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:
Australia’s Battery Fleet Triples Load‑Shifting as 4.4 GW BESS Comes Online in Q1 2026
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said the National Electricity Market added 4,445 MW of large‑scale battery storage in Q1 2026, pushing average discharge to 359 MW – more than three times the level a year earlier. The expansion lifted battery‑set prices to 32% of trading intervals and doubled estimated revenue to AU$96.9 million.
Experts Warn: Nuclear's US Future Remains Uncertain
There’s no shortage of cheerleading about the future of #nuclear energy in the US. That’s why I was pleased to sit down on April 9 at SMU’s Energy Outlook 2026 with Jim Burke and Ray Rothrock. (Sincere thanks to my friends at...
Cuba Is Running Out of Time. We Need Fuel Now to Save Lives | Francisco Pichón
Cuba is facing a deepening energy crisis that has already forced hospitals to postpone tens of thousands of surgeries and disrupted prenatal, dialysis and cancer care. The shortage of fuel hampers water pumping, food services, ambulance operations and the movement...
How Markets Have Responded to Military Action Against Iran : Tracking Crude Oil Prices and Volatility with FRED
The U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iranian nuclear and military sites on February 28, 2026, catching oil markets off guard. Immediate tanker disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz on March 1 caused Brent and WTI prices, along with the VIX, to...
On the Cusp of Sale, Canadian Natural Gas Producer ARC Resources Delivers Bullish Results, Outlook
Shell is moving to acquire Canadian natural‑gas producer ARC Resources, a deal that would give the oil major access to ARC's extensive Montney shale assets. ARC reported record first‑quarter production, underscoring its role in meeting rising global gas demand. The...
Fastmarkets Launches European Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) FOB Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp Outright and Premium Prices: Pricing Notice
Fastmarkets has introduced a suite of eight new price assessments for European hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) FOB Amsterdam‑Rotterdam‑Antwerp, covering outright, premium‑to‑ULSD and gross‑margin spreads across four feedstock categories (crop, used cooking oil, tallow and palm‑oil‑mill effluent). The launch coincides with...
Canada Positioned for $200B Clean Energy Boom, but Faster Approvals Needed: Report
Canada could capture roughly $146 billion USD in clean‑energy investments over the next decade, according to a Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) report. The analysis projects a need for 54‑88 GW of new wind, solar and storage capacity—more than triple current levels—requiring...
Iran Blockade Prediction Matches Current Brent Surge; Little Upside Left
In this post from back in March, I calculated that an Iran blockade would cause Brent to rise 80% from pre-war levels. That's exactly where we are now based on the July Brent future. The case for oil prices to...
Converter Station Built, Offshore Cable Installation Underway in France for Interconnector to Ireland
France’s Nexans has completed the first cable pull‑in on the French side of the Celtic Interconnector, the inaugural 575‑km HVDC link between continental Europe and Ireland. The 700 MW line, built by RTE and EirGrid, will deliver power equivalent to roughly...
India’s Critical Mineral Imports Remain Concentrated, Need Diversification: IEEFA
India’s critical mineral imports remain heavily concentrated, exposing supply‑chain risks as the country pushes its renewable‑energy agenda. A briefing by IEEFA highlights that five key minerals—cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium and nickel—are dominated by a handful of source nations. Chile, Tanzania...
July Oil Futures Hit $108, Pricing Gulf Shortfall
The June Brent future (black) expires today, so a better gauge for oil prices is the July future (pink) that is $108 and up 80% since the start of the year. By any stretch of the imagination, this fully prices...
Solar-Assisted Air-Source Heat Pump for Radiant Floor Heating
Researchers at the University of Calgary have modeled an air‑source heat pump (ASHP) combined with an air‑based solar collector (SAC) to supply radiant floor heating in a typical Calgary bungalow. The hybrid system, simulated in TRNSYS, raised the coefficient of...
US Gas Producer Pens 20-Year Offtake with LNG Project in Louisiana
Expand Energy, the U.S. independent formed by the 2024 merger of Chesapeake and Southwestern Energy, has signed a 20‑year sales and purchase agreement to buy 1.15 million tonnes per annum of LNG from Delfin FLNG 1. The deal, tied to Henry Hub pricing,...
India’s Solar Generation Rose 24% YoY in Q4 FY26: Report
India’s solar generation surged 24% year‑on‑year to 48.9 BU in Q4 FY26, pushing total electricity output up 3% to 464 BU. Peak demand hit a record 256 GW, with 88 of 90 days seeing the highest load during daylight hours, aligning demand with...
An Economic Model for Securing Hormuz
With roughly one‑quarter of global seaborne oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, recent disruptions have highlighted the fragility of the world’s energy supply chain. The authors contend that a military solution to a potential closure is unlikely to succeed...
Montréal’s Deep Sky Partners with French Energy Company ENGIE
Montréal‑based carbon removal firm Deep Sky announced a strategic partnership with French energy multinational ENGIE. Under the deal, ENGIE will buy up to 15,000 direct‑air‑capture (DAC) removal credits generated at facilities such as Deep Sky Alpha in Alberta, a project...
5 Big Energy Stories: EU Madness, UAE Strategy, Donroe Doctrine In Action
European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen used a Brussels address to double‑down on the EU’s renewable‑first strategy, arguing that solar, wind and stationary batteries – largely sourced from China – are the answer to recent oil and LNG supply shocks. The...
Moto to ‘Quadruple’ Number of EV Charging Bays
Moto Hospitality, the UK’s largest motorway services operator, plans to quadruple its electric‑vehicle charging bays across its 60 sites in the coming years. The expansion is funded by a £500 million (≈$635 million) investment programme, building on more than £300 million (≈$381 million) already...
TenneT Set to Start Beach Directional Drilling for Offshore Wind Farm Links
Dutch transmission system operator TenneT is set to start horizontal directional drilling at the Maasvlakte beach to create underground pathways for electricity cables linking three offshore wind farms—IJmuiden Ver Beta, IJmuiden Ver Gamma and Nederwiek 2. The steel casings have been installed, allowing...
Why Mozambique Gas Is Essential to Global Energy Security
The Mozambique LNG project restarted in January, adding 13 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of export capacity and a domestic supply of 400 billion cubic feet per day. Its offshore fields in the Rovuma Basin ship gas directly from the Indian Ocean,...
Webinar: Asia’s Energy Shock - Who Is Most Exposed?
ING is hosting a 30‑minute webinar on May 7 to dissect Asia’s exposure to the recent oil supply shock through the Strait of Hormuz. The session, led by Deepali Bhargava, Lynn Song and Min Joo Kang, will compare strategic oil reserves, import dependence and energy‑mix...
Fastmarkets Discontinues Its Weekly Assessments of Two European Prices for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Effective April 30, 2026
Fastmarkets announced it will cease publishing its weekly AC‑SAF‑0006 and AG‑SAF‑0007 price assessments for sustainable aviation fuel in the Netherlands, effective April 30, 2026. The move follows the Dutch Emissions Authority’s decision to end the HBE‑IXB renewable fuel credits that were embedded...
Energy Drives 2026 Commodity Rally, Metals Lag Behind
Energy Shifts Commodity Sectors - 2026 Performance Energy is pulling other commodity sectors higher in 2026 -- the key question is how far and for how long. Sector performance has reversed from 2025, with energy leading and precious metals lagging. Full report...
ROSI Raises $23 Million to Scale Solar Panel Recycling Capacity
French cleantech firm ROSI announced a €20 million ($23 million) Series B raise to expand its high‑value photovoltaic‑module recycling business across Europe. The funding backs a new 10,000‑ton‑per‑year plant in Teruel, Spain, complementing its existing ROSI Alpes facility. The company’s process extracts high‑purity...
Matrix Renewables, BW ESS Secure Finance and Offtake for over 2.2GWh of UK BESS
Matrix Renewables closed a $311 million non‑recourse loan to build a 1 GWh, 500 MW battery storage plant in Scotland, slated for commercial operation in Q3 2027. EDF partnered with BW ESS to optimise its 350 MW/1,243 MWh Hams Hall BESS under a 10‑year PowerShift agreement, with...
Real Progress Being Made
Europe’s battery supply chain is moving from planning to construction, driven by major funding and planning approvals. The UK pledged £380 million ($480 million) for the Agratas gigafactory and cleared the first phase of Coventry’s £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) Greenpower Park project. Germany’s BASF...
LGES Secures Major Order for Cylindrical Cells – Possibly From BMW
LG Energy Solution announced a new order exceeding 100 GWh for its 46‑mm cylindrical cells, which analysts link to BMW. The contract, valued at roughly $7.7 billion over ten years, lifts LGES's order backlog to over 440 GWh. Production of the 4695 and...
Understanding the World's Most Unusual Commodity Cycle
In this episode, Chris interviews Grant Isaac, COO of Cameco, to unpack why uranium is a uniquely atypical commodity—its primary consumers secure fuel years in advance, leaving virtually no in‑year demand. Isaac explains Cameco’s vertically integrated model, spanning mining, milling,...
Zn‐Na Alloy Interphase Engineering for Fast Kinetics and High Performance in Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Researchers have introduced a dual‑additive electrolyte that creates a NaZn13‑rich alloy interphase on hard‑carbon anodes, dramatically lowering sodium‑ion migration barriers. Zn(OTf)2 decomposes to form this conductive SEI layer, while NaSO2CF3 serves as a sacrificial sodium source that compensates irreversible capacity...
Coordination‐Modulated MOF‐Derived Electrocatalysts for Enhanced C─C Coupling in CO2 to C2H4 and C2H5OH Conversion
The review outlines mechanistic pathways for electrochemical CO₂ reduction to ethylene and ethanol using MOF‑derived electrocatalysts. It integrates studies of *CO intermediates, in‑situ spectroscopy of dynamic active sites, and DFT calculations of energy barriers. Future directions include machine‑learning‑guided MOF screening,...
Arlington Capital Partners Merges ENERCON with POND to Build $6B Power‑Engineering Platform
Arlington Capital Partners has acquired ENERCON from Oaktree‑managed funds and merged it with its portfolio company Pond & Company, forming a new ENERCON platform with more than 2,700 engineers. The deal, described as Arlington’s largest platform build, leverages its $6 bn...
Oil Prices Swing $15 in 48 Hours, Threatening Economy
Crazy price volatility in the oil market: In less than 48 hours, Brent crude has swung from a local low of $111 to a high of $126 and is currently trading at around $116 (Bloomberg chart below). This level of instability is...
Economist's Forecast Proven: Hormuz Strait Still Closed
The Economist cover is right this time [if Hormuz remains closed, which is still is] https://t.co/s9dyaHjaCU
Anker Solix Launches 7 kWh Modular Battery with 5 kWh Bidirectional Inverter
Anker Solix unveiled the XE, an all‑in‑one residential energy storage system that pairs a 7 kWh battery with a 5 kW bidirectional inverter. The unit features AI‑driven management, a 10,000‑cycle lifespan and 100 % depth‑of‑discharge, and can be commissioned in roughly five minutes....
Belgium to Nationalize All Nuclear Reactors, Stop Decommissioning
Belgium plans to nationalize all the country's nuclear power reactors, and says that plans to decommission the plants are now "halted with immediate effect."
China Boosts May Fuel Exports, Still Below Last‑year Average
China is allowing more exports of jet fuel, diesel and gasoline in May. Were reporting about 500,000 tons. A big improvement but well off the monthly average last year
Woodside Completes Scarborough FPU Subsea Link Ahead of LNG Start-Up
Woodside Energy has finished installing a subsea fibre‑optic link that connects its Scarborough floating production unit, 375 km off Karratha, to its Perth headquarters. The more than 1,000 km cable runs at depths up to 5,000 m, enabling high‑volume data transfer, remote monitoring...
Rising Gas Prices May Be Price for Nuclear Deterrence
You can argue that high gas prices are a price worth paying, vis-a-vis the possibility of a nuclear Iran. Reasonable people can disagree on that. You can't argue that gas prices aren't at their highest rate in 4 years, and climbing....
Brent Crude Poised for Peak After Slingshot Reversal
Slingshot reversal in Brent Crude and The Economist telling us oil is too low. Could be the top in crude. https://t.co/uw1b5IxUUm
Fastmarkets Launches Used Cooking Oil, FOB Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Ghent
Fastmarkets has introduced a daily price index for used cooking oil (UCO) FOB Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Ghent, reflecting growing demand for waste‑based biofuel feedstocks in Europe. In 2024, waste‑derived inputs reached 9 million tonnes, with UCO representing 24 percent of biofuel...
US Gas Prices Surge to $4.30, Adding $70 Monthly
Oof. The US national gas average just hit $4.30, according to AAA. That's the highest since July 2022. Gas prices have shot up $1.40 since the war in Iran began. That's adding ~$70 extra a month to household costs. #gas #inflation...
US Becomes Top Crude Exporter, Overtaking Saudi Arabia
Clearly an anomaly that will end when the Strait of Hormuz re-opens. Still, noteworthy: tanker tracker @Petro_Logistics reckons the US was the world's largest crude oil exporter (note: crude) in April, overtaking leader Saudi Arabia (and ahead of Russia, the...
Fastmarkets Launches Crude Palm Oil Mill Effluent, CIF Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, $/Tonne on Thursday April 30
Fastmarkets announced a new weekly price assessment for crude palm oil mill effluent (POME) delivered CIF to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp, quoted in US dollars per tonne. The launch comes as EU demand for waste‑based biofuel feedstocks has surged to...
Mission 300 Partners Scale Finance to Electr
Mission 300, the initiative to electrify 300 million people by 2030 is underway. @WorldBankGroup @AfDB_Group @SEforALLorg @RockefellerFdn & @EnergyAlliance are partnering with governments & key stakeholders to scale finance and close #energyaccess gaps. https://t.co/pRD9VwwERF https://t.co/kPN48yxtdl
Economist Predicts Oil Still Undervalued, Prices Set to Rise
Oh dear, the curse of The Economist's oil cover: "... Why oil prices are not yet high enough..." You know what that means, don't you? https://t.co/fWwZunxd0P
PJM Reopens Interconnection Queue, 800+ Projects Add 220 GW, Gas‑Fired Leads with 106 GW
PJM Interconnection has relaunched its interconnection queue, attracting more than 800 generation projects that together represent 220 GW of capacity. Gas‑fired plants dominate the pipeline with 106 GW, while storage, nuclear and renewables fill the remainder, signaling a mixed future for the...
Brent Futures Hold Tight Within $13 Range, No News
The (expiring) front-month Brent oil contract has traded today within a ~$13 range in absolutely no-news.
San Diego Gasoline Prices Top $6 as Iran Conflict Fuels Oil Surge
San Diego County’s self‑serve regular gasoline hit $6.04 per gallon, the highest since October 2023, as Brent crude climbs above $116 a barrel amid the Iran‑Hormuz standoff. Analysts warn the spike will linger while geopolitical tensions persist.
POSTECH's Tree‑Branch Nano‑Electrode Delivers 7× Capacity Boost for Solid‑State Batteries
POSTECH and Pukyong National University scientists announced a tree‑branch‑shaped 3D nano‑electrode that raises all‑solid‑state battery capacity about seven times under fast charge‑discharge cycles. The design creates microscopic gaps that let solid electrolytes fully infiltrate the electrode, promising safer, longer‑lasting energy...
Oil Prices Jump To Four-Year Highs On US-Iran Tensions
Oil prices surged to four‑year highs as stalled U.S.–Iran peace talks and credible reports of U.S. military action raised fears of prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude for June delivery peaked at $126.41 a barrel, while July...