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:
Why Coal May Outlast Natural Gas in the Electricity Market
The article argues that as renewables displace fossil generation, coal may outlast natural gas in U.S. electricity markets. Coal’s proximity to mines allows on‑site storage and reduces logistical complexity compared with gas pipelines. Winter reliability concerns for gas, such as well‑head freeze‑offs, give coal a seasonal edge. Without coordinated policy, the U.S. could see a disorderly contraction of parallel fossil‑fuel supply chains.
New CFS Book Showcases Giant SPARC Fusion Magnets
The Book of CFS just arrived The cover shows a top down slice of the SPARC fusion plant, with a ring of 18 D-shaped toroidal magnets, each strong enough to levitate an aircraft carrier. Embedded in the center is a slice...
Australia’s Energy Transition Hits a Permitting Wall
Australia’s renewable rollout is stalling as planning and environmental permitting delays choke new generation projects. State‑level approval processes are taking years, pushing back construction of solar farms, wind parks and battery storage. Although the federal government has introduced streamlined pathways,...
BP Is Running on Empty As Energy Giant Scraps Buyback Program
BP announced suspension of its share buyback program and raised its cost‑cutting target by $1.5 billion, aiming for $5.5‑$6.5 billion of savings by 2027 to fund oil production. The move follows a turbulent year that saw the ouster of CEO Murray Auchincloss...
Invisible Battery Parts Finally Seen with Pioneering Technique
Oxford researchers unveiled a patent‑pending staining method that tags lithium‑ion battery polymer binders with silver and bromine, making them visible under electron microscopy. The technique captures nanoscale binder layers and clusters in graphite, silicon and SiOx anodes, revealing distribution patterns...
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WATTS UP: Inside the Paarl Solar Panel Plant Trading on Local Agility to Challenge Imported Panels
Ener‑G‑Africa inaugurated a solar‑panel assembly plant in Paarl, Western Cape, with an annual capacity of about 150 MW, capable of producing panels from 5 W to 620 W. The facility differentiates itself through a locally trained, all‑female workforce and a focus on the...
New Jersey Promotes Solar To Lower Utility Bills
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has signed executive orders to speed residential and community solar permitting, pause utility rate hikes, and modernize methane‑fired plants as utility bills climb about a third in two years. The state is leveraging roughly $1.1 billion...
EKO Launches Pyranometer Calibration Service for US Solar Players
EKO Instruments USA has introduced a U.S.-based pyranometer calibration service using its new Indoor Calibration Facility (ICF‑02). The automated system meets ISO 9847:2023 and IEC 61724‑1:2021 standards, offering faster turnaround, lower cost, and traceable accuracy for utility‑scale, commercial, and industrial solar projects....
Connecticut Toyota Dealership Installs Solar Carport with C-PACE Financing
Earthlight Technologies installed a 300‑kW solar carport at Lynch Toyota in Manchester, Connecticut. The project was financed through Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C‑PACE) with backing from the Connecticut Green Bank. The dealership expects the solar canopy to lower operating...
Iciest Baltic in 15 Years Threatens to Cut Russian Exports
Russia’s Baltic Sea ports are encased in the thickest ice in 15 years, forcing non‑ice‑class vessels to wait for ice‑breaker escorts. The ice surge has already cut oil exports from Primorsk by roughly one‑third, and waiting times for convoys have...
France Releases Oil Tanker GRINCH After ‘Several Million Euro’ Penalty for Sanctions Evasion
French authorities released the oil tanker GRINCH after its owner paid a multi‑million‑euro penalty for sanctions evasion. The vessel, seized in the Alboran Sea in January, was suspected of operating under a false Comoros flag as part of Russia’s shadow...
KIT Reaches Milestone: Power Generation with Innovative Compressorless Hydrogen Gas Turbine - NASA Runtime Record Surpassed
Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) set a new runtime record for a compressor‑less hydrogen gas turbine, operating for 303 seconds and surpassing NASA’s 250‑second benchmark. The turbine employs pressure‑gain combustion, eliminating the mechanical compressor that normally consumes...
PPR 13: The Quiet IMO Meeting That Could Change How Ships Are Actually Run
The IMO Pollution Prevention and Response Sub‑Committee (PPR 13) in London signaled a shift from static emissions limits to performance‑based metrics that evaluate how ships are operated throughout their lifecycle. Discussions highlighted tighter scrutiny of biofouling, Arctic black‑carbon emissions, scrubber wash‑water...
2 Firms Guide Cos.' $1.9B PacifiCorp Assets Buy
Portland General Electric (PGE) and Manulife Investment Management have completed a $1.9 billion cash purchase of PacifiCorp's Washington state electricity assets. The transaction was overseen by law firms Latham & Watkins and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Closing was announced on Tuesday, marking a significant...
Zambia’s Copper Industry Expands Amid Rising Global Demand and Investment
Global demand for copper, driven by AI, renewable energy and electric vehicles, is spurring a rapid expansion of Zambia’s mining sector. Since 2022, more than $12 billion has been poured into the industry, lifting 2024 output by roughly eight percent to...
The Affirmative Case for Finding Endangerment
The 2007 Supreme Court decision instructed the EPA to evaluate whether greenhouse gases endanger public health, prompting the agency’s 2009 Endangerment Finding that vehicle emissions pose a significant risk. The D.C. Circuit upheld that finding, yet the current Trump administration...
Mapping Energy Data to Help Community Spaces Take Part in Electricity Network Flexibility
mySociety partnered with the Social Investment Business to build a mapping tool that matches community organisations with UK electricity network flexibility tender zones. The platform layers flex‑tender boundaries from six distribution network operators with data on community assets, energy poverty...
NJ Law Would Drive Data Centers Out, Still Cost State
Great insight from @rtoinsider article about NJ: Brian O. Lipman, director of the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel said that if NJ passed a law requiring data centers to Bring Their Own Generation, "data center developers would...
Flatlined Power Output Signals Efficiency, Not Decline
Demand is what dominates these electricity charts. Supply has followed demand in the US. Stop posting flatlined generation graphs as if they're evidence of US decline or stagnation. They're evidence of US efficiency and a switch to a knowledge economy.
UL Solutions Develops New Certification Program for Solar Inverter Cybersecurity
UL Solutions has introduced a new certification program that establishes the first industry‑wide cybersecurity baseline for distributed energy resources (DER) and inverter‑based devices. The program follows UL 2941, a standard covering access management, cryptography, and data handling, and complements the existing...
India's Solar Overproduction Turns Boom Into Glut
Industrial policy, again: "India’s Solar Manufacturing Excesses Turn a Boom Into a Glut" https://t.co/VEeIUwYmoM https://t.co/r4CohxBgDI
Effective Battery Management Secures Solar’s Role
Battery storage management keeps solar in the energy mix #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/f1Nl7soVAu https://t.co/7w767V89vp
Roofit.Solar Building-Integrated PV Enters US Market
Roofit.Solar launched its building‑integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) line in the United States with a 12.32 kW Velario system installed on a residence in Kalamazoo, Michigan, by Agathon Solar. The project marks the first U.S. deployment of Roofit.Solar’s metal‑sheet‑based BIPV, a technology already...
GREW Solar Wins 3 GW ALMM Approval in India
India’s GREW Solar secures 3 GW ALMM approval #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/rJL1FDjPwC
Pause the Project, Strengthen EIA and Data Quality
At this stage, they should quit, but they should beef up the EIA and improve data quality.
Capped Rhode Island Landfill Adds 5.74 MW of Solar Power to Grid
Ameresco partnered with Luminace to finish a 5.74‑MW solar farm on the capped Coventry Landfill in Rhode Island. The project, built on a CERCLA‑designated brownfield, converts previously idle land into a clean‑energy source. It is projected to generate about $4.4 million...
Sanctions Spawn Shadow Fleet, Aging Tankers Scrapped in India
US sanctions squeezed Russian and Venezuelan oil shipping out of mainstream markets. A shadow fleet emerged. Now aging dark fleet tankers are arriving at Indian scrapyards at a record pace. SANCTIONS = WORKAROUNDS = UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. https://t.co/GddyWzZwZd
IEA: Fixed‑tilt and Bifacial PV Ideal for Arctic Deployment
Fixed-tilt and bifacial PV modules best positioned for Arctic deployment, says IEA #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/8cSrPrIC6I
Nextpower to Supply Steel Frames to Jinko’s US Panel Assembly Operations
Nextpower has signed a multi‑year agreement to supply Jinko Solar (U.S.) with more than 1 GW of steel frames, scalable to 3 GW over three years, for the Jacksonville, Florida, module assembly line slated for mid‑2026. The deal adds 6 % domestic content...
Colombia Adds 333 MW Solar Capacity in 2025
Colombia deploys 333 MW of PV in 2025 #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/AYKjk6wNph
UK Must Become an Electrostate, Economics Drive Energy Shift
INTERVIEW: Chris Stark (@StarkClimate), head of UK govt "mission" for clean power by 2030 Over 40 mins he explains why UK shd be an "electrostate", why attacks on climate policy are "completely crazy" & why economics are driving the global energy...
How the Uninvestable Is Becoming Investable
Venture capital is moving into traditionally “hard” sectors—government, defence, energy, manufacturing—after years of avoidance. Rapid growth in public‑sector tech spending, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2025, and the rise of AI‑first solutions are reshaping procurement cycles and lowering...
Oil Markets See Trump’s Hawkish Talk as Theater
Iran says it has “understanding on principles” with the US That was always the most likely outcome. Trump won't risk higher oil prices into an election cycle, writes @Ole_S_Hansen The oil market correctly judges his hawkish rhetoric as theater. #oil #Brent #Iran #geopolitics...
Guyana Gains as Venezuela's Maduro Falls, Boosting Investment
Guyana is the biggest winner from Maduro's ouster in Venezuela. "It removes the biggest barrier for foreign investment," said CSIS's Henry Ziemer Lower risk premium, faster development, higher upside. https://t.co/1Tpj1OK8dp #oil #Guyana #Exxon #geopolitics #energy
IEA and New Zealand Deepen Energy Cooperation Ahead of 2026
Productive meeting with New Zealand's Minister for Energy & Climate @simonwatts_mp at IEA HQ ahead of the 2026 #IEAMinisterial We discussed recent developments in regional & global energy markets and opportunities to further strengthen @IEA-🇳🇿 cooperation https://t.co/tI98Et2YHn
Xcel's Virtual Power Plant Plan Sparks Industry Controversy
Why Xcel’s bid to reinvent the virtual power plant is so controversial #energysky -- via Canary Media: https://t.co/GL06liTg7p
Guyana and Exxon Profit From Venezuela's Turmoil
Been saying this for a while: Guyana (and by extension Exxon) was a big collateral winner of Venezuela developments. https://t.co/QzfRIJKK1F
Batteries Will Outpace Solar as Energy’s Top Technology
Batteries are the most important and fastest scaling energy technology of the 21st century. They're destined to be even bigger and more important than solar.
Primary Energy Misleads; Seek More Accurate Efficiency Metrics
Primary energy is a terrible measure that glazes fossil fuels, most of whose energy is lost as waste heat. Here's how we can do better.
Reflective Coating Boosts BIPV Output by 11%
New reflective coating increases BIPV power output by 11% #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/3jDOHUi90u
IEA Paris Meeting Tests Net‑Zero Shift Against US Oil Priorities
For energy policy making, a key week in Paris as @IEA energy officials gather Feb 18-19 for a biennial ministerial meeting. The IEA’s drift toward net-zero advocacy and overtures to China will be tested as US officials push to a return...
Sungrow and Huawei Earn AAA Bankability Rating
Sungrow and Huawei achieve AAA rating in new PV InverterTech bankability report #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/MYSpWj5IGI
US Energy Secretary Meets IEA on African Clean Cooking Summit
Pleased to meet with US Energy @SecretaryWright at IEA HQ before the #IEAMinisterial We discussed a range of global energy matters including how the @IEA Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa on 9-10 July that we're co-chairing in Nairobi can deliver...
ACEN Adds 400MW Stubbo Solar to $750M financingACEN Adds 400MW Stubbo Solar to $750M Financing
ACEN Australia integrates 400MW Stubbo solar PV plant into AU$750 million financing pool #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/5ezLk03ml3
Plug‑in Balcony Panels Could Democratize Solar Power
Balcony plug-in solar panels: Are we ready for this new era of accessible energy? #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/ZSpQFGAQDL
Rhode Island Landfill Installs 5.74 MW Solar Capacity
Capped Rhode Island landfill adds 5.74 MW of solar power to grid #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/9nE9IPoK5j
Trump's Shadow Stalls Power Investment, Creating AI Bottleneck
As the dark shadow of Trump fell over the US power sector & the highly effective IRA, investment in power generation plateaued in 2024. Well-time to create a power bottleneck for AI. More on this in the Chartbook Top Link...
Drone Cleaning Solution Boosts Agrivoltaic Efficiency
Chemitek offers solution for drone-based cleaning of agrivoltaics #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/vedHyZSkO7
Contact Energy Raises $316M to Drive NZ Renewables
Contact Energy seeks US$316 million equity raise to lead New Zealand’s renewable energy transition #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/CQl7b5EnIT
US‑Made Batteries Still Prone To
“Made in the USA” batteries might still fail FEOC #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/oBId0q97hY