Renewable energy has encountered a strange crossroads – it is more successful, and also more divisive, than ever before. Wind and solar have become so successful that they’re not really alternative anymore – they’ve fully entered the mainstream. Not only have renewables outgrown subsidies and become independently successful, they’ve become so cheap that they are the most logical choice for new energy installations even in the poorest country contexts. But their development and deployment has become so politicized that…

Construction of a key cog in the Middle Corridor trade network known as TRIPP should begin during the second half of 2026, according to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. TRIPP, or the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, is a central feature of a provisional peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan signed in Washington in August. The corridor would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave across Armenian territory.  In his most expansive comments to date concerning a construction timeline, Pashinyan told MPs that…

Enbridge has approved a $1.4 billion expansion across its Mainline and Flanagan South systems that will push more Canadian heavy crude into the U.S. Midwest and down to the Gulf Coast—right where coking refineries are built to run it. Phase 1 of the Mainline Optimization (MLO1) adds 150,000 bpd on the Mainline and 100,000 bpd on Flanagan South, with in-service targeted for 2027. The uplift comes through pump and terminal expansions on Flanagan South and upstream optimizations on the Mainline, backed by long-term take-or-pay commitments from…

The total number of active drilling rigs for oil and gas in the United States rose this week, according to new data that Baker Hughes published on Friday. The total rig count in the US rose by 1 to 549 this week, according to Baker Hughes, down 35 from this same time last year. The number of active oil rigs rose by 3 in the reporting period, according to the data, reaching 417. Year over year, this represents a 61-rig decline. The number of gas rigs fell by 3 to 125, which is 24 more than this time last year. The miscellaneous rig count rose by…

The European Commission has approved with conditions the $17-billion acquisition by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of Germany’s chemicals giant Covestro, the EU’s executive arm said on Friday, following an investigation into foreign subsidies it feared would distort competition. At the end of last year, Abu Dhabi’s oil company agreed to buy Covestro in a deal worth $17 billion (14.7 billion euros) including debt. The deal was one of the largest cash transactions in the chemicals industry ever, as well as the first time…

Germany’s ruling coalition has slashed in half the capacity of new natural gas-fired power plants it aims to tender by 2032 in a significant scale-down from the previously planned 20 GW of new gas capacity. The governing coalition led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reached a compromise on the energy policy as Europe’s biggest economy looks to balance energy security with its decarbonization goals.  The government now will tender 10 GW of new gas-fired capacity by 2032, to serve as flexible backup to wind and solar…

Germany’s ruling coalition has slashed in half the capacity of new natural gas-fired power plants it aims to tender by 2032 in a significant scale-down from the previously planned 20 GW of new gas capacity. The governing coalition led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reached a compromise on the energy policy as Europe’s biggest economy looks to balance energy security with its decarbonization goals.  The government now will tender 10 GW of new gas-fired capacity by 2032, to serve as flexible backup to wind and solar…

Iran seized on Friday an oil tanker en route to Singapore after it passed the critical Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East in the first major escalation of the tensions in the region since the Iran-Israel war in June.  The Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Talara was seized by Iranian forces in the Gulf of Oman after having passed the Strait of Hormuz from Ajman in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), heading to Singapore.  Iran’s forces diverted the ship from the international waters to the Iranian territorial waters, a U.S. defense…

Iran seized on Friday an oil tanker en route to Singapore after it passed the critical Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East in the first major escalation of the tensions in the region since the Iran-Israel war in June.  The Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Talara was seized by Iranian forces in the Gulf of Oman after having passed the Strait of Hormuz from Ajman in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), heading to Singapore.  Iran’s forces diverted the ship from the international waters to the Iranian territorial waters, a U.S. defense…

The key Russian oil port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea suspended oil exports on Friday, following a major Ukrainian attack on the port overnight. Friday, November 14, 2025The Russia-Ukraine war rages on, with Ukraine’s drone attacks temporarily halting oil loadings in Russia’s largest Black Sea port, however, even such a high-impact event was only able to recoup the past days’ losses and reset ICE Brent at $64 per barrel. Oil bulls’ sentiment was dampened by this week’s monthly reports from the IEA and OPEC, particularly…

The central figure in the corruption scandal shaking Ukraine, Tymur Mindich, is an old friend and former business partner of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Law enforcement sources say Mindich left the country shortly before police searched his home.And prosecutors have reportedly told a court they have a recording of a call in which Zelenskyy is heard speaking to another target of the probe, Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, while Halushchenko was on a group call with Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman, an associate who is also charged and also…

The key Russian oil port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea suspended oil exports on Friday, following a major Ukrainian attack on the port overnight, industry sources told Reuters.    In addition, Russia’s pipeline company Transneft suspended crude oil supply to the facilities at the port, according to Reuters’ sources.  The port of Novorossiysk, a key export outlet of crude from Russia and Kazakhstan, and a major wheat export hub, was attacked by Ukrainian drones early on Friday. Oil prices jumped in Asian and early…

Power generation in China jumped by the most in October in nearly two years and overall electricity output was at its highest for any October since at least 1998, as a heat wave hit southern China while temperatures were colder-than-usual in the north.  China’s power generation surged by 7.9% in October from a year earlier, with total output at 800.2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Friday.  The October generation hit the highest for the month of October since at least 1998, according…

Crude oil prices traded defensively this week as bearish fundamentals overshadowed short-term risk catalysts. While geopolitical tensions and the end of the U.S. government shutdown offered fleeting support, the market remained focused on rising global inventories, shifting supply-demand expectations from OPEC and the IEA, and a broader sense that supply continues to outpace demand. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures fell sharply midweek before stabilizing at $58.12, a level that may act as psychological support in the short term. Large U.S.…

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict Syrian intelligence claims to have foiled multiple Islamic State plots to assassinate President Ahmad al-Sharaa, including one near the Damascus military airport, highlighting the group’s continued reach despite years of attrition. The government used the incident to reinforce its narrative of national stability and justify new counterterrorism powers that expand security control over civilian zones. Western intelligence officials see the threats as credible but limited, with Islamic State activity centered…

There are very few things that can make a stock tank more than an equity raise. When a company sells more equity it, by definition, dilutes the value of the existing stock. In simple terms, if a company has a market value of $1 million and has issued 10,000 shares, then each share is worth $100. However, if they then raise capital by selling another 10,000 shares, each share is then worth only $50. The value of the company hasn’t changed, but instead of that value being split 10,000 ways, it is now split 20,000 ways. The stock has to halve…

Netanyahu’s position is increasingly precarious. The coalition has thinned to a one-seat margin after United Torah Judaism’s withdrawal over the draft dispute, and the 2026 budget deadline now hangs over him as the next trigger point.  The Supreme Court’s end to Haredi draft exemptions forced the army to begin issuing call-ups this year, igniting mass protests and exposing a structural fault line that no version of the bill can bridge. Any compromise risks splitting either the ultra-Orthodox or nationalist wings. That tension…

Faced with difficult trade negotiations with the United States and American tariffs on their products, Canada and India pledged to encourage long-term supply chain partnerships in critical minerals and clean energy.  At a trade summit in India, Canada and the host country agreed to revive their stalled bilateral relations and “reiterated their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation through sustained dialogue, mutual respect, and forward-looking initiatives,” the countries said in a joint statement.  Canada and India…

Uncertain demand signals and high costs are holding back India’s green hydrogen goals and plans, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said in a briefing note on Friday, days after a senior Indian official warned the country would miss its 2030 green hydrogen production target.  Most projects to produce green hydrogen – via electrolysis using renewable electricity – in India are struggling to reach financial closure as buyer hesitancy amid high costs, uncertainty about long-term demand, and inadequate…

Chinese solar equipment producers are shifting from panels to battery storage to tackle a chronic oversupply in the panel and equipment market that has crashed many sector players’ bottom lines. The latest to make the move was one of the largest in the sector, Longi Green Energy Technology. Bloomberg cited a security filing by the company showing that it was planning to buy a majority stake of 62% in local battery storage maker PotisEdge. The surge in EVs and solar and wind power installations has resulted in excessive manufacturing capacity…