Author: Graham Foster

Breaking News: Alphabet, the parent company of Google, revealed plans to acquire Intersect, a clean energy and data center developer, for $4.75 billion. The deal is expected to finalize in the first half of this year. Intersect will continue to operate independently, maintaining its leadership under founder and CEO Sheldon Kimber. Current investors will also buy some of Intersect’s assets and manage them separately. Google previously held a minority stake in Intersect, having collaborated on developing energy parks and data centers, along with $20 billion in renewable energy and storage solutions. Insightful Takeaways: This acquisition comes as Google faces challenges…

Oil traders are currently navigating a tricky situation marked by supply concerns from Venezuela, paired with warnings of a global oil surplus. Recently, a significant event occurred when U.S. forces seized the Skipper, a vessel transporting Venezuelan oil, leading to a halt in oil tanker movements to and from the country’s ports. Following this seizure, at least four supertankers and another carrying Russian naphtha had to change course. Analysts suggest that a notable presence of U.S. naval vessels in the Caribbean may lead to further seizures as the U.S. exerts pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Only ships chartered by…

Dive Brief: As the federal tax credits for residential solar systems are set to expire on December 31, many solar-only installers may face challenges. However, independent energy installation businesses have shown resilience over the years. Marco Krapels, Chief Marketing Officer of Enphase, believes these companies will adapt to the changing landscape more effectively than expected. Prepaid leases are anticipated to stabilize the market by minimizing upfront costs and long-term pricing risks for homeowners, while providing a fresh promotional tool for installers. According to Krapels, tech companies and data center developers could help lighten the load on the grid by subsidizing…

The buzz around small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) is hard to ignore. These compact power plants are set to begin operation in the UK by the mid-2030s and have attracted interest from both the public sector and major companies like Amazon and Microsoft. However, the initial excitement surrounding SMRs seems to be waning. One of the appealing aspects of SMRs is their size and cost. These reactors, even the largest ones generating up to 350 megawatts, are significantly smaller than the UK’s Hinkley Point C, making them cheaper to build and faster to deploy. This makes nuclear energy a more…

Tesla is no longer the top electric vehicle maker in the world, as recent sales figures show the company has fallen behind China’s BYD. However, Tesla is looking to strengthen its presence in the battery market, where it could have a competitive edge. Chinese battery manufacturers have a key advantage—they continually lower their prices. This has allowed them to dominate the electric vehicle battery market, accounting for about 75% of global production of lithium-ion batteries. They’re also making headway in providing large batteries for electricity grids. As renewable energy sources like solar and wind become more popular, energy storage systems…

Welcome to the last Energy Source newsletter of 2025, straight from New York. BP’s CEO, Murray Auchincloss, has announced his departure after under two years, with Meg O’Neill from Woodside Energy stepping in. The oil giant faced challenges, including a low share price and management issues, but their stock has shown some recovery. In this edition, we explore how American hydrogen equipment manufacturers are increasingly looking to Europe as the US market grows more uncertain. We will return to your inbox on January 6. Happy holidays! Can US Green Hydrogen Equipment Manufacturers Compete in Europe? The US green hydrogen sector…

Ørsted, a major player in the offshore wind industry, is taking legal action against the Trump administration. The company has filed a lawsuit in a District Court in Washington, D.C., challenging the government’s recent decision to halt work on a significant wind farm project located off the northeast coast of the United States. The legal action comes after the U.S. government ordered the suspension of the lease for Ørsted’s Revolution Wind project. Ørsted, which is partly owned by the Danish government, and its partner Skyborn Renewables have expressed that this order violates relevant laws. They warned that continuing the suspension…

The U.S. Department of Energy has taken action to ensure that certain coal-fired units in Indiana continue operating beyond their planned retirement date at the end of this month. On December 23, the DOE ordered Northern Indiana Public Service Co., part of NiSource, and CenterPoint Energy to keep three coal units running, which together provide more than 950 MW of power. The DOE cited an emergency situation in parts of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) area, pointing to studies and recent capacity auctions that highlight tightening supply conditions. The agency noted that rising demand, coupled with the accelerated shutdown…

The UK oil and gas sector faced its toughest year in exploration during 2025, with investments expected to drop even more as companies paused plans in the North Sea, waiting for clarity on government tax strategies. Energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie reported that no new exploration wells were drilled in UK waters this year, marking a first since the discovery of oil and gas in the 1960s. Investments, which stood at £4.4 billion in 2025, are forecasted to plummet by over 40%, falling to about £2.5 billion next year. This would represent the lowest investment level since the industry was rocked…

Exploring Britain’s Nuclear Landscape In the quaint village of Wellesbourne, located close to the largest ammunition depot in western Europe, Tom Bolton grew up acutely aware of his surroundings. As a child during the 1970s, he understood that the nearby defense base would be a primary target in a nuclear conflict. This background has driven him to explore Britain’s 16 nuclear power stations. Bolton’s journey sheds light on the first generation of power stations that emerged along the UK’s coast in the 1960s. These facilities were initially designed using technologies meant for military plutonium production. As he journeys through these…