Friday, 2 October 2026

The 110 MWac Three W Solar project in Hill County, Texas, has reached substantial completion and won approval to link to the state power grid. It is Mitsui's first utility-scale solar project in the United States.

The plant holds a nameplate rating of 150 MWdc, which converts to 110 MWac, and can produce enough electricity for as many as 45,000 homes.

The grid approval lets the facility connect in Texas and opens the way for handover to Mitsui's operations and maintenance team.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said a new 1,000 MW nuclear power plant could be the most logical solution for Armenia as the country's electricity demand grows, according to ARKA.

Pashinyan said approved investment programs are consuming Armenia's electricity surplus and have left the country facing a deficit. He attributed the shift to the scale of those programs rather than to two AI facilities established afterward, saying the investment programs are consuming the entire surplus.

A modular nuclear plant would probably no longer be sufficient for Armenia's needs, Pashinyan said, citing the changed circumstances as reason to reassess.

Armenia needs to make a final decision on the specifications of the new nuclear power plant by the end of 2027, though sooner would be preferable, according to Pashinyan.

Brent crude jumped 4.4% on Thursday to close at $102.31 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures climbed 2.7% to settle at $92.87 a barrel, according to the report by Event Registry.

The move followed a report that the U.S. was sending a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East.

U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that Marine Corps ships and up to 10,000 additional troops were also being deployed to the region, according to Event Registry.

Governor Abigail Spanberger released Virginia's latest energy plan to address growing electricity demand and pursue the Virginia Clean Economy Act's decarbonization and energy goals.

The plan keeps natural gas in a mixed portfolio of energy sources while prioritizing cleaner options such as community solar and battery storage.

Under scenarios built around Virginia Clean Economy Act benchmarks, the state needs about 1.8 GW of solar and roughly 1 GW of battery storage annually over the next two decades to meet demand.

The plan outlines a distributed flexibility approach in which data centers rely on on-site clean power and local batteries to reduce grid draw on the hottest and coldest days. It says this would remove the need for peaker plants, which run only when the grid needs extra power.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) asked industry and the public on September 18, 2026, whether surplus critical minerals and rare earth elements held at Office of Environmental Management (EM) cleanup sites should be transferred for outside use.

The stockpiles trace back to earlier government energy research and nuclear weapons production. They sit across five EM sites: Paducah in Kentucky, Portsmouth in Ohio, Oak Ridge in Tennessee, Moab in Utah, and the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).

Stocks held at Paducah, Portsmouth and Oak Ridge have already been processed, according to the DOE. By contrast, the Moab and NNSS material would likely need additional processing before any industrial use.

Comments to the agency are due November 2.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has put forward air permits that would clear construction of the Blue Marlin Offshore Port in the Gulf of America, sited off Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

Should the permits be finalized as drafted, the EPA said the terminal could move around 80,000 barrels of crude oil per hour, equal to roughly 605 million barrels a year.

Two draft permits make up the proposal: a Prevention of Significant Deterioration preconstruction permit alongside a title V federal operating permit.

The facility would rely on vapor-capture equipment, including a dedicated collection system and combustion units, which the EPA said would reach 99 percent vapor-capture efficiency.

More than 4,000 Southern California households will pay a zero-dollar-per-kilowatt-hour generation rate between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. under a two-year pilot from Clean Power Alliance (CPA).

The Time-Of-Use-SMART Pilot (TOU-SMART), a research project with UCLA, is designed to measure whether a zero-cost daytime rate shifts when households use electricity, with lower bills as a potential outcome drawn from daytime solar supply.

Participants will not pay more than under their earlier TOU-D-PRIME rate. Where TOU-SMART would have cost a household more, CPA will credit the difference at the end of each 12-month period.

US crude imports from Venezuela averaged 701,000 b/d in July, rising from 630,000 b/d in June, according to Argus. The monthly increase of 11% continued a ramp-up in flows.

July's volume was the highest since May 2017, according to the EIA in its latest Petroleum Supply Monthly report.

Henry Hub natural gas futures settled at USD 3.011 per mmBtu on Sept. 29, according to The Brief.

November natural gas futures stayed near the USD 3 mark after the latest weekly U.S. storage report matched Wall Street expectations, according to SSBCrack News. The in-line print left traders without a fresh catalyst to move prices out of their recent range.

Shell has completed its acquisition of ARC Resources, which now operates as a subsidiary of Shell Canada Limited after shareholder, court and regulatory approvals in Canada.

The takeover was valued at USD 16.4 billion, according to Baystreet. The same report identified the deal as this year's key highlight in Canadian oil patch dealmaking.

ARC Resources immediately adds 370,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day to Shell's output, Baystreet reported. Its resource base integrates into the broader Shell portfolio under Shell Canada Limited.

Tariffs or export surcharges on Canadian electricity would reduce the volume of imported power, raise prices, increase carbon emissions and leave the power system more exposed to extreme weather, according to a Cornell study.

The study found that under historical market conditions, a tariff of roughly 55% or more would nearly price Ontario electricity imports out of the market.

At that cost level, New York would be forced to lean more heavily on in-state generation and to buy additional electricity from other U.S. regions that depend more on fossil fuels, pushing carbon emissions higher, according to Cornell.

The study tied the same measures to broader system risks, finding that the surcharges would cut imports, raise prices and weaken the grid's resilience to extreme weather conditions.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) secured around 2 million barrels of Iraqi medium crude amid disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, according to Business Today. The cargo was reportedly bought at around USD 32 per barrel below the Dubai benchmark.

Refiners in India are chartering tankers rather than using their own to procure oil from Middle East suppliers and bring it through the waters of the Hormuz to the country's ports, according to Marine Insight.

Iraq is offering discounts of up to USD 37 per barrel, provided buyers supply their own ships to export the cargo to the destinations, Marine Insight reported.

Barclays raised its price target on Bloom Energy to USD 308 from USD 276 while keeping an Equal-Weight rating, citing a newly acquired manufacturing facility and a utility filing that could expand the fuel cell maker's market.

The expanded manufacturing footprint in Fremont, California, could lift output capacity to roughly 10-12 GW from the existing site's current 5-6 GW limit, according to Barclays.

Ameren Missouri filed a 20-year Integrated Resource Plan featuring 500 MW of natural gas fuel cells by 2030. Barclays viewed Bloom Energy as the only supplier then capable of deploying fuel cells at that scale.

The Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RRECL) plans to develop small renewable energy parks and projects to supply green power to commercial and industrial consumers, according to The Economic Times.

Micro, small and medium enterprises will also be covered under the initiative, The Economic Times reported.

A 50 MW solar project will be built in Jodhpur district during the initial phase, according to The Economic Times.

Disruption to Gulf energy infrastructure poses strategic and economic risks for India and points to the need for a more diversified and resilient energy strategy, according to a new report cited by IANS.

About 60% of India's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports and nearly 85% of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipments transit the Strait of Hormuz, IANS reported.

The report from India Narrative called for India to pursue alternative energy supply routes, increase reserves and expand renewable energy.

Alternative ports, pipelines, storage facilities and maritime corridors can reduce India's exposure to any single energy chokepoint, the report said.

An independent technical assessment by BBA identified potential benefits from Triple Point Resources Ltd.'s proposed Fischells Salt Dome Power Generation Project on Newfoundland's west coast.

The assessment found the project could increase operational flexibility across the provincial electricity system and improve utilization of existing transmission and generation infrastructure, according to BBA. BBA also found the project could reduce dependence on thermal generation and improve transmission system efficiency.

BBA concluded the project has the potential to strengthen electrical system performance in western Newfoundland and support the continued integration of clean and renewable energy resources.

Antora Energy announced a 5.8 GWh multiday thermal energy storage project in Pratt, Kansas, on Oct. 1.

Upon completion, the project will rank as one of the world's largest battery storage systems.

Pratt Energy will receive competitively priced, around-the-clock energy through a long-term heat offtake agreement.

The project is expected to create more than 100 construction and operations jobs in Pratt.

Relevate Power and Eagle Creek Renewable Energy announced a strategic partnership spanning their portfolios of small hydropower assets, according to Event Registry. Relevate Power is backed by GDEV Management, while Eagle Creek is a hydropower owner and operator backed by Apollo funds.

Under the arrangement, Eagle Creek will manage Relevate Power's portfolio of run-of-river hydroelectric projects from the partnership's start, drawing on its operations team. Local operators currently employed by Relevate Power will move to Eagle Creek to keep continuity at each facility, according to Investing.com.

The two companies said they have identified opportunities to combine their strengths in redeveloping and operating hydropower facilities to achieve operational and cost efficiencies, beginning with asset management as the foundation for a broader relationship.

JGC Corporation and Fluor Corporation received notice to proceed for Phase 2 of the LNG Canada export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia, after LNG Canada's final investment decision, according to JGC Holdings Corporation.

The Fluor-JGC joint venture was selected to deliver engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction and commissioning for the Phase 2 expansion, according to Fluor Corporation.

JGC will recognize a USD 7.5 billion share of the contract in fiscal 2026, according to JGC Holdings Corporation. Fluor will recognize its own USD 7.5 billion share in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, according to Fluor Corporation.

KB Securities said the solar industry's recent price correction may be overdone, arguing that rising electricity costs are expected to offset higher module prices and interest rates.

The firm's case rests on how small a share modules take within total project costs. Modules account for 31% of utility-scale solar system costs and 11% of household system costs, according to KB Securities.

Because of that limited weight, a 32% increase in module prices would raise total investment costs by only 3% to 10%, KB Securities estimated.

AM Green Ammonia secured a 10-year agreement to supply renewable ammonia to Germany after being named the sole winner of the Asian lot in the latest H2Global auction run by HINT.CO GmbH (Hintco), according to Maritime Gateway.

Under the agreement, Hintco will purchase renewable ammonia from AM Green for a minimum value of EUR 585 million over 10 years, according to Maritime Gateway.

The ammonia will be produced at AM Green's Kakinada project in Andhra Pradesh, India, according to Manufacturing Today India. The company expects to begin deliveries to Germany in 2029.

South Africa is redesigning its electricity market and has invited public comment on two documents that could reshape how electricity is bought, sold and billed.

Public comments on the Revised Electricity Pricing Policy, 2026, and the Electricity Sector Market Transformation Position Paper, 2026, close on 28 October 2026.

The Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, tasked the Eskom Board with driving down electricity costs, improving reliability and securing the utility's long-term future, when he announced that Dr Mteto Nyati would continue as Chairman.

Northland Power secured about PLN 500 million from Canadian and Polish institutions to finance two battery storage projects under construction in Poland, according to Warsaw Business Journal.

The two battery energy storage system projects total 300 MW and 1.2 GWh, according to Clifford Chance, which advised Northland Power on the financing.

The projects also received PLN 280 million in grants from Poland's National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, according to Warsaw Business Journal.

Kenya's cost of living rose for a third consecutive month in September, driven mainly by food and transport costs. Annual inflation climbed to 6.8% in September, up from 6.6% in August and 6.5% in July, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

In Nigeria, rising petrol costs are spreading through transportation, food distribution, small businesses and household budgets, adding pressure on households already managing high living costs.

Petrol prices reached around NGN 1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja in September, while some filling stations in northern Nigeria sold the product for as much as NGN 1,500, according to Neusroom.

New factories in and around Port Talbot could connect to the electricity network sooner under a trial of grid-controlled batteries, according to National Grid. The region includes a £1.25bn electric arc furnace still waiting for its connection.

The first project will test whether batteries controlled by the network operator, rather than by their owners, can smooth out the peaks and troughs of supply and demand and free up capacity on the network, according to National Grid.

Smaller and device-integrated batteries are emerging as a route around the same connection bottlenecks elsewhere. In New York City, a notoriously tough tangle of regulations has made it difficult to get large energy storage projects on the grid, a constraint that has pushed some startups to deploy relatively small batteries in unexpected places, from induction stovetops to food carts.

Because those batteries are small or integrated into another device, they generally do not require grid upgrades or extensive permitting processes.

TrueRE Oriana Power, an integrated renewable energy company in India, announced the sale of its 110 MWp commercial and industrial solar portfolio to Actis at an enterprise value of INR 501 crore.

The deal forms part of Oriana Power's proposed divestment of approximately 238 MW of operational solar assets to Actis.

As part of the transaction, Oriana Power transferred its stakes in Truere Guj SPV Private Limited and Truere Current Private Limited to Actis.

Regulators in Zambia have cleared a 350 MW wind power scheme in Katete District, Eastern Province, with the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) signing off on the Unika I and II Wind Energy Facility, according to Zambia Monitor.

ZEMA's Environmental Assessment Committee granted the approval on September 24, 2026, Zambia Monitor reported, citing a press statement from Lusaka.

Mphepo Power Limited will build the facility in Chief M'bangombe's Chiefdom, Katete District, according to Zambia Monitor. The design calls for 42 wind turbines, an on-site substation, and 330-kilovolt overhead transmission lines to carry output to the national grid.

ConocoPhillips agreed to purchase 1 million tonnes per year of LNG from Venture Global under a 20-year sales and purchase agreement that starts in 2030, World Oil reported.

The contract gives ConocoPhillips additional U.S. LNG supply for its global portfolio.

Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel said the deal makes ConocoPhillips a long-term customer and signals continued demand for U.S. LNG.

The companies withheld the financial terms and did not name the Venture Global facility set to supply the volumes, according to World Oil.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will bar projects with weak business certainty from reserving grid connections, clearing room for stronger projects to link up faster, ESS News reported.

The rule came out of METI's Next-Generation Grid Working Group.

The change responds to a pileup in grid-scale battery storage. Ministry figures cited by ESS News put 172 GW of such capacity at the connection-study stage at the end of December 2025, with another 30 GW at the contract-application stage. Only 0.64 GW had actually connected.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema told Gulf investors to fully comply with Zambia's local procurement rules, according to Semafor Net Zero.

Hichilema used his first trip abroad since his re-election last month to deliver the message, Semafor Net Zero reported.

Zambia's mining regulations require mines to source a higher share of core goods and services locally.

Kolkata Police in West Bengal, India, will bring 183 electric motorcycles into its fleet, according to electrive.

Sixty units have already arrived, with 123 still to be procured, electrive reported.

The bikes will mainly handle work under the 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), Commissioner Ajay Nand said at the flag-off ceremony for the first batch.

Every one of the 183 machines is a police-spec build of Ultraviolette Automotive's X-47 adventure tourer, custom-configured compared with the consumer model sold to private buyers, according to electrive.

Tesla has introduced an Emergency Drive Away feature that lets drivers leave a charging station with the cable still connected, intended to help people escape life-threatening emergencies at charging sites, according to electrive.

The manufacturer says the function is for emergency use only and warns that activating it and driving off while the cable remains connected will damage the vehicle and the Supercharger.

Tesla stated on X that the feature will initially be limited to the US market, electrive reported.

Hebei Juhang Energy Technology Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kohinoor Energy Limited for a joint venture battery facility in Pakistan, with an initial capacity of 50 MWh to 100 MWh, according to ESS News.

The plant could expand to 1 GWh subject to market demand, ESS News reported.

The site would produce lithium-ion battery packs, battery energy storage systems and associated electrical equipment, according to ESS News.

Kohinoor Energy said the MoU is non-binding and subject to further evaluation and due diligence.

Rivian delivered 19,248 vehicles in the third quarter of 2026 and produced 19,751, according to Electrek. Deliveries rose 58% from the second quarter, a surge Electrek attributed in part to the ramp of R2 production.

Rivian's production and delivery output has accelerated through 2026 as the company ramps up R2 output, according to Electrek.

The company reaffirmed its full-year delivery guidance of 65,000 to 70,000 vehicles, Electrek reported.

Aker BP named a new executive management team that takes effect January 1, 2027, grouping its leadership around stages of the oil value chain from exploration to production, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported.

During the remainder of 2026, the incoming team will build an operating model meant to move projects through development more quickly and at lower cost, cutting the number of organizational interfaces and reducing internal complexity, according to OEDigital.

Chief Executive Karl Johnny Hersvik heads the group. Petter Sørhaug takes Find & Develop, Tommy Sigmundstad takes Build, Lars Høier takes Produce, Øystein Arvesen takes Optimise, and Knut Sandvik takes PDO Projects.

Strategic and support roles go to David Tønne as CFO, Marit Blaasmo on Services, Thomas Hoff-Hansen on Digital, Paula Doyle on Strategic Innovation, and Rolf Nystein on Transformation.

Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas received final ministerial approval to transfer a 60% participating interest in three offshore exploration licenses in Namibia to BP, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital. The consent cleared the last governmental approval required for the transaction.

The approval covers PEL97, PEL99 and PEL100 in Namibia's Walvis Basin, comprising the Cooper, Guy and Tamar licenses. BP Namibia Energy will assume operatorship of the three licenses.

Eco will receive a one-time cash payment of USD 2.7 million upon completion and retain a 25% participating interest in each license, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital.

BP will carry 100% of Eco's retained 25% interest during the current exploration phase, along with Eco's proportionate share of interests held by NAMCOR and local partners. NAMCOR holds a 10% interest and local partners hold 5%.

Revolta AG secured funding from the German state of Hesse under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to develop a residential sodium-ion alternating current (AC) battery, according to ESS News and PV Magazine.

The Hesse register of ERDF beneficiaries lists eligible project costs of EUR 660,545, or USD 743,530, with a 40% EU co-financing rate equivalent to about EUR 264,200. The project is scheduled to run from Aug. 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2029.

Revolta said the system is designed to connect directly to the grid, charging when power prices and grid fees are low and feeding electricity back when prices are higher.

Testing is underway on a 1 MW offshore floating solar demonstrator that BlueNewables set up at the Port of Valencia, Spain, pv magazine reported.

Two 500 kW PV-bos platforms make up the unit, fabricated at the San Enrique shipyard in Vigo.

The trial, run by BlueNewables with Naturgy, measures how floating PV holds up in real marine conditions, with attention to maintenance demands and how the system ties into port infrastructure.

Over two years, the two companies will share performance and economic data gathered during the testing and later monitoring phases.

SIAD Group has commissioned a green hydrogen facility at its IGAT plant in Pignataro Maggiore, near Caserta, southern Italy, according to pv magazine.

The company inaugurated a 2 MW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer for renewable hydrogen production at the site, pv magazine reported.

The plant runs exclusively on a 2.37 MW photovoltaic field paired with a 1 MW battery storage system, according to pv magazine.

SIAD said the project represents an investment of more than EUR 12 million, including EUR 8 million in funding under Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan, pv magazine reported.

Denmark will replace its first-come, first-served rule for electricity grid connections with a priority-based model, according to pv magazine, citing details published by Denmark's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities. The emergency plan lets state-owned transmission system operator Energinet and the country's other grid companies decide who gets access to limited grid capacity.

The plan is set to enter into force on October 12, according to pv magazine.

The new model sets out four priority categories, pv magazine reported. Connections for critical societal functions, new households and general electricity consumption sit in the highest category.

Energinet and local grid companies will be able to reject applications from projects in the third and fourth categories, according to pv magazine. That authority applies when sufficient capacity is not expected within the foreseeable future and a connection would displace higher-priority projects or place an inappropriate burden on the grid.

CBAK Energy plans to advance a 12 GWh cell production project in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, in the second half of 2027, subject to securing financing, according to ESS News.

The agreement covers research, development and manufacturing of large cylindrical sodium-ion battery cells and integrated battery systems, ESS News reported.

CBAK Energy announced the deal as part of its sodium-ion strategy, but the planned manufacturing line will offer flexibility to produce either sodium-ion or lithium-ion cells, according to ESS News.

Ocean Breeze Energy has agreed to acquire the 60 MW Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm from EWE, RWE and Vattenfall, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital. The buyer plans to operate Germany's first offshore wind farm beyond its originally planned 20-year service life.

Financial terms were not disclosed, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Italian startup AMPS has developed a double-layer photovoltaic system that dynamically manages two overlapping module surfaces to increase solar-energy capture without expanding the installation footprint, according to pv magazine.

The prototype, installed in Reggio Calabria, southern Italy, occupies the same ground footprint as an equivalent single-layer installation, pv magazine reported. It uses 12 custom bifacial TOPCon mini modules, with six in each layer.

Dutch offshore vessel owner Acta Marine christened its commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) Acta Hercules in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital. The naming moves the company closer to completing a four-vessel newbuild program.

Acta Hercules is already deployed under a long-term charter supporting offshore wind operations for Vestas, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported.

The vessel runs on methanol dual-fuel engines and carries a battery energy storage system designed to support lower-emission operations, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital.

UGI's approved settlement sets a USD 65 million rate adjustment to be phased in over two steps, with USD 40 million effective October 1, 2026, and USD 25 million effective October 1, 2027, according to the Times Leader.

The settlement raises the average monthly bill for a residential customer using 68.8 Ccf per month by USD 6.45, or 5.7%, with a two-step phase-in, the Times Leader reported.

UGI's residential customer charge rises from USD 16.25 to USD 20 per month under the settlement, reaching USD 19 effective October 1, 2026, and USD 20 effective October 1, 2027, according to the Times Leader.

Rezolv Energy, through its project subsidiary West Power Investments, has procured a project financing package of up to EUR 561 million (USD 636 million) for Dama Solar, a 1.3 GW solar project in western Romania, according to irei.com.

The funding was supported by a consortium of 14 lenders, according to power-technology.com.

The financing will move the Dama Solar project into the construction phase, according to irei.com.

Schneider Electric and Networks for Humanity (NFH) have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore applications for India's emerging Digital Energy Grid (DEG).

The partnership will examine how open digital infrastructure can connect energy assets, consumers and other participants in India.

Planned pilots will assess technical and operational requirements while testing three capabilities: discoverability, trust and transactability between value creators and value takers.

AIQ, a UAE-based energy technology firm jointly owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and AI technology company Presight, has signed an agreement to enter India's oil and gas sector, according to Reuters. The deal widens the ADNOC-backed firm's reach for artificial intelligence (AI) products outside its home market.

AIQ Chief Executive Officer Dennis Jol said the company will roll out its technology at an Indian oil and gas conglomerate's refineries, gas stations and digital stores.

Speaking at a media briefing, Jol would not name the Indian customer and gave no financial terms.

Oman has hired Serbian engineering firm Energoprojekt ENTEL to steer the development and tendering of three new gas-fired power projects, the company said.

The mandate runs from concept design through site selection, and includes drafting tender documents and backing the competitive bidding process.

Oman's Integrated Gas Company, the state-mandated gas aggregator and shipper, is preparing an auction that would allocate natural gas to compressed natural gas (CNG) projects, extending supply to industrial users and others outside the pipeline network.

Bidders may each seek up to 200,000 standard cubic metres of natural gas per day, submitting both the volume in SCM per day and its energy equivalent in MMBtu per day.

Ben McAdams and Riley Owen set out competing conditions for data center development during a debate at Salt Lake Community College, where they met as the Democratic and Republican candidates for Utah's newly redrawn Congressional District 1.

McAdams said data centers do not need massive government handouts to be built. He said they should minimize reliance on fossil fuels, use clean and renewable energy, avoid drawing water from the Great Salt Lake watershed, and be developed responsibly.

Owen directed his terms at developers, telling them to pay their taxes, be water positive and carbon negative, and avoid harming the grid and the lands.

NTPC reported about 13% year-on-year growth in power generation during July-September, according to PSU Watch. Output reached 117.9 billion units in the quarter, up from 104.4 billion units in the year-ago period.

In a separate matter, the JITF-NTPC case produced a point of difference rather than a conventional judgment, according to Millennium Post. The difference was referred to the Chief Justice for placement before a third judge or larger bench, and the case remains open.

The Nigerian Navy uncovered about 85,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in 16 concealed pits at Allison in Rivers State, part of an operation to prevent the resurgence of illegal oil bunkering in the area.

In a separate joint operation, the Nigerian Navy and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recovered 80,000 litres of stolen crude oil in the Niger Delta creeks. Three suspects were taken into custody following that operation.

The Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) has released flexible demand guidance for commercial buildings and a report on how buildings can put flexible energy demand strategies into practice, according to The Fifth Estate.

The UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures wrote the guidance with Positive Zero and Buildings Alive, backed by the City of Sydney, The Fifth Estate reported. It describes how building managers can improve efficiency by shifting electricity use to match generation, network, or market conditions.

The guide walks through reviewing a building's energy profile and costs, finding where electricity use can be moved, weighing the risks and benefits, and building a business case for the change.

TotalEnergies expects its oil and gas production to grow by more than 3% each year until 2030, driven by start-ups of new low-cost projects currently under development, according to baystreet.ca.

Beyond that horizon, the company is targeting annual production growth of between 2% and 3% from 2030 to 2035, according to brandiconimage.com.

Aker BP has appointed a new executive management team that takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, part of a restructuring of its Norwegian offshore operations, according to World Oil.

The reorganization is designed to streamline exploration, development and production activities, World Oil reported. The new leadership structure will be built around the company's upstream value chain, aiming to improve collaboration, reduce organizational complexity and accelerate project execution.

During the remainder of 2026, the incoming management team will develop an operating model intended to improve efficiency and cut costs as projects move from exploration through production, according to World Oil.

The current executive management team will remain in place until the restructuring takes effect.

Petrobras made a second oil discovery in its ultra-deepwater Morpho exploration well offshore Brazil, hitting another oil-bearing interval in the Foz do Amazonas basin, according to World Oil.

The latest find came in the Morpho well in block FZA-M-59 off the coast of Amapá, World Oil reported.

The additional oil-bearing interval was identified using electrical well logs, rock indications and fluid samples collected during drilling, according to World Oil.

Laboratory analysis of samples from the latest discovery remains underway, World Oil reported.

A coalition of more than 20 states and several cities has taken the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to court over its move to scrap most greenhouse gas emissions limits on coal- and gas-fired power plants, Inside Climate News reported. The group includes North Carolina, New York, California and Pennsylvania.

The attorneys general, all Democrats, lodged the case on Oct. 1 with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, according to Inside Climate News.

They want the court to review the EPA's proposal to rescind the standards.

DTE Energy has completed a 100 MW solar farm near Coldwater, Michigan, that will help power Ford's home-state factories with cleaner electricity, according to Electrek.

Ford is funding the USD 194 million Cold Creek Solar Park through its enrollment in DTE's voluntary renewable energy program, CleanVision MIGreenPower, Electrek reported.

The park generates enough power for the equivalent of roughly 23,000 to 25,000 households in Michigan, according to Electrek.

Cold Creek is the first of several DTE projects being built to support Ford's renewable electricity commitment in Michigan.

Middlesex County in New Jersey is suing ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute over climate deception, according to Inside Climate News. The filing follows earlier climate deception lawsuits brought by the state of New Jersey and the city of Hoboken.

The county's lawsuit alleges that the defendants' decades of climate deception exacerbated climate change impacts that are severely affecting the community and costing hundreds of millions of dollars, Inside Climate News reported.

Middlesex County has experienced at least 60 significant flooding events linked to coastal storms and extreme rainfall in recent decades, causing more than USD 500 million in property damage, according to Inside Climate News.

The Jeep Recon EV traveled 160 miles on a single charge in Car and Driver's highway range test, according to Electrek.

That result ran more than 60 miles below the vehicle's EPA-estimated range, Electrek reported. The EPA estimates the 2026 Jeep Recon Moab delivers up to 222 miles of range from a 94 kWh battery pack.

ISO New England has published two interactive maps on its website to show how resources move through the grid interconnection process in New England, according to the ISO New England Newswire.

One of the tools is a heatmap that highlights areas of the New England grid that might best support new capacity, the newswire said.

The second tool is a queue map showing the location and type of resources currently undergoing the ISO's interconnection process, according to ISO New England.

Battery storage accounts for the bulk of proposed new resources in the current interconnection queue, the newswire reported.

GICON's pilot wind turbine in Schipkau, eastern Germany, has reached its full height of 365 meters including its blades, making it the world's tallest wind turbine, according to Electrek.

The turbine carries a rated capacity of 3.8 MW, Electrek reported.

GICON says the design could generate approximately twice as much energy as a conventional turbine with the same rotor diameter, according to Electrek.

bp completed gas reinjection expansion and subsea intervention projects on the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) Field, according to Offshore Magazine.

The company raised gas reinjection capacity on the Central Azeri platform by 20%, a change Offshore Magazine said supports improved recovery from existing wells.

bp also finished its first Caspian riserless light well intervention (RLWI) campaign, which provides access to subsea wells without conventional drilling risers, according to Offshore Magazine.

Amazon announced new commitments to build support for its US data centers and pushed back on criticism of the facilities, according to Semafor Net Zero.

The company committed to spending more than USD 1 billion over five years on free community college, trades training and home energy-efficiency upgrades in data center counties, Semafor Net Zero reported.

Amazon also vowed to publish its energy and water use annually.

AWS CEO Matt Garman directly responded to what he described as myths about the facilities, including claims that they consume too much water, drive up energy costs and emit pollution, according to Semafor Net Zero.

Tesla produced 464,000 vehicles and delivered just over 486,000 in the third quarter of 2026, according to electrive.

Production rose 3.7% from the same quarter a year earlier and 2.7% from the second quarter of 2026, electrive reported.

Deliveries edged up 1.2% from the second quarter, electrive said. The second quarter had run around 25% above the seasonally weaker first quarter, according to the same report.

DTE Energy has finished construction on Cold Creek Solar Park, a 100 MW installation near Coldwater in southern Michigan, according to Solar Builder.

The project was funded in part by Ford Motor Co. and through the automaker's enrollment in DTE's CleanVision MIGreenPower program, Solar Builder reported.

Ford has agreed to purchase up to 650 MW of renewable energy from DTE's energy programs, which let homes and businesses attribute their consumption to renewable power generated in Michigan, according to Solar Builder.

DTE officials say every Ford vehicle manufactured in Michigan will be assembled with the equivalent of 100% carbon-free electricity by the end of 2027, Solar Builder reported.

Bank of America, Barclays, Citibank, Deutsche Bank and Santander did not cut their lending or underwriting for coal activities between 2022 and 2025, according to Climate Home News, which cited data released this week. All five were heavily involved in the net-zero banking alliances.

Around half of the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) members engaged in coal financing over that period increased it, while the other half reduced it, according to German environmental research group Urgewald.

FlixBus began running eight electric coaches in regular scheduled service between Vienna and Bratislava on October 1, according to electrive.

The operator plans 66 daily connections on the route, electrive reported.

According to electrive, the coaches carry batteries with a capacity of 466 kWh. FlixBus states the vehicles have a range of around 500 kilometres.

The buses will charge at locations in Vienna and Bratislava. According to FlixBus, photovoltaic systems combined with battery storage will be used at these sites.

The Government of Canada listed the Pacific Link project as a Project of National Interest under the Building Canada Act on Oct. 1, 2026, according to Oil & Gas Journal.

Pacific Link is a proposed 1 million-barrel-per-day crude oil pipeline that would carry Alberta oil to Canada's west coast for export, Oil & Gas Journal reported.

The designation advances efforts to secure permissions needed to begin pipeline design and construction as early as Sept. 1, 2027.

The Project of National Interest designation places Pacific Link under a streamlined regulatory review process involving Pembina Pipeline, the governments of Alberta and Canada, and Trans Mountain, according to Oil & Gas Journal.

RWTH Aachen is developing scalable processes for multilayer battery electrodes under the ProMeBa research project, aiming to move the technology from the laboratory to pilot scale, according to electrive.

The project aims to demonstrate how multilayer electrodes can be produced stably and reproducibly on an industrial scale, according to electrive.

Researchers will examine two multilayer coating processes under industrially relevant roll-to-roll conditions: multilayer coating using a two-layer slot die and multilayer curtain coating, electrive reported.

The findings will then be transferred to pilot scale through a modular coating module designed to integrate into existing pilot plants, according to electrive.

Partners behind the Argentina LNG project are aiming for a final investment decision on Nov. 26 for the 12-million-tonne/year development, according to Oil & Gas Journal, citing comments made during Argentina Week in Paris on Oct. 1.

The project would be developed by YPF SA, Eni SPA and XRG, Oil & Gas Journal reported.

The partners plan to deploy two floating LNG units offshore Río Negro province, each with capacity of 6 million tonnes/year, according to Oil & Gas Journal.

Kia became Europe's fastest-growing top 10 passenger-car brand year to date in 2026, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) cited by Electrek.

The brand recorded 377,078 European registrations between January and August 2026, a 9% increase over the same period a year earlier, Electrek reported.

Kia's European EV registrations rose 58% year on year through August 2026, Electrek reported. The brand now accounts for 4.8% of the European EV market, placing seventh overall.

LA Metro has awarded ENC a contract to supply 220 40-foot AXESS EVO-BE battery-electric buses, according to electrive.

The contract is worth USD 337.7 million and includes options for up to 1,600 additional buses, electrive reported.

The buses are due to arrive before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, electrive said. The order forms part of LA Metro's plan to transition its entire fleet to zero emissions by 2030.

Polestar has introduced two new public charging subscription tiers in Europe, Plus and Pro, giving customers discounts at selected fast-charging networks for a monthly fee, according to electrive.

In Germany, the Plus tariff costs EUR 7.99 per month and provides a 15% discount at EnBW, Shell Recharge, Vattenfall, Mer and Fastned, electrive reported.

The Pro tariff costs EUR 14.99 per month and raises the discount to 30%, adding Ionity and Allego to the networks covered by Plus, according to electrive.

Iranian oil exports fell from around 2 million barrels per day before the war to roughly 220,000 to 255,000 barrels per day in August, according to FrontPage Magazine. The drop cut one of Tehran's main sources of foreign currency.

Senior Iranian government officials are increasingly acknowledging in public the scale of the economic pressure on ordinary households, FrontPage Magazine reported.

Against that backdrop, Brent crude was hovering around USD 97 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) stood near USD 90 a barrel, according to Polyester Time.

Rising diesel prices could add more than GBP 500,000 to the annual costs of Sanders Coaches, a Norfolk transport company, over 12 months compared with prices before the Iran war in February, according to owner Charles Sanders.

Diesel hit an all-time high of 199.18p per litre during the week covered by the reports. Prices have risen by 59p per litre, or just under 40%, since the outbreak of the Middle East war at the end of February.

Sanders said services are likely to be at risk of cancellation if the increased costs cannot be passed on, warning that routes are becoming unviable.

Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) has taken delivery of Energy North, an LPG/ammonia carrier built by HD Hyundai Samho in Yeongam, South Korea, according to Baird Maritime.

The 88,000-cubic-meter vessel is scheduled to enter service on October 2, 2026, according to GCC Business News. It is the first of six ships in Nakilat's program at the yard, comprising four LPG/ammonia carriers and two LNG carriers, according to Baird Maritime.

The dual-fuel vessel can run on LPG or conventional marine fuel and carry either LPG or ammonia, according to Baird Maritime.

Extreme heat and drought during summer 2026 exposed the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure across Europe and beyond, according to a report published on the OSCE economic and environmental activities site.

Low water levels on the Danube forced Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant to scale back operations because the river could no longer provide sufficient cooling water, the same report said. Paks normally accounts for nearly half of Hungary's electricity, according to the report.

Separately, Invictus Energy entered October with its Musuma exploration well in Zimbabwe on track for a November spud, according to Kalkine Media. The company contracted oilfield services group SLB for drilling and well services on the campaign, the same report said.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced FORTRESS America, a programme intended to keep major domestic military bases operating if cyberattacks or sabotage disable the civilian power grid.

The initiative pushes major military installations toward independent power generation and seeks to return critical defence supply chains to the United States.

It will also expand strategic reserves and strengthen infrastructure used for military communications and navigation.