China’s economy is set to grow at lower rates than previously expected as the U.S.-China trade war will take its toll on the GDP of the world’s second-largest economy after the United States. Yet, figures about Chinese power generation and consumption haven’t dropped—consumption has even held strong at the start of the year. The manufacturing sector, which accounts for two-thirds of China’s power demand, continues to grow, but growth slowed in April to 6.1% from a year earlier, from a 7.7% increase in March. The real…

A new study has found that increasing renewable energy may not necessarily reduce fossil fuel production in the United States. Published in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, the study found no correlation between the production of fossil fuels and renewable energy, suggesting that producing more renewable energy does not automatically mean that fossil fuel production will decline.  Ryan Thombs, the author of the study, analyzed data spanning 1997 to 2020 from the 33 American states that produce fossil fuels. Thombs, however,…

As soon as the November 2024 election results were in, proponents of the energy transition started warning the end of their industries was nigh. They weren’t wrong. Trump has wasted no time clipping the wings of wind, solar, EVs, and related industries that have enjoyed years of generous financial support—from taxpayers’ money. This is now over, and these industries will need to learn to survive on their own. Republican legislators are busy drafting ways to slash billions in subsidies that have contributed significantly to the…

Chevron confirmed Wednesday that a fire has injured at least 17 workers and left one missing on its Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco (BBLT) offshore platform in Angola. The fire started on Tuesday, with details released to Reuters on Wednesday by Chevron subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Ltd. (CABGOC), which operates the platform.  Emergency teams are continuing search-and-rescue operations for the missing worker, while four of the injured reportedly remain in serious condition.  CABGOC stated that the cause of the fire remains under…

Chevron confirmed Wednesday that a fire has injured at least 17 workers and left one missing on its Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco (BBLT) offshore platform in Angola. The fire started on Tuesday, with details released to Reuters on Wednesday by Chevron subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Ltd. (CABGOC), which operates the platform.  Emergency teams are continuing search-and-rescue operations for the missing worker, while four of the injured reportedly remain in serious condition.  CABGOC stated that the cause of the fire remains under…

Chevron confirmed Wednesday that a fire has injured at least 17 workers and left one missing on its Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco (BBLT) offshore platform in Angola. The fire started on Tuesday, with details released to Reuters on Wednesday by Chevron subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Ltd. (CABGOC), which operates the platform.  Emergency teams are continuing search-and-rescue operations for the missing worker, while four of the injured reportedly remain in serious condition.  CABGOC stated that the cause of the fire remains under…

With the ink still drying on the European Union's freshly printed 17th sanctions package on Russia, work is already under way on a next step that European leaders say will be "massive." But some analysts warn that, in many ways, the EU has already played its best cards and doesn't have many left, especially at a time when Washington seems reluctant to join in as it pushes peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. "The cards that we still have to play largely include measures for which we would need the United States," Benjamin Hilgenstock, senior economist…

One of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise is freight, and yet it’s one of the industries we most rely on in the modern world. While several countries are making leaps and bounds in terms of renewable energy production, little progress has been seen in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, despite the introduction of several national policies and international targets. So, just how hard will it be to decarbonise freight in the coming decades as many countries strive to achieve net-zero carbon emissions?  Freight transportation contributes…

The International Energy Agency is spotlighting Uzbekistan for the country’s rapid embrace of electric vehicles. An IEA report, titled Global EV Outlook 2025, notes that electric vehicle sales have skyrocketed in Uzbekistan, making the country the leading adopter in Central Asia. The report adds that the cost of imported electric vehicles has fallen “almost threefold” in recent years. The Uzbek State Customs Committee reported earlier this year the number of imported electric and hybrid vehicles in 2024 exceeded that of gasoline-powered…

Via Metal Miner The Copper Monthly Metals Index (MMI) retraced to the downside with a 4.23% decline from March to April. Looking at copper prices today, analysts seem to be struggling with ongoing trade policy shifts.   Copper Prices Zigzag Amid Uncertain Trade Policy Comex copper prices have experienced wild swings over the past few months. First, they hit a new all-time high in March before plunging in April. By mid-May, they entered into a shaky sideways trend. Source: MetalMiner Insights Tariffs continue to drive the market. This…

Indonesian natural gas producers have signed a multi-party gas swap agreement with Indonesian and Singaporean traders aimed at increasing gas supply security in western Indonesia. As gas production in Sumatra in western Indonesia is falling, local companies and regulators looks to redirect domestic gas supply to meet local demand while selling overseas gas from other areas. In a deal signed on Wednesday, Indonesian gas producer Medco Energi Internasional signed a multi-party swap agreement with companies including state energy firm PT Pertamina…

Indonesian natural gas producers have signed a multi-party gas swap agreement with Indonesian and Singaporean traders aimed at increasing gas supply security in western Indonesia. As gas production in Sumatra in western Indonesia is falling, local companies and regulators looks to redirect domestic gas supply to meet local demand while selling overseas gas from other areas. In a deal signed on Wednesday, Indonesian gas producer Medco Energi Internasional signed a multi-party swap agreement with companies including state energy firm PT Pertamina…

A wind project in New York mothballed by the Trump administration is getting a new lease on life through a compromise that would also see an abandoned natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York revived. Norway’s Equinor was three months into Empire Wind, a $5 billion offshore wind farm, when Trump came to power and set about dismantling the Biden administration’s wind power program. On his first day in office, the second-term president issued an executive order pausing new leasing and permitting of wind projects, which he said…

SSE, a major energy company and renewable projects developer in the UK, is reducing spending on renewables in its five-year plan to 2027 by $2 billion (£1.5 billion) “in a changing macro environment,” in yet another blow to Britain’s clean energy ambitions. SSE said on Wednesday that it is reducing its five-year investment expectations by $4 billion (£3 billion) to around $23.4 billion (£17.5 billion). Of the $4 billion reduction in the updated plan, $2 billion is in the renewables business and the other $2 billion…

SSE, a major energy company and renewable projects developer in the UK, is reducing spending on renewables in its five-year plan to 2027 by $2 billion (£1.5 billion) “in a changing macro environment,” in yet another blow to Britain’s clean energy ambitions. SSE said on Wednesday that it is reducing its five-year investment expectations by $4 billion (£3 billion) to around $23.4 billion (£17.5 billion). Of the $4 billion reduction in the updated plan, $2 billion is in the renewables business and the other $2 billion…

Crude oil inventories in the United States saw an increase of 1.3 million barrels during the week ending May 16, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration released on Wednesday. Crude oil prices were trading up prior to the crude data release by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. On Tuesday, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a build in US crude oil inventories of 2.499 million barrels in U.S. crude oil inventories with draws in gasoline and distillate stocks. At 10:14 am in New York, the Brent…

Russia’s top oil producer, state-controlled Rosneft, has acquired the company that holds the license to operate and develop a giant rare earths deposit in Siberia, the largest such reserve in Russia and one of the world’s biggest. Rosneft has taken over control of Vostok Engineering, the company which holds the license for the Tomtor rare earth metals deposit in Yakutia, the Russian national companies registry showed on Wednesday. At the end of 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the Tomtor deposit to be developed, either by…

India is on track to import nearly 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from Russia in May, which would be a 10-month high, according to vessel-tracking data by Kpler. Indian refiners have increased buying activity for lighter Russian grades, such as ESPO, showed the Kpler data cited by Reuters. The strong Indian imports of ESPO crude are set to continue in June and July as refiners have booked more than 10 cargoes of the grade loading in June, traders told Reuters. India’s latest surge in ESPO purchases came before the new round…

This summer, solar power generation globally could exceed electricity from nuclear power plants for the first time ever, as solar capacity soars and sunlight and daylight hours are long in the northern hemisphere.  Global solar power generation jumped by 34% in the first quarter of 2025 from the same period in 2024, according to data from Ember cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.   If the pace of growth is sustained though June, July, and August, solar output is set to top 260 terawatt hours (TWh) in the summer months. This…

This summer, solar power generation globally could exceed electricity from nuclear power plants for the first time ever, as solar capacity soars and sunlight and daylight hours are long in the northern hemisphere.  Global solar power generation jumped by 34% in the first quarter of 2025 from the same period in 2024, according to data from Ember cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.   If the pace of growth is sustained though June, July, and August, solar output is set to top 260 terawatt hours (TWh) in the summer months. This…