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:
The Billion Barrel Cost of a Longer Iran War
President Trump used his latest address to reaffirm that the United States is on track to achieve its military objectives in Iran within a few weeks, signaling a longer‑than‑expected conflict. He repeated earlier claims that the war’s energy‑price impact is temporary and necessary, while urging European and Asian nations to take responsibility for securing oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The messaging suggests the Strait will remain closed for at least another month, keeping global oil markets on a tighter supply curve. Consequently, oil prices are likely to stay elevated as the war drags on.
Energy Security Drives Coal ETF Assets to Double in March
The Range Global Coal Index ETF (COAL) saw assets double in March as investors rushed into coal amid heightened energy‑security concerns triggered by the Persian Gulf conflict. COAL climbed just over 11% in the month and has delivered roughly 60%...
Oil Prices Surge After Trump Vows To Hit Iran ‘Extremely Hard’
President Donald Trump warned of a two‑to‑three‑week escalation against Iran, sending oil markets into a frenzy. Brent crude surged more than 10% to breach the $100‑per‑barrel mark, while the 10‑year Treasury yield climbed above 4.3%. Mortgage rates followed, jumping to...
Strait Talk: Bull and Bear Scenarios
Guild Investment Management outlines a dual‑track outlook as the Iran‑Israel war spikes oil to $110 per barrel and tightens global liquidity. The bearish case hinges on pre‑existing liquidity contraction, rising inflation expectations, and potential 15‑20% equity corrections tied to oil...
No, Iran War Won’t Boost Clean Hydrogen – Except in China
The Iran war is unlikely to ignite a lasting green‑hydrogen boom in Europe, as past energy shocks have shown that investment hinges on sustained high gas prices—a condition that rarely persists. BloombergNEF notes that the EU is on track to...
Southwest Power Pool Announces Expansion of Service Territory
Southwest Power Pool (SPP) officially expanded its service territory on April 1, 2026, becoming the first regional transmission organization to operate across both the Eastern and Western Interconnections. The expansion now covers roughly 732,000 square miles in 17 states, serving about...
New York Funds $50 Million More for Renewables Workforce Development
New York has added $50 million to its clean‑energy workforce initiative, bringing total funding to $320 million. The money backs the Clean Energy Career Pathways Training and Technical Skills Training and Upskilling programs administered by NYSERDA. The state already hosts over 6 GW...
Baker Hughes Total Rig Count 548 versus 543 Previously
U.S. drilling activity nudged higher this week as Baker Hughes reported a total rig count of 548, up from 543 the prior week. Oil rigs increased to 411, while natural‑gas rigs rose to 430. Crude oil prices jumped to $110.75...
US Seeks Bids for 10mn Bl Crude Release From SPR
The U.S. Department of Energy announced a second round of exchange contracts to loan up to 10 million barrels of sour crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, with 2 million barrels available in April and 8 million in May. Companies must return the...
Chemists Make Hydrogen From Breadcrumbs in Groundbreaking Reaction that Could Replace some Fossil Fuels
Chemists at the University of Edinburgh have demonstrated a hybrid bio‑catalytic process that turns bread crumbs into hydrogen for hydrogenation reactions. By pairing E. coli that ferment waste‑derived glucose with a palladium catalyst, the team achieved a 94% yield of the...
IndianOil Boosts Auto LPG Supply in Karnataka Amid Surge in Demand
Indian Oil Corporation Limited has ramped up its auto‑LPG supply in Karnataka as demand spikes following the shutdown of more than 300 private outlets. The state‑wide network now operates 55 Auto LPG Dispensing Stations, handling an average of 59.53 metric...
Hawke’s Bay Energy Summit to Tackle Rising Power Costs and Supply Risks
The Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce is convening an Energy Summit after a survey of its Leaders Circle identified soaring energy costs as the region’s top business concern. Recent events—including Pan Pac’s two‑week pulp‑mill shutdown when wholesale electricity spiked to...
The Charts Are Showing Solar Stocks Will Keep Soaring After a Strong Start to the Year
Solar-focused Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) has surged 16% year‑to‑date and 62% since President Trump’s return, outperforming most sectors. Technical analysis shows the fund trading between $52 and $60, with MACD and RSI turning positive, indicating a likely continuation of the...
Terabase Energy Invests in Automation and Engineering to Streamline Solar Construction
Terabase Energy’s upgraded Terafab V2 system has completed field testing and is now ready for commercial deployment, using AI‑assisted robotics to assemble and place solar panel‑tracker modules on‑site. The automated line can process assemblies in two‑minute cycles, potentially delivering 20 MW...
Algeria to Launch New 2026 Onshore Auction
Algeria announced a second onshore licensing round slated for April 19, aiming to attract roughly $60 billion in upstream investment between 2025 and 2029. The initiative seeks to expand the country’s oil and gas output, reinforcing its role as a critical energy...
Gas Prices Boosting and Biting State Budgets
Crude oil prices have surged past $100 a barrel, delivering a short‑term windfall for oil‑producing states that rely on severance taxes. Alaska’s revenue forecast rose to $6.5 billion, up $0.5 billion from the prior estimate, while North Dakota and Alaska already collect...
Georgia Power Breaks Ground on 1 GWh BESS Near Existing Solar Site
Georgia Power has broken ground on a 260 MW battery energy storage system with just over 1 GWh capacity adjacent to its existing solar farm near Wadley, Georgia. Burns & McDonnell will build the BESS, targeting completion in 2027. The storage will capture...
Global Solar Additions Reached Record 511 GW in 2025, Says IRENA
IRENA reports a record 511 GW of solar added in 2025, representing 75% of the 692 GW of renewables capacity installed worldwide. Total renewable power capacity reached 5.14 TW, about 49% of global installed power. Asia supplied 74.2% of new renewable capacity, while...
How Toroidal Transformers Eliminate the Hidden Inefficiency in Your Power System
Toroidal transformers use a solid, gap‑free ring core that keeps magnetic flux confined, delivering roughly 40% lower energy loss and up to 80% less magnetic leakage than traditional E‑I designs. The tighter flux path also reduces heat, extending service life...
Black Hills Corp. And NorthWestern Energy Shareholders Approve Merger Proposals
Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) and NorthWestern Energy (NASDAQ: NWE) received shareholder approval for their all‑stock merger, creating Bright Horizon Energy Corp. The combined utility will serve roughly 2.2 million electric and gas customers across eight states. Closing is expected in...
Earth Month Giveback: BLUETTI and Leave No Trace First Bio-Based Power Station Initiative
Clean‑energy company BLUETTI has renewed its partnership with the nonprofit Leave No Trace, launching the Bio‑Based Elite 100 V2 Giveback initiative. The program pledges a $1 donation for every Bio‑Based Elite 100 V2 power station sold through September 30, 2026, supporting...
Wind Turbine Giant to Invest over $10bn in Green Fuels Projects
Chinese wind turbine maker Mingyang announced plans to pour more than $10 bn into renewable energy, green hydrogen and ammonia projects in Ethiopia. The pledge was disclosed by the Ethiopian Investment Commission following a business forum that secured over $13 bn in...
GE Vernova Vs. First Solar: Oil Above $100 Just Changed Everything for This Trade
Oil prices breaking $100 per barrel in March 2026 have shifted energy markets toward reliability and security. GE Vernova, with a $200 billion equipment backlog and an $85 billion services backlog, is positioned to benefit from this trend. In contrast, First Solar’s...
Carbon Upcycling Technologies Raises $10M To Advance Low-Carbon Cement Systems
Carbon Upcycling Technologies announced a $10 million financing round led by ATEL Ventures to commercialize its low‑carbon cement platform. The capital will fund the company’s first on‑site carbon capture facility at a major cement plant in Mississauga, slated to begin operations...
Oil Jumps to $118 a Barrel as Trump’s Iran Address Triggers Market Sell‑off
President Donald Trump’s prime‑time address on the Iran war on April 1, 2026 warned of intensified strikes in the next two to three weeks, prompting oil prices to climb to $118 a barrel and U.S. stock indexes to fall. Analysts...
UK Convenes 40‑nation Summit to Chart Path for Reopening Strait of Hormuz
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper chaired a video conference of more than 40 nations to devise diplomatic and security steps for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of global oil and LNG. The meeting comes as oil prices...
Crude Overbought Signals Rising Downside Vulnerability
Prior to the President’s address, the NDR Hormuz Stress Index began showing early signs of easing. Crude markets are tight, overbought and sentiment is excessively optimistic. Overbought conditions have historically seen low or below average returns but not necessarily outright...
Fossil Fuels Consume 11% of Global Energy; Renewables Need None
To boot, 11% of all energy worldwide is used just to mine, transport, process, and/or refine fossil fuels and uranium. https://t.co/c3RjxqKhcO Whereas wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro require 0 such energy because wind comes right to the turbine, etc. So for anyone to...
Wind and Solar Power Delivered Record Share of UK Electricity in 2025
UK renewable electricity reached a record 52.5% of the power mix in 2025, driven by wind, solar and biomass generation. Wind power alone supplied over half of total renewable output, while solar saw notable growth despite seasonal constraints. The government’s...
Europe Diesel at Four-Year High Above $200 as Iran War Disrupts Supply
European diesel prices have climbed above $200 per metric ton, marking the highest level in four years. The surge is driven by supply disruptions stemming from the ongoing war in Iran, which has curtailed regional fuel exports. European refiners are...
India Pushes PNG Expansion to 30 Lakh Connections Amid West Asia Crisis
India is accelerating its piped natural gas (PNG) rollout, targeting 30 lakh new connections across more than 150 high‑priority districts as West Asia tensions strain LPG supplies. The ministries of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs convened a...
Russia Bans Gasoline Exports as More Refineries Hit
Russia announced a full ban on gasoline exports from April 2 through July 31, expanding earlier limits to include all producers, including refineries. The decision follows a string of refinery outages that have shaved roughly 10% off domestic fuel output. By halting...
LONGi Launches Integrated Solar-Plus-Storage Strategy
Chinese PV leader LONGi unveiled its integrated solar‑plus‑storage solution, LONGi One, shifting from multi‑vendor architectures to a single‑partner model. The offering combines LONGi’s back‑contact solar panels with its 5S storage platform, featuring the OneBank 2.0 AC/DC solution for utility projects and...
How Cities Can Encourage Faster, Cheaper Rooftop Solar
Cities across the United States are inflating residential solar costs by up to $7,000 due to cumbersome permitting, inspection bottlenecks, and outdated utility interconnection rules, according to a new report from Environment America and Frontier Group. Installers are increasingly bypassing...
How Extreme Weather Shows Up on Your Electricity Bill
Utilities in at least 18 U.S. states are increasingly adding disaster‑related charges to electricity bills, according to Heatmap and MIT’s Electricity Price Hub. Since 2020, 36 utilities have introduced specific storm‑recovery surcharges that often start as tiny line items before...
China to Curb Gas Power, Replace LNG with Coal, Renewables
China’s exposure to the loss of Middle East LNG China will likely reduce its liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in response to the loss of supplies from the Middle East and higher spot prices mostly by curbing gas-fired power generation and...
Renting Cushing WTI Barrel Yields 25% Monthly Return
Prompt WTI timespreads today hit a record high of $15/bbl If you've currently got a barrel of physical WTI-deliverable crude in the Cushing area, you can *rent* said barrel to the market for the next two and a half weeks and...
Iran Drafts Protocol with Oman for Strait of Hormuz Traffic
Iran’s deputy foreign minister confirmed a draft protocol with Oman to monitor traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing safety rather than restrictions. The agreement, described as post‑war housekeeping, includes plans to levy tolls on transiting vessels. Tehran frames the...
Debunking the Myth of a Global Natural Gas Price
Another Victor and Uncle Albert moment as @MrMBrown and I debunk the myth of a global natural gas price. Pay attention at the back "taps sign" https://t.co/ii46KI6Uxn
Crude Jumps 11%, ES_F Barely
It's early lol...but if told me Crude would be up 11% would think ES_F be down 2%, not 0.2%...progress
Solar Companies Donate System to St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway
Solar industry partners Tigo, Greentech Renewables, and GOAT Solar donated a 5.72‑kW solar system for the 2026 St. Jude Dream Home in California’s Coachella Valley. The package includes a 3.8‑kW Tigo EI inverter, Tigo TS4‑A‑O MLPE devices, and installation services,...
Exxon Hid Failing $500M Algae Project From Investors
Documents show Exxon executives knew a $500 million algae research project wasn’t meeting its goals outside the lab, even as they promoted it to investors as a potential boon https://t.co/Sak3Wc9jUg via @WSJ
Brent Oil Surges to $141.37, Highest Since 2008
Physical oil hits its highest level since 2008 *DATED BRENT OIL PRICE SOARS TO $141.37/BBL, HIGHEST SINCE 2008 https://t.co/OkcbcnE3kg
Asian Buyers Remain Wary of Iran Oil Sanctions Waiver
The Trump administration issued a 30‑day waiver that temporarily allows Iranian crude to be sold at sea, aiming to ease global oil market pressure. Two weeks after the announcement, Asian buyers remain hesitant, citing heightened compliance and reputational risks. The...
Communities Fight Back Against AI Data Center Resource Drain
As AI drives an explosion in new data centers, local communities from Texas to Ireland are saying no to Big Tech’s insatiable water and electricity demands. My short (9.5 minutes) documentary spotlights the backlash and explains why local communities are...
WTI Gains $110, Reaches Biggest Brent Premium Since 2008
US-based WTI crude oil is up around 110 with today's surge following President Trumps address to the nation yesterday. Notably, this puts WTI (US-benchmark) to a ~3 premium to Brent. That's the first premium (on a weekly basis) since Jan...
Oil Dip Finds Buyers After Trump Remarks, Equities Steady
The quick selloff in Oil found buyers at the anchor from Trump talk last night, not what you want to see It doesnt seem to matter to equities so far, they are holding their gains https://t.co/OODkxuSMVK
Markets Hold Steady Amid Iran-Oman Hormuz Protocol
IRAN: DRAFTING PROTOCOL WITH OMAN FOR HORMUZ STRAIT TRAFFIC Interesting that the stock market holding steady today after yesterday's address by President Trump. When stocks stop going down on bad news, worth paying attention.
US Would Export All Its Crude if Gulf Output Shifted
If every country replaced all of the Gulf production with US production, it would mean the US would be exporting 100% of its extracted crude oil.
Europe Gas Rises on Middle East Risks; US Prices Fall
European natural gas prices (TTF) are up 6% to about $17/mmbtu on fears that a prolonged disruption in the Middle East will curb supply 🇪🇺 US gas prices (Henry Hub) are down nearly 1% to $2.8/mmbtu as shale production keeps...