Energy Central

The latest: Amid continuous US strikes on Iran, Wright said that “a little under” 14M barrels of oil are leaving the Arabian Gulf region per day, or two-thirds of pre-war traffic…despite headlines that most of the traffic has halted.

VPPoperator Voltus is raising up to $100M, Axios reported (which could mark its last private fundraising round before going public). Last month, Voltus announced a deal with Google to launch the first hyperscaler-funded VPP. Meanwhile, Emerald AI, which creates data center management software, is looking to pull in around $100M (which could bring its value above $1B). Want to learn how the company turns data centers into grid assets?

The details: It’s not just drought hindering hydro generation. It’s getting increasingly tricky to source the custom-built large-power transformers (LPTs) that help whizz water power from turbines to homes and businesses. A sobering stat: One LPT unit can cost up to $10M, according to a recent report from the National Laboratory of the Rockies.

The bill: The Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act, recently introduced by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), would order grid operators to create a fast-track process for new generation. The tradeoff? During grid congestion, these energy sources have to curtail generation. The background: It’s a similar concept to ERCOT’s “connect and manage” process. Energy pros have long been eyeing this strategy, which links up new projects roughly two years quicker than the rest of the country.

In the latest episode of the American Public Power Association's podcast, Chris Fredericksen, the new General Manager of Idaho Falls Power and Idaho Falls Fiber, details how the public power utility and its customers will benefit from a new 17.5-megawatt natural gas peaking plant. He also discusses how the public power utility is tackling workforce challenges including efforts to let students know about career opportunities in the power sector. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1452280/episodes/19509544

America's shale boom is almost always measured in barrels. Take a look at the Permian Basin, pulling six million barrels of crude a day in December 2025, which is 44 percent of total U.S. crude output. Throw in the 22.2 billion cubic feet of dry natural gas pumped out every single day, and it looks like an unstoppable machine. But production figures alone are a bit of a trap, as they don't actually tell you whether this boom can be sustained.

In contemporary energy discussions, heavy and extra-heavy crude is frequently dismissed as "difficult oil"—assumed to be too complex, costly, and misaligned with the energy transition. However, as industry professionals navigating global supply chains know, the reality of the energy market dictates otherwise. Heavy crude remains a strategic asset.

The term iron law is derived from Goethe's "great, eternal iron laws" in his poem Das Göttliche, (On The Divine). Numerous scholars have propounded iron laws regarding a variety of subjects. There are currently at least two iron laws related to the issues surrounding climate change.

By Kennedy Maize When it comes to the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), “Unsubsidized renewable energy remains the most cost competitive form of new-build generation…. Wind, solar and storage are expected to continue to account for the majority of near-term U.S. capacity additions given their relatively short deployment timeline,” according to a new report from the financial advisory and asset management firm Lazard.

The answer regarding the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) can be seen in the graph.