Ireland’s Fuel Protests Should Accelerate Farm Electrification
The April fuel protests at Ireland’s Whitegate refinery exposed the fragility of the country’s rural energy model, prompting a €755 million (~$822 million) emergency relief package. While agriculture accounts for only 3% of national energy use, 86% of farm energy is still oil‑based, highlighting a clear electrification opportunity. Existing technologies—rooftop solar, heat pumps, efficient motors, and light‑vehicle EVs—can already replace a large share of fixed and thermal farm loads, especially on dairy, pig and poultry operations. A phased policy roadmap targeting farms, contractor depots, and grid upgrades could cut diesel dependence, lower operating costs, and improve energy security.
How the Aviation Industry Is Turning Captured Carbon and Sunshine Into Jet Fuel
The aviation sector, responsible for about 4 % of global emissions, is turning to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to meet rising demand while cutting its carbon footprint. SAF is produced via Fischer‑Tropsch synthesis, merging captured CO₂ with hydrogen, but the process...
Productivity in the Permafrost
U.S. oil well productivity is entering a slowdown, with some analysts suggesting the cycle may have turned negative. In contrast, Canadian operators continue to post gains, driven by four tailwinds: rising productivity, reduced capital requirements, higher oil prices, and a...
Ukraine Opens a New Front in Africa
Ukraine has escalated its maritime campaign against Russian shipping by deploying armed drones in the Mediterranean and extending operations toward Africa. In December 2025, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian oil tanker Qendil about 250 km off Libya, and three months...
RWE And EMR Transform Fire-Damaged Components Of Scroby Sands Turbine
RWE has partnered with UK recycler EMR to deconstruct and recycle fire‑damaged components from its Scroby Sands offshore wind turbine. Over 140 tonnes of steel, aluminium, copper and composite materials were recovered, achieving a 99% recycling rate and avoiding more than...
Australia Institute on Gaslighting; Risky Flood Proposal; GetUp and Hanson; STH BNK by Beulah
A Nationals senator is fact‑checking the Australia Institute’s claim that a 25% gas export tax could fund free university and childcare, as the federal government reconsiders a new gas tax. In New South Wales, the state faces backlash for proposing...
The Cautious Optimism Holds as Markets Wait on US-Iran Talks Next
Iran has re‑imposed a de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, signaling a hard‑line stance ahead of upcoming US‑Iran talks. President Trump is publicly confident a new deal will surpass the 2015 JCPOA, fueling market optimism despite mixed signals. Oil...
LNG Has Killed Australia
Australia has moved to introduce a gas reservation policy intended to secure domestic LNG supplies, a shift that could reshape the nation’s export landscape. The policy’s principle has been accepted, but its detailed design remains unsettled, leaving exporters uncertain about...
If Labor Cares About Fairness, It Will Cut EV Subsidies
Australian electric vehicle sales surged in March, reaching a record 15,839 units – a 42% jump from February – and EVs made up 14.6% of all new car sales in February. The primary catalyst has been the Fringe Benefits Tax...
Jet Fuel Shipments Tank; Global Supply In-Transit Plunges 60%
Global jet and kerosene fuel volumes in transit by tanker have fallen 60% since March 1, 2026, with European‑bound shipments plunging 80%, according to Kpler data. The drop reflects tighter refinery output and shifting demand patterns. Industries that rely on just‑in‑time delivery...
What the Gas Tax Debate Reveals About the Industry
A proposed 25% export tax on Western Australia’s LNG is sparking public outrage and a high‑profile protest at Woodside Energy’s AGM. The debate highlights that roughly 80% of the state’s gas exports escape royalties, allowing companies like Woodside to anticipate...
Xi Wants Strait of Hormuz Opened; NDRC Head on Security and Development; Cake Order Leads to Huge Fines; Solar Industry...
President Xi Jinping, in a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urged an immediate ceasefire and emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open for normal passage. The Chinese readout framed the strait’s uninterrupted flow as serving...
Europe Could Run Out of Jet Fuel in Six Weeks
The International Energy Agency warns that Europe could exhaust its jet‑fuel supplies within six weeks as the Iran‑Houthi conflict tightens the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 75% of the continent’s net oil imports come from the Middle East, and the disruption...
Daily Energy Report
EU LNG imports surged to a record 10.17 million tons in March 2026, a 10% month‑on‑month increase. The United States dominated the supply mix, providing 55.7% of all EU LNG cargoes, while Russia’s share slipped to 17.9% ahead of a planned ban....
As Cuba’s Grid Fails, Solar Power Becomes a Lifeline
The Trump administration’s 2026 fuel blockade has crippled Cuba’s oil‑dependent grid, leading to daily blackouts that exceed 20 hours and a humanitarian crisis in hospitals and streets. In response, Cuba’s renewable share jumped to 10% in 2025, driven by a...
Phenom Reports on MK Plus Progress to Commercialization, the Solid-State Vanadium Battery Company
Phenom Resources announced that its 5%‑owned partner MK Plus is moving toward commercial rollout of vanadium solid‑state batteries. The Japanese firm has secured a manufacturing facility in Sweden and received an EU Certificate of Availability plus a 2.5 GWh order from...
AI Algorithm Helps Optimize AGR, and Save Amine, Steam and Power
Yokogawa has deployed autonomous‑control AI agents, based on its Factorial Kernel Dynamic Policy Programming (FKDPP) reinforcement‑learning algorithm, to optimize acid‑gas‑removal (AGR) at Saudi Aramco’s Fadhili gas plant. The agents were trained in a simulated environment, validated for safety, and integrated...
Strait of Hormuz Closed Again as Iran-US Talks Stall...Again.
Iran re‑imposed full control over the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in zero oil tanker transits—the first complete closure in its modern history. The U.S. naval blockade, now in its seventh day, has turned back more than a dozen vessels, prompting...
Connecting the Regulatory Dots Shaping Texas Energy | Reading and Podcast Picks - April 20, 2026
Texas regulators and ERCOT are confronting a surge of roughly 410 GW of new load applications, about 90% of which are data‑center projects, as the state positions itself in the national AI race. A CSIS report ties together recent PUCT and...
Inferno and Infamy: April 20's Darkest Hours
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded off Louisiana, killing 11 crew members and sinking after 36 hours. The blast triggered the Macondo well to spew up to 60,000 barrels of oil per day, releasing roughly 5 million...
OM in the News: Running a Factory on Recycled EV Batteries
Rivian will power its Normal, Illinois factory with more than 100 second‑life EV batteries, creating the largest repurposed‑battery storage system for a U.S. automaker. The 10 megawatt‑hour installation will supply on‑site electricity during peak‑demand periods, reducing reliance on the grid and...
Trump’s $1 Billion TotalEnergies Deal Is ‘Worthless’
The Trump administration offered to pay TotalEnergies roughly $1 billion to cancel its offshore wind leases, positioning the funds as a boost for U.S. oil and gas development. Heatmap analysis shows the deal is effectively worthless because TotalEnergies was already slated...
TMTB Morning Wrap
Iran’s seizure of a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz sparked a 50‑basis‑point drop in futures and a 6% rally in oil, while Asian equity markets posted broad gains, led by SoftBank (+5%) and Hynix (+2%). The week’s earnings calendar...
Gas Confusion
The anticipated plunge in LNG prices as U.S. exporters rushed to capture Asian demand has not materialized, and the expected surge of LNG as Asia’s primary fuel is also lagging. Despite a wave of new U.S. export terminals adding capacity,...
Exclusive: Where We’re At in the Race to Save the Planet
Kleiner Perkins chair John Doerr and co‑author Ryan Panchadsaram have unveiled an updated Speed & Scale tracker ahead of San Francisco Climate Week. The new version swaps UN emissions estimates for Climate TRACE satellite data, raising global annual emissions to roughly 74 gigatons....
Green vs Baseload: The Most Suitable Energy for a Developing Country?
In a Cirrus Investor Conference speech, Namibia’s energy chief warned that the green‑versus‑baseload debate is far from simple for developing nations. With only about 50% of the population electrified and rural access lagging behind 70‑80%, the country relies heavily on...
5 Big Energy Stories - 4.20.2026: Here We Go Again
Oil markets surged as the Strait of Hormuz repeatedly opened and closed, pushing Brent crude into the mid‑$90s and WTI back into the high $80s. President Trump’s mixed signals—promising a cease‑fire with Iran while threatening to destroy its power infrastructure—added...
President Trump Says Gas Prices ‘Not Very High’
President Donald Trump told reporters that current gasoline prices are “not very high,” even as U.S. drivers face an average increase of more than $1 per gallon—a roughly 33% jump since the Iran‑related conflict began. A recent CBS poll shows...
Maybe It Wasn’t Such a Hot Idea to Turn Libya Into a Failed State: 2026 Shortages Edition
Europe faces imminent jet‑fuel shortages as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, forcing the bloc to look again at North African supplies. Libya, once a reliable source of 1.65 million barrels per day of light crude and sizable gas exports, has...
Hormuz: No Longer a Shipping Lane
The Strait of Hormuz, once a predictable conduit for global oil, is now a contested battlefield. Recent missile strikes have turned commercial vessels into direct targets, and Iranian‑aligned forces are enforcing control with military force. This structural shift has slowed...
CATL to Unveil Sodium Battery and Fast-Charging Tech at Apr 21 Tech Day
China's battery giant CATL announced its most technology‑dense launch event for April 21, where it will unveil sodium‑ion batteries, condensed‑cell formats, and next‑generation fast‑charging solutions. The sodium‑ion cells retain 90% of capacity at –40 °C and are slated for a joint vehicle...
Petrobras (PBR) Upgraded at BofA Amid Higher Oil Prices
Bank of America upgraded Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) from Neutral to Buy on April 17, raising its price target from $18.70 to $24.80 – a upside of more than 21% at current levels. The move reflects BofA’s higher oil‑price assumptions amid the...
Monday’s Headlines Should Wean Themselves Off Fossil Fuels
The United States’ dependence on diesel for freight has translated into a $71 annual cost per household after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, even for non‑diesel drivers. Meanwhile, higher gasoline prices are being partially offset by stricter fuel‑efficiency...
Using Today’s Futures, Don’t Expect Gasoline Prices to Soon Return to Antebellum Levels*
The article uses a log‑difference regression linking Brent futures to regular gasoline prices, finding a conditional forecast that gasoline will stay above pre‑conflict levels. The model (1990‑2026) explains 56% of price movements, but the author warns that futures have underperformed...
Confidence in Carney’s Pipeline Promise Sinks: Energy Industry Survey
A new ATB Cormark Capital Markets survey shows confidence that a new Canadian oil pipeline will receive fast‑track federal approval has slipped to 46%, down from 52% a year earlier. At the same time, belief that the Liberal government will...
Washington's Renewed Russian Oil Sanctions Waiver Will Help Their Shared Indian Partner
The U.S. Treasury Department renewed its waiver on Russian oil sanctions, allowing India to continue importing Russian crude for another month. India’s purchases jumped to roughly 1.98 million barrels per day in March, bolstering its 6.5% GDP growth trajectory. The move...
Proposed Solar Project Could Convert over 800 Acres of Farmland in Rural Michigan
DTE Energy has filed a proposal for a large‑scale solar farm in Ingersoll Township, Midland County, that could cover 600 to 800 acres of privately owned farmland. The development is slated to produce up to 129 megawatts, enough to power...
Prediction Markets on Hormuz Strait and June Brent Futures: 6:30PM ET
Prediction‑market platform Kalshi shows the probability of normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz by May 15 slipping to 37 %, down from earlier optimism. The market also priced a 5.9 % jump in June Brent crude futures, reflecting heightened geopolitical tension. The...
200 Bidirectional EV Chargers To Be Used In Trial
Sweden’s state‑owned utility Vattenfall, together with Energy Bank and Volkswagen, will deploy 200 bidirectional electric‑vehicle chargers as a pilot. The chargers can both charge EVs and discharge stored energy back to the grid, creating a distributed virtual power plant. If...
Nippon Express, Nikon Renew SAF Air Cargo Agreement
Nippon Express and Nikon have renewed their sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) agreement for air cargo, extending the partnership from May through December 2025. The deal leverages Nippon Express’s NX‑GREEN SAF Program to generate CO₂ reduction certificates for Nikon’s shipments, directly...
Asian Marco Initial Thoughts: Things to Know Before Trading Asia on Monday. If the Straits of Hormuz Are Closed Markets...
Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz is closed after three tankers were attacked, reigniting fears of an energy shock in Asia. The closure, coupled with North Korea’s missile launches, is expected to push Asian equity markets lower on Monday unless...
February 9, 2016
On February 9, 2016 the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency stay halting the Clean Power Plan, a move that surprised many observers because it was the first time the Court granted a stay while a case was pending. Justice Anton Scalia cast...
The Strait Tightens Again
Iran has again restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oil. The move follows Washington’s decision to keep its blockade of Iranian ports in place, escalating the long‑standing U.S.–Iran standoff....
From Friday High Fives to Monday Morning Blues ?
A sharp oil rally over the weekend was driven more by trader positioning and flow dynamics than by any genuine improvement in fundamentals. The sudden shift from an open to a threatened Strait of Hormuz forced the market to price...
Senate Bill Wants Commercial Reactors On Federal Land
Senators Mike Lee and Dave McCormick introduced the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Deployment Act (NEIDA) on April 14, 2026, proposing that the Department of Energy (DOE) be authorized to license and regulate commercial nuclear reactors and fuel‑cycle facilities located on...
Victory Lap to Crisis: Trump’s Hormuz Claim Backfires Almost Instantly
President Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz "open" after Iran’s foreign minister announced a temporary cease‑fire, prompting a brief dip in oil prices. Within hours, Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels fired on ships and re‑imposed strict controls, turning the perceived...
The Price of War
The Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that moves roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oil, has been effectively shut after Israel’s heavy strikes on Lebanon and U.S. sanctions on non‑Iranian tankers. The closure coincides with a fragile cease‑fire and a U.S....
Rotterdam Bunker Volumes Fall as Fossil Fuels Drive Decline
Bunker sales at the Port of Rotterdam fell about 25% in Q1 2026 versus the same period a year earlier, driven primarily by a sharp drop in fossil fuel deliveries. Very‑low‑sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) plunged 44%, while high‑sulphur fuel oil (HSFO)...
Some Key Notes on the Strait of Hormuz Standoff
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) re‑closed the Strait of Hormuz, overriding the civilian government’s position. The post highlights Iran’s fragmented power structure—an ayatollah, a civilian administration, and a semi‑autonomous IRGC—making coherent policy difficult. It argues that the U.S. Navy’s...
Leaked Supreme Court Memos Reveal Why Court Stayed Clean Power Plan (Setting Important "Shadow Docket" Precedent in the Process)
Leaked internal Supreme Court memos reveal why the justices granted a stay of the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, citing fears of billions in irreversible utility compliance costs and the need for robust judicial review. The chief justice and conservative...