Science and Technology:
¶ “Zwitterions Are The Key To New Solid-State Batteries” • A team of scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a branch of the US DOE in Tennessee, created Zwitterions. They are building blocks of an electrolyte for solid-state batteries. Having potential use in other decarbonization technologies, they are described in the journal Materials Today. [CleanTechnica]
Zwitterion groups (Andy Sproles, ORNL)
World:
¶ “Magyar Keeps Door Open To Russian Energy Despite Eu Phase-Out Plans” • At his first press conference after being elected Prime Minister, Péter Magyar said Hungary will continue seeking the cheapest energy sources, including from Russia. His statement appeared to clash with earlier pledges to phase out Russian energy imports by 2035. [Euronews]
¶ “Car Industry’s Latest Demands Could Cost EU Extra €74 Billion In Oil Imports ” • The European car industry’s latest demands for weaker climate targets could result in an extra €74 billion of oil imports, just as interest in buying EVs reaches new peaks, according to T&E analysis of a leaked position paper from lobby group ACEA. [CleanTechnica]
Vintage Mercedes-Benz 300TD (Ronni Kurtz, Unsplash)
¶ “France Moved First, But Markets Everywhere Are Signaling Electrification” • France has made the first national push for increased electrification tied to the energy crisis originating at the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reported that Paris will raise annual state support for electrification from €5.5 billion to €10 billion through 2030. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Nordex Logs 1.9 GW Of Q1 Orders” • Nordex Group recorded orders across thirteen countries in its Projects segment in the first quarter of 2026. The company said it booked 1.869 GW of orders, with the average sales price rising to €0.91 million/MW from €0.87 million/MW in the same period of 2025. Customers ordered 292 wind turbines in Q1. [reNews]
Nordex turbine (Nordex image)
¶ “Wind Keeps Lid On Surging Irish Power Prices” • Imported fossil fuels pushed Ireland’s wholesale electricity prices up 19% in March 2026 compared with February. Wind Energy Ireland said the average wholesale price reached €128.77/MWh, up from €107.97/MWh in February. However, prices fell to €94.20/MWh on the windiest days. [reNews]
¶ “Chinese OEMs Dominate The 2025 Wind Market” • Chinese turbine manufacturers secured 78% of the 176-GW of global wind capacity added in 2025, Wood Mackenzie said. Total additions rose 45% year-over-year, for the strongest annual growth on record, with China becoming the first country to exceed 100 GW of installations in a single year. [reNews]
Wind farm (Sany image)
¶ “Elgin Secures £500 Million In UK Pipeline Funding” • Elgin secured up to £500 million in financing to support construction of its UK solar and storage pipeline, accelerating delivery of its projects, which total up to 1 GW over the coming years. Elgin added that it secured 382 MW in the UK’s Allocation Round 7 Contracts for Difference auction. [reNews]
¶ “Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Loses External Power Supply” • The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was left without its external power supply for the thirteenth time since the start of the full-scale war on the morning of 14 April. The plant’s emergency diesel generators have been deployed to power essential safety functions. [Yahoo]
Zaporizhzhia dry cask storage (IAEA Imagebank, CC BY-SA 2.0)
US:
¶ “Prices Surged In March After Oil Shock Set Off By Iran War” • Inflation surged in March after an oil shock triggered by the US-Israeli war with Iran, a US government report shows. The report matched economists’ expectations. Prices rose 3.3% in March, year-on-year, marking a steep rise from the inflation rate of 2.4% in the prior month. [ABC News]
¶ “Trump Pressed On Iran Endgame As US Naval Blockade Begins In Strait Of Hormuz” • President Donald Trump said that a US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has begun, a new development in the now seven-week war after peace talks failed over the weekend. Trump said that the Iran’s navy has been “obliterated” by US attacks. [ABC News]
US sailor in the Persian Gulf (US DOD, public domain)
¶ “Startup Enters The Heat Pump Water Heater Space Focused On A Smart Water Heater” • The HPWH market is now starting to attract startups, and the first one that got to market, Cala, brought out its product late last year. The company talks about how it became a startup in water heating and how their product is different. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Cleaning Up Lake Erie Begins With A Network Of Digital Sensors” • The 2025 State of the Great Lakes report released last month found that Lake Erie still ranks poorly for pollution and is by far the biggest body of water to consistently rank in the top five of America’s most-polluted lakes. Organizations in the area of Cleveland have water quality monitors. [CleanTechnica]
Cleveland (DJ Johnson, Unsplash)
¶ “House committee moves ahead to re-sweep Renewable Energy Fund” • The House Committee on Science, Technology, and Energy voted to recommend a bill that would make the depletion of New Hampshire’s Renewable Energy Fund official for the second time in a year. The bill “effectively plugs a hole in the general fund.” [New Hampshire Bulletin]
¶ “Are Ratepayers Overpaying To Keep Diablo Canyon Going?” • Shortly after the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant got clearance to operate until 2030, a report from UC Santa Barbara indicated that customers may be overpaying to keep it running. The plant’s operator, PG&E, had originally planned to retire its two nuclear reactors by 2025. [The Santa Barbara Independent]
Have a classically superb day.
geoharvey 