Today's Energy Pulse
Scania pilots megawatt‑scale V2G for heavy‑duty electric trucks
Scania demonstrated one of the first vehicle‑to‑grid systems for heavy‑duty electric trucks using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The pilot showed bi‑directional power flow, allowing trucks parked at depots to feed electricity back to the grid, with real‑time communication between the truck, charger and energy‑management platform enabling dynamic charging and discharging. The test marks a step toward integrating large‑capacity EVs into grid balancing.
Also developing:
Balcony Solar Bill Dies in Illinois After Union Voices Opposition
Illinois lawmakers abandoned Senate Bill 3104, which would have cleared the way for plug‑in balcony solar panels, after a union‑driven amendment raised safety concerns. The amendment would ban all such panels until the National Electrical Code updates, a change not expected until 2028. The bill would have exempted arrays up to 1,200 watts from utility interconnection and prevented HOA restrictions on units under 391 watts. While Utah, Maine and Colorado have already passed similar laws, Illinois paused the effort pending further consensus.
Regulatory Reform Is Headed for the Nation’s Largest Grid
New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities announced a comprehensive review of the state’s century‑old utility business model, targeting a shift from capital‑intensive returns to performance‑based incentives. The move follows a 48% jump in residential electricity bills over four years, with...
Kenya's New Data Center Threatens Half‑Country Power Outage
“To switch on that one data center, we would need to shut off power for half the country,” he said of the project. “That’s when I knew there was a problem.” https://www.semafor.com/article/05/06/2026/energy-shortfall-problem-scuppers-kenyas-1b-microsoft-data-center
Traders Eye Northwest Natural Gas Repricing as Canadian Imports Plummet, but Improved Flows Limit Upside (For Now)
Northwest natural‑gas prices rebounded in early May, climbing above $1.30 per MMBtu after a month of sub‑$1 levels. The price gap between California’s Malin hub and the Northwest Sumas point tightened dramatically, reaching just 2 cents—a fraction of the typical...
Driving Less, Canceling Vacations, and Tightening Budgets: All the Ways Americans Are Coping with Soaring Gas Prices
U.S. gasoline prices surged to $4.54 per gallon, the highest level since the early‑2022 Ukraine war, as the conflict in Iran pushes global oil markets higher. A new Ipsos‑Washington Post‑ABC poll shows 44% of Americans have reduced driving, 34% have...
WTI Crude Oil Settles up 61 Cents to $95.42 per Barrel
WTI crude oil settled at $95.42 per barrel, up 61 cents, as the market absorbed ongoing Iran‑U.S. tensions. December WTI futures rose $1.50 to $79.85, narrowing the gap with near‑term contracts and signaling a bullish term structure. Traders are pricing...
Global Commodities: An Inventory Detour
In this episode Greg Shearer and J.P. Morgan’s European natural‑gas analyst Otar Degboadzi discuss how inventory levels are shaping commodity markets. They note that U.S. gas storage is near full capacity (about 2.2 trillion cubic feet), while European gas inventories are...
Oil Prices Rise As US-Iran Fighting Continues
Brent crude jumped to $101.47 a barrel and WTI to $95.71 after the United States and Iran exchanged air strikes, reigniting fears over the Strait of Hormuz and the cease‑fire. Traders priced in potential supply disruptions, pushing prices up as...
Suspected Oil Spill Visible on Satellite Images Near Kharg Island Export Hub
Satellite imagery from Copernicus’s Sentinel fleet shows a grey‑white slick covering about 45 sq km of water west of Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil‑export hub. Researchers confirm the visual pattern matches crude oil, potentially the largest spill since the U.S.–Israel...
It’s Time for Alaska to Reconsider the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project
The Susitna‑Watana hydroelectric project proposes a 2,800‑MW dam on Alaska’s Susitna River, potentially supplying about one‑third of the state’s electricity and reducing diesel reliance. Estimated construction costs exceed $5 billion, creating financing hurdles and prompting scrutiny from regulators and investors. Environmental...
Hillside’s Marks 30 Years Amid Push for Long-Term Power Solution
South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium smelter celebrated 30 years of operation and is eyeing a 20‑30‑year extension, contingent on securing a competitive long‑term electricity contract with state utility Eskom. From 2015 to 2024 the plant generated roughly R35 billion (about $1.9 billion) for...
Golden Pass LNG Feed Gas Climbs as Second Cargo Prepares to Leave Texas
Golden Pass LNG loaded its second export cargo from the Texas terminal as feed‑gas nominations surged to a new high. The ramp‑up of Train 1 continues, signaling progress toward the plant’s full commercial capacity. This milestone comes amid ongoing global LNG...
Interview: Unison Energy CEO on Data Centers Turning to On-Site Power
Unison Energy, backed by Tiger Infrastructure Partners, is expanding on‑site power solutions for AI‑driven data centers using natural‑gas combined heat and power (CHP) and microgrids. The company appointed Mariko McDonagh Meier as CEO, highlighting speed, reliability and cost as key client drivers....
Paper Mill Waste and Liquid Metal Combine Into a 96% Efficient Solar Absorber
Researchers have engineered a coating that blends paper‑mill lignin with gallium‑indium liquid‑metal nanoparticles, achieving 96% broadband solar absorption. The graded structure traps light and channels heat, raising surface temperature to about 75 °C under one‑sun and delivering a power density of...
The Iran War Has Broken the Oil Market’s $100 Barometer
The Iran war has kept Brent crude near $100 a barrel, but refined products are soaring. J.P. Morgan notes jet‑fuel prices have jumped about 72% and gasoline up roughly 52% since the conflict began on Feb. 28. U.S. refiners are shifting output...
New Generation Tanks Launches HyDDIM Project to Democratize H2 Distribution
New Generation Tanks (NGT), a Swiss firm specializing in recyclable thermoplastic composite (TPC) pressure vessels, has launched the HyDDIM project with Spanish startup Hydros Power under the Eurostars program. The initiative develops interchangeable hydrogen capsules—15‑liter, 350‑bar cartridges that store about...
Oracle Reworks AI Data Center Power Amid New Mexico Backlash
Oracle has abandoned its planned natural‑gas turbine plant for the Project Jupiter AI data‑center campus in New Mexico, replacing it with on‑site fuel‑cell generation from Bloom Energy. The new microgrid will produce roughly 2.5‑2.8 GW, ranking among the largest fuel‑cell deployments...
Solving the Gridlock: America’s Electric Supply Chain Opportunity
Rising electricity demand and aging infrastructure have created a severe grid‑hardware shortage in the United States, with large power transformers now facing up to four‑year lead times and prices for cables and transformers soaring 75% since 2019. Domestic production satisfies...
AI’s Power Needs Will Destroy the Renewable Energy Revolution
Solar power has reached cost parity and now accounts for 92.5% of new electricity generation worldwide, fulfilling the long‑predicted solar singularity. However, AI‑driven data centers are consuming electricity at a rate that could double by 2028, with AI projected to...
Join Our Webinar on EV Li-Ion Batteries
IDTechEx will host a live webinar on May 14, 2026, focusing on emerging lithium‑ion cell chemistries, pack trends, and evolving supply chains for electric‑vehicle batteries. Presenter Daniel Parr, a technology analyst, will examine battery requirements, compare chemistry advantages, and discuss...
Virginia’s Carbon Market Is a Wealth Transfer the Democrats Are Trying to Hide
Virginia is set to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in July 2026, reopening a carbon‑allowance market that could generate up to $1 billion a year in auction revenue. Recent RGGI auctions have cleared $25‑$28 per ton, with futures topping...
Funding Friday: Robots Want Fast-Charging Batteries
Cambridge‑based Nyobolt announced a $60 million Series C round that lifts its valuation to $1 billion, driven by ultra‑fast‑charging batteries that can reach 80 percent charge in under five minutes. The company is targeting data‑center and robotics customers, leveraging its niobium‑tungsten‑oxide anode for higher...
Union Maritime Takes Delivery of Its Third WindWings Tanker
Union Maritime has taken delivery of its third LR2 tanker, *Monza*, fitted with two BAR Technologies WindWings, marking the world’s first series of dual‑fuel LNG vessels that also use rigid wind‑propulsion. Built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in China, the ship joins...
Oil Prices Back Over $100 as Hormuz Remains Closed
Brent crude surged 1.8% to $101.80 a barrel as the Strait of Hormuz remained closed following U.S. forces disabling two Iranian tankers. Meanwhile, U.S. employers added 115,000 jobs in April, far exceeding expectations and propelling the S&P 500 toward record highs....
100 Free EV Chargers Installed In Saudi Arabia
Lucid Motors has installed 100 free public electric‑vehicle chargers across Saudi Arabia, joining a growing network of complimentary charging points at malls, workplaces, and supermarkets. The rollout leverages billions of dollars of Saudi Public Investment Fund backing and aligns with...
Warm Winter Leads Portland General Execs to Push More on Cost Savings
Portland General Electric (PGE) trimmed its 2026 weather‑adjusted load‑growth outlook to 1.5‑2.5%, down from last year’s 3.8%, after a milder Oregon winter reduced commercial and residential demand. The utility accelerated a cost‑saving program that already cut $25 million in spending and...
Ampeco Teams up with Plugsurfing on Roaming for eMSPs
Ampeco has partnered with Plugsurfing to add a managed roaming solution for eMSPs across Europe. The integration uses a single Roam‑OCPI interface, giving eMSP customers access to over one million charging points in 28 countries. The managed roaming option joins...
Canadian Natural Hits Record Natural Gas Output, Holds Montney Supplies ‘in the Bank’
Canadian Natural Resources posted a record 2.668 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas in the latest quarter, the highest output in the company’s history. The surge coincided with a 6% rise in natural‑gas prices, reflecting tightening global...
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to Revamp Gas Turbine Production Process to Meet Growing Demand From AI Data Center Sector
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) announced the Innovative Total Optimization project to overhaul its gas‑turbine production at the Takasago Machinery Works. By reviewing more than 1,000 processes, the company aims to lift output by roughly 30% while trimming changeover time. Orders...
New Electrolyte Tech Enables Stable Operation of High-Voltage Sodium-Ion Batteries
U.S. researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have engineered a meta‑weakly solvating electrolyte that stabilizes high‑voltage sodium‑ion batteries. By weakening the sodium‑solvent interaction, the electrolyte speeds ion transport and suppresses harmful side reactions at the electrode interface. Full cells using...
Dynamic Real‑Time Prices Align Millions of Devices Privately
Today on Volts: how do you coordinate the behavior of millions of distributed energy devices so that they work to the benefit of the larger grid? My guest today argues that real-time, dynamic retail prices -- communicated directly to devices...
New Electrolyte Stabilizes High‑Voltage Sodium‑Ion Batteries
New electrolyte tech enables stable operation of high-voltage sodium-ion batteries #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/IvQBAb2YER
Permian Resources Leaning on More Workovers to ‘Kind of Hit the Gas Pedal’
Permian Resources is accelerating its work‑over program, doubling the rig count in Q1 and now completing about 90 work‑overs per month. The company lifted its full‑year oil production guidance by roughly 2% to a midpoint of 192,500 barrels per day,...
Future LDES Tech Choices Unveiled at 2026 Summit
VIDEO – Energy Storage Summit 2026: what technology will be deployed for LDES? #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/KcVRYapJSP
Global Oil & Gas CAPEX Averages $575 Billion Annually (2022‑25)
For scale: The average annual GLOBAL oil & natural gas CAPEX for 2022-2025 was ~$575bn... https://t.co/esWldvX2SQ
Bright Power Unveils AI Platform for Energy Compliance in Commercial Real Estate
Bright Power announced the launch of an AI‑powered platform that automates energy‑code compliance and carbon‑forecasting for commercial real‑estate owners. The tool aims to streamline ESG reporting and reduce operational risk as regulators tighten energy‑efficiency standards. The rollout comes amid heightened...
Leadership Requires People, Purpose, and Systems Thinking
People, purpose and systems thinking: The leadership layer of the energy transition #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/Nyj1axDFjK
Today's Gas Futures Mirror 2022 Peak, Pre‑war Levels
US gasoline (RBOB) futures curve today (white), the day before the Iran War kicked off (blue), and around the all-time highs of June 2022 (orange) https://t.co/v35dgEexze
Delta and Centrica Unveil Scalable Off‑Grid Fuel Cell Power for Data Centers
Delta Electronics and Centrica have formed an infrastructure partnership to roll out solid‑oxide fuel‑cell power systems for data centres across the UK and Europe. The joint effort targets MW‑scale, off‑grid solutions within three to five years, offering up to 60%...
US Gasoline Crack Spread Surges, Matching 2022 Levels
US gasoline crack spread (i.e., refining margin) continues to ratchet higher. WAY above the norm, currently tracking 2022's trajectory. https://t.co/h2HPzueo5V
Backlash Grows Over Trump’s Offshore Wind Cash Deal
Blowback Is Building Against Trump’s Cash-For-Quitting Offshore Wind Scheme #energysky -- via Heatmap News https://t.co/oAilqXhUD1 https://t.co/dDfZy5dHaM
‘The Risk of $5 Gasoline Can No Longer Be Dismissed’
Analysts warn that gasoline prices could reach $5 per gallon as supply‑side pressures intensify. Tight global oil demand, OPEC+ output cuts, and a series of U.S. refinery outages are converging to constrain fuel availability. Rising geopolitical risks in key producing...
How One Visionary Rescued Solar, Dismantled Coal
Energy Insiders Podcast: The man who saved solar and helped kill coal #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/0YROasGtu8 https://t.co/Prja5yWI10
Analyzing Oil Market Shock After Hormuz Closure
With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz now into its 3rd month, I sat down for a wide-ranging discussion with @ProfGMarkets on the reverberations from the largest disruption in history of oil markets, and where we go from here....
Europe Is Losing the Energy-Security Battle to China
Europe’s energy‑security advantage is shifting from fossil‑fuel access to low‑cost, domestically produced electricity, a transition where China now leads. Since the Iran war, the EU has spent an extra $28 billion on fossil imports while China’s electricity accounts for roughly 30%...
Policy Playbook Guides Access to Distributed Energy Resources
Policy playbook shows how to tap into distributed energy resource solutions #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/hwxgfPU6Uh https://t.co/BnmAHEg7wF
Canada Must Act Now to Become Future Energy Exporter
Pleasure to join Canada’s Public Policy Forum to discuss 🇨🇦's energy outlook and the key steps it needs to take to reach its full potential as a major energy exporter of tomorrow https://t.co/UvjJpG7iZI
Dubai RTA to Deploy 735 Electric Buses by 2026, Nearing 800‑Bus Zero‑Emission Fleet
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority announced the addition of 735 electric buses in 2026, expanding its electric fleet to roughly 775 vehicles. The rollout, part of a strategy to reach zero‑emission public transport by 2050, is expected to avoid 59,263...
Prices, Not VPPs, Best for Distributed Energy Coordination
The case for using prices rather than VPPs to coordinate distributed energy #energysky -- via Volts/David Roberts: https://t.co/aL2FsDDYxR https://t.co/MbONccmkaS
Oil Lawsuits and Rational Energy Policy
California’s gasoline prices remain the nation’s highest, a point underscored by Western States Petroleum Association President Jodie Muller. He attributes the cost surge to decades of overlapping regulations, including local air districts, the state Air Resources Board, legislative actions, and...