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:
Thailand Mulls Windfall Tax on Oil Refineries
Thailand’s Fiscal Policy Office is evaluating a windfall tax on oil refineries, a move prompted by the country’s heavy reliance on imported crude – about 92% of its supply. The proposed levy could be calculated either by applying a rate to the increase in sales revenue or by taxing profits that exceed a defined “normal” baseline. Officials acknowledge the difficulty of setting that baseline amid volatile oil prices. Any tax would require legislative approval before becoming law.
Market Watch: April Nymex Expires at $3.095/MMBtu
April Nymex natural gas futures rose 9.6 cents to close at $3.095 per MMBtu, while the May contract, set to become the prompt‑month contract on Monday, gained 9.7 cents to $3.025. Gelber & Associates noted that prices below $3 continue to draw...
Friday Footnotes: Supply Dynamics and a Changing World
Recent attacks in the Middle East, including Iran's retaliation and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, have created unprecedented geopolitical turbulence. The disruption threatens global energy flows and could reverberate through commodity markets for years. Though less visible, agriculture...
TIME Is Launching The Future Proof Newsletter to Help You Make Sense of the Climate Economy
TIME announced the launch of its Future Proof newsletter, rebranding the former CO2 newsletter to address the broader climate economy. The weekly column will blend clean‑tech trends, AI developments, geopolitics, and trade dynamics, offering a high‑level view of how climate...
Traders Cash $40‑$50 Million on Pre‑Announcement Iran Pause Bet
Around 7:00 a.m. ET on Monday, traders moved roughly 7,200 oil futures and 6,000 S&P futures contracts just before President Trump posted about a pause to Iran attacks. The timing and size of the trades generated an estimated $40‑$50 million profit, prompting...
Iran's $2M Ship Fee Fuels Export Surge Amid US Presence
Iran is processing ships at the Imam Khomeini port, located in Khuzestan at the northernmost extreme of the Gulf, near Kharg Island. So, for ships seeking passage approval from Iran, they have to sail all the way to the northern end...
Houthis in Yemen Announce Entry Into the Conflict if Any Alliance Joins the US and Israel
The Yemen‑based Houthis warned they will join Iran against any coalition that aligns the United States and Israel, threatening to block the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait. Saudi Arabia has hinted it may intervene, raising the prospect of a direct Houthi‑Saudi confrontation. A...
2020s Mark Fossil Energy Turmoil Amid Global Conflicts
The 2020s is the decade of fossil energy disruptions. The US/Israel war on Iran compared to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. No contest.
Winter Power Gaps Demand Clean‑Firm Energy and Grid Scale
Solar and wind are making remarkable progress. The day/night cycle will be solved by current economic battery trends. The real long term challenge has always been winter: Those dark winter days or weeks when the wind also fails. For that...
Iran War Spikes Energy Prices – UK Homes Ditch Fossil Fuels Fast
UK homeowners are accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels as energy price spikes tied to the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict drive demand for solar panels, heat pumps, and electric‑vehicle chargers. Octopus Energy reported record March enquiries, with solar sales up 54%...
28 New Fast EV Charging Stalls Launched In San Diego
EVgo has opened a new hub in San Diego featuring 28 fast‑charging stalls, adding to its more than 5,000 fast chargers nationwide and the 1,200 it installed last year. The addition raises San Diego’s fast‑charger count to roughly 290 out...
France to Spend €70M on Fuel Subsidies for Farmers, Trucks and Fishermen in April
France will spend €70 million (about $76 million) on fuel subsidies for farmers, small logistics firms and fishermen throughout April. The plan suspends non‑road diesel excise taxes for farmers, costing roughly €14 million, and provides a €0.20‑per‑liter rebate for trucks and fishing vessels,...
Combat Drones Are Pivoting Into Green Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Combat drones and emerging ground robots are increasingly being powered by green hydrogen fuel cells, a shift driven by Ukraine’s rapid adoption and U.S. defense interest. Startups such as Sesame Solar have created mobile nanogrid refueling stations that can be...
WTI Crude Oil Touches $100 per Barrel. Eyes on Steel as Iran Vows Revenge
WTI crude settled at $99.64, briefly topping $100 per barrel for the first time since early May, as traders price a longer‑term Middle East conflict into oil markets. The rally follows a U.S.–Israeli strike on an Iranian steel facility, prompting...
WTI Oil Hovers Near $100 per Barrel
Among other notable price moves today, WTI oil is trading around $100 a barrel. #economy #matkets #oil #energy
Greenpeace Activists Confront FPSO Heading to Scotland's Rosebank Oil Field
Greenpeace activists boarded the PetroJarl Rosebank FPSO as it sailed from Namibia toward Scotland, spray‑painting a "they profit, we pay" slogan on its hull. The 95,000‑ton vessel, recently refitted and re‑flagged for the Rosebank oil field, is central to a...
Insights on the Current Energy Landscape with Robert Bryce
In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with veteran energy journalist Robert Bryce about the geopolitical fallout from the recent U.S.-Israel bombing campaign against Iran and its implications for global oil markets, especially China’s reliance on Iranian crude. Bryce critiques overly...
Fuelled by Subsidised Diesel, Australia Is Running Dry
Australia’s diesel consumption tops 7.7 barrels per person annually, about 80% higher than the United States and eight times China’s level, driven by generous rebates and a vast, low‑density transport network. The federal budget allocates roughly $10.8 billion to diesel tax...
Big Zero Show – Smaller, Better but Still Bold
The Big Zero Show returned after a year, reaffirming that the net‑zero agenda remains alive despite a fresh energy price crisis. Delegates highlighted flexibility, data‑driven AI, and battery innovations as pivotal to decarbonisation. The event underscored that transition costs are...
California’s Grid Generates Double Renewable Power, Cuts Gas 60%
WindWaterSolar has produced TWICE the electricity as the SUM of fossil gas, nuclear, and bioenergy on the @CaliforniaISO grid in 2026. Gas is down 59.4%; WWS is up 24.1%; batteries up 335% in '26 v '23. 35 straight and 62 of 85...
UK DLE Projects Push for Simpler Li Buildouts
Direct lithium extraction (DLE) projects in the UK will only generate cashflow if their process flowsheets are simplified and early engineering is rigorously applied, conference delegates said. Developers face a trade‑off between compressing engineering schedules to meet funding windows and...
Global Energy Shortage Sparks Rationing, Looming Lockdown‑Like Shift
Thoughts? We discuss the emerging global energy crisis and fuel rationing measures being implemented worldwide. Countries like Slovenia and South Korea are implementing fuel rationing systems, while others are grounding flights and pushing work-from-home mandates to conserve energy. We explore...
2026 Could Mirror 1970s Oil Shock, Stocks Crash
Per @grok If 2026 plays out like the 1970s oil shock (Nixon Pres): Stocks: S&P crashes another 40%+ (total ~45-50% drawdown) Oil: $150–$200+/bbl as Hormuz pain drags Rates: Fed funds rips to double digits (teens possible)
Baker Hughes Total Rig Count Falls to 543 From 552 Last Week
Baker Hughes reported its total rig count fell to 543 this week, down from 552 the prior week. Oil rigs slipped to 409 from 414, while natural‑gas rigs declined to 127 from 131. The drop occurs even as crude prices...
Crude Prices Edge Higher Amid Hormuz Stalemate
🛢️ OIL & IRAN WAR CONTEXT WEEKLY 🛢️ Crude prices rose modestly on the week after recovering from a Trump jawbone-driven rout on Monday given no real resolution to the Hormuz stoppage, and term structure keeps getting tighter. Summary below, link to...
Japan Funds 130 MW Tunisian Solar Project
Japan finances 130 MW solar project in Tunisia #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/G4FPMmp1cp
US Finalizes Higher Biofuels Quota to Boost Domestic Demand
On March 27, 2026, the EPA finalized a new biofuels blending rule that obliges refiners to incorporate 25.82 billion gallons of biofuels into diesel and gasoline this year. The mandate represents an 8 % increase over the target announced in June 2025,...
Australia’s Gas Phase‑out Already Complete; Paperwork Lags
Australia has already passed gas – the market is just updating its paperwork #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/m8gjoMoMXz https://t.co/85gtKD6xHy
Trump Admin Considers Repurchasing Offshore Wind Leases
The Trump administration is talking with some offshore wind developers about buying back the leases they purchased from the federal government years ago to develop energy projects along the US coast https://t.co/w6VR2H3AC3
As Diesel Prices Surpass 91 Petrol, Truckies Say Goods and Groceries Will Start Going up Too
Diesel prices in New Zealand have surged 80% since February, reaching $3.24‑$3.45 NZD per litre (about $1.94‑$2.07 USD), overtaking 91 petrol for the first time. Petrol has risen only 35% in the same period. Trucking firms are absorbing extra costs—up to $150 NZD (~$90 USD) daily...
TotalEnergies Drops 2050 Net‑zero Goal
French energy giant TotalEnergies says it will no longer aim to reach net zero emission targets by 2050 https://t.co/oJaqzNTGaQ
China’s Decade-Long Push for Energy Self‑Sufficiency as Defense
China has been planning for over a decade to be cut off from global energy resources. Sustainable Energy is National Defense
30 Days of West Asia Conflict: India Ups LPG Output, Focuses on PNG as Imports Concerns Persist
India, the world’s second‑largest LPG importer, boosted domestic LPG production amid the West Asia conflict that disrupted supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Refinery output was increased by 40% to a record 50,000 tonnes per day, cutting daily import...
Zero‑Carbon Policies Spark Australia’s Fuel Shortage Crisis
Australia faces a massive gasoline and diesel shortage, which is a travesty of its own making. NIMBYism and zero carbon policies are killing first world economies https://t.co/zOWEhNZ4qm
Abbott-Inspired Solar Farm Finally Built After Long Delay
“We had to wait for the grass to grow:” How an Abbott-inspired community solar farm finally got built #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/FyMlwewTJL https://t.co/KsrPUKRTPP
Oil Industry Faces Irreversible Transformation
The Oil Industry Will Never Be the Same #energysky -- via Heatmap News https://t.co/Lr3jbBiSHf https://t.co/Qxx2iNkDyR
China Farms Solar on Water, Mountains to Spare Farmland
China Builds Solar Farms on Water and Mountains, Preserving Land for Agriculture by @MarchUnofficial #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergy https://t.co/rKBBV6eaJ8
New PV Inverter Metric Accounts for Local Solar Conditions
New PV inverter efficiency metric reflects local solar conditions #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/wtM5JHk0GQ
Strait Reopening Prevents Catastrophic Fallout
"but the catastrophic consequences of the Strait remaining closed won't happen if the Strait reopens" https://t.co/iULTzt6N2d
Import‑dependent Economies Can Cut Oil Demand without Extra Renewables
For economies dependent on energy imports, there are pathways to scalably reduce demand for oil & gas without undermining standards of living or their industrial base. Those pathways don't have much to do w/ building more wind & solar...
LNG, VG, NEXT Surge After Australian LNG Outage
Looks like $LNG, $VG, and $NEXT are going higher and higher after the loss of Australian LNG. https://t.co/aF1BJEMbd2
Iran's 'Toll Booth' Reveals Selective Hormuz Passage List
"Tehran’s ‘toll booth’: How Iran picks [for now] who to let through Strait of Hormuz." Mentions the late IRGC Naval Commander. Is it just me, or does this read like a target list to deconstruct? ...submit the information to the...
Europe Urges Early Gas Refill, Traders Stay on Sidelines
European governments are keen for traders to make an early start refilling severely depleted storage tanks But the gap between summer and winter gas prices is telling them to wait. For now, traders say they are largely staying on the sidelines...
CERAWeek Recap: Iran Conflict Fuels Energy Crisis
Quite a week to be @CERAWeek with Iran war and escalating energy crisis. And no one better to debrief with than the incomparable @JavierBlas. Check out my podcast with him recapping #CERAWeek and latest on Iran. https://t.co/OsJts3VLUQ
IEA Urges EU to Decouple Gas From Electricity Pricing
The EU should sever the link between gas and electricity costs to limit the fallout from the Iran war, the IEA has suggested 🇪🇺⚠️ In the European marginal pricing system, gas is the fuel that effectively sets the power price https://t.co/rvKWzsWwey
UN Managed Iraq Oil Funds: 25% Reparations, 3% Fees
Remember this? After Kuwait's liberation, Iraq's oil revenues were placed in a UN escrow account, with the UN managing sales and purchases. Iraq paid about 30%—later reduced to 25% after 2000—for war reparations, while the UN kept 3% for administration...
Iran Conflict Exposes Fragile Fossil Fuel Economy, Urges Clean Transition
"Our fossil fuel economy is a house of cards and Trump's war in Iran is about to topple it. The need for a clean energy transition has never been clearer" | My new commentary for @LiveScience: https://t.co/TgUxuicmbz
IMF and Leaders Discuss Middle East Conflict’s Energy Impact
Pleased to meet with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva (@KGeorgieva) to discuss the implications of the Middle East conflict for energy markets & economies around the world We agreed to continue to keep in close contact as we support governments in...
Heat Pumps Slashed Russian Gas Use by Half
When the Ukraine war broke out, the NSC was only talking about LNG. I pushed for heat pumps. They said "cute idea, not gonna happen." Europe proved them wrong — 45-50% reduction in Russian gas through efficiency and heat pumps alone. https://t.co/PmB3c97oaf
2026 Oil Spike Likely Demand‑Killer, Not Bull Market
Oil may spike in 2026—but that’s not a new bull market. In a debt-heavy, fragile system, high prices don’t fuel growth—they crush it. This looks more like a spike that kills demand than a cycle that sustains it. LINK👇 https://t.co/kmq5wrQnHw #Oil #EnergyCrisis #Macro #Geopolitics #OilMarkets