Tesla Back on Top as Norway’s EV Market Surges to 98% Share in February
Tesla reclaimed its position as Norway’s top-selling car brand in February, as electric vehicles accounted for 98.01% of all new registrations. The market saw 7,127 EVs registered, a sharp rebound from January’s 75% year‑over‑year decline caused by a VAT rule change. Tesla’s Model Y led the pack with 1,073 deliveries, delivering a 14.8% share, while the brand overall captured 16.6% of February sales. Total new car registrations climbed to 7,272 units, indicating a rapid recovery.
AI Solves a Key Barrier to Making Hydrogen Cars More Affordable
Korean researchers at KAIST and Seoul National University used artificial intelligence to redesign hydrogen fuel‑cell catalysts, discovering that zinc directs platinum and cobalt atoms into a high‑performance intermetallic structure. The AI‑predicted Zn‑mediated catalyst outperforms commercial platinum catalysts in activity and...
LOGISTEED and REXEV Advance EV Truck Electrification
LOGISTEED and REXEV have launched a joint demonstration to integrate electric trucks into LOGISTEED’s delivery fleet in Japan, applying REXEV’s energy‑management platform. The project targets three cost‑saving levers: peak‑demand charge reduction, schedule‑based charging aligned with market prices, and using idle...
Lloyd’s Register Grants Approval for Hybrid Nuclear Vessel
Lloyd’s Register has issued an Approval in Principle for a hybrid nuclear‑ready power concept co‑developed with Australian ship designer Seatransport. The design merges micro‑modular nuclear reactors (1.2‑2.6 MW) with diesel‑electric propulsion on 73‑metre and 90‑metre amphibious stern landing vessels. Recent sea...
Iran Conflict Triggers Tangible Oil & Gas Supply Losses – Production Down, Exports Stranded (Short Video)
The outbreak of armed conflict in Iran has immediately curtailed the country’s oil and gas output, with crude production dropping roughly 15% and gas processing operating at about half capacity. Export pipelines and terminal facilities have been forced to suspend...
Tesla Sweden Appeals After Grid Company Refuses to Restore Existing Supercharger Due to Union Strike
Tesla Sweden has appealed to regulators after Jämtkraft elnät refused to reconnect its Åre Supercharger, citing ongoing union sympathy actions. The charger was temporarily shut down in April 2025 for safety after a construction power cabinet fell, and the safety...
Khamenei Eliminated — Hormuz Strait Semi-Shut — All Eyes on OPEC+ V8 Decision This Sunday
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been eliminated, sparking a regional power vacuum and heightened political uncertainty. The Strait of Hormuz is operating at reduced capacity, causing semi‑shutdown conditions that disrupt global oil shipments. Market participants are closely watching...
The Energy Singularity: How AI, Quantum Computing, and Decentralized Grids Will Redefine Sustainability by 2035
The article outlines an emerging "Energy Singularity" where AI, quantum computing, and decentralized grids converge to reshape global energy by 2035. AI-driven predictive management promises up to 40% consumption cuts and real‑time outage prevention. Quantum computers are expected to unlock...
Attack on Iran and Iran's Retaliation (Update 2)
Iran has evacuated all large oil tankers from the Persian Gulf, a maneuver that lifted its crude exports to the strongest levels seen since 2017. The clearance follows a recent attack on Iranian interests, which Tehran frames as a catalyst...
Oil Context Weekly (W9)
Oil prices stayed flat this week, with Brent hovering between $69‑73 and closing just above $72.5 per barrel. Prompt‑month spreads and Brent Dated‑Forward‑Line moved into contango, indicating freight‑rate pressure on the market structure. U.S. crude inventories rebounded while Europe and...
The Chokepoint at the Center of the US-Iran Standoff
Brent crude has nudged into the low $70s as U.S.-Iran tensions rise, underscoring the market’s sensitivity to the Persian Gulf. About 20% of global oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint that could be disrupted by conflict....
Consilium Establishes Energy Risk Solutions Division and Names Johnny Hilliard as Managing Partner
Consilium, a global specialty re/insurance broker, announced the creation of an Energy Risk Solutions Division and the appointment of Johnny Hilliard as Managing Partner. Hilliard, who joins after a 16‑year career at Amwins Global Risks and other firms, will lead...
Making Room for Venezuela
Venezuelan heavy crude is reentering the unsanctioned global market for the first time in seven years after the United States assumed control of PDVSA. The bulk of the renewed shipments are expected to flow to the U.S. Gulf Coast, with...
Tesla Powerwall Distribution Expands in Australia
Tesla is expanding its energy portfolio worldwide. Supply Partners Group will begin distributing Tesla Powerwall units in Australia by mid‑March 2026, bolstering residential storage amid rebates and competitive pricing. In the United States, Tesla is advancing a $200 million Megapack Megafactory...
Market Price Cap to Increase to $23,200/MWh From 1st July 2026
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) announced that the National Electricity Market (NEM) Market Price Cap (MPC) will increase to $23,200 per megawatt‑hour (MWh) for the 2026‑27 financial year, effective 1 July 2026. This follows a staged rise from $17,500/MWh in FY 2024‑25...
Delfin LNG Pipeline Explosion Underscores Dangers of Fossil Fuel Infrastructure, Casts Doubt on Project Viability
On February 3, a 28‑mile gas pipeline belonging to the Delfin LNG project exploded near Holly Beach, Louisiana, creating an 80‑foot fire and injuring an operator who has filed a $1 million lawsuit. The blast occurred on a 50‑year‑old pipeline repurposed...
ORNL Launches the Next-Generation Data Centers Institute
Oak Ridge National Laboratory has launched the Next Generation Data Centers Institute (NGDCI) to tackle the exploding electricity demand of AI‑driven data centers. The institute will combine ORNL’s strengths in energy science, high‑performance computing, cybersecurity and grid research to make...
Opinion: The Hidden Costs of ‘100 per Cent Renewable’ – by Dave McGruer and Bryan Leyland (Financial Post – February...
Microsoft announced it now sources 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, a headline touted as a climate milestone. The article contends that such claims mask the physical reality that intermittent wind and solar require dispatchable backup generation to keep...
Why Chima Came Up Short in Nuclear Exports
China dominates domestically with 60 reactors and a growing pipeline, yet its export push for the 1,100 MW Hualong One and 1,400 MW CAP1400 has stalled. Only three Hualong One units have been built abroad, all in Pakistan, while no CAP1400 deals...
Atomic Precision Unlocks Smarter Oxygen Reduction Catalysts
Researchers at Tohoku University demonstrated that the exact nitrogen coordination around a single cobalt atom dramatically changes its oxygen‑reduction reaction (ORR) performance. By synthesizing Co‑Nx sites with x = 3, 4, and 5 on carbon nanotubes, they showed asymmetric Co‑N₃ delivers the highest overall activity,...
Collateral Economic Damage in Russia-Ukraine Crossfire
The U.S. State Department lodged a formal protest with Ukraine after a drone strike hit Russia’s Black Sea oil terminal in Novorossiysk, damaging American economic interests. Ukrainian Ambassador Olha Stefanishyna confirmed the warning, urging Kyiv to refrain from targeting U.S....
Monster 16 Mb Build Rocks EIA Data – But Market Shrugs It Off Amid Iran War Drums & Near Record...
The U.S. Energy Information Administration released data showing a massive 16 million‑barrel‑per‑day increase in crude output, the largest build in years. Despite the headline‑grabbing surge, equity and commodity markets barely moved, as traders remain fixated on escalating Iran‑Israel tensions. Simultaneously, the...
Power2X Acquires HyCC to Boost Clean Molecule Projects
Power2X announced the acquisition of Dutch green‑hydrogen developer HyCC, expanding its clean‑molecule portfolio across the Netherlands and north‑western Europe. The deal brings HyCC’s projects in Amsterdam, Delfzijl and Rotterdam under Power2X’s umbrella, adding scale, capital and industrial expertise. Power2X expects...
Simon Fraser University Signs MOUs to Advance Sustainability at Cedar Supercomputing Centre
Simon Fraser University has signed memoranda of understanding with Cerio, Corix and Moment Energy to deepen the sustainability of its Cedar Supercomputing Centre, Canada’s most powerful academic HPC system. The centre already runs on clean hydroelectric power and boasts a...
Rewriting the RFS Playbook: The Impact of No Half-RIN and Higher RVOs on Projected Biomass-Based Diesel Production and Feedstock Use...
The EPA is expected to drop the controversial half‑RIN rule and raise biomass‑based diesel renewable volume obligations (RVOs) to 5.25 billion gallons in 2026 and 5.61 billion gallons in 2027, roughly a 20% increase over the June proposal. Using an average equivalence...
Global Gas Prices Diverge as Asian LNG Strengthens While European and US Benchmarks Ease
Last week global gas markets split, with Asian spot LNG rallying to the low‑$11/MMBtu range while European TTF and US Henry Hub prices eased. In Northeast Asia, the JKM benchmark rebounded after a brief dip, driven by renewed buying from...
Japan LNG Resales Hit Record as Companies Expand Overseas Trading
Japan’s LNG resales hit a record in fiscal 2024, surpassing the volume imported from any single supplier. Declining domestic consumption, driven by nuclear restarts, efficiency gains and renewable growth, has pushed utilities and trading houses to redirect surplus cargoes to...
The Argentina Deal Is the Template of How Deals in the New World Order Will Work
On February 5, the United States and Argentina signed a bilateral agreement that goes beyond tariff cuts to align trade, investment, and national‑security priorities in critical minerals and energy. The pact obliges Argentina to facilitate U.S. investment across the entire...
Marginal Well Models and Russia's Weak Wellhead Economics
Russian oil drilling contracted 3.4% in 2025, marking the first decline since 2021, with a sharp 10% drop in the second half of the year. The slowdown is attributed to a weaker Urals crude price and a stronger ruble, which...
China Boosts Russian Oil Purchases – Oligopsony Looms
China has stepped in to purchase Russian crude that India declined, pushing Russian oil exports to their highest levels in two years. The shift has concentrated buying power among a few Asian importers, driving the Urals‑grade discount to a multi‑year...
Atmospheric Integrity Records
The piece introduces Atmospheric Integrity Records (AIR), an append‑only, time‑bounded ledger that captures building atmospheric data separate from control and analytics layers, making it admissible evidence for regulators, insurers, utilities, and investors. It argues that current dashboards and optimization tools...
UK Cuts Electricity Bills by Raising Taxes
Britain’s energy regulator announced that electricity bills will hit their lowest level in almost two years starting in April. The decline stems from a policy shift that moves a portion of renewable‑energy support costs from consumer bills onto general taxation....
Solar’s Two-Speed Rally: Utility-Scale Strength Masks Residential Fragility
Solar’s Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) has surged over 23% year‑to‑date through Feb 24, 2026, far outpacing the S&P 500’s modest 0.8% gain. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects a record 86 GW of utility‑scale capacity additions in 2026, with solar comprising 51% of...
What Is a Water Quality Certification and Why Does Air Products Need One?
Air Products has moved to secure a Water Quality Certification from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, a prerequisite for its federal permit to build a blue‑hydrogen and carbon‑capture facility. The certification confirms compliance with Clean Water Act sections governing...
Why Canadian Critical Minerals Are More Critical Than Ever – by Christopher Hernandez-Roy (Canadian Politics and Public Policy – February...
Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, unveiled on 17 February 2026, places critical minerals at the core of national security and industrial policy. The government frames domestic mining as essential for defence supply chains, reducing reliance on China’s near‑monopoly over rare earths and...
Denison Mines Gets Green Light for Uranium Project in Northern Saskatchewan – by Nykole King (Regina Leader-Post – February 24,...
Denison Mines Corp. has secured regulatory approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to construct the Wheeler River uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin. The construction licence, effective until February 28, 2031, makes the project the province’s first new uranium mine...
Could Canada and Australia Form a Critical Minerals Supergroup? – by Ian Verrender (Australian Broadcasting Corporation – February 24, 2026)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to address the Australian Parliament, signalling a push toward a Canada‑Australia critical minerals partnership. His recent World Economic Forum speech urged medium powers to forge new alliances, a message that provoked a sharp...
Managing Mining, Oil and Gas for National Development
The Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford, in partnership with the Natural Resource Governance Institute, has launched a five‑day executive programme titled “Managing Mining, Oil and Gas for National Development.” Applications open on 2 March 2026, targeting senior leaders from government, industry,...
AD Ports Breaks Ground on Khalifa Port LPG Terminal
AD Ports Group and Nimex Terminals have broken ground on the UAE’s first private‑sector LPG terminal at Khalifa Port. Phase 1 will feature two full‑containment refrigerated tanks—50,000 cbm of propane and 67,000 cbm of butane—plus four mounded bullet tanks totaling 21,000 cbm, with Phase 2...
Wide Boundary News: Biodiversity Depletion, Iran & the Strait of Hormuz, and the Green Wedge
In the latest Wide Boundary News episode, Nate Hagens connects the EU’s surge toward a 50 % renewable electricity mix and flattening CO₂ emissions with rising electricity prices that are spurring German industrial decline and chemical‑sector exits. He highlights China’s record...
Salt on the Road: CATL’s Naxtra Battery Leaves the Lab – a Challenge to LFP and the Cold?
CATL and Changan have launched the first production vehicle equipped with the Naxtra sodium‑ion battery, delivering 175 Wh kg⁻¹ and a claimed 400 km range. The cell retains more than 90% of its capacity at –40 °C, vastly outperforming conventional LFP packs in sub‑zero...
Forescout Partners with E-ISAC to Bring Threat Intelligence and Research to North American Utilities
Forescout Technologies has become a vendor affiliate of the North American Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E‑ISAC), extending its threat‑intelligence sharing to U.S. utilities and grid operators. Through its Vedere Labs research unit, the company will feed cyber and...
Effective Taxes on Carbon: An International View
The OECD’s "Effective Carbon Rates 2025" report surveys 79 countries and compares three carbon‑pricing tools: fuel taxes, explicit carbon taxes, and emissions‑trading systems. By weighting tax level against the share of emissions covered, the analysis shows fuel taxes remain the...
How Rare Earth Elements Power Hybrid Car Batteries and Transform Transportation
Hybrid car batteries, paired with compact rare‑earth‑based electric motors, have reshaped vehicle efficiency by enabling high‑power assist, regenerative braking, and smoother launches. Neodymium‑iron‑boron magnets deliver the torque density needed for these systems, while dysprosium and terbium protect performance at elevated...
The Druzhba Pipeline: Europe’s Soviet-Era Oil Artery in the Crossfire of War and Sanctions
On 27 January 2026 a Russian Shahed drone struck Ukraine’s Brody pumping station, shutting the Druzhba pipeline’s southern branch that supplies Russian Urals crude to Hungary and Slovakia. The outage, now in its 27th day, has cut 60‑70 % of feedstock for MOL...
High Costs and Few Benefits From California’s Proposed Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credit
California’s 2026 budget proposes a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credit that lets diesel excise taxpayers offset liability by selling SAF. The credit, capped at $2 per gallon, could shave 10‑20 % or more from the state’s diesel tax base, potentially...
Aveva Buys First Green Jet Fuel Certificates Five Years Early
Aveva announced it has completed its first major purchase of sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFcs) five years ahead of its World Economic Forum First Movers Coalition commitment. The certificates were bought from British Airways, which sources the fuel from renewable...