Oil and Gas Prices Fall Sharply, Driven by Hopes of Strait of Hormuz Reopening – as It Happened
Oil and gas prices plunged on Tuesday as optimism grew that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen and a U.S.–Iran peace memo might be near. Brent crude fell 11% to $97.48 a barrel, its lowest level since April 22, while U.S. WTI slid 11.3% to $90.74. British June gas dropped 6.3% to 107.8 p per therm (about $1.38) and the Dutch contract fell 6.2% to €44.04/MWh (≈$47.5). The rally in risk‑on assets lifted U.S. equities even as the energy index slipped 3%.
A Tsunami of AI Demand Will Blossom Into a Bright Future for Bloom Energy, Argues CEO KR Sridhar. Here's Why...
Oracle has expanded its fuel‑cell agreement with Bloom Energy to power its AI‑focused Project Jupiter in New Mexico, replacing planned gas turbines and diesel generators with a 2.45 GW Bloom Energy Server block. The project will become one of the largest islanded micro‑grids,...
Nuclear Reaches 41% of TVA’s Power Supply
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s nuclear fleet provided 41% of its power in the first half of fiscal 2026, up from 31% a year earlier. Nuclear generation produced 33,772 GWh, while net income rose to $658 million, a 23% increase. Interim CEO Mike...
Ampyr and Climate Fund Commission India Solar
Climate Fund Managers and Ampyr Energy have commissioned the 67 MWp Somasamudra Phase 1 solar PV plant in Karnataka, marking the fourth delivery under Ampyr’s EU‑backed renewable platform. The facility will produce more than 118 GWh of clean electricity each year, offsetting over...
DRC Accelerates Energy Sector Reforms with New Projects and World Bank Funding
The Democratic Republic of the Congo secured $250 million from the World Bank to launch the first phase of its $1 billion Integrated Development Program (PDI3), aimed at expanding electricity access. The 10.5 MW Kakobola hydroelectric plant was commissioned, delivering power to thousands...
White House Backs Alaska LNG Tax Reform as Legislative Deadline Nears
The White House has publicly backed a package of Alaska bills that would overhaul the tax framework for the state’s long‑delayed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project. President Biden’s administration is urging Governor Mike Dunleavy and state legislators to move...
Fortifying US National Security with a Hidden Energy Advantage
The article argues that expanding domestic geothermal and naturally occurring geologic hydrogen can bolster U.S. national security by providing resilient, on‑site power for military installations. Rising natural‑gas prices and geopolitical tensions highlight vulnerabilities of centralized grids. The DoD already pilots...
The Time Is Now: Permitting Reform Is the Foundation of America’s Energy Future
The American Public Power Association is urging the Senate to adopt bipartisan permitting reform after a House package passed the SPEED and PERMIT Acts. NERC forecasts a 224 GW, roughly 70% jump in summer peak demand over the next decade, driven...
Diesel and Gasoline Prices Surge Across U.S. Regions Amid Global Supply Concerns
U.S. diesel and gasoline prices jumped this week as the Middle East conflict tightened global oil supplies. The national on‑highway diesel average rose 29 cents to $5.64 per gallon, while gasoline climbed 33 cents to $4.45 per gallon, according to...
There Are Now More than 2 Million UK Solar Installations
UK solar installations surpassed 2 million in March 2026, the highest monthly volume since 2012, pushing total capacity to 22.1 GW. The month recorded 27,607 new systems delivering 121 MW, while the 373 MW Cleve Hill plant alone contributed 16% of the year‑over‑year capacity...
Texas PV Module Production to Exceed 15 GW in 2026
Texas will produce more than 15 GW of silicon‑based solar PV modules in 2026, accounting for roughly half of all U.S. domestic output. The surge is driven by high‑capacity players such as T1 Energy, Canadian Solar, SEG Solar, Waaree Energies, Imperial...
Renew Risk Launches Severe Storm Model for US Market
Renew Risk has launched a U.S. severe convective storm model designed specifically for utility‑scale solar farms. The model uses an asset‑first, machine‑learning approach and integrates hail, tornadoes and straight‑line wind to produce granular loss estimates. It draws on a monthly‑updated...
Clean Energy Will Help Power FIFA World Cup This Summer
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts is powering its World Cup matches with a mix of clean energy assets, including a 2 MW solid‑oxide fuel‑cell server, a 1 MW solar array, and purchased renewable energy certificates. The combined system supplies roughly half of...
Overview Energy Awarded Contract to Provide Space-Based Solar Power to U.S. Air Force
Overview Energy, a Virginia‑based solar aerospace startup, secured a U.S. Air Force contract to field its orbit‑to‑grid system for resilient power in logistics‑constrained environments. The technology places geosynchronous satellites in space to harvest solar energy and beam it via infrared...
UK Bitumen Imports Increase in 1Q
UK bitumen imports rose 18% year‑on‑year to 225,000 t in Q1, despite a sharp spike in crude and bitumen prices after the US‑Iran war began on 28 February. Fixed‑price term contracts secured before the conflict helped offset higher input costs, keeping domestic...
Xcel Energy: Google Deal Sets Template for Large Load Tariff Strategy
Xcel Energy’s pending deal with Google for a near‑1 GW data center in Minnesota will serve as a template for large‑load tariffs in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico and Wisconsin. Under the agreement, Google funds all infrastructure, and Xcel is filing similar tariffs...
Ballard to Supply Fuel Cell Modules for New Solaris H2 Bus
Ballard Power Systems will equip Solaris’s next‑generation hydrogen bus with its new FCmove‑SC fuel‑cell module. The partnership, which began in 2019, previously used the 70 kW FCmove‑HD and 100 kW FCmove‑HD+ modules for the 12‑metre and 18‑metre Urbino models. Ballard’s order for...
Nuclear Power Is Becoming Part of the AI Infrastructure Supply Chain
AI-driven data centers are turning electricity into a strategic bottleneck, with projects like Meta's El Paso campus targeting roughly 1 GW of continuous power by 2028. This demand has revived interest in nuclear energy, especially advanced small modular and micro‑reactor designs that...
Some in Oil, Natural Gas Sector Expected Quick Hormuz Reopening Before ‘Project Freedom’
A Dallas Federal Reserve survey found that 20% of oil and natural‑gas executives expect the Strait of Hormuz to resume normal traffic by May 2026, while 39% see reopening only by August 2026. The timeline follows President Trump’s announcement of...
Duke Energy Added 2.7 GW of Contracted Data Centers in Q1
Duke Energy announced it has signed 2.7 GW of new data‑center service agreements in Q1, bringing its total executed contracts with data centers to 7.6 GW, most of which are already under construction. The utility also highlighted a 7.8 GW high‑confidence pipeline of...
Economic Recovery Lifts German Diesel Demand in 2025
German diesel consumption rose in 2025, marking the first increase in six years and signaling a tentative rebound in industrial activity after two years of recession. The economy grew 0.2% in 2025, ending a downturn that saw GDP contract by...
Baleària Dual-Fuel Fast Ferry Newbuild Aces Sea Trials
Baleària’s new 123‑metre dual‑fuel Ro‑Pax fast ferry Mercedes Pinto completed sea trials, hitting a top speed of 38 knots. Built by Astilleros Armon in Gijón and designed by Incat Crowther, the vessel can transport up to 1,200 passengers and 425 vehicles. Powered by...
Electric Buses Are Over Half Of National Park Site’s Bus Fleet
The Presidio Trust is adding five battery‑electric buses to its free shuttle fleet, pushing the share of electric vehicles above 50 percent. The transition promises lower maintenance costs, reduced emissions, and cleaner air for drivers, passengers, and nearby residents. The...
India’s Energy Risk Surges as Sea Routes Turn Strategic
India’s energy security is increasingly threatened by the strategic weaponisation of maritime chokepoints. About half of its crude oil and 90% of LPG/LNG imports travel through the Strait of Hormuz, while over a third of its overall trade depends on...
UAE's Fujairah Bunker Sales Rebound in April
Marine fuel sales at Fujairah, the world’s fourth‑largest bunkering hub, rebounded in April, climbing to 57,000 t (910 t/d) from a March low of 29,000 t (460 t/d). Very‑low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) volumes rose to 37,000 t, while high‑sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) increased to...
DNV’s Insight: 38 New Orders for Alternative-Fueled Vessels in April
DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight reported 38 new orders for alternative‑fueled vessels in April 2026, bringing the year‑to‑date total to 83. LNG remained dominant with 20 orders spanning car carriers, container ships, crude tankers and cruise vessels, while LPG/ethane carriers secured...
Gasoline Costs 50% More Than It Did Before the Iran War
U.S. regular gasoline surged to an average $4.48 per gallon on May 5, a 50% increase since the Iran war began. The spike follows a 31‑cent weekly rise driven by crude oil climbing to $112 a barrel as the Strait of...
Dutch Partners Explore Bringing Silicon PV Into Space
The Netherlands’ research institute TNO, solar‑module maker MCPV and aerospace giant Airbus have launched a joint programme to adapt terrestrial silicon photovoltaic technology for space use. The effort targets back‑contact silicon cells as a cheaper alternative to the gallium‑arsenide (GaAs)...
Kenya: GDC Conference Opens as Experts Back Geothermal to Power Industrial Growth
The third Geothermal Conference 2026 opened in Nairobi on May 4, highlighting Kenya’s push to make geothermal the backbone of its industrial expansion. Principal Secretary for Energy Alex Wachira underscored that stable power is essential for economic growth, noting Kenya’s rank...
How the Solar and Storage 'Sweet Spot' Could Slash Europe's Energy Costs
SolarPower Europe’s new scenario projects that scaling solar generation together with battery storage across the continent could halve operating costs for power consumers by 2030. The model calls for roughly 300 GW of new solar capacity and 150 GW of storage, backed...
Gas Trading Boosts Equinor Profit
Equinor posted adjusted net income of $3.7 billion ($1.48 per share) in Q1 2026, more than twice the prior‑year level, driven by higher production and oil prices. The company highlighted strong gains from optimized piped gas trading in Europe and gas...
Solar Experts Offer a Solution to Satisfy Both Sides in Ivanpah Decommissioning Battle
Two California utilities, PG&E and SCE, are trying to terminate their long‑term power purchase agreements for the 392 MW Ivanpah CSP plant, citing chronic under‑performance and high costs. The California Public Utilities Commission has rejected the termination requests, emphasizing the need...
Norwegian Startup Testing Hybrid Solar, Wave, Wind System
Norwegian startup Flex2Future has begun testing a scaled‑down hybrid offshore energy platform that combines solar, wave and wind generation in a SINTEF ocean basin. Laboratory trials focus on the structure’s hydrodynamic response and the power‑take‑off performance of its wave converters....
Oil Price Pulls Back and FTSE 100 Rebounds After ‘TACO’ Trump Post
Oil prices slipped below $100 a barrel on Wednesday after President Trump announced a pause to the U.S. naval escort operation in the Strait of Hormuz, signaling possible progress toward a U.S.-Iran peace deal. Brent crude fell from around $115,...
European Solar-Plus-Storage Ramp-Up Could Cut 2030 Power Costs by 49%
SolarPower Europe’s new Solar+ report outlines an ambitious pathway for solar photovoltaic and battery storage deployment across the EU. By 2030, the EU aims to expand operational storage from 55 GW to 200 GW and double solar’s share to 26%, pushing renewables...
UK-US Consortium Targets First Nuclear Fusion Power Plant by Mid-2030s
A UK‑US consortium comprising Bill Gates‑backed Type One Energy, UK‑based Tokamak Energy, and infrastructure firm AECOM announced plans to build the United Kingdom’s first commercial nuclear‑fusion power plant. The partnership targets a mid‑2030s operational date, aiming to deliver a net‑zero...
UK Government Funds Battery Recycling Consortium
The UK government, via Innovate UK’s Battery Innovation Programme, has awarded funding to ReCam, a consortium of Recyclus, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, Watercycle Technologies and Polaron. The group will develop advanced lithium‑ion battery recycling processes that turn end‑of‑life cells into...
Macquarie Strategists Expect Another USA Crude Inventory Draw
Macquarie strategists, led by Walt Chancellor, project a 5.0 million‑barrel draw in U.S. crude inventories for the week ending May 1, following a 6.2 million‑barrel decline the week before. The forecast assumes a modest 0.1 million‑barrel‑per‑day increase in refinery runs, while net imports rise...
Sinovoltaics Launches Free Tool for Project-Specific PV Module Test Scopes
Sinovoltaics unveiled PV Lab Test Advisor, a free web‑based platform that generates customized reliability‑testing scopes for utility‑scale solar projects. Users input site climate, technology and risk parameters, and the tool outputs a PDF‑ready testing plan. The service aims to replace...
Forestalia Advances Tosos Wind Plans
Forestalia announced it will build 13 wind turbines in Tosos, Zaragoza, delivering 77.9 MW of capacity. The turbines are part of four projects—Henar II, Henar III, Canteras IV and Canteras V—representing 43.6% of the 178.6 MW planned for the Campo de Cariñena region. The development involves...
PV Module Recycling Technologies ‘Progressing’, Says IEA-PVPS
The International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme released its latest Task 12 report, showing measurable progress in PV module recycling. Commercial recyclers like Solarcycle and SPR now recover up to 98% of silicon and over 90% of silver and copper,...
Green Flexibility, Suncatcher, SWB and ArcelorMittal Progress Large-Scale BESS Projects in Germany Totalling 324MWh
Germany’s utility‑scale battery market received four major announcements in early May, adding 324 MWh of capacity. Green Flexibility inaugurated a 40 MW/80 MWh BESS in Bavaria, while SWB and Be.storaged plan an 85 MW/170 MWh system at a Bremen port for 2028. ArcelorMittal hired EDF...
DMPR Corrects Diesel Price Adjustment For May
South Africa’s Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) issued an erratum correcting a miscalculation in the May 2026 diesel price adjustment. The department had mistakenly applied a 0.93‑cent levy reduction instead of the intended 93‑cent cut, inflating the wholesale...
Adnoc Appears to Export Second LNG Shipment Through Hormuz
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) appears to have exported a second LNG cargo through the Strait of Hormuz, using the Mraweh tanker bound for Japan. The vessel likely loaded the gas at the Das Island export plant, the same...
Green Diesel Optimism Reigns in Chicago Amid Turnaround Buzz
The biomass‑based diesel sector is shedding its 2025 gloom as recent U.S. policy shifts spark optimism. The Trump administration has lifted biofuel‑blending volumes and introduced the 45Z tax credit, which rewards low‑carbon feedstocks. Concurrently, European biodiesel has traded below petroleum...
Record Turbine Blades Arrive at Mill Rig
OnPath Energy received the UK's longest on‑shore wind turbine blades—80 metres each—for the 33 MW Mill Rig project in South Lanarkshire. The blades will equip six Nordex N163/5.X turbines, giving tip heights of 199.5 metres and a 50 % larger swept area than previous UK...
Oil Futures Fall 8% on Report U.S. and Iran Are in Talks on Memo to End the War
Oil futures plunged after a report that the United States and Iran are drafting a memo to end the war. Brent fell 7% to $101.87 per barrel and WTI dropped 8% to $94.32. The price slide followed President Donald Trump’s...
Renewables Are Gaining on Fossil Fuels, IRENA Report Finds
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that renewable power is closing the cost gap with fossil fuels as oil supplies tighten. Declining wind and solar prices, combined with cheaper battery storage, allow renewables to deliver steady electricity at lower...
Clean Hydrogen Created From Plastic Waste Using Battery Acid From Old Cars and Solar Power
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have unveiled a one‑pot method that converts PET plastic waste into valuable chemicals and clean hydrogen using solar energy and sulfuric acid extracted from discarded car batteries. The process first hydrolyzes PET into glycol...
Australia to Build Up 1B-Liter Fuel Reserve
Australia announced a AUD 10 billion ($7.26 billion) Fuel Security and Resilience package, dedicating AUD 3.2 bn ($2.3 bn) to create a government‑owned reserve of roughly 1 billion liters of diesel and aviation fuel. The initiative, combined with a 10‑day extension of minimum stockholding obligations funded with AUD 34.7 million...