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:
Oil Stocks Are Hot. Here Are 9 Worth Getting To Know.
Oil and gas stocks have surged as the Iran war lifted crude prices, with International and Canadian exploration‑production groups each gaining 49% year‑to‑date. Field services firms Halliburton and SLB drove a 38% rise for their 29‑stock group, while offshore drillers rallied 7% since the conflict began. Transocean’s $5.8 billion acquisition of Valaris reshapes the drilling landscape, and Vista Energy’s production has tripled since 2021, positioning it as a standout E&P player.
Muhlenkamp Quarterly Market Commentary – April 2026
U.S. and Israeli forces resumed combat against Iran in late February, prompting Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz and launch missile strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure. The conflict lifted crude oil to about $102 per barrel, boosted the DXY...
Bangladesh Eyes Energy Sector Overhaul as Iran War Drags On
Bangladesh’s government announced a sweeping overhaul of its energy sector to mitigate risks from the ongoing Iran‑Russia conflict. Economic adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir stressed that while the war strains regional fuel markets, the country has avoided a nationwide supply collapse....
China Raises Fuel Prices Again as Xi Hails Resilient Energy System
China announced its sixth gasoline price increase of 2026, raising retail rates by up to 4.5% while deliberately limiting the hike to curb inflation. The adjustment reflects sustained high global crude prices and a policy choice to keep consumer fuel...
North America’s First Lithium Hydroxide Plant Goes Live In Texas, Reducing Reliance On China – by Bethany Blankley (Dallas Express...
Tesla’s North American lithium‑hydroxide refinery in Robstown, Texas began full‑scale operations in January 2026, marking the continent’s first battery‑grade plant of its kind. The project, broken ground in May 2023 by Governor Greg Abbott, Elon Musk and state officials, aims...
California Legislature Considers VPPs and Solar-Charged Battery Compensation
California lawmakers advanced two bills aimed at unlocking distributed energy resources. Senate Bill 913 would let solar‑charged batteries, EV chargers and heat pumps receive credit for electricity exported to the grid, enabling virtual power plants to participate in the state’s...
Iran's Oil Revenues Soar Amid War-Driven Price Spikes
My view on Iran's surge in revenues since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran with @CoffeeandaMike: "Since the war started, the Iranians have been shipping a lot more crude out of the Strait of Hormuz, they've been selling at...
'All Roads' Lead to Higher Prices: IMF Chief Sounds Dire Warning on Iran
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned that the Iran‑driven closure of the Strait of Hormuz has slashed global oil supply by roughly 13%, igniting a new wave of higher prices and slower growth. The shock is spilling into downstream markets...
New York Can’t Afford to Wait: We Need Modern Meter Socket Adapter Rules Now
New York’s Public Service Commission is reviewing rules for Meter Socket Adapters (MSAs), devices that let homeowners install solar, batteries, or EV chargers at a fraction of traditional costs. Industry groups argue the utilities’ draft proposals impose year‑long testing, vague...
Pennsylvania DEP Seeks Potential Fast-Track Storage, Generation Projects
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a request for information seeking large‑scale generation or storage projects eligible for PJM Interconnection’s proposed Expedited Interconnection Track. The fast‑track would consider up to ten 250 MW‑plus projects a year, with a ten‑month...
April 7 Business Watch: Iran War Hits Persian Gulf Facilities; Trump Throws Tariffs on Pharma
War in Iran escalated this week as drones struck petrochemical facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, and an Israeli airstrike hit Iran's Mahshahr complex, forcing Borouge to suspend its 5 million‑tonne polyethylene and polypropylene output. The attacks have choked...
Daily Energy Report
The April 7, 2026 Daily Energy Report updates Western Canada’s crude export mix, showing Asian markets—especially China—still dominate shipments. China accounts for more than half of the total volume, while the United States’ western region sees fluctuating deliveries between 80,000 and 180,000...
PowerBank Announces $1.1M in New Funding for New York Community Solar Project
PowerBank secured more than $1.1 million from NYSERDA’s NY‑Sun program for its 7.1 MW Jordan Rd 2 community solar project, a brownfield redevelopment in Skaneateles, New York. The project also qualifies for a $1.58 million Inclusive Community Solar adder, requiring at least 40% of...
ABB Manufacturing Facility in SC to Meet 80% of Electricity Needs with On-Site Solar
ABB’s 47‑year‑old electrification service plant in Florence, South Carolina, now sources about 80% of its electricity from a new on‑site 840‑kW solar array. The facility also achieved over 90% waste diversion through a waste‑to‑energy program and implements ABB Ability Nsight...
How Serious Will the Jet Fuel Crisis in Europe Become?
Jet fuel prices have jumped 95% since the February attacks on Iran, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz cut roughly 20% of global seaborne jet‑fuel supply. European airports are already imposing restrictions, and airlines such as SAS have...
Taiwan Joins Others in Asia Restarting Coal-Fired Units Due to Iran War
Taiwan Power Co. will restart two coal‑fired units at the Mailiao plant, delivering roughly 1 GW of capacity for at least three months starting in May. The move responds to heightened electricity demand and recent disruptions to LNG supplies caused by...
Iranian Hackers Launching Disruptive Attacks at U.S. Energy, Water Targets, Feds Warn
U.S. federal agencies have issued a joint alert that Iranian‑affiliated advanced persistent threat actors are exploiting internet‑facing operational technology, specifically programmable logic controllers (PLCs) from Rockwell Automation/Allen‑Bradley. The attacks have disrupted PLC functions across energy, water, and government sectors, manipulating...
EIA: Brent Crude to Reach $115/Bbl in Second-Quarter 2026
The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects Brent crude will climb to about $115 per barrel in the second quarter of 2026, up from a March average of $103. The rise reflects a sharp tightening in supply as Gulf producers curtail...
Trump Is Losing The War On EVs As New Incentives Kick In
The removal of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit last September has depressed U.S. electric‑vehicle sales, prompting private players to fill the gap. Uber broadened its $4,000 Go Electric incentive nationwide, while Honda introduced a $7,500 discount on the Prologue...
Iran War: Russia and China Veto UN Resolution to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after the draft was watered down to avoid their opposition. The vote was 11‑2, with Pakistan and Colombia abstaining, following President Trump’s threat to...
Congresswoman Concerned About Lack of Communication on E15 Negotiations
Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, warned that Democrats have been shut out of ongoing negotiations over a nationwide, year‑round E15 ethanol blend. The Rural Domestic Energy Council has missed its self‑imposed deadline to move legislation...
Oil Prices Rise Ahead of Trump's Deadline to Reopen Hormuz
Oil prices surged on April 7 as President Donald Trump set a final deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, pushing U.S. WTI up 3.9% to $116.83 a barrel and Brent to $110.55. The heightened geopolitical risk dragged the...
Why Energy Has Become a Foreign-Policy Weapon
The article argues that energy has re‑emerged as a potent foreign‑policy weapon, highlighted by Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz which removes roughly 10 million barrels of oil and 20% of global LNG capacity from the market. Prices have surged—oil...
New York Surpasses 2025 Energy Storage Target
New York has deployed, contracted, or awarded 1,952 MW of energy‑storage capacity as of March 2026, exceeding its 2025 benchmark of 1,500 MW by 30 percent. The state is now about one‑third of the way to its 6 GW target for 2030, driven...
European Central Bank Official: 'Fossil Fuel Dependence Poses Risks to Price Stability'
ECB board member Frank Elderson warned that Europe’s dependence on oil, gas and coal heightens inflation risks and complicates the central bank’s price‑stability mandate. He argued that volatile energy markets, amplified by geopolitical tensions such as the Iran and Ukraine...
Temperature Rise Characteristics of UHV AC Composite Insulators Under Type Fault Conditions
Researchers at the UHVAC Test Laboratory evaluated temperature rise in ultra‑high‑voltage AC composite insulators under several fault scenarios. Tests in a climate chamber showed that grading‑ring misalignment, reduced insertion depth, or complete absence significantly increase temperatures, with the greatest rise...
$12.5B Commonwealth LNG Terminal Achieves Full Commercialization, Heads Toward Construction
The $12.5 billion Commonwealth LNG export terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, has reached full commercialization, clearing a major financing hurdle and moving toward a Final Investment Decision. Phase 1 will deliver up to 9.5 million tonnes per year of LNG capacity and is...
Impending Bahrain Conflict Could Trigger Oil Market Catastrophe
I sat down with @JoshYoung, CIO of Bison Interests - the fund that returned 349% in a single year on oil. He told me this war is far from over. And the real crisis hasn't even started. "I don't think the market...
CATL and Envision Unveil Sodium‑Ion BESS at ESIE 2026
CATL, Envision sodium-ion BESS cells among next-gen tech and solutions showcased at Beijing expo ESIE 2026 #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/2tw94NzD0M
Energy Storage Pricing Beginning to ‘Fracture’ by Product Type: Report
Anza Renewables reports a widening price gap between U.S. utility‑scale and distribution‑scale energy storage in Q1 2026, with utility‑scale costs dropping up to 20.9% while distribution‑scale prices remain flat around $203/kWh (AC) and $175/kWh (DC). The United States installed a...
PowerBank Secures $1.1M for NY Community Solar
PowerBank announces $1.1M in new funding for New York community solar project #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/QkBi8hbsLD
Oil Benchmark Hits Record, Reflecting Iran War Shortages
A key benchmark for physical oil has surged to its highest level on record, showing that global crude markets are increasingly pricing in supply shortages caused by the Iran war. https://t.co/OCII5LIP6Z https://t.co/V7iFSd47Gu
The California Lake Billed as the ‘Saudi Arabia of Lithium’ – by Soumya Karlamangla (New York Times – April 6,...
Governor Gavin Newsom called the Salton Sea “the Saudi Arabia of lithium,” citing an estimated $500 billion lithium reserve beneath the lake. The resource could spark a mining boom, delivering jobs and tax revenue to the struggling Imperial County. However, the...
Newsom's Oil Refinery Regulation Sparks Unexpected Backlash
Gavin Newsom actually regulated oil refiners. And now there's a big backlash against him for doing something good.
Physical Brent Hits $150 Before Options Predict It
While the options market bets on Brent crude futures hitting a record $150 a barrel, in the physical market cargo prices have already got there https://t.co/mfaujswneF
Hail‑Ready Solar Projects Earn Lower Insurance Premiums
kWh Analytics to reward hail-ready solar projects with lower insurance costs #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/J1dOJ4DGwt
Oil Shock Dampened: Prices Below Peaks, Economy Decouples
So far this oil shock is not quite at the level of previous shocks. 1. Inflation adjusted, prices still aren't at their highest 2. The world's economy is less coupled to oil than in years past.
Trump Admin Warned of $200 Oil, Brent Hits $144
Two weeks ago, we scooped that the Trump administration was modeling the impact of oil prices reaching as high as $200 a barrel due to the #IranWar. Dated Brent oil just hit a record about $144...
Consumers Face up to $420 Electricity Price Gap
Bill shock: The up to $420 price gap between “median” electricity plans and lowest deals on offer #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/sAmvh3Vg1x https://t.co/netLpw5rGJ
Inflation‑Adjusted Six‑Month Futures Spread Near Record
"After adjusting for inflation, the six-month futures spread is on course to exceed the previous record set in October 1990, after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and as the United States and its allies massed forces in the Gulf." @JKempEnergy https://t.co/26TVbx2H9d
General Caine Warns Iran Could Block Vital Hormuz Strait
MUST READ: “General Caine […] also flagged the enormous difficulty of securing the Strait of Hormuz and the risks of Iran blocking it. Mr. Trump had dismissed that possibility on the assumption that the regime would capitulate before it came...
Analyzing Iran Conflict: Trajectories, Risks, Global Impact
Five Weeks of Conflict with Iran: Trajectories, Risks, and Global Implications https://t.co/hcY0oGq0xK Thursday 9 April 11-12 EDT - Register here @ColumbiaUEnergy
WTI‑Brent Spread Hits Near‑record $5.83, Volatility Spikes
The US benchmark crude (WTI) premium to the UK grade (Brent) has extended as high as $5.83 today. Only two other times in history has the spread shot this high. Implied volatility (OVX) has only been higher when crude oil (futures) prices...
Optimism, Caution, and Grid Fees Highlight BBDF 2026
BBDF 2026 opening session: optimism, caution, and grid fees #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/n8NFNOWQpU
Canada Shines for Oil Producer Ownership Amid Margin Dislocation
If you want to own oil producers, Canada stands out, says @ericnuttall Balance sheets are the strongest in decades, Refined product markets will take years to normalize. That margin dislocation favors integrated players. #Energy #OilMarkets #Refining
WTI Crude May Form Inverse Head‑Shoulders, Target $215
monthly chart of WTI Crude shows a possible Inverse Head and Shoulders set up. Would give a price objective to at least $215 $USO https://t.co/raglfVTyiX
Early Ceasefire Needed
“5/15..the [oil] storage..deficit becomes mathematically irreversible for winter 26/27... rationing...” “On 4/28,..spring nitrogen application window closes. No ceasefire..after..can restore '26 crop yields.” “ceasefire by 4/14..constitutes cascade deceleration [not recovery].“
Trump Admin Stalls $5.9B Citgo Takeover over Risk
EXCLUSIVE: A $5.9 billion deal for control of #Venezuela’s Citgo by a group affiliated with hedge fund Elliott has gotten bogged down amid Trump administration concerns over the price and political risk. @jendlouhyhc @NicolleYapur @GaripPatricia https://t.co/hnSAqgLCpt
Build Global Energy Corridors to Bypass Hormuz, Says Hochstein
".... The only long-term solution is new infrastructure—making a massive, internationally coordinated investment in energy corridors that bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely... " -- @amoshochstein https://t.co/hvu4ACTwok
Salt Caverns Offer Viable Hydrogen Storage Solution
Storing hydrogen is a major problem that we need to solve to address the world's energy issues. For IMechE, I explored one solution - salt caverns https://t.co/xtIaZAtFJx