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:
Maryland General Assembly Passes Rate Relief Measure to Lower Utility Bills by $150/Year
The Maryland General Assembly approved the Utility RELIEF Act, targeting a minimum $150 annual reduction in residential electric and gas bills. The legislation trims utility energy‑efficiency spending, lowers carbon‑emissions‑reduction targets, and forces investor‑owned utilities to join PJM, eliminating a 0.5% return‑on‑equity bonus. It also bars multi‑year rate plans based on forward test years and earmarks $100 million for rate‑relief funding beginning in 2027. The bill affects four major utilities, including Exelon’s BGE and Potomac Electric, and reshapes the state’s net‑metering framework.
Rising Power Bills From AI Data Centers Fuel Election Backlash
Bloomberg: "Across the country, soaring electricity costs are burdening consumers and stirring voter anger. The rapid build-out of artificial intelligence data centers, along with tariffs and upgrades to an aging grid, has raised power prices at rates unseen in decades....
Dolphin Drilling Lines up $230m Semisub Contract
Dolphin Drilling, the Oslo‑listed offshore contractor, has signed a letter of intent for a $230 million semi‑submersible contract for its Borgland Dolphin rig. The deal would begin in the second half of 2027, following the rig’s current Repsol assignment, and run...
California School District Installs 3.1 MW of Solar Across 12 Campuses
Opterra Energy Services completed a $33 million modernization for California’s Yucaipa‑Calimesa Joint Unified School District, installing 3.1 MW of solar across 12 campuses. The upgrade also refreshed lighting and HVAC systems while securing a $5 million Inflation Reduction Act grant. Over the next...
Community-Scale Solar Offers $6.5 Billion in Savings, Bypassing California Gridlocks
A new Pathfinder Communications report shows that deploying 5.4 GW of community‑scale solar and storage on California’s distribution grid could require $3.2 billion of investment but generate $4.2 billion in electricity‑price reductions. By using existing local networks, the projects avoid roughly $2 billion in...
Uniper Breaks Ground for 50MW Battery Energy Storage in Wilhelmshaven
Uniper and Slovenia’s NGEN have broken ground on a 50‑MW battery energy storage system at the former coal‑plant site in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The project, part of Uniper’s Energy Transformation Hub Nordwest, aims to smooth short‑term grid fluctuations from wind and...
Japan Finds a Way to Recover 90% of Lithium From Old EV Batteries
Japan’s JX Metals Circular Solutions has demonstrated a new recycling line that pulls roughly 90% of lithium from end‑of‑life electric‑vehicle batteries, about twice the recovery rate of earlier methods. The plant in Tsuruga uses a revised hydrometallurgical treatment that substitutes...
Bullish on Oil as Hormuz Closure Sparks Market Tension
I'm used to oil hate because, well, I'm not a permabull and normally the dooming is deeply overwrought This episode has been weird bc I'm bullish oil given THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR SIX WEEKS and now I've...
Geopolitics Is the Market Force—So What Comes Next?
The Middle East conflict has shut the Strait of Hormuz, cutting roughly 20% of global oil flow and sparking double‑digit price spikes in fertilizer, chemicals and plastics. The article argues that geopolitical risk is now structural, forcing firms to embed...
DNV Paper Finds That Existing LNG Infrastructure Can Ease Transition to Low‑GHG Methane
Demand for low‑GHG methane is rising as the LNG‑fuelled fleet faces tighter emissions rules. With about 800 LNG‑capable vessels already operating and 600 more on order, the sector has a mature technical base and global bunkering network. DNV’s white paper...
FERC Approves Market Rules for Champlain Hudson Transmission Project
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved market rules for the Champlain Hudson Power Express, a $6 billion, 1,250‑MW merchant transmission line linking Quebec to New York City. The line, owned by Blackstone‑backed Transmission Developers Inc., will begin delivering 10.4 TWh of hydroelectric power...
Global Oil Flows Plunge as Hormuz Disruption Chokes Tanker Trade
Global seaborne crude oil shipments have plunged 16% since the Iran war, cutting daily volumes by 7.6 million barrels to 38.4 mbpd—about 9.5% of projected world production now stranded. Gulf exports collapsed, with a net loss of 9.0 mbpd after modest gains from...
Fraunhofer ISE Launches Consultancy Spin-Off NEXUS GreenTech
Fraunhofer ISE has launched NEXUS GreenTech, a consultancy spin‑off based in Freiburg, to serve the increasingly complex solar PV market. The firm is led by three former ISE researchers who together hold over 60 years of PV expertise. NEXUS GreenTech will offer technical...
PNG vs LPG: What Are the Differences? Which Is More Affordable and Offers Uninterrupted Supply? FAQs Answered
The Indian government issued a new order on 12 April to accelerate piped natural gas (PNG) network expansion, while a 24 March mandate forces LPG‑cylinder users to switch to PNG when a connection becomes available, invalidating LPG after 90 days of non‑compliance. PNG...
Trump Orders Hormuz Blockade, Crude Surges Above $100 a Barrel
President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, halting Iranian oil shipments and driving Brent crude above $102 and WTI past $103 per barrel. The move ignited a sharp rally in energy markets, dragged...
IMF Warns ‘Unprecedented’ Energy Crisis Could Trigger Global Recession as Australia Prepares for G20 Fuel Talks
The International Monetary Fund warned that the US‑Israel war on Iran and the ensuing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could spark an unprecedented energy crisis, threatening to push global growth below 2% in 2026. Its World Economic Outlook outlines...
Indonesia Plans to Buy Russian Oil, Pertamina to Follow Government Directives
Indonesia is evaluating the purchase of Russian crude oil, with state‑owned oil giant Pertamina poised to act on any government directive. President Prabowo Subianto’s recent visit to Moscow included talks with Vladimir Putin on expanding energy cooperation, including refinery development....
European Airports Risk Jet Fuel Shortage by May Due to Hormuz Crisis
The war in Iran and the near‑shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz have pushed global oil prices above $92 a barrel, driving the average jet‑fuel spot price to $197.83 per barrel—99% higher than pre‑conflict levels. A Financial Times report warns that...
Energy Transfer on Natural Gas Opportunities & More
Energy Transfer (ET) is expanding its natural‑gas footprint with two major Permian pipelines—Hugh Brinson, now sized at 2.2 Bcf/d with bidirectional capability, and the Desert Southwest expansion, increased to 2.3 Bcf/d for an additional $900 million. The company also plans to boost Canadian crude...
The Need for Speed: FERC Must Exempt Transmission Projects From Regulatory Bottlenecks
ITC Holdings and the Grid Acceleration Coalition have lodged a complaint with FERC urging exemptions from Order 1000 for time‑sensitive transmission projects. They argue that the existing solicitation rules add 16‑20 months of delay, inflating costs and slowing the interconnection of...
PE-Backed Mulilo Reaches Financial Close on South African Solar Project
Mulilo, backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Norfund, has reached financial close on the Middlepunt Solar PV project in South Africa. The 337 MW (DC) facility will export 240 MW (AC) and is expected to produce about 770 GWh of electricity each year....
Xi Says "Global Order Crumbling Into Disarray" As Trump Turns Up Pressure Campaign On China
U.S. President Trump is mounting a coordinated campaign to seize control of strategic energy chokepoints—including the Panama Canal, Venezuelan oil, and Iranian facilities—to pressure China, which relies heavily on Middle‑East crude. Chinese President Xi Jinping responded by declaring that the...
Malaysians Urged to Tighten Their Belts as Iran War Fallout Starts to Bite
Malaysia’s government warned citizens to brace for prolonged cost pressures as the Iran‑triggered energy crisis tightens. Crude oil supplies are expected to run out by May, pushing Brent to US$132.50 per barrel and prompting a diesel subsidy hike to 400...
For the First Time in the U.S., Renewables Generate More Power Than Natural Gas
In March, U.S. renewables—including solar, wind, hydro and bioenergy—generated more electricity than natural gas for the first time, according to Ember data. The shift reflects rapid wind and solar deployment and a seasonal dip in demand that forced fossil‑fuel plants...
Equinor Sells 8.07% Stake in Scatec for $169m
Equinor sold an 8.07% stake in Norwegian renewable developer Scatec for roughly $168.5 million, pricing shares at Nkr 125 ($13.16) each. After the transaction the oil major retains an 8.05% holding subject to a 90‑day lock‑up. Equinor first invested in Scatec in...
North America Loses Rigs For 7 Straight Weeks
Baker Hughes reported that North America’s weekly rig count fell by 10 units, bringing the total to 680 rigs – 545 in the United States and 135 in Canada. The U.S. rig mix includes 411 oil rigs, 127 gas rigs...
Rolls-Royce Sets Out Defence Case for Modular Reactor at UDT
Rolls‑Royce outlined its Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) as a compact, deployable power source for defence and industrial use. The reactor promises 5‑7 years of on‑site fuel, passive safety via coated particle fuel, and road‑transportable modules that can be sited near...
EU Pushes Electrification to Shield Europe From Energy Crises
EU TO BET ON ELECTRICIFICATION TO AVERT RECURRING ENERGY CRISES The European Union 🇪🇺 will float a series of measures next week to help the continent deal with the Iran war’s energy price fallout, as well as electrify the economy to...
Front‑month Brent Under $100; Peace Deal Could Drop to $90
The oil price that matters is the front-month Brent futures contract (orange), which is now just below $100 per barrel. This is what people trade and where a peace deal will get priced if and when we get a deal....
Gas-Powered Data Centers Could More than Double Microsoft's Emissions
Stand.earth Research Group warns that three new methane‑gas projects slated for Microsoft’s AI data centers could boost the company’s data‑center emissions by roughly 160%, more than doubling its carbon footprint. The projects amount to about 5 GW of fossil‑fuel power to...
Australia Requires Solar‑Storage Build, Storage First
VIDEO: ‘Storage must come first’: Why Australia mandates parallel solar-plus-storage development but sequential commissioning #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/8eJjtHzBEd
Durable Wind Turbines Pose Recycling Challenge
Wind turbines' best strength - their ability to withstand any issues - is their biggest liability, making them a hassle to recycle. My latest for @IMechE https://t.co/jvEQrpmkp3
Resilient Design Streamlines Solar Project Underwriting
How a resilient design strategy positively affects the underwriting process for solar projects #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/CWfToNb6qu
Middle East Conflict Reshapes Current and Future Energy Markets
Pleasure to open today's sessions at the Semafor World Economy in Washington In a fireside chat with @semafor's Global Managing Editor @prashantrao, I discussed the implications of the war in the Middle East for energy markets today and in the future...
Questioning Panic over Possible Hormuz Closure
"I don't get why people fret about the Strait of Hormuz being closed for six weeks when it might not be closed sometime in the future" https://t.co/2QU64RAu5W
Ideematec to Provide 1.2 GW Trackers for Texas Solar
Ideematec to supply 1.2 GW of trackers for Texas solar portfolio #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/ZZpXXpp5SX
Premier Energies Lands 1.6GW Solar Supply Contract
Premier Energies secures 1.6GW solar cell and module supply orders #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/MdaSsbkDqu
WTI's $7 Drop Signals Ongoing Geopolitical Volatility
WTI crude dropped from $104 to $97.24 in 24 hours — a $7 swing in a single session. That's not a market. That's a volatility event. US-Iran breakdown + supply uncertainty = oil as a geopolitical instrument. Watch $WTI. The whiplash isn't over....
April Sees 10 MMbpd Crude Draw in First Nine Days
Good morning, oil watchers. Vortexa tracking crude/condy stock draws of 10 MMbpd through the first 9 days of April. That's a lot.
Oil Futures Lag Spot Prices Amid White House Influence
Excellent @wsj dive into what's driving the growing divergence between relatively tame oil futures prices and much higher prices on the spot market https://t.co/MLJoHMhDx5 One thing: oil traders convinced prices will go higher don't want to bet against White House...
U.S. Oil Reliance Shows Energy Independence Is Illusion
U.S. Oil Supply: 60% Domestic, 40% Imported “Energy Independence” Is a Myth #Oil #Energy #EnergyIndependence #Geopolitics #USOil #CrudeOil #EnergySecurity https://t.co/6yh7LlchQD
Prioritizing Green, Cheap Energy Solves the Trilemma
This solves the energy trilemma by de-prioritizing secure and prioritizing achieving green and cheap energy transition. My version of the trilemma: https://t.co/YtnAs4vI0F
GCL Optoelectronic Plans 2026 IPO, US Plant, Space Solar
GCL Optoelectronic targets 2026 IPO, US plant, space solar rollout #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/rdA4GxUdCl
China's Q1 Lithium Battery Exports Surge, Signaling Energy Shift
China’s lithium battery exports surged in the first quarter, reinforcing signs of demand for alternative power sources to counter the global energy-supply crunch https://t.co/tdvAMTghZb
WEC Chief Urges China Tech, Warns Overcapacity
World Energy Council Head Urges Nations to Use China Tech to Go Green Wait, what about "overcapacity"? https://t.co/gQusOUBuWD
CATL Expands Beyond EVs Into Broader Markets
Battery giant CATL is no longer just a play on electric vehicles via @FT https://t.co/cJ9uCcGe9R
Blockade Fails: Tankers Slip Through, Policy Reality Gap Grows
You're doing a great job, Brownie Day one of the “blockade” and tankers are already getting through Some even sanctioned. The gap between policy and reality is widening. #Oil #Energy #Geopolitics https://t.co/6WFpxr9cpF
IEA Warns Forced Oil Contraction Amid Record Supply Loss
IEA just confirmed it: Record supply loss, collapsing demand, inventories draining. This isn’t a price spike—it’s forced contraction. Reopen Hormuz or brace for impact. https://t.co/Svzz77tows #Oil #Energy #Geopolitics
Alternative Jet Fuels Gain Urgency Amid Oil Supply Threat
Sustainability on the agenda - with oil supplies now under threat, the race for alternative jet fuels now takes new importance. #avgeek https://t.co/DoWigXBAF4 https://t.co/OojIXrv5gW
Blockade Forces Iran‑linked Tankers to Abort Hormuz Passage
Some of the Iran-linked oil / refined products tankers that attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz have either stopped or performed U-turns. The blockade, so far, appears effective. Remember, the vessels are not stopped in the middle of the strait,...