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:
The Price of Darkness: A Look at Blackout Economics
The Energy Bad Boys outlet announced a forthcoming report titled “Social Cost of Blackouts.” The study urges the EPA and utility regulators to embed hourly reliability assessments—grounded in historical weather data—into power‑plant rulemaking and integrated resource plans. It further calls for a systematic calculation of the economic damages caused by outages. By quantifying blackout costs, the report aims to make reliability a core metric in energy policy decisions.
PJM: Over 800 Power Projects in the Works
PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator for Pennsylvania and eleven neighboring states, announced it is reviewing more than 800 applications to build and connect new power projects—the first such review in four years. The surge in proposals reflects mounting electricity...
Yes, Nuclear. How Much? How Soon?
Robert Bryce’s May 8, 2026 column recaps a candid discussion with SMU Energy Outlook 2026 panelists Jim Burke and Ray Rothrock on the realistic outlook for U.S. nuclear power. The experts, both seasoned electricity‑market analysts, argue that while nuclear remains a low‑carbon option,...
California's Battery Array as Powerful as 12 Nuclear Plants
California’s grid discharged just over 12,000 MW from battery storage, matching the output of twelve large nuclear plants. The discharge covered more than 40% of the state’s electricity demand during a peak evening period in late March. This is the first...
Mozambique Slashes Diesel Affordability with 46% Price Surge Amid Iran War Shock
On May 7, 2026, Mozambique lifted regulated diesel prices by 46%, the steepest hike in the region, as the Iran war pushes global oil costs higher. The move joins Ethiopia, Gambia and Zambia in tightening fuel subsidies, exposing Africa’s vulnerability...
Indigenous Groups Warn Amazon Oil Expansion Tests Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Coalition
Indigenous leaders at the Santa Marta conference warned that expanding oil drilling in the Amazon threatens the credibility of the emerging fossil‑fuel phase‑out coalition. They called for permanent exclusion zones—dubbed “Life Zones”—to protect Indigenous territories and biodiverse areas, but the final...
Upstream Oil and Gas Deal Value Plunges Amid Oil Price Uncertainty
Upstream oil and gas M&A value collapsed to $5.55 bn in March, an 83% drop from February’s $32 bn, while the number of deals stayed flat at 35. South America accounted for 55% of the month’s value, led by Prime Infrastructure’s $1.4 bn...
250+ Onshore Wind Projects Stalled as Pentagon Freezes Permitting
The U.S. Department of Defense has halted its routine permitting reviews for onshore wind projects on private land, creating a de‑facto moratorium that affects more than 250 projects nationwide. The pause threatens roughly 30 GW of potential generation capacity, according to...
Some LNG Passing Through Strait of Hormuz as Operators Conceal Vessel Movements
UAE state‑owned ADNOC and charterers are deliberately masking the movements of LNG tankers to slip cargoes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship‑tracking firm Kpler. The Mubaraz became the first fully loaded LNG vessel to transit the waterway since...
PPC Plans 34 Fast-Charging Sites in Greece and Romania
Greece’s Public Power Corporation (PPC) will roll out 106 fast and ultra‑fast electric‑vehicle chargers at 34 strategically placed sites across Greece and Romania. The deployment, part of the EU‑backed Blue Route 4E programme, is funded with up to €3.42 million (about $3.7 million)...
Backwardation Masks True Oil Price, Reflects Convenience Yield
Below we see the front contract for crude oil, as well as its 9-month forward (purple line). For WTI the spread is $109 vs $75. That’s called backwardation, and the lazy interpretation (of which I have been guilty) is that...
Colorado Approves Balcony Solar, Requires Utilities to Accept Meter Collars
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed HB‑26‑1007, legalizing plug‑in balcony solar and setting safety standards for the devices. The law also mandates that utilities and homeowners' associations cannot unreasonably block these systems and requires the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules...
Interconnection Delays Push Texas Data Center Behind the Meter
Industrial developer BaRupOn bought 700 acres in Liberty County, Texas, to build a chemical plant, but $35 million interconnection fees and utility delays until 2029 forced a pivot to behind‑the‑meter power and an AI‑focused data center. The company secured permits for...
How AI Is Helping Legacy HVAC Systems Meet New York City’s Emissions Standards
Entech is retrofitting legacy HVAC systems with AI‑driven sensors and control software to help New York City buildings meet Local Law 97’s emissions mandates. Early adopters have already saved about $42 million and cut carbon output by roughly 137,000 tons, averaging a 22%...
Premium PV Module Prices Rise in Europe Despite Softer April Demand
European premium solar‑module prices kept climbing in April despite a dip in the PV Purchasing Managers’ Index, which fell to 66 from 68, signalling slower demand growth. TOPCon bifacial and monofacial modules rose 9% and 6% respectively, reaching €0.117/Wp ($0.13)...
Oil Shock May Mirror 2022 Spike, Not Gulf War
Not to rain on this bullish parade, but there is a left tail lurking out there in the Strait of Hormuz. The more I learn about the mechanics of the energy market, the more concerned I am that what the...
Binhai Energy Shifts From 15GW Solar Plant to Batteries
Binhai Energy terminates 15GW ingot/cell manufacturing plant, redirects resources to battery sector #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/8fwXGeiuO4
Why Procurement Has Become a Grid Reliability Issue: ULE
Utilities are increasingly seeing equipment lead times—especially for medium‑voltage gear and transformers—turn into a critical reliability bottleneck. Projects that have completed design often stall when key components arrive late, forcing crews to wait and budgets to swell. The industry is...
Colorado Mandates Utility Acceptance of Balcony Solar
Colorado approves balcony solar, requires utilities to accept meter collars #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/0dozhC7ITo
ReVision Installs 1.34 MW Solar on Former Landfill
ReVision to build 1.34-MW community solar array atop former landfill #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/X1tmxqsNnM
Konti Skan Connect Project Suspended Amid EU Grid Funding Dispute
Sweden’s Energy Minister Ebba Busch announced a pause on the Konti‑Skan Connect interconnector, a 1,000 MW HVDC link slated to replace the aging 715 MW cables between Sweden and Denmark. The suspension is tied to a dispute with the European Commission over...
India's Rooftop Solar Powers 14.4GW Installations in Q1
India’s rooftop solar drives PV installations to 14.4GW in Q1 2026 #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/PLOHGctxDc
Iran Seizes Its Own Crude Amid Booming Trade
When your Iranian oil trade is so hot that Iran seizes its own crude back. https://t.co/LSKsv5pbu8
Eversource CEO: ‘We Are Resisting Data Centers’
Eversource Energy CEO Joe Nolan told investors the utility will actively resist new data‑center development in its New England service area, warning that such loads would push wholesale electricity prices higher. The company reported ISO‑NE wholesale prices rising to $112.71...
Bangladesh Aims for 8.5 GW Solar Capacity by 2035
Bangladesh’s PV capacity to reach 8.5 GW by 2035, says GlobalData #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/8cpEA2fbzV
Trump Family's Oil Futures Insider Trading Acts as Tax
The insider trading on oil futures by Trump family and friends is a tax on oil https://t.co/UKdAgqjksN
Heliox Pilots Its New Flex Pro 480 kW DC Fast EV Charger with King County Metro
Heliox, a Siemens business, is piloting its new Flex Pro 480 kW DC fast charger with Seattle‑area transit agency King County Metro. The compact 12‑sq‑ft unit supports CCS1 and high‑current pantograph charging, delivering up to six simultaneous charging sessions. Operators can choose...
SEG Solar to Launch 4GW US Plant Q3 2026
SEG Solar to open new US 4GW module assembly plant in Q3 2026 #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/QrJjTm3VT6
Sweden Scraps Denmark Power Link over EU Funding Dispute
JUST IN: Sweden cancels plans for a power cable to Denmark due to a dispute over EU funding plan.
Binhai Energy Terminates 15GW Ingot/Cell Manufacturing Plant, Redirects Resources to Battery Sector
Chinese energy firm Tianjin Binhai Energy has scrapped its planned 15 GW ingot‑pulling and PV‑cell manufacturing complex in Inner Mongolia, citing a collapse in solar‑module prices and industry overcapacity. The board approved a termination proposal and redirected capital toward silicon‑carbon anode...
India’s Rooftop Solar Drives PV Installations to 14.4GW in Q1 2026
Solar PV installations in India surged to a record 14.4 GW in Q1 2026, an 85.7% year‑on‑year increase. The growth was driven largely by the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana rooftop program, which has added nearly 10 GW of capacity since its...
Zambia Introduces Carbon Feed-In Premium Programme to Accelerate Solar Energy and Climate Investment
On April 1, 2026 Zambia’s Ministry of Green Economy and Environment launched a Carbon Feed‑In Premium (CFIP) programme designed to attract roughly $420 million of investment into grid‑connected renewable projects, primarily solar with battery storage. The first phase targets 300 MW of solar...
Uganda Targets Fossil-Fuel Free Public Transport by 2030
Uganda announced a $1.7 billion public‑transport electrification plan aiming to replace all buses and boda‑bodas with electric models by 2030. The initiative, part of the Fourth National Development Plan and the National E‑Mobility Strategy, has already secured $800 million in funding commitments....
Amplify Battery Cell Manufacturing JV Faces More Delays
Daimler Truck announced a $235 million impairment charge as the Amplify Cell Technologies battery‑cell joint venture in Mississippi encounters further delays. The 2.6‑million‑square‑foot plant, projected to cost $2‑3 billion, had already seen its production start pushed from 2027 to 2028, and the...
Patrick Kangwa Highlights Zambia’s Energy Sector Progress and 10,000MW Power Ambition
Zambia aims to boost installed power capacity from roughly 3,000 MW to 10,000 MW by 2030, according to Cabinet Secretary Patrick Kangwa. The government has rolled out the Electricity Open Access Regulations and an Energy Single Licensing System to attract private investment,...
US Shoots Down Empty Iranian Oil Tankers
US has disabled another two Iranian unladen oil tankers, this time by firing into their smokestacks, thereby stopping them from crossing into the Persian Gulf. Two days ago, the US also disabled another empty Iranian oil tanker by firing into...
KPI Green Energy Bags ₹621-Cr Order From NTPC Renewable Energy
KPI Green Energy announced a ₹621 crore (≈ $76 million) contract with NTPC Renewable Energy to supply balance‑of‑system (BOS) equipment for 500 MW of solar PV capacity in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The deal is split into a 300 MW block worth ₹367 crore and a 200 MW block...
Trump Administration Violates Alaska Native Agreement, Sells Land to Oil Companies
In December 2025 the Trump administration’s Interior Department cancelled a 2024 right‑of‑way agreement that protected Teshekpuk Lake in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, a deal originally secured by the Nuiqsut village in exchange for support of the Willow oil project. A...
EU Allows Airlines US Jet Fuel Amid Hormuz Blockade
EU to say airlines can use US jet fuel amid Hormuz block https://t.co/ejV7yc5J0O via @E_Krukowska @AlbertoNardelli @JWittels @kate__duffy https://t.co/2oxjn1b2x3
Arrow Brings Colombia Well on Stream After Pay Hit
Arrow Exploration announced that its Mateguafa HZ12 appraisal well on Colombia’s Tapir block has intersected multiple oil‑bearing zones and entered production in April. The well is currently delivering about 564 barrels of oil per day at a restricted rate, with...
US Home Solar Bust Worsens After Trump Ends Subsidies
The U.S. residential solar market is collapsing after President Trump ended the federal homeowner tax credit and lease‑subsidy program, prompting bankruptcies at major installers like Freedom Forever and soft sales for Tesla, Enphase, SolarEdge and Sunrun. Analysts forecast a contraction...
Residential Solar Demand Shifts From Incentives to Infrastructure as Homeowners Seek Control
The U.S. residential solar market is moving from an incentive‑driven luxury to a necessity, as homeowners chase energy independence amid rising utility rates and grid instability. The expiration of the 25D tax credit and higher interest rates are reshaping financing,...
Pakistan Shuns Spot LNG
Pakistan’s state‑owned LNG arm rejected an emergency spot‑market tender for two May cargoes, betting that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen and cheaper long‑term supplies from Qatar will arrive. The decision follows a cease‑fire in the US‑Iran conflict but comes...
Renewable Energy Beats Direct Air Capture on Cost
#RenewableEnergy is more cost effective than direct air capture at reducing carbon, study finds by Boston University @TechXplore_com Learn more: https://t.co/j3pkaIHXEA #Sustainability #CleanEnergy https://t.co/2SQZlVmWaD
Guindos: Hormuz Status Crucial for June ECB
ECB’s Guindos says the status of Hormuz will be key for the June meeting (at which point he will no longer be in office) https://t.co/mviPQJ2pQ4 via @MacarenaMunozM https://t.co/4oMA54Kjhz
Interfacial Charge Redistribution–Driven Two‐Electron Conversion in Ni0.85Se@Mo‐Doped NiCo‐LDH for High‐Power Electrochemical Energy Storage
Researchers engineered a hierarchical Ni0.85Se core coated with a Mo‑doped NiCo‑LDH shell on hydrophilic carbon cloth, creating a heterostructure that leverages interfacial charge redistribution and oxygen‑vacancy defects. This electronic modulation accelerates ion and electron transport, unlocking a two‑electron redox pathway...
Toward Stable and Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells: Unlocking the Potential of Porous PbI2 Scaffolds via Two‐Step Sequential Deposition
A new review highlights porous PbI2 scaffolds as a game‑changer for perovskite solar cells fabricated via two‑step sequential deposition. By tailoring porosity through solvent engineering, molecular additives, ionic liquids, sacrificial templates, and interfacial modifications, the PbI2 layer becomes highly permeable,...
Vacancy‐Engineered Interfacial Electrons Modulation in NiCo Hydroxide/MoS2 Heterostructures for Boosted OER Electrocatalysis
Researchers engineered NiCo hydroxide/MoS2 heterostructures with either molybdenum or sulfur vacancies to probe interfacial electron dynamics. Mo‑vacancy samples dramatically improved charge transfer, lowering the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) overpotential to 256 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and delivering a Tafel slope of 68.5 mV dec⁻¹....
UK Car Makers Exceed EV Targets, Over‑comply with ZEV Mandate
FACTCHECK: What the UK car industry is not saying about EV targets Despite all the "demand is falling short" narratives, they're actually smashing it! The industry has so far "over-complied" with the ZEV mandate – and it's on track for this year too https://t.co/4OejBC5C6G...
One Blade Push Supplies 25% of Victoria’s Power
One blade push = 25% of Victoria, Australia's power needs. Undoubtedly one of the most efficient mining operations worldwide… https://t.co/0YhqxyRvjB