Texas-California Clean Power Race Heats Up | Reading and Podcast Picks - Mar. 23, 2026
Texas set a new solar generation record of over 33 GW, overtaking California as the nation’s leader in utility‑scale solar. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects Texas will supply roughly 40% of all new solar capacity and 53% of battery storage added in 2026. Meanwhile, Texas households face a 30% jump in electricity rates since 2020, driven by rising transmission costs, population growth and a surge in data‑center and AI demand. Lawmakers are debating policies that could either accelerate or hinder this renewable expansion.
Climate Issues in the 2026 Governor’s Race: Building Decarbonization and Energy Efficiency
California’s 2026 gubernatorial race spotlights building decarbonization as a linchpin for the state’s climate and affordability agenda. Buildings account for roughly a quarter of the state’s emissions, and the aging natural‑gas distribution network is inflating utility bills for homeowners and...
Whole System Thinking
DNV’s latest Energy Transition Outlook warns the United Kingdom is missing a whole‑system approach to decarbonisation. The senior VP highlighted that fragmented policies across electricity, transport and industry risk derailing the 2050 net‑zero target. Without integrating socio‑economic, biodiversity and financing...
UAE Resumes Operations at Its Largest Gas Processing Facility After Shutdown Last Week
The United Arab Emirates has restarted its Habshan gas‑processing complex, the nation’s largest facility, after a week‑long shutdown triggered by Iranian attacks. The plant now supplies the domestic gas network, drawing fuel from Qatar via the Dolphin pipeline, but the...
The Gulf Was Silicon Valley’s Bet on the Future. Trump Has Put It in the Crosshairs
Iran’s drones struck three Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and Bahrain, marking the first confirmed military attack on a hyperscale cloud provider. The incident shatters the assumption of stability that underpinned a multi‑billion‑dollar AI partnership between Silicon...
A Compounding Oil Shock: Part III
The article proposes a "Supply Accord" – a coordinated fiscal‑monetary framework to tackle a persistent, geopolitically‑driven oil shock that has moved from price spikes to real supply constraints. It argues that the Fed’s rate tool can protect the inflation anchor...
Cavotec Secures €3M Shore Power Order for Southern Italy Ports
Cavotec has won a €3 million contract to install its PowerFeed, PowerReach and PowerMove shore‑power systems across several Southern Italy ports. The equipment will let cruise, container and RoRo vessels draw electricity from the grid while docked, eliminating the need for...
Lloyd’s Register Partners with Echo Marine Group to Deliver Electric Ferry Fleet
Lloyd’s Register has entered a partnership with Echo Marine Group to certify the design and construction of five battery‑electric passenger ferries for Perth’s Swan River, creating Western Australia’s first fully electric ferry fleet. The vessels are part of the METRONET...
How to Burn Less Oil
The blog argues that cutting oil use hinges on time horizon: short‑run reductions require steep price hikes or drastic behavior shifts, while the long‑run offers ample room for vehicle replacement with fuel‑efficient or electric models. Recent geopolitical tension, exemplified by...
The Hormuz Panic Spiral: How Market Fear and Policy Chaos Are Fueling Energy Shortages
Recent attempts by the IEA and the United States to flood the market with strategic petroleum reserves—totaling roughly 572 million barrels—failed to curb soaring oil prices. Even temporary waivers that allowed the sale of sanctioned Russian and Iranian crude did not...
The Market Will Pay in Panic Before It Gets Paid in Stability
Traders now view crude oil as the primary market barometer, with price spikes translating directly into inflation expectations and policy signals. Goldman Sachs outlines a $150‑per‑barrel Brent scenario driven by a domino chain of supply constraints in the Gulf, creating...
Accelerating Battery Electrolyte Discovery with AI-Predicted Electrostatic Potentials
Researchers at Uppsala University demonstrated that machine‑learning models trained on molecular quadrupole moments can accurately reconstruct electrostatic potentials of battery electrolyte molecules, outperforming dipole‑based models. The quadrupole‑trained PiNet2 network achieved higher fidelity on both QM9 and SPICE benchmark datasets. By...
This Is How the Iran War Goes Global
The United States has deployed Marine forces to the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions with Iran and signaling a broader strategic shift. The narrow waterway, vital for global oil shipments, now faces heightened militarization that could disrupt worldwide energy markets....
Chartfest: 21 March 2026
The Chartfest on 21 March 2026 highlighted a sharp escalation in global oil prices following the Middle‑East conflict, with benchmarks hitting record highs and strategic petroleum reserves under strain. Russia’s oil tax revenues surged as Urals prices peaked, while Qatar’s LNG exports...
Multiple Bottlenecks Face New Nuclear Builds
The Nuclear Scaling Initiative released a 73‑page report that maps critical bottlenecks in the U.S. advanced nuclear supply chain, highlighting fuel shortages, downstream manufacturing constraints, and a skilled‑labor gap that together create a market‑paralysis cycle. It recommends coordinated actions by...
Hedgeh-Oligopoly
The oilfield services sector is splitting into two strategic camps. Hedgehog‑type offshore firms are staying disciplined, concentrating on core capabilities and shunning the AI‑driven capex rush. Fox‑type companies are scattering resources into AI projects, creating complexity and exposure to a...
The Return of America's Coal Power Kicks Off in Alaska
The United States is advancing its first new coal‑fired power plant since 2013 with the 1.25‑gigawatt Terra Energy Center in Alaska. A $1 billion boiler contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries and a $500 million equity pledge from Korean firm KOREIT fund the...
What Donut Labs Data Shows on Solid-State Battery Energy Density
Donut Labs announced a solid‑state battery that it says reaches 400 Wh/kg, a level far above the 250‑300 Wh/kg typical of today’s lithium‑ion cells. The company also touts thermal stability and fast‑charging, but it has not released voltage profiles or third‑party test...
Vermilion (VET) Hits 2-Year High on LNG Price Spike
Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET) surged to a two‑year high after a missile attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG hub triggered a 1.72% jump in global LNG prices to $3.12/MMBtu. The stock peaked at $14.69 and closed up 14.35% at $14.42. The...
Biodiesel Production Profits and Tax Credits
The U.S. biodiesel sector has struggled with pandemic fallout, rising renewable diesel competition, and the 2023 RIN cliff, prompting several plant closures. Recent state and federal tax credits—particularly Iowa’s production credit, the Small Agri Producer credit, and the new 45Z...
Nationalise Gas and Swap It for Fuel
The Australian government is weighing a windfall tax on gas company profits, with Treasury conducting modelling ahead of the May 2026 budget. Finance Minister Jim Chalmers will ultimately decide whether to introduce the levy. Meanwhile, Energy Minister Katy Bowen says her...
Daily Energy Report
The Daily Energy Report reframes Hormuz Strait risk by emphasizing crude quality over sheer volume, noting medium‑sour grades now dominate exports while light‑sour streams like Murban remain niche. Asia faces the steepest impact from any Hormuz disruption, prompting tighter crack...
Energy Impacts Podcast: John Calce, Founder and CEO of America First Refining
America First Refining’s founder John Calce discussed the launch of a new refinery in Brownsville, Texas, built to process the light, sweet crude from the Permian Basin. The project, financed in partnership with India’s Reliance, overcame a seven‑year permitting process...
A New Phase.
Energy prices have surged dramatically as oil climbs above $115 per barrel and LNG spikes across Europe and Asia. Physical attacks on Qatar’s LNG facilities, Iran’s South Pars field, and infrastructure in Kuwait, Oman, and the UAE have taken roughly...
How to Turn a Price Shock Into Inflation
The European Commission has unveiled an emergency toolbox of subsidies, tax cuts, price caps, and relaxed aid rules to help member states, including Greece, cope with soaring energy costs. The package aims to shield households and businesses while easing the...
Is MSC Building a New Tanker Empire?
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has officially secured a 50% stake in Sinokor Maritime, confirming the speculation around Sinokor's aggressive VLCC acquisitions. The partnership, signed on February 2, 2026, is structured through MSC's Luxembourg entity SAS Shipping Agencies Services, with Sinokor...
Brazil’s Petrobras Leverages 3DCRIAR’s Multi-Location Outsourcing Model to Advance 3D Printing in Oil and Gas
Petrobras has deepened its additive‑manufacturing strategy by partnering with 3DCRIAR to run fully outsourced polymer 3D‑printing labs at its CENPES research center and across five coastal hubs. The labs create a digital inventory of validated part designs that can be...
Autumn 1914, Pushing Hard Towards Winter
Iranian forces launched a missile that struck Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG complex, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas plant, causing extensive damage and prompting fears of a prolonged supply shock. The attack follows Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars field, escalating a...
US Weekly Oil Data
The latest US weekly oil report shows crude inventories rising by 3.2 million barrels, while exports climbed to 4.1 million barrels per day. Imports slipped 0.5 million barrels, marking the lowest level since 2022. Refinery utilization surged to 92%, approaching...
Zimbabwe’s New Energy Laws Set to Transform Mining Power Supply
Zimbabwe’s cabinet approved a comprehensive energy governance framework that formalises captive power generation for mines through the Own‑Consumption Licensing Regulations 2026. The rules give legal certainty, set quality standards for solar installations, and require large consumers to monitor and report...
Xanadu Introduces Quantum Algorithm for Battery Materials Simulation and Analysis
Xanadu Quantum Technologies, together with the University of Toronto and the National Research Council of Canada, unveiled a fault‑tolerant quantum algorithm that simulates resonant inelastic X‑ray scattering (RIXS) for lithium‑rich cathode materials. The pre‑print demonstrates that the method can model...
Global Gas Explodes, Local Will Be OK
Israel launched an airstrike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, a hub that generates roughly 20% of the nation’s electricity. Tehran retaliated by threatening attacks on oil and gas infrastructure throughout the Gulf region. The exchange is part of a broader...
Iran Warns of Total Destruction of Energy Infrastructure in Escalation Threat
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a shift to sustained attacks on U.S. and allied energy infrastructure, framing the move as retaliation for strikes on Iran's own facilities. The IRGC warned that any further aggression will trigger systematic destruction of...
Interior Revives the "God Squad" To Approve Gulf Oil Drilling
The Interior Department announced that the Endangered Species Committee, known as the "God Squad," will meet on March 31 to consider an exemption for Gulf of Mexico oil and gas drilling under the Endangered Species Act. The request targets projects...
Strait of Hormuz LNG Disruption Exposes Risks to Global LNG Supply and Asian Gas Markets
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has constrained tanker flows, cutting roughly 20% of global LNG supply. The shutdown of Qatar’s Ras Laffan plant and reduced transit capacity have driven sharp price spikes across Asian and European markets. Approximately 90%...
Laser Process Creates Silicon-Graphene Battery Anodes that Barely Lose Charge
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have unveiled a single‑step laser technique that fabricates prelithiated silicon‑graphene anodes under ambient conditions. The process embeds lithium directly into silicon nanoparticles within a graphene matrix, eliminating binders, conductive additives, and multi‑step chemistries. Resulting electrodes...
WEEKLY WEBCAST: Is Less Dire Strait Easing Market Fears? (With Special Guest Eric Wallerstein)
Dr. Ed’s latest webcast, featuring Eric Wallerstein, assesses the impact of the Strait of Hormuz tension on energy markets. He argues that the perceived blockade is less severe, with oil supply disruptions roughly half of worst‑case estimates. Iran’s decision to...
Economic Signals – New Well Returns Rebound
The latest analysis shows new-well returns in Russia rebounding after a sharp dip, driven by the Iran crisis that has more than doubled Russian oil prices while the ruble weakens. Using the Marginal Well Model, the author demonstrates that the...
Why Asia Hopes for a Short Mideast War
A potential war in Iran is sending shockwaves through the Asia‑Pacific as the region’s heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil, LNG and petrochemicals makes the closure of the Strait of Hormuz a catalyst for inflation, supply‑chain strain and strategic uncertainty....
The Price of Vassalage
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and QatarEnergy’s force‑majeure on LNG have removed roughly 20% of global supply, sending European gas prices soaring to double their previous levels. In reaction, EU policymakers are softening carbon‑pricing mechanisms and methane measurement...
Zimbabwe Targets End of 2026 for Mzarabani Oil Project Finalisation
Zimbabwe’s government announced it will finalize the Petroleum Production Sharing Agreement with Australian explorer Invictus Energy by the end of 2026, extending earlier timelines. The PPSA is the legal cornerstone that will allow Invictus to move its Cabora Bassa project...
Calm Grain Markets, Chaotic Energy Markets
Australian grain markets are holding steady, with wheat around $300‑$330 per tonne and barley modestly firmer, while canola trades in the high $600s‑low $700s. In stark contrast, energy commodities have surged—crude oil sits near $95 a barrel, up about 50 %...
Cuba Suffers Island-Wide Blackout
Cuba's power grid collapsed, leaving roughly 10 million people in darkness amid a U.S. oil embargo. President Trump publicly threatened to "take" Cuba, while Havana announced reforms to invite diaspora investment and permit U.S. commercial activity. At the same time, Colombian...
Uranium Market Facing Supply Crunch as Nuclear Fleet Grows – by Georgia Williams (Investing News Network – March 11, 2026)
The uranium market is entering a critical juncture as nuclear power demand accelerates while supply tightens. At the PDAC conference, Cameco’s president and a UxC analyst warned that structural constraints—geopolitical disruptions and project development risks—could reshape pricing and security for...
Sumitomo, “K” LINE, and NYK Join Forces for Ammonia Bunkering in Singapore
Japanese firms Sumitomo Corporation, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K LINE) and NYK Line have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an ammonia bunkering vessel in Singapore. The partners will commence a Front‑End Engineering Design (FEED) study to define technical specifications, safety...
Trump Greenlit BP to Drill Deeper Than Deepwater Horizon and Ordered a Criminal Pipeline Restarted in California. Two Orders. One...
In March 2024 the Trump administration approved two controversial oil projects within 24 hours: BP’s Kaskida deepwater field in the Gulf of Mexico and the restart of the Santa Ynez offshore pipeline in California using the Defense Production Act. Kaskida, the...
Standard Bank Partners with Anthem to Back South African Solar Project
Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank by assets, has partnered with independent power producer Anthem to finance the Notsi solar project, South Africa’s biggest single‑phase photovoltaic development. The 475 MW facility in the Free State will supply clean power to commercial and...
Politicians Who Cut Solar and Wind Subsidies Saved Our Grid
Politicians in the House and Senate trimmed federal solar and wind tax credits in the 2024 budget, known as the “Big Beautiful Bill.” The cuts limit new subsidy‑eligible projects after July 2026, restoring market signals for reliable baseload generation. Following the...
5 Big Energy Stories - 3.17.2026: The Battle For Hormuz, Another Huge EV Fire, and Intrigue in Venezuela
The latest energy briefing highlights three volatile developments: heightened naval tension around the Strait of Hormuz that could choke oil flows, a massive electric‑vehicle battery fire that reignites safety concerns, and political intrigue in Venezuela that may reshape its oil...
Planning to Fail
The Trump administration entered the Iran war without a clear strategy for a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that moves about 20% of global oil. Iran’s shutdown of the strait pushed Brent crude above $100 per...