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:
Moonwatt Targets ‘Same Disruption String Inverters Had in Solar’ with Distributed Sodium-Ion BESS Architecture
Moonwatt, a Netherlands‑based startup, announced its first distributed sodium‑ion battery energy storage system (BESS) at Cleantech Park Arnhem, backed by a €1.15 million grant. The company’s modular, string‑based architecture mirrors the disruptive impact of solar string inverters, promising scalable double‑digit to triple‑digit megawatt‑hour plants. Moonwatt claims its design delivers over 12,000 cycles, 15% lower capex and 30% lower opex per kilowatt‑hour, while offering superior fire safety and minimal noise. Cells are sourced from China with integration in Asia, but the firm plans to diversify supply as European regulations evolve.
Talon PV Secures German Wafer Supply for American-Made Solar Cells
U.S. solar‑cell maker Talon PV has signed a long‑term supply agreement with German wafer producer NexWafe. The deal provides approximately 7 GW of NexWafe’s EpiNex silicon wafers through 2032 to fuel Talon’s planned 4.8‑GW TOPCon manufacturing facility in Baytown, Texas. The...
Nanodevice Produces Continuous Electricity From Evaporation
Researchers at EPFL’s Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy Technology have unveiled a silicon‑nanopillar device that generates continuous electricity from evaporating saltwater. By deliberately coupling heat and sunlight, the system drives ion migration and electron excitation, producing a stable 1 V output...
Burgenland Launches Largest Austrian Wind Farm
Burgenland inaugurated Austria’s largest wind farm in Neusiedl/Weiden, installing 23 turbines that deliver 122 MW of capacity. The site will produce roughly 251 GWh of electricity each year—enough for about 70,000 households—and lock in a 10‑cent‑per‑kWh price for two decades. The project...
ProEnergy Supply, OpenSolar Partner on Distributor Inventory Platform
ProEnergy Supply (PES) has launched an AI‑driven transactional gateway that integrates directly with OpenSolar’s new Shop platform, allowing solar designers to purchase equipment in real time. The solution connects live inventory to distributors’ ERP systems, reaching over 28,000 active solar...
IMO NZF Would Send Stable Demand Signal for Zero-Emission Fuels
A new UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group report evaluates three IMO Net Zero Framework (NZF) scenarios and finds that only the framework "as‑is" delivers a credible, stable demand signal for scalable zero‑emission fuels. The analysis warns that removing the...
Six LNG Vessels to Sport GTT’s Tank Design
Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) secured tank‑design contracts for six new LNG carriers, four for Shandong Marine Energy via Jiangnan shipyard and two for Samsung Heavy Industries. Each vessel will carry roughly 174‑175,000 cubic metres of LNG using GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane...
Russia Executes First Triple LNG Ship-to-Ship With Simultaneous Transfers From Yamal and Arctic LNG 2
Russia performed its first triple LNG ship‑to‑ship (STS) transfer in Arctic waters, linking two Arctic LNG 2 cargos and one Yamal LNG cargo to conventional tankers. The operation took place in the Murmansk region, using the Saam floating storage unit for two...
The Four Mega-Firms Tightening Their Grip on a 'Two Speed' Global Clean Power Market
Four U.S. tech giants—Meta, Amazon, Google and Microsoft—accounted for 49% of global clean‑power purchase agreements (PPAs) in 2025, the year total PPA activity fell for the first time since 2016. Together they secured 20.4 GW, enough to power Denmark, and are...
German Car Manufacturing Sector Power Demand Could Fall
Germany’s passenger‑vehicle manufacturing sector is set to see a drop in electricity consumption as overall car output declines, VDA chief economist Manuel Kallweit warned. Power use fell to 12.86 TWh in 2024, about 2.8% of national electricity, and is projected to...
An Update to the Update of One of My Favorite Energy Credits
The episode revisits the author’s earlier research reports from October and December 2025 on a leading natural‑gas utility, reaffirming its investment thesis built on ultra‑low leverage, a management team focused on debt reduction, high‑quality assets, and accelerating free cash flow....
Kimmeridge-Mubadala JV to Acquire SM Galvan Ranch in Texas
Mubadala and Kimmeridge’s joint venture Caturus will buy SM Energy’s Galvan Ranch for $950 million, adding 250 MMcfed production from 260 wells. Post‑deal, pro‑forma net output rises to about 950 MMcfed. The acquisition gives Caturus over 275,000 net acres across the Gulf Coast...
25 Rigs Out of Borr Drilling’s 29-Strong Fleet Either on Hire or with Jobs Lined Up
Borr Drilling now has 25 of its 29 jack‑up rigs either under bareboat charter or with confirmed jobs, covering regions from Southeast Asia to the Americas. The firm’s day‑rate equivalent backlog grew to $1.2 billion, reflecting more than 1,150 contracted days....
Ukraine’s Strategic Need for Energy Storage
Ukraine’s government is positioning battery energy storage systems (BESS) as a strategic asset to keep the power grid alive amid Russian attacks and to enable future integration with the European grid. Lawmakers have introduced tax breaks, licensing exemptions and accelerated...
Nordlicht I Components Completed Early
Nordlicht I’s first monopiles and transition pieces were finished ahead of schedule by EEW and CS Wind, marking a key milestone before offshore construction begins later this year. The 68 steel structures, up to 80.5 metres long and 1,290 tonnes heavy, position the project...
Warmer Weather Hits Profits at British Gas Owner
British Gas, owned by Centrica, saw operating profits in its residential supply business drop 39% to £163 million in 2025, partly due to an £80 million hit from the UK’s warmest year on record, which reduced heating demand. Despite the profit slump,...
MPs in Call to Halt Drax’s £2m-a-Day Subsidy over Sustainability Doubts
A cross‑party group of 14 MPs and peers has urged Energy Minister Ed Miliband to suspend the £2 million‑a‑day renewable subsidy paid to Drax while the FCA investigates alleged misrepresentations about wood‑pellet sourcing. Drax, the UK’s largest power plant, is projected...
Solar Farms Double as Thriving Biodiversity Sanctuaries
Who says clean energy and nature can’t thrive together? New @NatLabRockies research confirms what global studies are increasingly showing: utility-scale solar farms actively foster biodiversity By planting native prairie under panels, 3 sites in Minnesota have transformed into thriving sanctuaries for...
U.S. Ethanol Efficiency Metric Surges Unexpectedly in 2025
1. Something unusual happened to a key indicator of operational efficiency in the U.S. ethanol industry in 2025. See my latest FDD for all the details: https://t.co/ehKyQvEQGp
Carbon-Aware Scaling: The Next Competitive Edge in SaaS
SaaS founders must now measure the energy and emissions each customer generates, not just revenue and cloud spend. Continuous workloads, AI inference, and data pipelines are turning software into a major energy consumer, making carbon a direct cost driver. Tools...
Korea’s Vice‑Minister Outlines AI‑driven Energy Priorities
Excellent exchange with Korea's Vice-Minister of Climate, Energy & Environment Hohyeon Lee at the #IEAMinisterial We had a wide-ranging discussion on 🇰🇷's energy priorities, including energy & AI, energy security, technology supply chains, upgrading the power grid & nuclear https://t.co/1GKQdBGKMH
Mission300 Connects West Africa with New 225 kV Grid
#Mission300 is strengthening grids across #Africa. For example, a 225 kV transmission ring now links Guinea to Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. This transmission ring is a vital component of the West African Power Pool, which spans 14 countries. https://t.co/kWAgiIv7Oa https://t.co/T8tpU9C76L
Neom Partners with DataVolt on $5bn Hyperscale Datacentre Project for Digital Infrastructure
Neom has signed a landmark $5 billion agreement with Saudi‑based DataVolt to build the Kingdom’s first green‑AI hyperscale data centre in Oxagon. The facility will operate at net‑zero, powered entirely by renewable energy and equipped with advanced cooling to support generative...
EU Gas Storage at 32%—Second Lowest Since 2011
EU GAS STORAGE facilities are now less than one-third full, with more than a month of the winter heating season probably still ahead. Storage facilities were on average 32.5% full on February 17, the second lowest seasonal fill in records...
Propane Industry Deep Dive Reveals Hidden Value
One of the best deep dives I’ve seen recently is on the “boring” propane industry, by Emeth Value Capital. Covers regulation, supply & demand, and detailed public company breakdowns. Also part of the $SPB.TO pitch. If you like learning new industries, this...
Stock Market Today: Dow Slips; Oil Prices Hit Highest Since Summer
The Dow Jones slipped Thursday as investors weighed fresh earnings reports and a sharp rally in oil prices. Brent crude surged up to $72 a barrel, its highest level since the summer, driven by heightened geopolitical tension surrounding U.S. naval...
British AR7 Renewable Energy Auction Secures 14.7 GW of Clean Power Capacity - Offshore, Onshore and Solar at Record Levels
The UK’s AR7 renewable auction awarded 14.7 GW of new capacity, split between 8.4 GW offshore wind, 1.3 GW onshore wind, a record 4.9 GW of solar, and 20 MW of tidal projects. Onshore wind contracts were priced at £72.24/MWh, roughly half the cost of...
Transmission “Legacy:” State Launches CopperString Community Benefits Fund
Queensland’s Liberal‑National government announced a $50 million Community Benefits Fund to support housing, water and infrastructure projects along the CopperString transmission corridor. The fund includes $4.285 million for Flinders Substation‑related works and $1 million for water‑sewer design, complementing a $2.4 billion budget allocation for...
Nordic Power Market Competition Heats Up
The episode examines the upcoming launch of Nord Pool's electricity futures contracts and the resulting scramble for liquidity across the Nordic power curve, with Nord Pool CEO Tom Darrell and EEX CEO Peter Reitz debating who will dominate. It also...
Who Killed FCAS?
FCAS (Frequency Control Ancillary Services) prices in Australia’s NEM have plummeted since late 2023, falling to well below $2/MW h after a multi‑year decline. The collapse coincides with a rapid expansion of registered FCAS capacity, driven largely by utility‑scale batteries, demand‑response...
AI Breakthrough Could Replace Rare Earth Magnets in Electric Vehicles
Scientists at the University of New Hampshire used artificial intelligence to compile a searchable database of 67,573 magnetic compounds, uncovering 25 previously unknown high‑temperature magnets. The AI system extracts experimental data from literature, predicts magnetic behavior, and records temperature thresholds....
Brisbane Battery Innovator Gets First Chunk of Funds Towards Giga-Scale Production Plans
Li‑S Energy, a Brisbane‑based battery innovator, has received the first $1.9 million tranche of a $7.86 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The funding will support engineering work and a feasibility study for a gigawatt‑scale factory capable of producing...
Confusion Over “Double Tail” Amid Oil Price Concerns
I doubt many people have any idea what you mean by “the built in double tail” or how that relates to my post on oil prices and geological fear about the Iran situation @B2Balzer
New Sodium Ion Battery Stores Twice the Energy and Desalinates Seawater
University of Surrey researchers discovered that retaining water in sodium vanadium oxide dramatically boosts sodium‑ion battery performance. The hydrated nanostructured sodium vanadate (NVOH) stores nearly twice the energy of conventional cathodes, charges faster, and remains stable for over 400 cycles....
No Reason to Believe India Has Changed Stance on Purchasing Crude Oil: Russia’s Foreign Ministry
Russia’s foreign ministry asserted that India has not altered its policy on buying Russian crude, emphasizing the mutual benefits of the trade. However, Indian import data for January 2026 shows a 40.5% drop in total merchandise from Russia, with crude...
US Iran Strike Would Spark Prolonged, Global Fallout
If the US strikes Iran, it won’t be a weekend event, writes @TheMichaelEvery Retaliation risks include terror cells in Europe The broader Middle East is flammable Energy markets are rightly pricing tail risk—but the real question is duration, not ignition #OilMarkets #Iran #Geopolitics...
Jupiter International Doubles Indian Solar Capacity to 2 GW
Jupiter International doubles solar cell manufacturing capacity to 2 GW in India #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/N7yACehDbe
Oregon Adopts New Building Codes to Reduce Energy Costs and Increase Energy Efficiency in Newly Constructed Homes
Oregon's Residential and Manufactured Structures Board approved updates to the state residential energy code, requiring new homes to install energy‑efficient heat pumps instead of traditional ducted air‑conditioning. The code change is projected to save homeowners about $125 per month, or...
LNG Exports Surpass US Domestic Gas Use, Taxpayers Fund Profits
LNG exports volumes are now higher than gas for US homes or businesses The public is subsidizing corporate oil & gas company profits. Long live Make America Great Again https://t.co/cKeIFab7A4 #NaturalGas #LNG #EnergyMarkets #ElectricityPrices #USPolitics #EnergySecurity
Interstate Objectors Push Independent Review of NSW Battery
Another NSW battery sent for independent review by interstate and long-distance objectors #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/4Yc1aJjiuA https://t.co/QBPyuoR6kC
China Buys US LNG, Redirects It to Europe
China hasn’t stopped buying U.S. LNG It’s just not burning it at home. Long-term contracts still bind the two systems Flexible LNG markets let China arbitrage politics by diverting cargoes to Europe. Does anyone on Team Trump know this? https://t.co/CacMbcaSMk #LNG #China #EnergyMarkets #Geopolitics #TradeWar #NaturalGas
Power Costs, Not Tariffs, Decide Aluminum Smelter Survival
Trump tariffs couldn’t save a major U.S. aluminum smelter Smelting lives or dies on cheap, reliable power AI and data centers now outcompete metalmaking for electricity. Tariffs are the minor leagues. Energy is the big show. https://t.co/z7ZanDwxd5 #Aluminum #EnergyPolicy #Manufacturing #AI #Trade #PowerMarkets
Geopolitical Fears Add Incremental Risk Premium to Oil
Oil rallied on fear Iran headlines + Israel alerts = instant risk premium in a tight market But geopolitics don't matter. Except they do in small continuous increments that convert to a steady aggregate premium. https://t.co/6vQGj7YEmu #OilMarkets #Geopolitics #Iran #EnergySecurity #crudeoil
UL Solutions Sets New Solar Inverter Cybersecurity Standard
UL Solutions develops new standard for solar inverter cybersecurity #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/TvHlobdGEg
On‑site Fossil Power Becomes Liability; Choose Clean Grid Solutions
On-site fossil generation is quickly becoming a big liability for data center developers. At Firma Power, we're supplying clean power solutions for grid connected data centers and a real alternative to this polluting path to power.
Octopus Expands US Portfolio with California Solar-Storage Acquisition
Octopus acquires California solar-plus-storage project as part of US$1 billion investment #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/Cv3DZMxKvt
Battery Storage Ushers in European Energy Resilience
Battery storage can help establish a new era of European energy resilience #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/H4SPIjSkjN
Libya Redirects Oil Payments From Russia to Western Traders
Libya is cutting Russia out of its oil trade Fuel imports are shifting away from Russia toward large Western traders Sanctions didn’t “punish” Libya into changing behavior. They reshaped who gets paid. https://t.co/pmKRlqgEK1 #OilMarkets #Libya #EnergyGeopolitics #Sanctions #OPEC #crudeoil
NREL Measures UV Degradation in TOPCon Solar Cells
NREL researchers quantify UV-induced degradation levels in TOPCon solar cells #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/xLGnfYrybS
States Sue Trump Over Blocked Renewable Funding
States sue Trump administration for blocking funded renewable projects Congress approved the money. The White House froze it. Now states are daring the courts to decide if the Constitution still stands. https://t.co/rYIh7fS9kw #ClimatePolicy #Federalism #EnergyPolitics #IRA #USPolitics