Iran War Prompts Nigeria Producers to Lift Oil Output
The outbreak of the Iran‑War has tightened global crude supplies, prompting Nigeria’s smaller oil producers to accelerate output expansion. Companies such as Oando, Petralon, Pan Ocean and Newcross are collectively targeting an additional 200,000‑300,000 barrels per day, pushing national production to 1.6 million bpd in April—the strongest monthly gain in three years. President Bola Tinubu’s recent policy incentives and leadership overhaul have further encouraged investment, while oil prices above $100 a barrel make the expansion financially attractive. The surge in domestic drilling aims to capture the demand shortfall created by the conflict and draw Middle‑East capital into the sector.
The Big Power Shift: From Megawatts to System Performance
India’s renewable energy capacity has surged fivefold, topping 197 GW in 2025 and exceeding 250 GW by early 2026, representing 51.5% of total installed power. Yet grid bottlenecks leave up to 50 GW of renewable potential stranded, with 4,000 MW in Rajasthan unable to...
U.S. PV Manufacturing Capex Could Reach $7 Billion in 2027 in Breakout Year for Domestic Supply-Chain
U.S. photovoltaic manufacturing capital expenditure is projected to reach $7 billion in 2027, a 150% year‑on‑year jump. Crystalline‑silicon (c‑Si) will dominate the spend, accounting for more than 90% of the total, while thin‑film investments shrink to about 10%. The surge is...
Reeves to Unveil Planning Protections for Power Plants
The UK Chancellor’s upcoming planning reforms will allow Parliament to designate certain energy projects as “critical national importance.” This label streamlines the approval process and narrows the scope for judicial review, effectively shielding power‑plant developments from legal challenges. The policy...
PJM Accelerates Backstop Auction Amid Uncertainty over Data Center Cost Allocation
PJM Interconnection announced it will move its one‑time backstop reliability auction forward to September, accelerating the timeline originally set for March. The auction, intended to address a surge in data‑center load, now targets roughly 9 MW of capacity, a sharp cut...
UK Delays some Sanctions on Russian Oil and Gas Amid Middle East Conflict
The United Kingdom has postponed full sanctions on Russian oil and liquefied natural gas, issuing a trade licence that permits imports of jet fuel and diesel refined from Russian crude in third‑party countries and waiving restrictions on LNG shipments from...
Japan's Refinery Run Rates Rise in May Despite Iran War
Japan’s refinery run rates climbed to 76 % in the week to 16 May, up 2.8 percentage points and surpassing the five‑year May average. Operational capacity rose to 2.95 million b/d and crude throughput increased 3.8 % to 2.36 million b/d. The boost comes despite the US‑Iran...
EIB Loans Billion-Euro Sum for Hamburg’s Distribution Grid and Electric Buses
The European Investment Bank approved a €1 billion ($1.08 billion) loan to Hamburger Energienetze (HNE) to modernise Hamburg’s electricity distribution grid, and a €125 million ($135 million) loan to Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg‑Holstein (VHH) for 188 new battery‑electric buses. HNE plans to spend €2.9 billion ($3.13 billion) on...
Natural Gas Futures Tumble as Production Revision, Cooler Forecasts Challenge Rally
Natural‑gas futures slipped on Wednesday as cooler weather trimmed heating demand and a sharp upward revision to Lower‑48 production added supply pressure. The June contract fell amid elevated storage levels that blunted price support, even as geopolitical tension over Iran...
Directional Economics CEEMEA: Energy Shock 2.0 – Who Breaks, Who Bends?
The 2026 energy supply shock is testing Central and Eastern Europe, shifting the focus from raw energy dependence to policy capacity. The Czech Republic emerges as the most resilient thanks to low inflation and diversified exports, while Poland’s growth is...
Eskom to Go to Market for 5.2GW of New Nuclear Within a Year
South Africa's state utility Eskom announced exploratory talks with the World Bank and other financiers to fund a multibillion‑dollar nuclear expansion of up to 5.2 GW, aiming to launch the programme within a year. The plan splits into 4.8 GW of conventional...
How Trump’s EO 14300 Is Reshaping NRC Nuclear Licensing and Regulation
President Trump’s Executive Order 14300 has driven the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to overhaul its licensing regime, issuing the first advanced‑reactor construction permit in decades and the first TRISO fuel manufacturing license. The agency has launched 33 active rulemakings, introduced Part 53...
DRIFT's Energy-Harvesting Vessel Concept Earns AIP
DRIFT Energy received an Approval in Principle from classification society RINA for its pioneering energy‑harvesting vessel, which aims to generate and store clean power while sailing. The design integrates hull‑mounted hydro‑kinetic turbines with onboard electrolysis to produce green hydrogen, turning...
UK to Curb Judicial Reviews that Stall Giant Wind Farm Projects
The UK government announced plans to limit the use of judicial reviews that have repeatedly delayed large offshore wind and grid projects. The new measures will tighten standing rules and require pre‑filing permission, aiming to speed up approvals for projects...
Independent Report: Report on the Proposed Subsidy to ITM Power UK Ltd by the Department for Energy Security and Net...
Britain’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has proposed a subsidy for ITM Power UK Ltd, a leading electrolyzer manufacturer. The Subsidy Assessment Unit (SAU) published a 19‑page report evaluating whether the proposal complies with the Subsidy Control...
Study: Equity Funding for UK Smart Grid Rose to $276m in 2025
Equity funding for UK smart‑grid technologies rose to $276 million in 2025, spread across 12 investment rounds. This marks a rise from $209 million in 2024, which involved nine rounds. The increase reflects renewed investor conviction, especially in grid‑intelligence software platforms. The...
States Rethink Solar Rules as Affordability and Grid Constraints Reshape the Market
The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center’s Q1 2026 report logged 253 distributed‑solar policy actions across 44 states, with most activity centered on compensation, interconnection and community‑solar rules. States are moving beyond simple net‑metering decisions toward nuanced frameworks that balance customer...
Energy Storage Firms Raise $2.3 Billion in Q1 2026 as Funding Activity Rises: Report
Corporate funding for energy‑storage firms reached $2.3 billion in Q1 2026, up 5% YoY and spread across 38 deals. Venture‑capital inflows grew 9% to $1.2 billion, while debt and public‑market financing contributed $1.1 billion. Deal activity surged 44% year‑on‑year, and mergers and acquisitions jumped...
GameChange Solar, First Solar Partner on India-Made Thin-Film Module Deployment
US tracker specialist GameChange Solar has teamed with thin‑film module maker First Solar to deploy domestically produced Series 7 modules on its Genius Tracker systems in India. After a year of R&D, the two companies optimized the tracker‑module interface, and two...
PV Curtailment on the Rise in India
India curtailed roughly 300 GWh of renewable electricity in Q1 2026, part of a total 470 GWh loss driven largely by transmission bottlenecks. The northern and western grids bore the brunt, with 178 GWh and 122 GWh respectively, while the south saw no transmission‑related curtailment....
Eskom’s Employee Costs to Produce the Same Amount of Electricity Increased by 1,195% Since 1994
Eskom’s labor cost to generate a gigawatt‑hour of power surged 1,195% between 1994 and 2025, climbing from roughly $966 to $12,500 per GWh. The utility marked a year without load‑shedding, yet its Energy Availability Factor (EAF) lingered at 61%, well...
Kotak Warns of Massive Fuel Under-Recoveries Despite Recent ₹3/Litre Price Hike
Kotak Securities warns Indian state‑run oil marketers may need additional fuel price hikes as refiners still face large under‑recoveries despite a recent ₹3 per litre ($0.036) increase. At a delivered crude price of about $120 per barrel, the implied burden...
Gurgaon Sees Rooftop Solar Boom as 7k Applications Filed in 5 Months
Gurgaon recorded 7,497 rooftop solar applications in just five months, pushing operational connections past 4,200. The surge, driven by the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, has seen subsidies flow to roughly 2,360 households and rapid installations in upscale housing...
From Coal to Solar: A Stable Jobs Transition for Poland
A new study by AGH University of Krakow projects Poland’s solar industry will maintain between 20,000 and 40,000 full‑time jobs through 2040, depending on investment scenarios. The research outlines three pathways—a baseline, the PEP2040 policy scenario, and an optimal (OPT)...
Commission Approves €1.3 Billion German State Aid to Support Renewable Hydrogen Production
The European Commission has cleared a €1.3 billion (≈US$1.4 bn) German state‑aid programme that finances renewable‑hydrogen production through the European Hydrogen Bank’s Auctions‑as‑a‑Service tool. The scheme will fund up to 1,000 MW of electrolyser capacity, targeting 10 million tonnes of green hydrogen and an...
US Startup Antora Deploys 5GWh Thermal Energy Storage System at Biofuels Facility in South Dakota
California‑based Antora has commissioned Project Big Stone, a 5 GWh thermal‑battery system at POET Bioprocessing’s biofuels plant in South Dakota. The TES array stores heat up to 2,400 °C, delivering multi‑day, round‑the‑clock power and lowering the plant’s energy costs. A long‑term heat‑of‑ftake...
Dalkia to Deliver Green Hydrogen Plant in Cumbria
Dalkia, backed by EDF, will design, build and commission a 30 MW green hydrogen plant for Kimberly‑Clark’s Cumbria factory. Construction begins this summer, with commercial operation slated within two years. The project is part of the UK government’s first wave of...
Why Is Oil Moving Lower Today?
Oil prices slipped as markets processed U.S.-Iran diplomatic signals and mixed U.S. economic data. President Trump’s remarks lowered the immediate strike risk but left a geopolitical premium, while IEA data showed global supply fell 1.8 million barrels per day in April,...
German Wind Group Seeks 16GW Return Option to Avoid Offshore Gridlock
The German Offshore Wind Energy Federation (BWO) is urging the government to create a legally binding, voluntary return mechanism for offshore wind sites awarded in the 2023‑2025 tender rounds. Developers could relinquish sites that face prolonged grid‑link delays, preventing years‑long...
Sahaj Solar, Clarion Plan 750 MW PV Module Factory in UAE
Sahaj Solar of India and Clarion Investments of New York have formed a joint venture to build a 750 MW photovoltaic module manufacturing plant in the United Arab Emirates. The facility will serve both domestic demand and export markets, with a...
Federal Government Prepares Withdrawal From Uniper – Orderly Reprivatization Following 2022 Crisis Rescue
The German federal government announced it will begin the orderly reprivatization of Uniper, retaining a blocking minority of 25% plus one share while selling the remaining equity by the end of 2028. The move follows a 2022 state‑aid rescue that...
CFTC Probes $800m Oil Trading Spike
U.S. regulators are probing an $800 million spike in crude oil futures trading that unfolded minutes before a Trump‑issued social‑media post on March 23, which hinted at possible U.S. action against Iran’s energy infrastructure. The surge generated sharp price drops after the...
Former Eskom CEO Says Three Men Saved South Africa From Disaster
Former Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga praised Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Mteto Nyati and Dan Marokane for reversing South Africa’s historic power crisis, noting Eskom’s announcement on 15 May 2026 that the utility has gone a full year without load‑shedding—the first such stretch since 2016‑18. The turnaround is attributed...
Assessing the Role of Distinct Intra-Annual Inflow Patterns in Hydropower Scheduling Beyond Conventional Unevenness Metrics
A new study of the Longyangxia reservoir on the Upper Yellow River shows that intra‑annual inflow patterns, identified through k‑means clustering of 67 years of monthly data, significantly affect hydropower scheduling. Nine distinct patterns were found, and their frequency shifts...
Rockefeller Foundation, Temasek Trust Go Nuclear with New Philanthropic Coalition
The Rockefeller Foundation and Singapore’s Temasek Trust announced the Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy (GCNP) at the Philanthropy Asia Summit, uniting several U.S.-based foundations to channel capital into nuclear energy. Current climate‑philanthropy support for nuclear sits at just 0.2%, highlighting...
World’s Largest Thermal Energy Storage Plant by POET Launches in Big Stone City, South Dakota
POET, in partnership with Antora Energy, launched the world’s largest thermal energy storage plant in Big Stone City, South Dakota. The 5‑gigawatt‑hour system stores excess wind power in carbon blocks heated to 4,000 °F and now supplies electricity to POET’s adjacent...
Adani Green to Develop 2,250 MW Gandikota-2 Pumped Storage Project in AP
Adani Green has secured the development rights for a 2,250 MW pumped‑storage project in Andhra Pradesh’s YSR Kadapa district. The Gandikota‑2 facility, assigned to Adani Hydro Energy Eleven Ltd, will be built under the state’s Integrated Clean Energy Policy 2024 and is slated...
“Island-Able” Solar-Battery Microgrid Wins Funding to Keep Lights on in Town at the End of the Line
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has granted roughly AU$3 million (about US$2 million) to EDP Renewables Australia for the Braidwood Renewable Microgrid Project in New South Wales. The pilot will install a 5 MW solar plant paired with a 5 MW/10 MWh battery that can...
Why the Iran War Won’t Mean More Coal Use in China
The Iran conflict pushed global oil prices above $100 a barrel and doubled LNG costs in Asia, prompting analysts to warn that coal could appear cheaper by comparison. In China, however, the government‑set coal price range of ¥570‑¥770 (about $80‑$108)...
Why We Should Treat Households as Energy Infrastructure
Communities are rebelling against soaring electricity bills and utility‑driven infrastructure spending, prompting states to rethink households as active energy assets. A new "Homegrown Energy" policy package proposes making heat pumps, rooftop solar, batteries and smart appliances affordable for 96% of...
Citi Bull Case Brent Hitting $150 Near Term as Oil Markets Under-Price Disruption Risk
Citi projects Brent crude climbing to $120 per barrel in the near term, citing that markets are under‑pricing the risk of a prolonged Hormuz disruption. Its bull‑case scenario pushes Brent to $150 if the Strait of Hormuz reopens only gradually...
Hitachi Inks 20-Year LTSA with Akaysha Energy for 298MWh Battery Storage System in Australia
Hitachi Energy has entered a 20‑year long‑term service agreement (LTSA) with Akaysha Energy to operate the 155 MW/298 MWh Ulinda Park battery storage system in Queensland. The deal includes Hitachi’s AI‑enabled HMAX Energy platform, providing IoT monitoring, predictive analytics, and 24/7 global support....
AIIB, ADB, StanChart Back Uzbekistan Wind Farm- #BeltAndRoad #Economy #Infrastructure
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has approved a $107 million loan to Acwa for the Bash 2 wind power plant in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region. The 300‑megawatt project, co‑financed by the Asian Development Bank and Standard Chartered, will generate roughly 943 GWh annually, powering...
UAE, Kuwait Expand Overseas Storage to Safeguard Asian Supply Chains
Gulf national oil firms are reshaping logistics to insulate Asian supply chains from Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Kuwait Petroleum Corp. has positioned 7‑8 million barrels of crude in Japan and South Korea, while ADNOC is negotiating storage of up to 30 million...
Putin Is Pushing for a Blockbuster Oil and Gas Deal in China. Will He Get It?
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing seeking a multi‑billion‑dollar oil and gas partnership with state‑run China National Petroleum Corp. The talks focus on long‑term supply contracts, potential yuan‑based settlements, and a pricing formula tied to global benchmarks. Negotiations come...
Scientists Unveil ‘DNA Battery’ That Charges Directly From The Sun
Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have created a liquid solar battery that mimics DNA’s pyrimidone molecule to capture sunlight, store it chemically for months or years, and release it as heat on demand. The molecular system achieves an energy density...
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Trims Stake in 147-Year-Old Oil Stock
Berkshire Hathaway sold roughly 35% of its Chevron stake in Q1 2026, offloading over 45 million shares at an average of $182.59 and generating about $8 billion. The sale reduced Berkshire’s holding to 4.2%, keeping it the fourth‑largest institutional shareholder. Buffett’s team...
Gas and LNG Markets, May 19, 2026
On May 19, 2026, U.S. spot natural‑gas prices slipped about 5% to roughly $2.45 per MMBtu, while Asian LNG futures hovered near $10.20 per MMBtu, indicating stable demand despite a mild weather outlook. European LNG exporter netbacks rose 8% as tighter regional...
Market Watch: Heat Wave Drives Nymex to 2-Month High
June’s scorching heat wave pushed NYMEX natural‑gas futures to a two‑month high, with the prompt‑month contract closing at $3.114 per million British thermal units, up nine cents on the day. Analysts cite stronger summer cooling demand, tighter near‑term supplies, and...
Natural Gas Spot Prices, May 19, 2026
Energy Intelligence’s May 19, 2026 briefing notes that U.S. natural‑gas futures surged to an 11‑week high as an early‑summer heat wave lifts demand and war‑driven oil price spikes spur associated‑gas production. The NGSA forecasts record‑setting summer supply and demand balances, while two...