ACEN Seals Funding for 75-MW Solar Farm in Australia
ACEN Corp., the listed energy arm of the Ayala Group, achieved financial close for the 75‑MW Jinbi Solar Project in Pilbara, Australia, through its Yindjibarndi Energy Corp. partnership. The project, slated for commissioning by mid‑2028, includes a 30‑year power purchase agreement with Rio Tinto and plans to double capacity to 150 MW with battery storage. YEC targets up to 3 GW of indigenous‑led renewables, while ACEN aims for an 8 GW portfolio and may raise roughly $545 million via a rights offering.
PH Fuel Prices Still Easing Amid Uncertainty
The Philippine Department of Energy announced a further cut to diesel (‑₱9.57/L, now ₱71.19‑₱93.83/L or about $1.30‑$1.70) and kerosene (‑₱13.30/L, now ₱111.70‑₱136.70/L or about $2.02‑$2.48), while gasoline ticked up 0.47 PHP (~$0.008) per litre. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the nation’s...
Trump Backs Suspension of US Gasoline Tax
President Donald Trump called for a suspension of the federal gasoline excise tax of 18.4¢ per gallon, arguing it would help curb soaring fuel prices as the Iran‑related oil market turmoil persists. The proposal has bipartisan backing, with Senate bills...
Duracell Taps Driivz to Power Its New EV Fast Charger Network
Duracell is entering the UK electric‑vehicle charging market with its new E‑Charge ultra‑fast network, partnering with software provider Driivz to operate the system. Driivz will supply a platform that handles billing, roaming, real‑time monitoring and remote troubleshooting, plus a branded...
NESI Technology Powers New Low-Carbon Lithium Plant in Germany
Vulcan Energy Resources has begun building a low‑carbon lithium plant in Frankfurt using NORAM Electrolysis Systems Inc. (NESI) proprietary NORSCAND technology. The project is backed by a €2.2 billion (~$2.4 billion) funding package and targets 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide per year—enough for...
SEIA Names Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty as President and CEO
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) announced former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty as its new president and CEO, effective June 15, succeeding interim leader Darren Van’t Hof. Pawlenty brings experience in state governance, a $50 billion budget, and federal financial‑services advocacy....
Calif. Fire Crews, Coast Guard Evacuate Workers as Fire Erupts on Offshore Oil Platform
A fire erupted on Platform Habitat, an offshore oil rig about nine miles off Carpinteria, California, on May 11, 2026. All 26 workers aboard were evacuated safely, though two sustained minor injuries. The U.S. Coast Guard, aided by Ventura and Santa Barbara...
FirstEnergy’s Three-Year Rate Plan in Ohio Seeks to Support Upgrades, Reliability Efforts
FirstEnergy’s Ohio electric utilities will file a three‑year rate plan (TYRP) with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio by May 22, following the enactment of House Bill 15. The forward‑looking plan earmarks roughly $800 million annually for system upgrades and $83 million for expanded...
The Hormuz Crisis and China’s Energy Security Dilemma
The escalation of the Israel‑U.S. conflict with Iran has disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, turning a long‑standing strategic risk into an immediate constraint on China’s oil supply. China imports roughly 4 billion barrels of crude each year, with about...
Case to Replace Puerto Rico Electrical Distributor Remanded to Local Court
A U.S. district judge remanded a lawsuit seeking to replace LUMA Energy back to Puerto Rico's local court, marking a victory for Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon and a setback for the island's Oversight Board. The ruling allows the governor to file motions...
Ford Formally Launches Grid-Scale Battery Business Ford Energy
Ford formally launched its new subsidiary, Ford Energy, to sell grid‑scale battery energy storage systems in the United States. The unit will produce at least 20 GWh of BESS each year, targeting data centers, utilities and large commercial‑industrial customers, with first...
ONGC Mulls New ₹200 Cr Fund To Back Energy & AI Startups
India's state‑run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGG) announced a new ₹200 Cr (approximately $20 million) alternative investment fund focused on energy‑related and AI/ML startups. The fund will be managed by two contract advisors hired for a 12‑month term, with a possible...
Community Trust Powers Energy Growth in the United States
Duke Energy announced a $103 billion regulated capital investment plan spanning the next five years to meet soaring electricity demand driven by a manufacturing resurgence, AI adoption, and rapid population growth in the Southeast and Midwest. The utility stresses that speed...
Crude Oil Soars As U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Remains Elusive
Crude oil prices jumped on Monday, with WTI June futures climbing to $98.75 a barrel, a 3.5% gain, after the United States rejected Iran’s proposal to end hostilities. The rejection keeps the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed, heightening supply‑risk concerns...
Bigger Natural Gas Storage Build Ahead, but Gap to Last Year Continues to Close
Natural Gas Intelligence estimates an 86 Bcf injection for the week ending May 8, matching the five‑year average and narrowing the annual surplus to 52 Bcf, down from 75 Bcf a year earlier. The injection marks a 23 Bcf week‑over‑week rise and supports higher forward...
Petroperu to Seek $2 Billion Lifeline in State-Backed Loans
Peru’s state‑owned oil firm Petroperu has been authorized to secure up to $2 billion in private, state‑backed loans to stave off a liquidity crunch. The company is burdened with roughly $8 billion in debt, half of which is due in the short...
Permian Natural Gas Prices Surpass 2025’s Negative Run
Permian Basin natural gas prices are on track to spend a record number of days in negative territory in 2026, with the Waha hub already posting 118 negative‑price flow days. Excess production has forced shut‑ins exceeding 620 MMcf/d, highlighting a severe...
Fast Power for a Constrained Grid: Wet Compression Applications in Gas Turbines
AI-driven data‑center construction is surging, with $3.2 trillion of projects worldwide and U.S. demand projected to top 90 GW by 2030. New power plants cannot be built fast enough, prompting operators to retrofit existing gas turbines with wet‑compression and evaporative fogging. The...
As Coal Rebounds, More Toxic Mercury Is in the Air
Coal‑fired power plants in the United States saw a 9% rise in mercury emissions in 2025, topping 4,800 pounds and ending a multi‑year decline. The increase coincides with a surge in electricity demand and a suite of Trump administration actions that...
These Solar Modules Mimic Tile, Other Building Material
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems has unveiled a light‑sensitive film that can be laser‑etched onto photovoltaic modules, allowing them to mimic tiles, masonry or other building materials. The photonic film creates angle‑stable colors through micro‑structures, similar to Morpho butterfly...
Natural Gas Futures Sustain Intraday Momentum as Summer Demand Nears, War Endures
Natural gas futures continued their intraday rally as the market priced in a hotter summer and persistent geopolitical tension. Prices rose roughly 3% to around $2.55 per million British thermal units, reflecting tighter European storage and higher U.S. demand for...
Outdated Office Space Could Undermine Oxford Street Revival Plans, WPA Warns
The Westminster Property Association (WPA) warns that roughly 3.8 million square feet of office space on Oxford Street falls short of the energy‑efficiency standards slated for 2030. The report says these outdated premises could derail the high‑profile retail and mixed‑use regeneration...
APEC 2026 Embraces the International Power Community
The IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) convened in San Antonio, Texas, drawing a record 5,452 registrants and 319 exhibitors. Over 571 technical papers were presented across 71 sessions, while student participation surged to 655, up from 447 the prior...
EWR Expands Solar Energy System
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced a solar expansion at Newark Liberty International Airport that will add roughly 5 megawatts of capacity across five new sites. The system is projected to generate about 5.9 million kilowatt‑hours of clean...
The Next Solar Boom Won’t Come From New Capacity but From Better Performance
The solar sector is moving from a focus on new megawatt installations to extracting more energy from existing farms. Operators are discovering that subtle electrical mismatches, wiring constraints, and data silos cause 1‑2% underperformance that erodes revenue. Advanced, phase‑level monitoring...
US' Golden Pass LNG Exports Second Cargo
Golden Pass LNG exported its second cargo on May 9, sending 76,000 tonnes of LNG to Asia aboard the 174,000 m³ HL Sea Eagle. The shipment follows the first export, the QatarEnergy‑operated Al Qaiyyah, which delivered cargo to Belgium on May 8. On...
Iran War Chokes ‘Major Driver’ of Global Economy
The U.S. war in Iran has choked the Strait of Hormuz, trapping roughly 15 million barrels of crude and 5 million barrels of petroleum products each day. The resulting supply squeeze pushed U.S. diesel prices 60 percent higher than a year ago, the...
Utah’s Wonder Valley and the Industrialization of AI Infrastructure
Kevin O’Leary’s Wonder Valley project in Utah’s Box Elder County is being positioned as the next‑generation AI infrastructure campus, combining hyperscale data centers with on‑site utility‑scale power generation. The development, overseen by the Military Installation Development Authority, could host up...
Dutch Onshore Wind Growth Stalls in 2025
The Netherlands’ on‑shore wind fleet reached roughly 7,054 MW in 2025, but growth stalled to a net gain of only 96 MW as 29 turbines were added and 20 removed. Production rose modestly to 21.5 TWh, yet de‑commissioning of about 191 MW signals a...
Bill Gates’s Backed Fervo Energy Raises IPO Target to $1.82bn on $7.4bn
Houston‑based geothermal developer Fervo Energy increased its IPO size to a top‑of‑range $1.82 bn, implying a market valuation of about $7.4 bn. The company will offer 70 million shares at $25‑$26 each, a 26 % rise in share count and an 8 % lift in...
Why California’s Soft Natural Gas Prices May Not Last
California’s natural‑gas prices, among the nation’s lowest, are under pressure as expanding LNG export capacity, rising western power demand, and shifting pipeline flows tighten regional supply. The SoCal Citygate and PG&E Citygate benchmarks have historically lagged the Henry Hub, but...
Bulls Gaining Edge in ‘Tug of War’ as Natural Gas Trying to Break Through Resistance
Natural gas June futures are testing a key technical resistance, with prices probing the upper Bollinger Band. Production outlook remains bearish and LNG export constraints are dampening market sentiment. Forecasts show rising summer heat, adding demand pressure. The market is...
Jean-Hugues De Lamaze: Is Hormuz the New Fukushima?
A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has halted roughly a quarter of global oil output and significant LNG volumes, creating the worst energy shock on record, according to the IEA. The disruption mirrors the systemic shock of Fukushima but...
Nexans to Acquire Republic Wire
Nexans announced it will acquire 100% of Republic Wire for an enterprise value of about €680 million (≈$741 million), with a possible €43 million (≈$47 million) earn‑out. Republic Wire generated roughly €520 million (≈$567 million) in revenue over the year to February 2026 and operates a...
US Innovator Crosses The Bridge From Powdered Milk To SAF
Syzygy Plasmonics, a Texas startup, has unveiled a light‑driven Rigel bioreactor that turns landfill, dairy and wastewater biogas into drop‑in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) without high‑temperature reforming. The company’s first plant, NovaSAF‑1 in Uruguay, secured a six‑year, full‑volume offtake with...
DWT Wins Mynydd Clogau Service Deal
DWT has been awarded a service‑maintenance contract for the Mynydd Clogau wind farm in Powys, Wales, covering 17 Vestas V52 850 kW turbines that total 14.45 MW. The deal expands DWT’s seven‑year partnership with Nadara, which now spans 16 wind farms, 297...
Vistra Adds 4.5 GW of Capacity in Line with ‘Reasonable’ Forecasts for PJM, ERCOT
Vistra announced 4.5 GW of new capacity—spanning gas, nuclear uprates, coal‑to‑gas conversions and renewables—to meet its view of modest load growth in PJM and ERCOT. The company projects 5‑6% annual demand increase in ERCOT and 2‑3% in PJM through 2030, lower...
Chinese Giant Plans Canada Entry with Large Wind-Storage Project
Chinese manufacturer Envision Energy signed a strategic partnership with Cape Breton China Corp. to explore renewable projects in Nova Scotia. Their first joint venture is a 300 MW wind‑power and battery‑storage facility in Sydney, supporting the province’s goal of 80% clean...
The Daily: Hormuz Holds, Oil Climbs, and AI Keeps Leading
Oil prices surged above $100 as the Hormuz deadlock deepened, reigniting inflation and rate pressures worldwide. AI infrastructure spending remains a growth engine, highlighted by over $10 billion of demand for Cerebras Systems ahead of a potential IPO price hike. The...
Drax Deploying Solar Panels at Scottish Hydropower Stations
Drax has completed its first photovoltaic project at the Glenlee run‑of‑river hydro station in Galloway, installing 1,500 SunPower panels that deliver 693 kW of solar capacity and an expected 480 MWh of annual generation. The £850,000 ($1.16 million) investment is the first of...
Iran Oil Crisis: Geography of Energy Risk Is Changing with Renewables, Not Disappearing
The article warns that batteries, while touted as a path to energy independence, are creating a new concentration risk because China dominates the supply chain for cells and critical materials. It cites the $1.5 trillion, ten‑year JP Morgan initiative focused on nuclear,...
North America Adds Rigs Again
North America’s weekly Baker Hughes rig count increased by two rigs to 672 on May 8, 2026, with the United States reporting 548 rigs and Canada 124. The U.S. saw a modest rise in land and oil rigs, while offshore rigs...
2026 IEEE PES T&D: Powering Reliability and Engineering Resilience on the Show Floor
The 2026 IEEE Power & Energy Society Transmission & Distribution Conference convened over 15,000 power‑engineering professionals at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Participants hailed from 50 countries, underscoring the event’s global reach. The three‑day expo highlighted the theme “Powering Reliability, Engineering Resilience,”...
China’s Malacca Dilemma, After Hormuz
The Iran‑Israel conflict showed that insurance premiums can choke oil flows as effectively as naval blockades. When war‑risk rates for the Strait of Hormuz spiked to double‑digit percentages, Chinese imports were hit despite diplomatic guarantees. The article argues that China’s...
Partnerships, Positive Sentiment Boost U.S. Nuclear
Brookfield Asset Management and The Nuclear Company announced a joint venture to finish the stalled V.C. Summer AP1000 units in South Carolina and to replicate Westinghouse AP1000 and smaller AP300 reactors nationwide. Blue Energy teamed with GE Vernova to build the...
India State Refiners Eye Modest Fuel Price Hike
Indian state‑owned refiners are poised to raise retail diesel and gasoline prices by about 5 rupees per litre (≈$0.05) in the coming days. The modest increase is intended to offset an estimated daily loss of 10 billion rupees ($105 million) caused by...
U.S. Transformer Market Faces Severe Supply Constraints as Lead Times Extend to Four Years
The U.S. power‑transformer market is under severe strain, with lead times for high‑capacity units stretching to four years. Demand has surged, driven by AI data centers, electrified transport and industrial growth, pushing step‑up transformer orders up 274% since 2019. Prices...
Mayfair Equity Partners to Sell OVO Retail Energy Business to EON
Mayfair Equity Partners has agreed to sell its OVO retail energy business to German utility E.ON. The transaction includes OVO's operating company, its approximately 1.5 million UK residential customers, and the OVO brand name. While the financial terms were not disclosed,...
Ireland Urged to Create National Clearing House to Streamline Solar Projects
Ireland’s solar industry is urging the government to establish a national clearing house that would streamline coordination among planners, grid operators, developers and contractors. The move comes as the country’s grid‑scale solar output topped 1 GW in April and total installed...
Santa Marta Was a Learning Moment for How to Shape Inclusive Just Transitions
The first Global Conference on Transitioning away from Fossil Fuels convened in Santa Marta, Colombia, co‑hosted by the Netherlands, drawing nearly 60 countries alongside activists, Indigenous peoples, private‑sector leaders and academia. The summit aimed to forge a “coalition of the...