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:
European Utility Expects New U.S. LNG Supply to Soften Blow of Qatari Outage
Italian utility Edison SpA announced it has secured seven LNG cargoes from the United States to compensate for a shortfall caused by QatarEnergy’s force‑majeure declaration. The outage follows Qatar’s shutdown of super‑chilled LNG production amid Middle‑East conflict. Edison’s CEO Nicola Monti cited new U.S. export facilities such as Plaquemines and Golden Pass LNG as key to limiting the disruption. The move underscores Europe’s shifting import mix toward U.S. supplies.
JinkoSolar’s Profitability Deteriorates as Annual Module Shipments Decline
JinkoSolar reported a steep decline in 2025 profitability as module shipments fell 7.3% to just over 86 GW and revenue dropped 20% to $9.37 billion. Gross margin collapsed to 0.3% in Q4, driving an adjusted net loss of $448.6 million and a GAAP...
Solar PPA Prices in Q1 2026 Fall in Europe, Rise in North America
LevelTen Energy reports that average solar power purchase agreement (PPA) prices fell 13% year‑on‑year to €55.05/MWh (US$64.83/MWh) in Europe during Q1 2026, marking five straight quarters of decline. In contrast, North American solar PPAs rose 13% YoY to US$64.49/MWh, driven by...
Energy Is the Economy: And the Economy Is Still Overwhelmingly Fossil Fuelled – by Amanda Van Dyke (Substack – April...
Amanda van Dyke argues that modern civilization is fundamentally an energy system, not an information system, and that despite the rhetoric around clean power, over 80% of global energy still comes from oil, coal and gas. She warns that the...
Explosion at Smitty’s Supply Shuts Down Louisiana Lubricant Plant and Triggers Toxic Release
An explosion and multi‑day fire at Smitty’s Supply’s automotive lubricant plant in Roseland, Louisiana, on Aug. 22, 2025 forced a plant shutdown and released petrochemicals into air and waterways. Residents allege health risks and inadequate government response, while the EPA says the...
Luzon, Visayas Electricity Grids Placed Under ‘Yellow’ Alert
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed both the Luzon and Visayas electricity grids under a yellow alert on Thursday, marking the second such alert this year. The Luzon grid reported an available capacity of 12,223 MW against a...
California Revises Cap‑and‑Invest, Halting Permanent Retirement of 118 Million Emission Permits
California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced a revision to the state’s Cap‑and‑Invest program that stops the permanent retirement of 118 million greenhouse‑gas allowances, placing them in a reserve fund. Environmental advocates and the oil and gas industry alike condemned the change,...
Vermilion Energy Posts 125,000 Boe/D Q1 Output, Beats Guidance Amid Canadian Surge
Vermilion Energy announced first‑quarter 2026 production of roughly 125,000 barrels of oil‑equivalent per day, exceeding the top end of its guidance. The outperformance stemmed from faster well tie‑ins in the Montney and Deep Basin, while higher European gas prices lifted...
Seven Buyers in a Trench Coat
In this episode of The Carbon Curve, host Naim Merchant talks with Jack Andreessen‑Kavanaugh, director of the Carbon Management Program at Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy, about Microsoft’s pause on new carbon‑dioxide‑removal (CDR) purchases and what it reveals about...
Is This The Future Of Nuclear Energy? | Matt Lozak, Aalo Atomics
After years of regulatory hurdles, nuclear energy is re‑emerging as a strategic solution to rising electricity demand, especially from AI‑driven data centers. Next‑generation micro‑reactor designs, championed by firms like Aalo Atomics, emphasize factory‑scale manufacturing, inherent walk‑away safety, and a small...
Kentucky Is Getting Its First Pumped Storage Hydropower Project for $1.3B
Kentucky is set to launch its first pumped‑storage hydropower facility, a $1.3 billion venture aimed at bolstering grid reliability. The project will deliver roughly 1 GW of reversible generation, enabling large‑scale energy storage for renewable integration. Backed by a public‑private partnership, the...
Europe to Face Fuel Shortage? Energy Agency Head Warns ‘Maybe 6 Weeks of Jet Fuel Left’ — Here's All We...
IEA executive Fatih Birol warned that Europe may have only six weeks of jet fuel left as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by Iran. The closure, which handles about 20% of global oil shipments, is already tightening supplies of...
Data Center Power Crunch Lifts Engines, Aeroderivatives Into Larger Role
Recent procurement announcements reveal a rapid shift of reciprocating engines and aeroderivative turbines from backup to primary power at hyperscale data centers. Wärtsilä secured a 412 MW order for its 34SG engines in Ohio, while PROENERGY will supply 650 MW of 50 MW...
Supply Disruptions and Energy Security
War in Iran has choked the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off about 8% of global oil flow, the largest disruption since the 1970s. In the first month of the conflict, West Texas Intermediate rose roughly 50%, a muted response compared...
Temporary Power Solutions Could Ease Europe’s Grid Strain
Aggreko’s new white paper, “Breaking the Gridlock,” argues that temporary on‑site power solutions can relieve Europe’s strained electricity networks as renewable capacity expands. The report notes that roughly 1,700 GW of renewable projects are stalled in grid queues across 16 countries,...
ANDRITZ Lands Contract to Modernize NYPA’s Niagara Hydropower Plant
The New York Power Authority awarded ANDRITZ a contract to design, build and deliver five new 215 MVA generator stators for the Robert Moses Power Plant, part of the Niagara Power Project. The stators will replace several of the plant’s 13...
AI’s Energy Appetite Is Making Power Bills Harder to Swallow for Americans
A new American Home Shield survey of 1,003 consumers shows that 88% have seen utility costs rise, with the average electric bill now $187. Respondents living near data centers—14% of the sample—report a 94% incidence of higher bills and pay...
Matrix Starts Texas Solar Operations
Matrix Renewables has placed its 281 MWdc Stillhouse Solar PV project into commercial operation in Bell County, Texas. The $380 million development secured Investment Tax Credit funding and converted construction loans into long‑term debt, with Northleaf Capital as a minority investor and...
USA Crude Oil Stocks Drop Almost 1MM Barrels WoW
The Energy Information Administration’s weekly petroleum status report for the week ending April 10 shows U.S. commercial crude inventories fell 0.9 million barrels to 463.8 million barrels, roughly one percent above the five‑year seasonal average. Total petroleum stocks dropped 13.1 million barrels week‑on‑week while...
US Probes Suspicious Oil Trades Made Before Trump Iran Pivots
John Lothian News is rolling out “Auditions,” a new JLN topic page that invites market‑related entertainment creators to showcase scripts, books, documentaries and poems to its audience. The inaugural offering is a feature‑film script titled “The Front Runner,” dramatizing a...
Implications of WTI Oil Futures In Backwardation Amid the Supply Crunch
WTI oil futures have entered backwardation, with near‑term May and June contracts trading above the more stable December contract. Backwardation signals a tight market and generates a positive roll yield, contrasting with the negative roll yield seen in contango periods....
🎥 Heat Beneath Our Feet: Unlocking Superhot Geothermal with Carlos Araque, Quaise Energy
Quaise Energy’s CEO Carlos Araque outlined a microwave‑driven deep‑geothermal approach that vaporizes rock to reach 10‑20 km depths where temperatures hit roughly 400 °C. The super‑hot environment creates supercritical water capable of delivering baseload power comparable to fossil‑fuel or nuclear plants. Quaise...
Oxford PV’s Perovskite Expertise to Help Advance Solar-Powered EVs
Oxford PV, a specialist in perovskite photovoltaics, has joined the UK‑led Smart Use of Integrated Technology for EV (SUITE) research consortium. The project, backed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre and the UK government, brings together Nissan’s Technical Centre UK, engineering...
ERCOT Says Texas Demand Could Quadruple but Cautions Forecast May Be Inflated
ERCOT’s preliminary long‑term load forecast projects Texas peak electricity demand could soar to 367,790 MW by 2032, roughly four times the 2023 record of 85,508 MW. The surge is attributed to expanding data centers, cryptocurrency mining, and other large‑load industrial customers. Current...
Oil Giants Profit as War Fuels Human Suffering
Congratulations Equinor and all the fossil fuel companies raking in record profits thanks to bloodshed in the middle east while people in Asian countries have to line up for fuel and America's attacks have killed hundreds of innocent people https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-16/equinor-trading-profits-to-beat-forecast-as-war-spurs-volatility?taid=69e0a3517d0c9b00014185a2 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/big-oil-huge-war-windfall-consumers
First ‘Community-Owned’ Battery Investment Scheme Opens
Low Carbon Hub has launched the United Kingdom’s first community‑owned battery at Ray Valley solar park near Bicester. The scheme invites public investors to co‑own a storage system that will capture surplus solar power and release it during peak demand....
Bessent Says USA Won't Renew Iranian, Russian Oil Waivers
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the United States will not renew the general licenses that temporarily allowed the sale of Russian and Iranian crude. The waivers expired this weekend, leaving the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint for roughly 20%...
US Pressure Puts World Bank’s Climate Plan at Risk
The World Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), which earmarks 45% of its budget for climate‑beneficial projects, is set to expire in June. The Trump administration, through Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, is pressuring the bank to drop its climate targets...
USA Resumes Sanctions on Russian and Iranian Oil
The U.S. Treasury announced it will not renew the temporary waivers that exempted Russian and Iranian crude oil from sanctions, ending the relief on April 11 for Russia and April 19 for Iran. The waivers, introduced during the Trump era to ease...
Puerto Rico Approves Aggregated Residential Energy Storage Motion From Tesla, Sunrun, and SunStrong
Puerto Rico's Energy Bureau approved a joint motion by Tesla, Sunrun and SunStrong to auto‑enroll residential battery owners into the Customer Battery Energy Sharing (CBES) program, effectively creating an aggregated virtual power plant. The auto‑enrollment, which expanded to 81,000 homes...
Utilities Sector 2Q26: Best and Worst
The New Constructs 2Q26 sector rating places utilities at the bottom, ranking 11th of 11 and assigning a Very Unattractive rating. The rating reflects an aggregate assessment of 81 utility stocks as of April 12, 2026. The report highlights the...
CEO Warns Market Underestimates Oil’s Future Price
As we mostly focus on the front month futures contract and we await the finality to the war and a full reopening of the Strait, I will mention the December contract which stands at about $76.50 as of this writing,...
Commission Opens In-Depth Investigation Into Romanian State Aid to Support Refurbishment of Cernavoda 1 Nuclear Reactor
The European Commission has launched an in‑depth investigation into Romania’s €3.2 billion (≈ $3.5 billion) state aid package for refurbishing Unit 1 of the Cernavodă nuclear plant. The aid includes a €600 million (≈ $654 million) grant, loan guarantees, a 30‑year two‑way contract for difference and a...
Vietnam’s Solar Capacity Surpasses 19 GW
Vietnam’s cumulative solar capacity reached 19,252 MW (19.3 GW) by the end of 2025, a 586 MW increase over 2024 but far slower than the 1.6 GW added in 2023. The growth is driven by expanding rooftop installations and renewed policy support, including a...
Why Reforming Rooftop Solar and Battery Permitting Belongs on Every State Affordability Agenda
American families face soaring electricity bills, yet state permitting rules for rooftop solar and home batteries remain a costly bottleneck. A new Environment America scorecard shows 48 states receive D or F grades, with only California and Texas earning B...
Nordex Group Achieves Order Intake of 1.9 GW in the First Quarter of 2026
Nordex Group reported a first‑quarter 2026 order intake of 1,869 MW (about 1.9 GW), down from 2,182 MW a year earlier. The average selling price rose to €0.91 million per megawatt, roughly $0.99 million, reflecting a stable pricing environment. Customers placed orders for 292 turbines...
China Asks Iran to Ensure Freedom of Navigation Through Strait of Hormuz
China’s foreign minister Wang Yi urged Iran to guarantee free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz during a call with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. The request coincides with a Pakistan‑led mediation team arriving in Tehran to revive U.S.–Iran peace talks....
UK to Scrap Carbon Price Support, Lowering Electricity Costs
NEW: The UK govt is scrapping its top-up carbon tax, the "carbon price support" from 2028 Brought in by Osborne to help get rid of coal Now it brings in Treasury revenue (£400m in 2024/25) + raises elec bills, but doesn't help...
Wylfa's Existing Magnox Infrastructure Accelerates Project
This is great news as the Wylfa site already exists as an old Magnox reactor so the infrastructure is mostly in place
US Threatens Chinese Banks, Tightening Iran Oil Blockade
The US yesterday warned 2 Chinese banks they're at risk of secondary sanctions if they help buyers of Iran's oil. This is a very big deal. Iran has a bunch of fully-laden oil tankers already outside the SoH. This shuts...
Read the Latest EIA Oil Market Report Today
Everyone should read the latest (April 14) @EIAgov monthly report on the Oil Market https://t.co/hLoEMqngMJ https://t.co/j37zm2DmGf
SMR Funding Still Unresolved After Wylfa Announcement
SMRs: Before anyone gets too excited by the recent announcement on Wylfa, it's worth noting per this govt doc that "no decisions" have yet been made on how to actually fund these reactors https://t.co/jhE5DQlNXF https://t.co/T2PbJLTgjn
Sizewell C's £121/MWh Cost Sparks Cost‑reconciliation Debate
I'd missed this in Feb, DESNZ says Sizewell C will cost £82/MWh in 2012 money (£121/MWh today)… Thoughts anyone? How to square this with estimated cost of building it? https://t.co/PdHLuSqXVJ https://t.co/H8kpPCCy5s
Inside the Gulf Crisis Response After Massive Oil Release
This week on @CleaningUpPod, we go behind the scenes with the man coordinating the response to the Gulf crisis. I travelled to Paris to meet @fbirol, Exec Director of @IEA, just a week after the release of 400m barrels of...
China’s Crude Stockpiling Proved Prudent, Says Column
Last year, the oil market was preoccupied with a question: why China was stockpiling so much crude. I wrote an @Opinion column about it in Sept, and re-reading it ⤵️ now, I must admit that all makes sense: Beijing was...
AI-Driven Data Centers Set to Triple Power Use by 2030
Global electricity consumption from data centres surged in 2025, driven by AI Unique new @IEA analysis shows electricity demand from data centres is set to almost double by 2030 - and to triple from data centres focused on AI More in our...
Brent Futures Rebound After $10 Drop, Still $20 Below May
Brent crude [June] futures prices—and prompt timespreads—are perking back up again this morning after sliding ~$10/bbl through the beginning of the week. Still currently down $20/bbl from where the Brent May contract settled. https://t.co/9Iv78anu65
Oil Bullish Sentiment Reverses, ETF Still Holds
$USO Daily. Sentiment has flipped so quickly that it seems contrarian to be an oil bull now. But no technical damage suffered yet on ETF. If anything, light bullish consolidation, apex of triangle https://t.co/aCO9j9bbAe
Oil Firms Coined “Social License” And Decarbonization Hype
Let's pretend we don't know who brought the term "social license" into the conversation aboid Canadian oil and gas, and who ran ads on every major platform promising decarbonization of production. Neither came from politicians. Both came from consortia of...
China Sets Record Coal Output, Exceeds U.S. Annual Use
China's coal production reached in March its highest ever monthly level, according to official data. Beijing said it digged 440.62 million metric tons last month, up a tiny bit from the old peak of 440.58m a year ago. (For context, that's more...