Renewable Energy

Two sources informed on the subject said that the Trump administration is weighing whether or not to end a $7 billion grant designed to power low- and moderate-income homes with solar energy. Sources claim that the Environmental Protection Agency may terminate grants to 60 tribes, nonprofit groups and states in this week. The grants were given out during the administration of Joe Biden. The sources claimed that they had been briefed on the situation by a representative of the EPA. They spoke under condition of anonymity. New York Times was the first to report on EPA's decisions. EPA stated that...

Sixth Street, a U.S.-based investment firm, announced on Monday that it had purchased 38% of Sorgenia. The deal values Sorgenia at $4.65 billion. Asterion Industrial Partners, a Spanish infrastructure fund, can now exit Sorgenia’s capital. F2i, Italy’s main infrastructure fund with a 62% share, remains the largest shareholder of Sorgenia. F2i has agreed to transfer its assets for wind and solar energy generation in Italy and Spain, including EF Solare and Renovalia Tramontana, to Sorgenia. Asterion invested its first money in Sorgenia in 2020, supporting the company's efforts to become a major player in Europe’s green energy transformation. Richard Sberlati,...

It said that the New York State Public Service Commission had terminated its offshore transmission planning due to a stalled federal permit, in order to protect ratepayers of New York State from premature infrastructure costs. This ends the Public Policy Transmission Needs process, which was seeking proposals for delivering up to 8 gigawatts (or more) of offshore wind energy to New York City before 2033. The commission cited federal actions that have halted new offshore wind leasing, permitting and it claimed this makes short-term project implementation unfeasible. Rory M. Christian, Chair of the Commission, said: "Given Washington's uncertainty we need...

In documents released on Tuesday, Fermi, an Texas-based company that wants to build four nuclear reactors next to the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex, stated it was in talks with large data managers about leasing agreements for this project. Fermi is a company co-founded Rick Perry, a U.S. former energy secretary. It wants to build 4 AP1000 reactors in a facility that it calls a "hypergrid." The 11 gigawatt facility, powered by nuclear energy, natural gas and renewables, will be built in Amarillo, near the Department of Energy Pantex nuclear weapons factory and in partnership with Texas Tech University. Fermi stated...

A provision in the massive U.S. budget and tax bill that Congress is finalizing cannot be passed unless at least 60 Senate members vote for it. Elizabeth MacDonough is a Senate parliamentarian whose job is to ensure lawmakers follow the proper legislative procedures, like requiring 60 votes out of 100 instead of a simple majoritiy. The parliamentarian examines the mega-bill budget to make sure it adheres to the Byrd Rule. This rule, dating back decades, prohibits large pieces of legislation from including provisions that are "extraneous to the federal budget". MacDonough's list of problematic provisions adds to the hurdles facing...

Chicago soybean futures declined on Tuesday after a two-day rally, due to favorable weather conditions for U.S. crops and lower soyoil price. As of 0222 GMT the most active soybean contract fell 0.23%, to $10.67 a bushel. This halted gains fueled by surging crude prices and stricter U.S. biofuel blend mandates. On Monday, soybeans reached a new high of one month and soyoil an all-time high of 20 months. Analysts say that tensions between Iran and Israel could cause energy prices to rise, causing a spike in grain prices. Andrew Whitelaw is an agricultural consultant with Episode 3. The region...

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 that the board had not reached a consensus on whether or not the bank should be involved in upstream natural-gas projects. He wrote, "This will need further discussion." In 2017, the global development bank, a lender...

The companies announced in a Monday statement that they will invest $1 billion into a 100 megawatt data center in Thailand. Southeast Asia and its neighbours are becoming a popular destination for tech companies looking to invest in data centres and digital infrastructure. They want new clean energy sources to meet the soaring demand of artificial intelligence. The announcement on Monday was the latest of a series by tech giants to invest in Thailand. Bytedance Tiktok will invest $8.8 billion in five years, and Alphabet Inc.'s Google is also planning an $1 billion facility. The Thai Investment Board approved in...

The Dutch and British wholesale prices of gas were mostly stable on Friday, as Norwegian flows stabilized and the low demand allowed storage to be refilled. However, the tighter market conditions continued to support these prices. LSEG data shows that the benchmark Dutch front-month contract was up 0.26 euros at 35.18 Euro per megawatt hour or $11.68/mmBtu at 0816 GMT. Auxilione, a consultancy, said that with the June contract ending on Friday, market attention is now shifted to July. The Dutch July contract increased by 0.14 euros to 35.40 Euro/MWh. The British front-month contracts were down 1.21 pence, at 83.25...

The Republican-led House of Representatives passed a comprehensive budget package which would meet many of the priorities of President Donald Trump. Next, the Republican-led Senate will take up the package with likely significant changes. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has summarized the main elements of this package. According to them, the deficit would increase by $3.8 trillion over a period of 10 years. The estimates of CBO and Joint Committee on Taxation for some elements below are likely to be revised in the coming weeks. Tax Breaks and Tax Cuts (Cost: $2.2 trillion) Makes permanent lower income tax rates that...

The Dutch and British wholesale prices of gas rose on Wednesday to their highest level in over six weeks, boosted by a lower Norwegian supply, the competition for liquefied gas, and concerns about peace talks in Ukraine and unrest in Middle East. The benchmark Dutch front month contract rose 0.48 euros to 37.63 euros per Megawatt Hour at 0813 GMT. This was its highest level since 7 April. The British contract for the month of June increased by 1.29 pence, to 90.31 p/therm. This is the highest price since April 4. Day-ahead gas rose 0.70 pence to 90.50 p/therm. A...

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would audit grants of $15 billion awarded to projects involving the power grid, manufacturing supply chains and other infrastructure during the Biden Administration. Donald Trump has pushed for domestic oil, gas and coal production while also halting the construction of offshore wind farms and taking measures to relax regulations on fossil fuels. Last week, the Republican Trump administration proposed to cut billions of dollars from funding for renewable energy projects and electric car chargers. The DOE has been reviewing the billions that were rushed through the door in the last days of...

The price of Malaysian palm oil futures rose on Tuesday due to bargain-buying and a stronger Dalian palm olein. Traders also expect better export data in the first half August. At the close, the benchmark palm oil contract on Bursa Derivatives Exchange for October delivery was up 103 Ringgit or 2.46% at 4,290 Ringgit ($1,015.38) per metric ton. The contract dropped 1.37% during the previous session. A Kuala Lumpur based trader reported that bargain buying helped to support prices across the board, while Dalian palm oil recovered from its lows of yesterday. The trader said that the market would also...

Japan's land and industry ministers designated Matsumae, and Hiyama areas, off the northern island Hokkaido as promotion zones for offshore wind auctions. The goal is to boost the country's goals of renewable energy. In a joint announcement, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that the government would develop guidelines for using the zones and hold a public auction to select operators for energy project. The next auction date was not provided. By 2040, Japan wants to reach 45 gigawatts in offshore wind power, which will help reduce the country's...

Several China solar stocks rose sharply on Friday, continuing an upward trend that began on Wednesday, on the news that Beijing is looking to slow down aggressive price cuts that have driven prices of certain components by almost 30% over the past year, according to one estimate. Price wars have been sparked by overcapacity and price reductions made to clear stocks among Chinese manufacturers. Analysts are concerned that further price cuts could lead to deflation, and hinder efforts to stabilize the $19 trillion economy. The shares of JA Solar, the leading solar manufacturer, rose by nearly 10%. They had gained...

India has allocated record volumes of rice for ethanol production, as it battles with unprecedented inventories. These are expected to grow further when the new crop arrives. This is a turnaround from the earlier shortages which led to export restrictions. The conversion of more rice into ethanol helps reduce the rice stock in the world’s largest producer and exporter. It also keeps India’s ambitious ethanol blend programme on track, despite the drop in sugar cane supplies. India lifted the last of two years' worth of export restrictions in March. The poor rains had curtailed rice production. The abundant monsoon rainfall...

The price of Malaysian palm oil futures increased on Tuesday as a result of the stronger Dalian edible oil market, and India's reduced basic import tax for crude edible oils. By midday, the benchmark contract for palm oil delivery in August on the Bursa Derivatives exchange had gained 89 Ringgit or 2.29% to $3,967 Ringgit ($934.07) per metric ton. The Chinese edible oil market is a major driver of palm oil futures, and the demand outlook has improved since India, the largest importer of crude edible oils, announced a decrease in import duties. India reduced the basic import duty on...

Brazil signed protocols on Tuesday with China to allow the export of an ethanol-by-product used as animal feed. This is a challenge to the U.S. market dominance amid the ongoing China/U.S. Trade Standoff. This deal is outlined in an official document from the Brazilian government. Animal feed is highly valued for distillers dried grains, especially for pigs and cattle. In an interview on Monday, the president of Brazil's National Corn Ethanol Union said that Brazil and China had been working together since 2022 to reach a sanitary accord for DDG exports. He added that current "broad political shifts" are a...

Malaysian palm futures fell Thursday, reaching their lowest level since September. However, strong Indian buying and short-covering helped to erase some of the early losses. By midday, the benchmark palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives exchange for July delivery had fallen 1 ringgit or 0.03% to 3,727 Ringgit ($874.27) per metric ton. Anilkumar bagani, the research head at Mumbai-based Sunvin Group and a vegetable oil broker, said that "the futures opened lower than expected but quickly gained some ground on the back of Indian purchasing and short covering following a significant drop in recent months." He added that India...

Malaysian palm futures have reversed their gains from earlier in the week, due to a stronger ringgit, and weak demand on key markets. Prices also fell for the entire week. The benchmark contract for palm oil delivery in July on Bursa Derivatives Malaysia Exchange dropped 0.79% at the close to 3,880 Ringgit ($911.23) per metric ton. The contract dropped 4.36% in the last week. Anilkumar bagani, head of commodity research at Mumbai-based Sunvin Group, explained that a stronger ringgit, and a lack of enthusiasm in the face of expectations of an increased inventory of palm oil in Malaysia for April,...

Malaysian palm futures declined on Friday as a result of lower Chicago soyoil prices and crude oil, while President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs fueled uncertainty about global trade. This fueled fears about inflation and slowing growth. At midday, the benchmark palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives exchange for June delivery fell 126 ringgit or 2.81% to 4,363 Ringgit ($988.00), a metric tonne. This week, the contract has fallen by 1.27%. A Kuala Lumpur based trader stated that crude palm oil futures fell due to the uncertainty surrounding global trade after Trump's tariff announcement. The trader reported that palm oil...

After three sessions of losses in a row, Malaysian palm oils futures rose on Wednesday. This was due to bargain hunters after the contract reached a two-month low. The benchmark palmoil contract for June delivery at the Bursa Derivatives Exchange increased 0.33%, closing at 4,259 Ringgit ($962.05) a metric ton. When prices reached the lowest point of the day, they were too low to ignore. "We saw a great deal of bargain-hunting today. A lot of buyers came out and there was also a good amount of (short)covering," said Paramalingam Supramaniam of Selangor brokerage Pelindung Bestari. Intertek Testing Services, a...

After three sessions of losses in a row, Malaysian palm oils futures rose on Wednesday. This was due to bargain-hunting after the contract reached a two-month low. By midday, the benchmark palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives exchange rose by 0.75% to $4277 per metric ton ($966.34). This week, the contract has fallen by 2.97%. When prices reached the lowest point of the day, they were too cheap to ignore. "We saw a great deal of bargain-hunting today. A lot of buyers came out and there was a (short)covering as well," said Paramalingam Supramaniam of Selangor brokerage Pelindung Bestari....

The price of palm oil in Malaysia fell for the third time on Tuesday, to its lowest close in almost two months. This was due to lower prices for rival vegetable oils at Dalian and Chicago and weaker export data. The benchmark June palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives exchange lost 58 Ringgit or 1.35% to close at 4,247 Ringgit per metric ton, its lowest price since January 27. Anilkumar bagani, head of commodity research at Mumbai-based Sunvin Group vegetable oils brokerage, said: "The sentiments in palm oil are bearish right now because it has been forced by the...