EPA wants to hear your thoughts on the full range of options available for US biofuel allocation
The U.S. The Small Refinery Exemption Program offers two options: 50% or 100%. The agency will also ask for comments on any other possible volumes such as 25% or 75%. It is likely that the proposal will not narrow down options, and this will prolong the latest conflict between Big Oil versus Big Farm about how to handle waived obligations for biofuel blends. Both industries are vying to influence U.S. agricultural and energy policy. The U.S.
IEA: Global oil and gas production is declining rapidly, IEA reports
International Energy Agency (IEA) said Tuesday that the decline in oil and gas production from mature fields around the world is increasing due to a greater reliance on deep-ocean and shale resources. This means companies will need to invest even more to maintain output. Donald Trump's administration has criticized the IEA for its recent shift in focus to clean energy policy.
Alaskans fear higher energy prices as Trump drills
Alaskans spend nearly two times as much on electricity as the national average. Matt Goodnow, financial counselor at a hospital located in Homer, Alaska, a fishing village on the Kenai Peninsula, said that higher energy costs would be detrimental to the community. The Trump administration is not only planning to eliminate federal funding for renewable energy projects and to remove tax breaks…
Mitsubishi abandons offshore wind farms in Japan
A senior official in the industry ministry said that Japan wants to re-auction as many offshore wind sites as possible as soon as they can, subject to local community consent. The trading house Mitsubishi Corp announced on Wednesday that it would no longer build wind farms in the prefectures of Akita and Chiba due to rising costs. In 2021, the first state-wide auctions were held to award the rights to construct and operate these farms.
German solar industry warns of ending subsidies after Minister proposes reductions
The German solar industry warned against the proposed end of subsidies for rooftop photovoltaics systems. They argued that withdrawing support from small installations could jeopardize the country's climate targets. Feed-in subsidies have been in place for 25 years to help expand the solar energy sector. They guarantee a price for producers of renewable energy who sell their power on the grid.
Engie, France, reports 9.4% decline in first-half earnings
PARIS, 1 August - French utility Engie reported a 9.4% drop in its half-year earnings Friday as higher revenues from natural gas distribution were not enough to offset lower prices for energy and hydropower. The company's first-half earnings, excluding nuclear operations, were 5.1 billion euro ($5.82 billion), down from 5.6 billion euro a year earlier. "These results are solid…
Japan's JERA Q1 profits down slightly on weaker overseas sales
JERA, Japan’s largest power generator, posted on Thursday a 1% decline in net profit during the first quarter fiscal year 2025, to 92.5 billion Japanese yen (621 million dollars), due to a weaker power generation overseas, including renewable energy. JERA, the joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power (TEP) and Chubu Electric Power (CEP), saw a net profit of 93.4 billion yen in the same time period last year.
Sources say that India's Assam State has halted its green hydrogen policy, a setback for investors.
Government and industry sources confirmed that Assam, a state in northeast India, has put on hold its green hydrogen policy, shocking investors who were already suffering from a reduction of incentives for clean energy project. The largest state in the northeast has tried to attract large investments to a region which has lagged far behind the rest of the country when it comes to renewable energy adoption.
Sources say that India's Assam State has halted its green hydrogen policy, a setback for investors.
Government and industry sources confirmed that Assam, a state in northeast India, has halted its green hydrogen policy, shocking investors who were already suffering from a reduction of incentives for clean energy project. The largest state in the northeast has tried to attract large investments to a region which has lagged far behind the rest of the country when it comes to renewable energy adoption.
GRAINS-Chicago soya beans hover near an 11-week low despite modest recovery
Chicago soybean futures rose on Thursday, but they remained at a low of 11 weeks as favorable weather in the Midwest and selling pressure affected the market. After four consecutive sessions of losses, the most active soybean contract increased 0.05% to $10.00 per bushel. The warm, rainy weather is ideal for corn and soybean crops. The bearish tone was heightened by the selling pressure that preceded the first notice date of the July contracts for soybeans…
Brazil increases biofuels, sees self-sufficiency in gasoline
The Brazilian National Energy Policy Council approved an increase in the amount of biofuels blended into fossil fuels on Wednesday. This move was also hailed by renewable energy lobbyists who had earlier claimed that the blends wouldn't be changed this coming year. Pietro Mendes from the Energy Ministry's Oil and Gas Department announced the changes during a press conference.
EU continues with Russian gas banning proposal despite Hungary and Slovakia's vetoes
Hungary and Slovakia opposed on Monday a planned European Union prohibition on Russian gas imports. However, Brussels is expected Tuesday to propose the legislation, which may pass without their approval. By the end of 2027, the European Commission plans to ban EU imports of Russian gas and LNG. It will announce the legal implementation of the plan announced last month on Tuesday.
World Bank will end nuclear energy ban, but still debate upstream gas
Ajay Banaga, president of the World Bank, said that its board had agreed to lift a ban on financing nuclear energy projects for developing countries. This is part of an effort to meet the growing demand for electricity. Banga sent an email outlining the bank's new energy strategy to its staff following what he described as a constructive meeting with the board. Banga said…
Japan will send a senior official for the Alaska energy conference
Yoji Muto, Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry minister, said on Friday a senior official would attend a conference in Alaska next week, at which the $44 billion Alaska LNG Project is expected to come up for discussion. Muto announced that Takehiko Matsuo will be the Vice-Minister of International Affairs for the Ministry. The conference is scheduled to take place from June 3 to 5, Muto stated.
Polish utility Enea expects to increase its core profit in Q1
Enea, a Polish utility company, posted a 3.4% increase in its core profit for the first quarter of this year on Tuesday night. This was largely due to higher revenues from its distribution division at a time that it is looking to expand its renewables energy offerings. Enea's preliminary estimate of EBITDA was 1.94 billion zlotys (518.2 millions). Enea, Poland’s third largest power utility in terms of market value…
US LNG Exporters Continue New Projects Despite Trade War Uncertainty
Woodside Energy's decision last month to proceed with its Louisiana LNG export facility was the first of over 90 million tonnes of new LNG shipping capacity U.S. companies plan to approve this year despite uncertainty about President Donald Trump's trade war, according to company statements and analysts.The U.S., already the world's largest exporter of the superchilled gas with 91.3 million tonnes of annual capacity…
Minister: Denmark may lift 40-year-old ban on nuclear energy
Denmark may lift a ban on nuclear energy that dates back 40 years to improve its energy security. This is a major policy shift for a country which has prioritized expanding wind and solar energy. In an interview with Danish newspaper Politiken published late Tuesday, Lars Aagaard, the Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities, said that the Danish government would analyse potential benefits from new nuclear technologies.
RWE has ceased offshore wind activity in the United States
RWE's CEO stated in a speech draft published in advance of the annual general meeting that the company has temporarily halted its offshore wind activities in the United States due to the regulatory uncertainty caused by the Trump administration. Markus Krebber's comments highlight the challenges facing European energy companies on the U.S. Offshore Wind Market, which is a major target of Trump’s energy policy.
IMF: AI's economic benefits will likely outweigh its emissions costs
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that the benefits of artificial intelligence would boost global production by 0.5% per year between 2025-2030, and outweigh the rising costs associated with the carbon emissions from the data centres required to run AI models. The IMF released a report at its annual spring meetings in Washington that noted the fact that these output gains were not shared equally around the globe.
NextEra exceeds profit expectations as the power company avoids trade risks
NextEra Energy's CEO stated that the company beat Wall Street expectations on Wednesday regarding rising electricity demand, as it works to navigate around increasing global trade risks. The rising costs brought on by President Donald Trump’s tariff war threaten to slow down a recent surge of electricity demand, and dent plans for expansion by the country’s power companies.