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:
AMA: Energy 2026: Additive Manufacturing in Energy Is Moving Beyond Pilots Here’s What’s Actually Being Deployed
Additive manufacturing (AM) is moving from pilot projects to repeatable production in the energy sector. Siemens Energy now prints titanium impellers for integrally geared compressors, while Equinor is deploying on‑demand spare‑part strategies to boost uptime. Certification bodies such as DNV are establishing qualification frameworks that turn prototypes into approved components. The shift is being driven by supply‑chain integration, faster lead times, and the need for resilient, cost‑effective spare‑part inventories.
Iraq Reopens Rabia Border Crossing with Syria to Support Fuel Exports
Iraq has reopened the Rabia border crossing with Syria after more than a decade, reviving overland fuel‑oil exports. The move aims to alleviate backlogs at the al‑Waleed crossing and offset Gulf shipping disruptions caused by the Strait of Hormuz closure....
EnBW Advances Storage Strategy: Construction Begins on 100 MWh Large-Scale Battery in Marbach to Strengthen Grid Stability
EnBW Energie Baden‑Württemberg has begun building a 100 MWh lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery storage facility at its Marbach power plant, with commissioning targeted for the end of 2026. The system will connect to TransnetBW’s transmission grid to smooth short‑term fluctuations from wind and...
Electromobility in Germany Is Growing: Fuel Prices and Expansion of Charging Infrastructure Shape the Market Environment
Germany's electromobility market kept expanding in Q1 2026, with public charging points surpassing 200,000 and installed capacity exceeding nine gigawatts. Rising fuel prices and EU CO₂ fleet limits are driving EV demand, though a price premium of about 16% remains for...
AI Algorithm Helps Optimize AGR, and Save Amine, Steam and Power
Yokogawa has deployed autonomous‑control AI agents, based on its Factorial Kernel Dynamic Policy Programming (FKDPP) reinforcement‑learning algorithm, to optimize acid‑gas‑removal (AGR) at Saudi Aramco’s Fadhili gas plant. The agents were trained in a simulated environment, validated for safety, and integrated...
Western Gateway Pipeline Advances After Securing Key Shipper Commitments
The Western Gateway Pipeline, a joint venture between Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan, has secured long‑term shipper commitments during its latest open season, clearing a key hurdle before construction. The project combines a new‑build segment from Borger, Texas to Phoenix, Arizona with...
Massachusetts Senate Considers DER Peak Reduction Mandate to Curb Grid Costs
The Massachusetts Senate is drafting a climate omnibus bill that could impose a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Peak Reduction Standard on investor‑owned utilities. The mandate would require utilities to meet capacity targets by dispatching customer‑sited solar and storage, creating a...
War, Tech, and Elite Views Shape Climate Future
In the latest Current Climate newsletter: 🌊 Warming oceans, a hot year and ‘elite’ beliefs 🤖 Should urbanists should embrace robotaxis? ☀️ How the Iran war may impact the renewable energy transition https://www.forbes.com/sites/current-climate/2026/04/20/warming-oceans-a-hot-year-and-elite-beliefs/
Full Electrification Could Halve Global Energy Demand
NEW PODCAST: Electricity is just 20% of global energy. The other 80% — heating, transport, industry — still runs on fossil fuels. Full electrification could cut total energy demand in half. That's the starting point for my conversation with @FullyChargedUK...
La Plata Electric CEO: Why Western Utilities Are Moving Toward Regional Markets
On April 1, La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) joined the Southwest Power Pool, extending its reach into the Western Interconnection. The move reflects a broader shift among Western utilities from isolated balancing authorities toward coordinated regional markets. Organized markets allow system...
Phenom Reports MK Plus Nears Commercialization of Solid-State Vanadium Batteries
Phenom Resources Corp $PHNM.V $PHNMF Reports on MK Plus Progress to Commercialization, the Solid-State Vanadium Battery Company https://t.co/vrtnqOv1xY https://t.co/hEvAR6nph2
Strait of Hormuz Closed Again as Iran-US Talks Stall...Again.
Iran re‑imposed full control over the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in zero oil tanker transits—the first complete closure in its modern history. The U.S. naval blockade, now in its seventh day, has turned back more than a dozen vessels, prompting...
Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Forces Evacuation From Fukushima Nuclear Plants
On April 20, 2026, a magnitude‑7.5 earthquake struck off Sanriku, Japan, prompting a tsunami advisory for Fukushima Prefecture. TEPCO ordered all staff at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power stations to evacuate to higher ground; the company reported no...
Tandem PV Launches Commercial Perovskite-Silicon Manufacturing in California
Tandem PV has launched a 40 MW commercial demonstration factory in Fremont, California, converting perovskite‑silicon tandem technology from lab to repeatable manufacturing. The 65,000‑square‑foot plant produces panels roughly 60 times larger than its research devices, delivering 29.7% efficiency and less than...
Trump May Extend Hormuz Ceasefire Despite Tehran Advantage
Possible Trump realizes that a drawn out ceasefire in which Hormuz remains closed only serves to bolster Tehran's leverage in peace deal negotiations. Or, more likely, this means nothing and he'll absolutely extend it if/when the ceasefire ends before a more...
As EV Load Grows, Utilities Use Managed Charging to Harness Flexibility, Lower Costs
U.S. utilities are scaling active managed‑charging (V1G) programs to smooth EV load, deferring costly grid upgrades. Automakers such as GM, Ford and Rivian partner with aggregators like EnergyHub, WeaveGrid and ChargeScape to give utilities real‑time control over charging. State regulators...
Wind Installations 'Hit Record in 2025'
Global wind installations hit a record 165 GW in 2025, according to GWEC's Global Wind Report 2026. Cumulative capacity now exceeds 1,299 GW, cementing wind as a cornerstone of modern energy systems. GWEC warns installations must double by 2030 to meet net‑zero...
Government Appears to Leave Door Open to Gigawatt-Scale Nuclear at Wylfa
The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero released a business case that confirms three 470 MW Rolls‑Royce SMRs at Wylfa while explicitly preserving the option for a gigawatt‑scale nuclear plant. The language creates ambiguity about whether the government will...
De-Risking Distributed Solar: Foundations Are a Critical Bottleneck
U.S. distributed‑generation solar growth is hitting a bottleneck at the foundation stage. Early‑stage construction delays, driven by fragmented overseas supply chains and limited EPC capacity, are inflating costs and threatening tax‑credit eligibility. EPCs are turning to domestic, vertically integrated manufacturers...
Energy Chief Says Gas May Not Dip Below $3 Until Next Year
Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN that U.S. gasoline prices are likely to stay at $3 per gallon or higher until next year, contradicting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s forecast of sub‑$3 fuel by the summer. Wright said prices have probably...
ACI Outlines Role of Renewable Diesel in Reducing Airport Emissions
The ACI Asia‑Pacific & Middle East webinar highlighted renewable diesel as a near‑term solution for cutting airport emissions. Speakers noted that the fuel can slash lifecycle emissions by up to 95% without engine changes. Case studies from Changi Airport and...
Oil Prices Rise on Worries About Iran War
Oil prices jumped 3.8% on April 20, with Brent crude reaching $93.84 per barrel as U.S.-Iran tensions escalated following a U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel. The rise pressured fuel‑intensive companies, sending cruise lines and airlines lower, while the broader...
Pre-Markets Off Last Week's Highs on 4/20
Geopolitical tension escalated on Monday as an Iranian oil vessel was seized, derailing a scheduled peace meeting in Islamabad and keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed. The uncertainty pushed pre‑market futures lower, with the Dow off 225 points (‑0.45%), the...
Hormuz Strait Unreliable, Threatening 20% Global LNG Supply
IEA'S BIROL: HORMUZ STRAIT LOST ITS STATUS AS RELIABLE About 20% of global LNG supply is locked behind the strait
Connecting the Regulatory Dots Shaping Texas Energy | Reading and Podcast Picks - April 20, 2026
Texas regulators and ERCOT are confronting a surge of roughly 410 GW of new load applications, about 90% of which are data‑center projects, as the state positions itself in the national AI race. A CSIS report ties together recent PUCT and...
Treasurys Hold Gains as Oil, Stocks Flash Mixed Signals
Oil prices jumped to their strongest level in four years as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude markets into turmoil. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury yields edged higher, with the 5‑year, 10‑year and 30‑year benchmarks posting...
Democrats Urged to Link Clean Energy to Affordability as Iran War Hikes up Prices
The Iran‑Israel conflict has closed the Strait of Hormuz, pushing global oil prices higher and lifting U.S. gasoline to over $4.10 per gallon. Democrats, led by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Ro Khanna, are being urged to frame clean‑energy policies as a...
National Template Drives Unified Approach to Local Energy Planning
UK energy networks are converging on a unified framework called the Local Authority Common Ask Template, which standardises data exchange for local energy planning. SP Electricity North West has joined the initiative, following UK Power Networks’ lead, to streamline coordination...
US ROUNDUP: BESS Developers Highlight ‘Bring Your Own Capacity’ Model in Data Centre Announcements
U.S. data‑centre developers are increasingly adopting a “bring your own capacity” (BYOC) approach, highlighted by three recent announcements. Eos Energy and Turbine‑X signed a joint development agreement to deploy up to 2 GWh of zinc‑hybrid battery storage paired with natural‑gas turbines...
New Senator Armstrong Aims to Accelerate Permitting Reform
NEW: Can the newest senator play permitting reform "closer"? I spoke w/ @SenArmstrong for @politico Energy podcast on why he thinks he can help Congress reach a long-sought deal. “I can bring all my energy & passion to this one...
US Oil Slides to Intraday Low Near $87
JUST IN: US oil shed its earlier advances and slid to intraday lows near $87 a barrel.
Inferno and Infamy: April 20's Darkest Hours
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded off Louisiana, killing 11 crew members and sinking after 36 hours. The blast triggered the Macondo well to spew up to 60,000 barrels of oil per day, releasing roughly 5 million...
Legacy Companies Driving Energy Transition From Within
The energy transition is often told as a story of new entrants displacing incumbents. But it also depends on incumbents making the shift themselves. Visited @vaillantuk factory today, founded 1874, now making heat pumps. 150 years of heritage, transforming from within. https://t.co/UlrquZB5lE
Third Oil Platform Offshore California Coming Online in June
Sable Offshore announced that its third offshore platform, Hondo, will begin production in June 2026, targeting roughly 10,000 gross barrels per day. The company has already restarted one platform and brought 40 wells at the Harmony and Heritage sites online,...
What the Latest IEA Update Says About Energy Risk, Supply Chains, and Industrial Strategy
The International Energy Agency’s latest outlook warns that heightened U.S.-Iran tensions and a narrowing cease‑fire window are reviving oil flow disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. The agency links these geopolitical shocks to broader supply‑chain risks, noting that petrochemical output,...
Installations Surge Globally, Led by Europe, MENA
Installations are set to jump, led by Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. https://t.co/Okyyy9MwKG
Enphase Scales Commercial Solar with GaN Microinverters
Enphase Energy announced expanded shipments of its commercial microinverter line, highlighted by the IQ9N-3P—the company’s first gallium‑nitride (GaN) device. The inverter delivers a CEC‑weighted efficiency of 97.5%, supports up to 600 W modules, and connects directly to three‑phase 480Y/277 V grids without...
OM in the News: Running a Factory on Recycled EV Batteries
Rivian will power its Normal, Illinois factory with more than 100 second‑life EV batteries, creating the largest repurposed‑battery storage system for a U.S. automaker. The 10 megawatt‑hour installation will supply on‑site electricity during peak‑demand periods, reducing reliance on the grid and...
Pacific Nations Rally Behind Fossil Fuel Treaty Amid Global Energy Tensions
Leaders from seven Pacific nations signed the Tassiriki Call for a Fossil‑Free Pacific in Vanuatu, demanding a binding international Fossil Fuel Treaty that halts new exploration, ends subsidies, and orchestrates a rapid phase‑out. The declaration pledges a fully funded transition...
First Global Fossil‑Fuel Exit Summit Set for Colombia, Over 50 Nations to Attend
Over 50 nations are slated to meet in Santa Marta, Colombia, on April 28‑29 for the inaugural global conference on fossil‑fuel exit, co‑hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands. The gathering brings together producers and consumers representing roughly one‑fifth of global...
European Energy Stocks Jump 3% as Middle East Tensions Push Oil to $96 a Barrel
European energy giants BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, Equinor and others rallied roughly 3% on April 20, 2026, after Brent crude climbed 6% to $95.82 per barrel and WTI to $87.97. The surge reflects heightened geopolitical risk in the Middle East, while...
Latin America Markets Surge on Expected Iran Peace, High Oil
At last week's IMF/WB meetings, markets were as bullish as I can remember on Latin America. They're trading an end to the war with Iran and oil prices staying elevated for a while, all of which benefits the region's oil...
U.S. Solar Boom Persists as Politicians Target Clean‑Energy Tax Credits
U.S. solar installers added enough capacity to account for 79% of all new power generation in 2025, and the sector is on track for a 49% expansion before the Inflation Reduction Act credits expire at the end of 2027. The...
Oil Prices Surge to $90 as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Hit Global Markets
Oil jumped to $90 a barrel and U.S. gasoline averaged just above $4 per gallon after Iran re‑imposed strict military control of the Strait of Hormuz. The move has reignited fears of supply disruptions, pushing energy commodities to new highs...
Latin America’s Oil Boom Fuels Record Production and Massive Investment Plans
Brazil’s state oil firm Petrobras posted a 16.4% jump to 5.304 million barrels of oil equivalent per day and announced a $109 billion five‑year investment plan, while Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale field is on track to hit 1 million barrels per day, prompting...
Why AI Is Redefining the Future of Commercial Power Infrastructure
AI-driven workloads are reshaping commercial power infrastructure, creating rapid, high‑density load fluctuations. Traditional designs built for steady loads now face transformer overloads, switchgear wear, and heat‑related failures. Companies are adopting modular, real‑time monitored, and battery‑integrated systems to add capacity flexibly...
MISO Expects Load to Jump 35% by 2035 on Data Center Growth
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) projects its peak electricity load to rise to about 163 GW by 2035, a 35% jump from the 2025 peak of 121 GW, driven primarily by rapid data‑center expansion. Electric vehicles, manufacturing, and residential demand also...
Rajasthan Refinery Fire Adds to India's String of Woes
"Misfortunes never come singly" 🇮🇳Fire breaks out at refinery in India's Rajasthan, local media reports
Energy Trilemma Remains Unsolved and Overlooked
The energy trilemma is evergreen - we still can't solve it; some won't even recognize there is a trilemma. https://t.co/grC0cpV08V
$17.5 Billion LNG Project Anchored by $1B Investment in Louisiana Businesses
Australia’s Woodside Energy announced a $17.5 billion liquefied natural gas project in Louisiana, anchoring more than $1 billion in contracts for local suppliers. A $300 million services deal will see Green Tug Towing build four new tugs at C&C Marine and Repair, slated...