‑based RheEnergise has demonstrated a water‑free pumped‑storage system that uses a proprietary High‑Density Fluid, 2.5 times denser than water, to generate 500 kW in a pilot plant. The closed‑loop design replaces traditional reservoirs with a concrete lower tank and an 80‑metre...
Senior industry leaders from India, the UK and Europe briefed President Droupadi Murmu on a proposed India‑UK/Europe green corridor aimed at accelerating industrial decarbonisation and sustainable trade. The roadmap, led by Rajashree Birla, outlines technology transfer, catalytic capital flows and...
The US has 3,960 data centers, more than the next 14 countries COMBINED. MASSIVE capital buildout. MASSIVE electricity demand. https://t.co/2CnR0GW60v
"Fortescue Stakes Its Future on a Billion Dollar Green Pivot in the Pilbara" https://t.co/NNU6MWp1YM @FortescueNews #Fortescue
The U.S. announced a preliminary 126% counter‑vailing duty on certain solar imports from India, sending Waaree Energies and Premier Energies shares sharply lower—Waaree down 10% and Premier down 6%. Both companies said they have diversified supply chains and ongoing US...
Net zero didn’t die because reality changed It died because the costs became politically visible. Electrification survives, and renewables remain central Until their full costs can no longer be ignored. https://t.co/sRbXj6lryP #EnergyTransition #NetZero #Renewables #Electricity #IEA
China’s cobalt strategy assumed that owning mines guaranteed supply. Congo’s export controls show that sovereignty trumps ownership. China controls processing; Congo controls the tap. https://t.co/sBpdLF03jS #Cobalt #CriticalMinerals #China #SupplyChains #Geopolitics @ctindale
A joint venture led by Technip Energies, together with Consolidated Contractors Company and Gulf Asia Contracting, secured an EPCC contract from QatarEnergy for the onshore LNG facilities of the North Field West project. The award, valued at over €1 billion, includes...
The AI buildout is running into hard physical limits. Capital isn’t the constraint; power is Grids are full, turbines are sold out, and timelines don’t bend for hyperscalers. https://t.co/GNXtK2Hb8p #AI #Energy #PowerGrid #DataCenters #Infrastructure #Geopolitics
State laws decide whether industrial computing facilities can build their own power plants. The President can't change those laws. That said, I appreciate that the 'pledge' is about 'ratepayers' and not customers.
Switzerland's Federal Council will enact a draft law on April 1, 2026 to accelerate permitting for large‑scale solar, wind and hydropower projects. The legislation centralizes cantonal approvals into a single procedure and limits appeals to superior cantonal courts. It also...
Mersen has introduced its Critical Power Panel (CPP) series, a fully customizable fused panelboard that combines a lightweight design with a reduced footprint. Targeted at NEC‑required and non‑required applications—including UPS systems, data centers, medium‑voltage eHouses, emergency circuits, and DC utility...
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s February 10 Short‑Term Energy Outlook projects total U.S. energy consumption to stay below 2025 levels in both 2026 (96.00 qBtu) and 2027 (96.15 qBtu), marginally under the 96.19 qBtu recorded in 2025. While overall demand flattens, liquid‑fuel use...
Thanks @D_Jimenez_Sch - there are limited sources of useful, timely information on the #lithium market. Daniel (& his team at iLi Markets) is one of them. Great podcast guest too.
Russian oil drilling contracted 3.4% in 2025, marking the first decline since 2021, with a sharp 10% drop in the second half of the year. The slowdown is attributed to a weaker Urals crude price and a stronger ruble, which...
