Solar Auctions to Provide Security in France as Corporate PPAs Remain Second Choice
France’s solar market is gaining traction as government‑run auctions become the preferred financing tool for new projects, according to a SolarPower Europe report. Corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) are still a secondary option for developers, reflecting lingering policy uncertainty. Ksenia Dray, global solar lead at RES, describes the market as attractive but volatile, emphasizing the need for stable auction frameworks. The shift toward auctions is expected to unlock additional capacity and bring price certainty for investors.
PECO Withdraws $510M in Rate Hike Proposals over Affordability Concerns
PECO Energy withdrew a combined $510 million rate increase request for its electric and gas operations after two weeks of public and regulator pushback over affordability. The original filing sought a 12.5% boost for electricity ($429 million) and an 11.4% rise for...
Iran War Energy Shock Drives Nuclear Power Plans in Hard-Hit Asia and Africa
The Iran war’s energy shock is driving Asian and African nations to boost nuclear power output and accelerate new reactor projects. South Korea is increasing generation, Taiwan is considering restarting mothballed plants, and Japan has signed a $40 billion reactor deal...
Europe Moves From Rhetoric to Planning as Paris Summit Weighs Hormuz Security Mission
European leaders gathered in Paris, chaired by Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, to move from rhetoric to concrete planning for a multinational mission securing commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Around 40 countries, including Germany and Italy, discussed a...
Trump Makes The Case For SAF Stronger Than Ever Before
President Donald Trump’s geopolitical stance has sharpened Europe’s fuel crisis, leaving the continent with roughly six weeks of kerosene jet fuel as Iranian tensions choke supply routes. The shortage highlights the fragility of current aviation fuel reliance and the limited...
Solar Developers Face High-Stakes Tax Credit Risks as FEOC Rules Tighten
The Inflation Reduction Act’s One Big, Beautiful Bill has introduced Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) restrictions that tie eligibility for Sections 48E and 45Y tax credits to equipment provenance, equity and debt sources, and control provisions. Projects placed in service from 2025...
Brussels Under Pressure as Europe Risks Running Out of Jet Fuel
The European Union will unveil a draft plan on April 22 to address a looming jet‑fuel shortage triggered by the stalled reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal could introduce bloc‑wide monitoring of airport fuel inventories and a temporary suspension...
Corpus Christi Water Crisis Threatens Long-Term Jet Fuel Supply
Severe water scarcity in Corpus Christi is endangering the South Texas refining hub that produces the bulk of jet fuel for major airports such as Austin‑Bergstrom and Dallas/Fort Worth. Reservoir levels have fallen to historic lows, prompting the city to...
Jet Prices Dip Slightly on Hopes Hormuz Traffic Will Resume Soon
Jet fuel prices slipped modestly as optimism grew that a U.S.-Iran cease‑fire could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. European jet‑fuel benchmarks have fallen about 16% from their recent peak but remain roughly 90% above pre‑war levels....
Petrobras Progresses Sao Paulo SAF Plant
Petrobras announced that it will build a 10,000‑barrel‑per‑day sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant at its Replan refinery in São Paulo, using locally sourced sugarcane ethanol. The company selected Honeywell UOP’s Ethanol-to-Jet (ETJ) technology to convert the ethanol into low‑cost jet fuel. The...
Cooking Gas Prices Surge by Sh390 in Nairobi
Cooking gas (LPG) prices in Nairobi jumped up to Sh 390 ($3.6) per 13‑kg cylinder as the Middle East conflict drove global propane and butane costs higher. Rubis Energie Kenya now charges Sh 3,530 ($32.5) and TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya Sh 3,510 ($32.4), roughly a 12%...
PH–China Energy Partnership Flagged As Key To Accelerating Renewable Transition
A new study by People of Asia for Climate Solutions and New Energy Nexus proposes a roadmap for deeper Philippines‑China renewable energy cooperation. The report aligns with Manila’s goal to lift renewables to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040,...
EU to ‘Play Its Part’ to Restore Energy and Trade Flows From Middle East
The European Union announced it is prepared to send additional warships to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz once a ceasefire is secured. EU leaders discussed expanding the Aspides naval mission, which currently operates in the Red Sea, Gulf...
B, N, and O Co‐Doped Nanoporous Activated Carbon With High Surface Area and Hierarchical Porous Structure for Enhanced Li‐Ion Battery...
Researchers introduced a solid‑state co‑activation method that blends boric acid, sucrose and aminoguanidine with potassium citrate to produce boron‑, nitrogen‑ and oxygen‑doped nanoporous activated carbon. The resulting material exhibits a high surface area and hierarchical pore network, enabling a symmetric...
WEX’s New Payment Solution Manages At-Home Charging for EV Fleet Drivers
WEX has launched EV At‑Home with Vehicle Fraud Protection, an upgrade to its EV At‑Home payment platform. The new feature automatically validates home‑charging sessions by cross‑checking vehicle, charger, and utility data, ensuring fleets reimburse only legitimate usage. By removing manual claim processes...
BLADE2CIRC Project Advances Reversible Polymers, Bio-Based Fibers and Enzymatic Recycling
The EU‑funded BLADE2CIRC project has reached the midway point of its 42‑month program, delivering the first batch of high‑performance, circular wind turbine blades. The consortium has advanced reversible polymer chemistry, scaled lignin‑based reinforcement fibers, and piloted enzymatic recycling methods. Regulatory...
Germany: New Electric Car Incentive Clears Key Hurdle
Germany's Bundestag approved the Act on Promoting Climate‑Neutral Mobility, creating a legal framework for a new electric‑vehicle grant that will apply retroactively to cars first registered after 1 January 2026. The scheme offers up to €6,000 (about $6,540) for battery‑electric models and...
Virginia Governor Amends Bills that Shift Costs Onto Data Centers. Critics Say Her Tweaks Weaken Them.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed dozens of bills this week and introduced amendments to Senate Bill 253 and House Bill 1393, which were intended to shift certain utility costs onto high‑load users such as data centers. Her changes remove the...
Solar Asset Managers Talk Underperforming Systems, Catastrophic Losses and AI at SAMNA 2026
The 2026 Solarplaza Summit Asset Management North America (SAMNA) convened more than 650 solar professionals in San Diego for three days of training, networking, and deep‑dive sessions. Attendees highlighted three urgent themes: underperforming assets, heightened catastrophic‑risk exposure—especially hail—and the accelerating...
American Uranium Enlarges Lo Herma ISR Uranium Project, Powder River Basin, Wyoming
American Uranium Ltd. has acquired roughly 1,040 acres of new uranium mineral rights and 29 Bureau of Land Management lode claims covering about 490 acres at its Lo Herma ISR project in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. The parcels abut existing Mine...
Congress Presses DOE’s Wright on Energy Star, Permitting Reform
Energy Secretary Chris Wright testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where lawmakers questioned the Department of Energy’s handling of the Energy Star program after its transfer from the EPA. Rep. Paul Tonko highlighted the program’s historic $35 million annual cost...
Boston Eyes Water-Based Thermal Network to Ease Grid Strain
Boston and the Mass Clean Energy Center are committing $500,000 to a year‑long study of a closed‑loop water‑sourced thermal energy network, dubbed BosTEN. The system would harvest heat from the Charles and Mystic rivers, Boston Harbor, the Fort Point Channel,...
Shanghai Electric Reports Strong 2025 Performance, New Orders Hit Record High
Shanghai Electric reported a strong 2025 performance, with revenue climbing 9.0% to RMB 126.68 billion (about $18.6 billion) and net profit surging 60.4% to RMB 1.206 billion (roughly $176.9 million). New orders reached a record RMB 172.81 billion ($25.35 billion), up 12.5% year‑on‑year, driven by growth...
Sana Ouji Leaves Google for Anthropic's New Energy Team, to "Responsibly and Rapidly Scale an Ambitious Data Center Portfolio"
Sana Ouji, a former Google data‑center energy strategist, has joined Anthropic’s newly formed energy team to craft a global strategy for scaling its data‑center portfolio. The hire follows a wave of ex‑Google talent, including data‑center architects, engineers, and operations leaders,...
Pre-Markets Very Happy About Middle East Developments
A cease‑fire between Israel and Lebanon has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices down about 8% and lifting pre‑market futures sharply—+540 points on the Dow, +54 on the S&P 500, +230 on the Nasdaq, and +36 on the Russell 2000....
Proposed Scottish Nuclear Study Unlikely to Be Published Before Election
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has tasked Great British Energy – Nuclear with a £80,000 (≈$100,000) feasibility study to locate new nuclear sites, including SMRs and AMRs, at existing Scottish facilities such as Torness and Hunterston. The study...
Energy Price Cap: Household Bill Spike Could Be Lower than Originally Feared
The UK energy price cap for July is now forecast at £1,837 (about $2,335), a 12% rise from April, lower than the previously warned surge to £1,973 ($2,506). The downgrade follows the de‑escalation of the Iran‑US standoff, which sent Brent...
Haizea Profits Jump 11%
Haizea Wind Group posted 2025 revenue of €417 million (about $455 million), a 12% year‑on‑year increase, and net profit rose 11% to €20 million (≈ $22 million). The company said it met its strategic targets despite geopolitical tensions and growing Asian competition, and it...
Markets React as Labour Looks at Decoupling Gas and Electricity Prices
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced plans to break the link between gas and electricity wholesale prices, ending the marginal pricing model that ties electricity costs to gas‑fired generators. The proposal aims to reflect the growing share of low‑carbon generation and...
Trump Administration Seeks Scaled-Back Building Efficiency Money
The Trump administration’s FY2027 budget request trims the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy from $3.1 billion to $1.1 billion, slashing the Building Technologies Office to $20 million—a 93% cut. While the request earmarks a $4 billion increase for nuclear...
Why Diesel Prices Surge Faster Than Gasoline in Every Energy Crisis
Diesel prices rise faster than gasoline during energy crises because the diesel market is structurally tighter, with lower inventories and limited refinery flexibility. Since the Iran conflict began, diesel has climbed $1.75 per gallon versus $1.11 for gasoline. The fuel’s...
EIA Raises USA Fuel Price Projections for 2026, 2027
The U.S. Energy Information Administration raised its short‑term outlook for gasoline and diesel in 2026‑27. It now projects average regular‑gasoline retail prices of $3.70 per gallon in 2026 and $3.46 in 2027, up from $3.34 and $3.18 in the March...
Russia’s Main Black Sea Port Resumes Loading Crude at Key Berth
Russia’s largest Black Sea port, Novorossiysk, resumed crude loading at berth 1 of the Sheskharis oil terminal on April 17, 2026. The Samos crude tanker, a Suezmax‑class vessel, moored at the berth and began loading later that afternoon. The berth is specifically designed...
Control, Not Capacity, Could Be the Next Driver of U.S. Residential Storage Investment
Investors are moving beyond the sheer number of residential batteries installed and are focusing on platforms that can control and monetize fleets through virtual power plants and aggregation. Software‑driven models that dispatch thousands of assets promise recurring revenue streams, positioning...
California Natural Gas Prices Collapse to Historic Lows Amid ‘Perfect Storm’ of Oversupply
California’s PG&E Citygate natural gas cash price plunged to a historic $1.165 per MMBtu, the lowest level in 25 years, as a three‑basin supply glut erased the premium built earlier in the year. The Henry Hub winter 2026/27 strip fell...
States Rush to Build Clean Energy Projects to Tap Expiring Incentives
U.S. states are accelerating large‑scale renewable projects to capture a 30% federal investment tax credit that expires soon. California, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota and Oregon are fast‑tracking solar, wind and battery‑storage builds that must break ground by July 4 and finish...
Biden Record Intact. The Energy Report 04/17/2026
U.S. gasoline prices slipped 1.7 cents to $4.09 per gallon, yet remain 90.9 cents higher than a year ago as geopolitical tensions ease. A truce between Israel and Lebanon and a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have reduced...
Empty LNG Tankers Attempt Hormuz Crossing Into Persian Gulf
Two liquefied natural gas tankers, Al Hamra and Mraweh, owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., were spotted heading toward the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz. Their movement marks the first attempt by LNG vessels to enter the...
FERC Tees up June Decision on Data Center Interconnection Reform
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced it will issue a decision in June on the Department of Energy’s proposed reforms for interconnecting data centers and other large loads to the transmission grid. The commission emphasized a swift, efficient, and legally...
Strait of Hormuz Reopening for Commercial Traffic, Trump and Iran Say
Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz is fully open for commercial vessels, aligning the move with a 10‑day cease‑fire between Israel and Lebanon brokered by President Trump. The reopening follows a week‑long U.S. blockade that aimed to pressure Iran over...
The Hydrogen Stream: Levelized Cost of Hydrogen at Mediterranean Ports Can Be as Low as €2.5/kg for Hybrid Systems
A University of Naples study shows that producing hydrogen at Mediterranean ports could cost $6.5‑10.1 per kilogram using only renewables, and as low as $2.9 per kilogram in hybrid grid‑supported systems. Solar power delivers the most consistent capacity factor (18‑24%)...
Heat Pump Sector Urges Policy Clarity to Unlock Non-Domestic Adoption
The Heat Pump Association UK (HPA UK) is urging the government to provide a clear, national strategy for electrifying non‑domestic heating. While 125,000 heat pumps were sold in 2025, the majority are installed in homes, leaving commercial and industrial uptake minimal....
Insurance Costs Jump up to 17 Times Amid Middle East Conflict - MOF
Malaysia’s Ministry of Finance warned that the Middle East conflict has driven insurance premiums up to 17‑fold and shipping costs to triple, compounding the recent surge in petroleum prices. The heightened risk has forced vessels onto longer routes, inflating fuel...
FTSE 100 Jumps as Strait of Hormuz Fully Open Following Ceasefire
Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz is fully open for commercial vessels amid a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The news lifted risk sentiment, sending the FTSE 100 up 0.5% to 10,645 points, while travel stocks such as EasyJet and...
Fossil-Fuel Investments Are a Fiduciary Risk
The Iran war has reignited concerns that fossil‑fuel exposure is a geopolitical liability for African investors. Volatile oil prices are pressuring local currencies and threatening the balance sheets of banks, trustees and asset managers. The article argues that fiduciary duty...
Iran Foreign Minister Makes Major Energy Announcement
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi announced that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open to all commercial vessels for the remaining days of the 10‑day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The declaration triggered an 11.2% drop in Brent crude, pulling...
SAPVIA and City Power Forge Collaborative Path for Sustainable Solar Energy in Johannesburg
The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) and Johannesburg’s City Power met on 16 February 2026 to tackle a growing backlog of Small‑Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) registrations dating from 2022‑2025. SAPVIA pushed for a fast‑track, digital‑first framework to clear legacy applications and...
Ankara Proposes Grand Rewiring of Middle East Energy Export Map Amid Hormuz Blockade
Turkey’s energy minister unveiled a suite of five overland pipeline projects—spanning Qatar, the Caspian, Syria, Iraq and a Saudi‑Turkey electricity link—to create alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively shut after Iran’s retaliation to the US‑Israeli conflict....
Will Tucson Take Back Its Power — Literally?
Tucson Electric Power's 25‑year franchise is ending, forcing the city to decide whether to renew the private contract, negotiate a multi‑billion‑dollar buyout, or launch its own municipal utility. A city‑commissioned feasibility study suggests public ownership could save households up to...
US Power Purchase Agreements Reach Record Prices: LevelTen
North American renewable power purchase agreements hit record highs in Q1 2026, with wind contracts averaging $79.40 per megawatt‑hour and solar at $64.49. Prices have risen 13% for solar and 24% for wind compared with a year ago, driven primarily by...