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:
ADG 4/13: Squeeze Box
New research shows consumer‑grade AI chatbots struggle with medical diagnosis when patient information is sparse, often converging on a single answer too quickly. Meanwhile, Intel’s stock jumped 58% in early April, the best nine‑day rally ever, after announcing a $14.2 billion buyout of Apollo’s stake in its Irish joint venture, boosting market value by roughly $100 billion. OPEC reported a record‑size production cut of 7.88 million barrels per day in March, pushing the Dow‑Jones commodity index up 21% year‑to‑date. Analysts now project S&P 500 earnings to rise 12.6% YoY with profit margins hitting 13.2%, though energy‑intensive firms may face margin compression.
How Nuclear Reactor Control Rods Work and Why Rare Earth Elements Matter
Modern nuclear control rods provide rapid, precise reactivity control, allowing operators to insert or withdraw absorbers within seconds to manage power and execute emergency scrams. Rare‑earth elements such as gadolinium and samarium serve as high‑cross‑section burnable absorbers in fuel pellets,...
Simple Bath Readies Lithium-Metal Anodes for Long-Range EVs
A new water‑based etching process stabilizes lithium‑metal anodes, preventing dendrite growth. Soaking lithium foil in a 1 % water‑dimethyl sulfoxide solution for 20 minutes aligns crystal facets to a quasicrystalline (110) orientation, enabling uniform lithium plating. Lab‑scale Li‑FePO4 cells with treated...
Fed Holds Policy Rate at 3.5%-3.75% as Inflation Stays Near 3.3% Amid Oil Shock
The Federal Reserve kept its target range for the federal funds rate at 3.5%‑3.75% after March CPI showed a 3.3% year‑over‑year increase. Traders now see a 97% chance of another hold at the April 28 meeting, while energy‑price volatility from...
Tesla Launches Nevada Semi Factory, Aims for 50,000 Electric Trucks Annually
Tesla has opened a new factory in Nevada dedicated to its Semi electric truck, targeting an annual output of 50,000 units. The plant sits beside the company’s 4680 battery cell facility, creating a tightly coupled supply chain that could cut...
Skyeton Unveils Zero‑Emission Fuel‑Cell Drone, Aiming for 20‑Hour Flights
Skyeton announced that its hybrid Raybird (ACS‑3) fuel‑cell drone has entered combat service with over 10 hours of flight time, and plans to extend endurance to 20 hours using on‑site green‑hydrogen generation. The move could reshape both military and civilian...
Coastal Republicans Back Offshore Wind Despite Trump Opposition
In this week's Current Climate newsletter: 🌬️Trump hates offshore wind. Republicans in coastal states don’t 🔋A Google spinout is using AI to create better batteries 🌿MIT’s Kate Brown on the environmental impact of grassy lawns https://www.forbes.com/sites/current-climate/2026/04/13/trump-hates-offshore-wind-coastal-republicans-dont/
U.S. Grid Mix Shows Renewables Overtake Natural Gas for First Time
U.S. grid data released this week revealed that renewable sources supplied a greater share of electricity than natural gas for the first time, with renewables accounting for roughly 34% of generation versus 33% for gas. The milestone reflects accelerating wind...
Bernstein Launches MENA Energy Coverage, Flags ADNOC Gas and Fertiglobe as Top Picks
Global equity research firm Bernstein has begun sell‑side coverage of the Middle East and North Africa energy sector, assigning an Outperform rating and a price target of AED 4.08 ($1.11) to ADNOC Gas and AED 3.66 ($1.00) to Fertiglobe. The firm cites the...
Cambodia Leverages 60% Renewable Power and ASEAN Grid Links to Hedge Against Global Shocks
The Asian Development Bank highlighted that more than 60% of Cambodia’s electricity now comes from renewable sources and its expanding role in the ASEAN power grid will act as a buffer against external economic shocks. The outlook underscores a model...

AI Hype Won’t Solve Renewable Energy, Warns Carbon Removal Fallout
It remains oddly frustrating to see "we should piggyback off big tech's AI boom to fuel renewable energy" considering the outcomes of that same thinking for the carbon removal industry. https://heatmap.news/carbon-removal/microsoft-carbon-removal-pause

Energy Shock Hits Europe: Prometeia
Prometeia’s latest brief warns that a sharp rise in energy prices—sparked by shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and heightened Iran tensions—has pushed Italy’s 2026 GDP growth forecast down to 0.4% and inflation up to 2.9%. The energy shock...
X-Energy Files IPO for SMR Venture, Eyes $2.3 Trillion Market
X-Energy has submitted a draft registration statement to the SEC for an IPO under the ticker XE, positioning its Xe-100 small modular reactor technology to serve a projected $2.3 trillion market. Backed by Amazon, Dow and other investors, the company aims...
Tokenized Oil Futures Surge on Hyperliquid, Sparking New Crypto Trade Frenzy
Hyperliquid's decentralized exchange has propelled tokenized oil futures into the spotlight, making them the second‑most popular crypto product after Bitcoin. Traders can now bet on Brent and WTI prices 24/7, a development that blends commodity hedging with blockchain liquidity and...
Rajasthan CM Reviews Preparations at HPCL’s Pachpadra Refinery Ahead of PM Visit
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma inspected Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd’s integrated refinery‑cum‑petrochemical complex at Pachpadra ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled inauguration on April 21. The CM reviewed the crude distillation unit, control room, and public‑meeting venue, emphasizing timely completion of security,...
Farming Under Solar: How Agriphotovoltaics Can Transform Rural Livelihoods in India
India’s solar capacity has surged to roughly 150 GW, largely through ground‑mounted farms that consume valuable agricultural land. The resulting tension between energy expansion and farmer livelihoods has prompted interest in agriphotovoltaics (Agri‑PV), which co‑locates solar panels and crops. Early pilots,...
$266B in Building Carbon Costs Saved Thanks to BACnet, Study Shows
A University of New Hampshire study commissioned by ASHRAE finds that BACnet‑enabled building automation systems have avoided 1.4 billion tons of CO₂ since 1995, translating to roughly $266 billion in avoided climate costs. The model projects an additional 2.06 billion tons could be...

Chinese OEMs Dominate 2025 Wind Market
Chinese turbine manufacturers captured 78% of the 176 GW of global wind capacity added in 2025, driving a record 45% year‑on‑year growth. China became the first country to install more than 100 GW in a single year, with nine domestic OEMs occupying...
Isle of Wight to Deploy 1,500 EV Chargers
The Isle of Wight Council has awarded char.gy, with installer Joju, a contract to deploy more than 1,500 public curbside electric‑vehicle chargers across the island. The project is backed by roughly $2 million in funding from the UK’s Local Electric Vehicle...

Trump Administration’s Temporary Reprieve on Russian Oil Expires
The Treasury Department’s one‑month sanctions waiver that let Russia sell oil at sea expired on April 13, ending a temporary lifeline that helped keep global crude prices in check. The waiver, introduced amid a Middle‑East conflict that pushed oil above...

Halliburton Wins Multibillion-Dollar YPF Fracking Contract in Argentina
Halliburton secured an exclusive, multibillion‑dollar agreement with Argentina’s state‑run oil firm YPF to deliver bundled hydraulic‑fracturing services across the Vaca Muerta shale basin. The contract, valued in the low‑single‑digit billions of U.S. dollars, positions Halliburton as the primary service provider...
ViscoTec Introduces ViscoTreat-I Slurry Feeding and Conditioning System for Lithium-Ion Battery Electrode Coating
ViscoTec has launched the ViscoTreat‑I Slurry system, a mobile unit that buffers, conditions, and delivers lithium‑ion battery electrode slurry without pulsation. The solution sits between the mixing extruder and the coating line, offering optional recirculation and inline degassing to maintain...
Hormuz, Trump, & The Carbon Paradox
The analysis quantifies how the March‑April 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis suppressed fossil‑fuel demand, producing a net avoidance of roughly 10 million tonnes of CO₂ across aviation, road transport, shipping and natural‑gas sectors. Aviation saw the largest cut, with about 4.7 Mt...

Executive Orders for President Trump: Ensuring that US Has Necessary Fuels From California to Provide US National Security
Seven draft executive orders are being pushed to President Trump to address a looming fuel shortage in California and tie the state’s oil production to U.S. national‑security needs. The proposals would invoke the Defense Production Act, lift the Low Carbon...
Zwitterions Are The Key To New Solid-State Batteries
Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have engineered a polymer electrolyte infused with zwitterions that enables ion transport up to 10 billion times faster than conventional solid matrices. By fine‑tuning the zwitterion content to an optimal 80 % blend, the material forms self‑assembled...

Climate Ambition Could Slash Oil Demand
If the world had followed ambitious climate scenarios, global oil demand would be at least 20% lower than it is today - about the same volume of oil that flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

OPEC+ Crude Output Hits Record Low Since 1990
OPEC+ crude production fell to an all-time low for the expanded producer group in March. And for OG OPEC, its the lowest recorded crude production since Desert Storm in 1990. https://t.co/SUrjKb3ZLD

How Tanker Insurance Became the Real Blockade of Hormuz
A two‑week ceasefire announced by President Trump has not reopened the Strait of Hormuz for commercial traffic. In the first 48 hours only five to nine bulk carriers were recorded, a fraction of the pre‑war average of over 100 vessels...

IEA Partners with Governments to Bolster Energy Security
Excellent conversation with Helima Croft @CroftHelima at #ACFrontPage event in Washington on the key implications of the current energy crisis and how @IEA is working with governments around the world to support energy security in these challenging times https://t.co/JlWidtSqCK
Hundreds of Tankers Rush to US Amid Iran War
More than 100 empty oil tankers are heading to the U.S. to fill up as the war in Iran forces the industry to find new sources of oil according to Fox News. 🤔 https://t.co/mGL1u3xP7X
Rolls-Royce SMR Secures Wylfa Contract and £599M Government Loan
Rolls‑Royce SMR has secured a commercial contract with Great British Energy‑Nuclear to lead the technology design for three 470 MW small modular reactors at the Wylfa site in North Wales. The UK government has also pledged a loan of up to...
US Blocks Iran Oil to China, Marking Escalation
The US is now effectively blockading China’s oil supplies from Iran. This is a nontrivial escalation.
Spreads Reveal Risk Premium Amid Brent Rally
Everyone’s chasing flat price. That’s the crowded trade but spreads tell the truth, notes @tchiling Brent rallied on blockade headlines, but structure broke last week and is only partially recovering. This is risk premium, not full-blown tightness—yet. #Oil #Energy #Trading #Brent...

Sri Lanka Urges Daytime EV Charging to Ease Grid Pressure
Sri Lanka is urging electric‑vehicle owners to shift charging from night to daytime to ease a 300 MW evening load spike. The country’s grid relies heavily on a 900 MW coal plant and about 1,000 MW of diesel capacity at night, while solar...
Alabama GOP Makes Capping Electric Bills More Difficult
So Alabama Republicans, faced with a populist demand for more reasonable utility rates, changed their regulatory structure to make it *harder* to limit electric bills. https://t.co/8L6YD1plvc
Controversial Soda Mountain Solar Threatens Bighorn Sheep
No solar project in California more controversial than Soda Mountain. It would harm bighorn sheep. The developer is an oil company. Just 1,500 feet from Mojave National Preserve. Should CA approve it anyway? My latest for CLIMATE-COLORED GOGGLES: https://t.co/nHm7TLYZB1

UK 'Not Supporting' U.S. Iran Blockade as France's Macron Confirms 'Multinational' Talks on the Strait of Hormuz
The United Kingdom announced it will not support the United States’ planned blockade of Iranian ports, rejecting any involvement in what Prime Minister Keir Starmer called a "war of choice." President Donald Trump has ordered the blockade to begin at...
Rosneft Reroutes Oil to Tuapse After Novorossiysk Drone Strike
April 13 (Reuters) - Rosneft is diverting oil supplies to the Tuapse refinery from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after the terminal, which handles roughly 14% of Russia's crude exports, was heavily damaged in a drone attack, three sources...
NATO Rejects Trump's Hormuz Blockade, Vows Post‑conflict Intervention
PARIS/LONDON, (Reuters) - NATO allies said on Monday they would not get involved in U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, proposing instead to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump...

IRENA: Incentivise Renewables Deployment to Minimise Impacts of Global Energy Shock
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a policy advisory urging governments to speed up renewable‑energy deployment to shield economies from volatile fossil‑fuel prices. The agency estimates the EU has avoided about $67.8 billion in fuel costs thanks to recent solar...

WTI Opens Higher, Volatility Index Nudges up Modestly
Thought WTI US crude oil has gapped up on the open and the OVX volatility index has jogged higher; both are still fairly restrained... https://t.co/v7dH8pjKVt
Oil Prices Set to Stay High, Boost Energy Options Trade
JUST IN: Oil prices are poised to remain elevated longer, positioning an options trade on this energy stock for gains.
Pionix’s New Virtual Charger Park Offers EV Charging Infrastructure Testing with True Digital Twins
Pionix has unveiled the Virtual Charger Park (VCP), a cloud‑native platform that creates digital twins of EV chargers and vehicles for load testing and scenario validation. Built on the open‑source EVerest firmware stack, VCP can spin up thousands of virtual...

Europe’s ICE Reliance Amid Fuel Crisis Is Reckless
Jaap Burger: "To keep Europe in the stranglehold of the internal combustion engine for any longer, in the midst of yet another fossil fuel price crisis, is nothing short of sheer stupidity and malice." 🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪 #alwaysbecharging ⚡️⚡️⚡️ https://t.co/H2gSnsaTM4
AI Surge May Finally Boost Carbon Capture Economics
Interesting look via @axios' @AmyAHarder about whether the AI boom can finally create escape velocity for carbon capture in the power sector. Big tech has lots of money but the economics are still tough. Link in next post. #energy #climate...
Railways, Bharat Petroleum Ink Pact to Develop Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal in Jammu
Indian Railways and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited have signed an agreement to build a Gati Shakti multi‑modal cargo terminal near Jammu. The facility at Bajalta will feature 109,225 kilolitres of storage and handle two rail rakes per day, delivering roughly 162,000 metric tonnes...
Strait Blockage Guarantees Oil Halt, Worsening Ahead
Whether it's the US or Iran, blocking the Strait still means no oil, writes. Expect things to get worse before they get better: https://t.co/CB5YXrF87b
Daily Memo: Developments in the Middle East
President Donald Trump announced that the United States will commence a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on April 13. The operation will prohibit all vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports while allowing traffic to non‑Iranian ports to pass unimpeded....

EU Commission Backs Renewables and Nuclear to Shield Europe From Fossil-Fuel Gulf Turmoil
The European Commission, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, is accelerating a dual push for renewable energy and nuclear power, especially small modular reactors (SMRs), to shield Europe from supply shocks sparked by the Iran‑related conflict in the Strait...

Daybreak April 13: E15 Watch Resumes as Congress Returns After Break
Congress returns from recess with a sharp focus on passing year‑round E15 ethanol blend legislation, a priority voiced by Rep. Dusty Johnson and Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Lawmakers such as Rep. Randy Feenstra face heightened political pressure, as the E15 bill...