Saturday, 10 October 2026

BlackRock and other large U.S. asset managers, along with a climate-focused investor group, drew a warning from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission this week over a 2021 campaign that replaced directors on ExxonMobil's board, according to Inside Climate News.

The commission closed its probe into the firms and found no evidence of violations, Inside Climate News reported. In a published letter, the SEC still raised "serious concerns" about their conduct.

That campaign installed three new directors on ExxonMobil's board, winning in large part after convincing major asset managers including BlackRock to back the slate, according to Inside Climate News.

US special envoy Jared Kushner and Russian Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriev held discussions that touched on the Nord Stream pipelines, according to Offshore Magazine.

Offshore Magazine identified Kushner as the son-in-law of President Donald Trump and Dmitriev as a close adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Two sources cited by Offshore Magazine said the Nord Stream pipelines remain on the agenda of recent meetings between the two envoys, though it was unclear how extensively the topic was addressed.

A White House official told Reuters there had been no Nord Stream discussions recently.

Thirteen industry groups urged the European Commission to keep binding EU renewable-energy targets for transport in place beyond 2030, according to MLex, which reported a joint letter sent on Thursday.

The signatories said continuing the targets would support investment and reduce reliance on imported fuels, MLex reported.

The groups, which include FuelsEurope, Hydrogen Europe and the European Biogas Association, warned that relying predominantly on carbon pricing would leave a policy gap, particularly in road transport, according to MLex.

The Commission is preparing a revision of the Renewable Energy Directive for the period after 2030, MLex reported.

A White House executive order intended to secure the US power grid from Chinese-made equipment is more likely to disrupt battery storage supply chains than the transformers and switchgear it targets, according to Rystad Energy.

The exposure runs through imports. China supplied 50% of US lithium-ion battery imports by value in the 12 months through June 2026, and no alternative source approaches that scale, according to Rystad Energy.

The next-largest suppliers trail far behind. South Korea accounted for 15% of US lithium-ion battery imports and Japan for 13%, with neither able to absorb displaced Chinese volume at scale, according to Rystad Energy.

China dominates the global battery and renewable equipment market, giving it a major cost advantage, while US efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese technology could make domestic alternatives more expensive.

The Standing Committee on Appropriations adopted the Second Special Appropriations Bill, which aims to bring relief and stability for fuel prices.

The bill would allow National Treasury to withdraw R10 billion from the National Revenue Fund and appropriate it to the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Department.

Parliament said the committee's report would be scheduled for debate in the National Assembly.

Chile's energy-sector emissions trading system (ETS) pilot will launch near the beginning of 2027, a Chilean minister said this week, according to Carbon Pulse.

The timing comes as Chile's new right-wing government moves to eliminate a just energy transition programme and cut the renewable energy budget, Carbon Pulse reported.

In the Philippines, the Just Transition Framework establishes an interagency approach to building a low-carbon, climate-resilient and energy-secure economy, according to the Manila Times. The framework was adopted through Joint Administrative Order 2026-01 by the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Labor and Employment, and Energy, and sets a coordinated approach across those agencies.

The Pentagon has reportedly drawn up plans for a potential three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, according to The New York Times. The reported options include targets tied to Iran's missile and drone arsenal, energy facilities and military command centres.

Tehran is said to have preserved its missile and drone factories despite months of bombing, according to Bloomberg. That survival has allowed Iran to replenish its arsenals during the current lull, Bloomberg reported.

A bipartisan federal permitting reform bill co-led by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico is drawing support from labor unions, energy producers, environmental and policy nonprofits, business organizations, and state and local government groups, according to the New Mexico Political Report. The bill seeks to speed federal approval of energy and infrastructure projects while maintaining environmental safeguards.

Several environmental groups with close ties to Democrats have not settled their positions on the measure, Axios reported. The outlet named the Natural Resources Defense Council, the League of Conservation Voters and Evergreen Action as still weighing their stances.

A busy legislative calendar, potential changes to the bill and uncertainty about lawmakers' appetite for legislating after the election could leave too little time to secure passage through both chambers, according to Axios.

Opening Brazil's retail electricity market to low-voltage consumers raises credit and liquidity concerns, according to a study reported by pv magazine. The research, by energy market specialists Guilherme Susteras and Alexandre Bueno, found that the planned market opening could require stronger credit assessment, liquidity management, regulatory oversight and consumer protection mechanisms.

The study examined 88,000 consumer units participating in subscription-based solar generation schemes in Brazil. According to pv magazine, it identified a 17% average monthly payment delinquency rate and a 4% monthly customer churn rate.

The researchers warned that in a highly competitive market, significant levels of overdue payments could pressure electricity retailers' cash flow and undermine their ability to meet financial obligations.

An executive order dated October 5, 2026, lets off-road dyed diesel run on highways and tells the Treasury Secretary to hold off collecting the federal excise tax on that on-road use until December 31, 2026, the Institute for Energy Research reported.

That deferral, worked out with the Secretary of War, carries no interest or penalties, and the order tasks officials with finding ways to wipe out the deferred tax altogether.

The Institute for Energy Research noted the move leaves the 24.4-cent-per-gallon federal tax on the books. State dyed-diesel rules and state diesel taxes stay in force as well.

The EU is better prepared for winter than it was in 2021-2022, the Gas Coordination Group said in a statement, pointing to greater gas supply diversification, higher liquefied natural gas import capacity and reduced gas demand.

The assessment comes as the European Commission moves to study a levy on energy companies' windfall profits. The Commission told EU finance ministers it will examine whether an EU-wide tax on windfall profits is feasible and what its financial impact could be, according to sources cited by Bloomberg.