Russia Threatens Europe as Ukraine Escalates Strikes on Putin’s Oil Industry
Ukraine has dramatically escalated its drone campaign against Russia’s oil terminals, pipelines and refineries, slashing export capacity by roughly 40 percent. The surge reflects a maturing domestic drone industry that in March 2026 launched more cross‑border attacks than Russia for the first time. Repeated strikes on Baltic and Black Sea ports are designed to choke the Kremlin’s war‑funding stream as global oil prices rise amid the Iran conflict. Moscow has warned European partners, but Kyiv continues to sign security pacts to expand its drone capabilities.
Hong Kong: AI-Driven Systems to Power a Sustainable Energy Future
The 2026 Belt and Road Advanced Programme in Power and Energy concluded in Hong Kong, showcasing AI‑driven solutions for modern power grids. Participants demonstrated machine‑learning cable diagnostics, 3‑D GIS digital twins, and intelligent dispatch systems that improve reliability and integrate...
The 'Dumb Machine' Promising a Clean Energy Breakthrough
Proxima Fusion, a German‑based startup, is racing to build a tokamak‑style fusion reactor dubbed Alpha, relying on ultra‑complex magnetic coils that it hopes to mass‑produce far faster and cheaper than traditional designs. The company leverages Germany’s deep CNC machining talent...
'Double Down Not Back Down': Government to Announce Wave of Measures to Accelerate Clean Tech Deployment
Ed Miliband announced a new government package aimed at speeding up clean‑technology deployment across the United Kingdom. The plan includes installing renewable energy systems on public‑sector buildings, simplifying planning approvals for green projects, and separating gas and electricity prices from...
UK Shifts Older Wind and Solar Farms to Fixed-Price Deals to Reduce Price Shocks
The UK Treasury will raise the windfall tax on electricity generators from 45% to 55% unless they sign long‑term fixed‑price contracts, known as contracts for difference (CfDs). The move targets legacy wind and solar farms that currently earn subsidies on...
Turning Point? Clean Energy Met 100% of World’s New Power Needs in 2025: Report
Ember’s 2025 Global Electricity Review shows clean‑power generation rose by 887 TWh, outpacing the 849 TWh increase in total electricity demand. Renewables supplied 34 percent of global electricity, overtaking coal’s 33 percent share for the first time, and coal generation fell below one‑third of...
UK to Streamline Planning Rules to Unlock Grid Infrastructure
The UK government announced on 21 April that new planning rules will let larger electricity substations be built without full applications, speeding grid connections for homes, businesses, EV chargers and data centres. The package also creates streamlined routes for routine grid...
Golden Pass Texas Facility Ready for Inaugural LNG Export
Golden Pass LNG in Texas received its first export cargo as the Al Qaiyyah tanker, owned by QatarEnergy, docked on Monday. The plant, which began production earlier this year after years of delays and cost overruns, processed 400 million cubic feet of...
Everllence Ammonia Engine Passes Factory Acceptance Test
Everllence announced the successful factory acceptance test of its first dual‑fuel ammonia‑burning engine, the B&W 6G60ME‑LGIA, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries' licensee in South Korea. The engine will power a vessel for Singapore‑based Eastern Pacific Shipping, slated for delivery in October 2026,...
EVs Are Driving Cleaner Automotive Supply Chains — Here’s How
The new Lead the Charge Auto Supply Chain Leaderboard shows that EV manufacturers are outpacing gasoline‑car makers in battery recycling, low‑carbon steel and aluminium use, and responsible mineral sourcing. Tesla disclosed detailed emissions hotspots in its battery chain, while Mercedes,...
Permitting Reform Needed As Energy, Data Center Demand Surges
Federal permitting rules are under pressure as U.S. energy and data‑center demand surge, with industry leaders warning that review processes can stretch four to five years. Speakers at an American Enterprise Institute panel highlighted the fragmented involvement of the Interior,...
Spot Prices Wrap: Cash Climbs as Natural Gas Demand, Supply Indicators Trend Bullish
Natural gas futures posted a fourth consecutive session of modest gains as cooler weather and robust LNG exports lifted demand, while U.S. storage reports show a growing surplus. Traders remain cautious amid lingering geopolitical tension from the Iran‑U.S. conflict, which...
Why Coal Is Surging
Coal is experiencing a notable resurgence, driven by renewed demand across multiple regions. The article highlights coal’s historic role in powering industrialization and electrification, then points to a contemporary uptick in production and consumption. Recent data show global output climbing...
Surge in Global Wind Energy Capacity Growth to Propel MPV Volumes
Analysts project a surge in global wind energy capacity, adding roughly 320 GW between 2026 and 2030—about 200 GW onshore and 123 GW offshore, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. This rapid expansion will keep multipurpose and specialist installation vessels (MPVs) busy,...
Electric Cooperative Leaders Advocate for Federal Policies Essential to Maintaining Affordable, Reliable Power
Around 1,500 electric cooperative leaders will convene in Washington, D.C., to press federal lawmakers for policies that safeguard affordable, reliable power. Representing utilities that serve 42 million customers across more than half of the nation’s land, they warn that grid reliability...
Oil Prices Rise After Trump Says Iranian Ship Seized
Global oil markets surged after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. Navy seized an Iran‑flagged cargo vessel, pushing Brent crude over 4% to $94.20 a barrel. The move follows Iran’s decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that...
Fronius Releases Microgrid Interconnect Device EBLU
Fronius introduced the Essential Backup Load Unit (EBLU), a micro‑grid interconnect device that works with its GEN24 Plus hybrid inverter. The unit automatically disconnects the home from the utility grid during outages, allowing solar and battery storage to supply essential loads...
Crude Surges On Renewed Hormuz Fears
Oil and gas markets surged on April 20 as renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz threatened to choke a quarter of global energy flows. Brent crude jumped 5.6% to about $95.50 a barrel and WTI rose 6.9% to $89.61,...
Futures Settle: Natural Gas Extends Quiet Winning Streak as LNG, Cool Temps Boost Demand
Natural‑gas futures posted a fourth straight session of modest gains as the market balanced comfortable supply with supportive demand cues. Midwest storage inventories remain below seasonal norms, heightening sensitivity to weather‑driven price moves ahead of the refill period. LNG feed‑gas...
Energy Grid Startup Gets $26 Million Fundraise
Critical Loop, a Long Beach‑based energy firm, closed a $26 million Series A round led by Conifer Infrastructure Partners and Hanover, with participation from Better Ventures, Climate Capital, Cyrus Ventures and Adapt Nation Capital. The capital will fund its mobile microgrid solution that...
PowerUQ Extension Added to Terabase PlantPredict Modeling Platform
PowerUQ has partnered with Terabase Energy to embed its Monte Carlo‑based uncertainty engine into the PlantPredict solar‑energy modeling platform. The new extension lets owners, financiers, engineers and asset managers run millions of generation scenarios without leaving their cloud workflow. By quantifying...
Golden Pass LNG Nears First Export as QatarEnergy Vessel Berths in Texas
Golden Pass LNG in Sabine Pass, Texas, is poised to load its first cargo after a QatarEnergy LNG carrier docked at the terminal’s berth. The facility’s feed gas supply averages 0.31 billion cubic feet per day, enabling liquefaction to commence....
New York Congressman’s Legislation Would Allow Tax Deductions on Utility Bills
U.S. Rep. Josh Riley (D‑Ithaca) introduced the “No Tax on Utility Bills Act,” a bipartisan bill that would let taxpayers deduct the taxes and state‑mandated surcharges embedded in gas and electric bills. The legislation would apply to both residential and...
Secures FCC Conditional Approval to Deploy Autonomous Drones for U.S. Electricity Grids
sees.ai has secured conditional approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to operate its centrally controlled autonomous drones for close‑quarter inspection of high‑voltage electricity infrastructure. The approval, granted under the FCC’s new Conditional Approval pathway, validates the company’s security and...
LNG Demand Seen Rising on European Cold Snap, but Asian Weakness Keeps Gains in Check
A brief cold snap across Northwest Europe is expected to boost LNG demand over the next two weeks, offsetting the otherwise mild weather patterns in the United States that are dampening domestic gas consumption. While the European uptick adds upward...
EU Carbon Border Tariff Is Reshaping Industrial Trade Flows
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered its pricing phase on Jan. 1, 2026, imposing certificates on imports of iron‑steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, hydrogen and electricity. Obligations are calculated from embedded emissions, market of origin and EU ETS prices, with default...
China Restarting Massive Coal-to-Gas Project After Decade-Long Pause
Chinese state‑owned China Datang Corp. is restarting its $3.7 billion Fuxin coal‑to‑gas project, originally halted in 2014, with a planned online date in October 2026. The revival is driven by a surplus of domestic coal and recent disruptions to Middle‑East gas...
Why EPC Firms Are Key to Nuclear Growth
Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firms are becoming central to the anticipated nuclear renaissance, prompting a wave of M&A activity. Recent deals—Natura Resources acquiring Shepherd Power, Studsvik buying Kärnfull Next, and Energy Capital Partners re‑acquiring EnergySolutions—secure the full nuclear value...
Bison XPress Startup Redirects Bakken Natural Gas to Cheyenne Hub, Reshapes Regional Spreads
Federal regulators have approved TC Energy Corp.'s Bison XPress expansion, enabling the project to begin full service. The startup adds roughly 300 MMcf/d (300,000 Dth/d) of incremental natural‑gas takeaway capacity from the gas‑rich Bakken Shale. By routing the new flow toward the Cheyenne...
LNG Canada Nearing Full Capacity as Iran War Squeezes Global Supply
LNG Canada is set to operate at full capacity in April, loading about 15 cargoes per month. The plant’s 14.6 mtpa output will primarily serve Asian buyers as global LNG supplies tighten due to the Iran conflict. Rising demand for North...
C&C Marine and Repair Celebrates Keel Laying for New Hybrid Escort Tug Quartet
C&C Marine and Repair held a keel‑laying ceremony in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, to launch a quartet of advanced hybrid escort tugs for Green Tug Towing, which will service Woodside Energy’s new LNG terminal. The new series joins an earlier four‑tug...
EU to Widen Iran Sanctions to Those Who Block Hormuz
The European Union announced it will broaden its Iran sanctions regime to target individuals and entities that block the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s self‑imposed closure of the strait has cut roughly one‑fifth of global oil and LNG supplies, disrupting markets....
Van Oord Completes Baltic Power Foundations
Van Oord has finished installing all monopile foundations and transition pieces for the Baltic Power offshore wind farm in Poland, a project slated for up to 1.2 GW capacity. The work involved 78 monopiles and 76 transition pieces, primarily using the...
Defense Supplier Pitches Green Hydrogen For Military Electrofuels
Rheinmetall unveiled its "Giga PtX" plan to install several hundred 50‑MW green‑hydrogen micro‑grids across Europe, creating modular facilities that can synthesize 5,000‑7,000 tonnes of drop‑in e‑fuel per site each year. The initiative, backed by partnerships with German PtL specialist INERATEC...
U.S. Extends Russian Oil Wind-Down License Despite Earlier Pledge to Let It Expire
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 134B on April 17, extending the sanctions wind‑down authorization for Russian‑origin crude and products loaded before that date until May 16, 2026. The license permits necessary services—shipping, insurance, bunkering—for those cargoes, but does...
Global Solar PV Additions Exceed 600GW in 2025, Says IEA
The International Energy Agency reports that global solar PV installations exceeded 600 GW in 2025, pushing cumulative capacity to about 2.8 TW. China contributed roughly 370 GW, more than half of the additions, while the EU, India and emerging markets also posted record...
AMA: Energy 2026: Additive Manufacturing in Energy Is Moving Beyond Pilots Here’s What’s Actually Being Deployed
Additive manufacturing (AM) is moving from pilot projects to repeatable production in the energy sector. Siemens Energy now prints titanium impellers for integrally geared compressors, while Equinor is deploying on‑demand spare‑part strategies to boost uptime. Certification bodies such as DNV...
Iraq Reopens Rabia Border Crossing with Syria to Support Fuel Exports
Iraq has reopened the Rabia border crossing with Syria after more than a decade, reviving overland fuel‑oil exports. The move aims to alleviate backlogs at the al‑Waleed crossing and offset Gulf shipping disruptions caused by the Strait of Hormuz closure....
EnBW Advances Storage Strategy: Construction Begins on 100 MWh Large-Scale Battery in Marbach to Strengthen Grid Stability
EnBW Energie Baden‑Württemberg has begun building a 100 MWh lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery storage facility at its Marbach power plant, with commissioning targeted for the end of 2026. The system will connect to TransnetBW’s transmission grid to smooth short‑term fluctuations from wind and...
Electromobility in Germany Is Growing: Fuel Prices and Expansion of Charging Infrastructure Shape the Market Environment
Germany's electromobility market kept expanding in Q1 2026, with public charging points surpassing 200,000 and installed capacity exceeding nine gigawatts. Rising fuel prices and EU CO₂ fleet limits are driving EV demand, though a price premium of about 16% remains for...
Western Gateway Pipeline Advances After Securing Key Shipper Commitments
The Western Gateway Pipeline, a joint venture between Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan, has secured long‑term shipper commitments during its latest open season, clearing a key hurdle before construction. The project combines a new‑build segment from Borger, Texas to Phoenix, Arizona with...
Massachusetts Senate Considers DER Peak Reduction Mandate to Curb Grid Costs
The Massachusetts Senate is drafting a climate omnibus bill that could impose a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Peak Reduction Standard on investor‑owned utilities. The mandate would require utilities to meet capacity targets by dispatching customer‑sited solar and storage, creating a...
La Plata Electric CEO: Why Western Utilities Are Moving Toward Regional Markets
On April 1, La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) joined the Southwest Power Pool, extending its reach into the Western Interconnection. The move reflects a broader shift among Western utilities from isolated balancing authorities toward coordinated regional markets. Organized markets allow system...
Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Forces Evacuation From Fukushima Nuclear Plants
On April 20, 2026, a magnitude‑7.5 earthquake struck off Sanriku, Japan, prompting a tsunami advisory for Fukushima Prefecture. TEPCO ordered all staff at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power stations to evacuate to higher ground; the company reported no...
Tandem PV Launches Commercial Perovskite-Silicon Manufacturing in California
Tandem PV has launched a 40 MW commercial demonstration factory in Fremont, California, converting perovskite‑silicon tandem technology from lab to repeatable manufacturing. The 65,000‑square‑foot plant produces panels roughly 60 times larger than its research devices, delivering 29.7% efficiency and less than...
As EV Load Grows, Utilities Use Managed Charging to Harness Flexibility, Lower Costs
U.S. utilities are scaling active managed‑charging (V1G) programs to smooth EV load, deferring costly grid upgrades. Automakers such as GM, Ford and Rivian partner with aggregators like EnergyHub, WeaveGrid and ChargeScape to give utilities real‑time control over charging. State regulators...
Wind Installations 'Hit Record in 2025'
Global wind installations hit a record 165 GW in 2025, according to GWEC's Global Wind Report 2026. Cumulative capacity now exceeds 1,299 GW, cementing wind as a cornerstone of modern energy systems. GWEC warns installations must double by 2030 to meet net‑zero...
Government Appears to Leave Door Open to Gigawatt-Scale Nuclear at Wylfa
The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero released a business case that confirms three 470 MW Rolls‑Royce SMRs at Wylfa while explicitly preserving the option for a gigawatt‑scale nuclear plant. The language creates ambiguity about whether the government will...
De-Risking Distributed Solar: Foundations Are a Critical Bottleneck
U.S. distributed‑generation solar growth is hitting a bottleneck at the foundation stage. Early‑stage construction delays, driven by fragmented overseas supply chains and limited EPC capacity, are inflating costs and threatening tax‑credit eligibility. EPCs are turning to domestic, vertically integrated manufacturers...
Energy Chief Says Gas May Not Dip Below $3 Until Next Year
Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN that U.S. gasoline prices are likely to stay at $3 per gallon or higher until next year, contradicting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s forecast of sub‑$3 fuel by the summer. Wright said prices have probably...