Covering the hottest stories from the past 24 hours across global energy news, markets, and policy.

🔴 Breaking & Market-Moving

1. OPEC+ Expected to Resume Modest Oil Production Hikes for April

Source: Bloomberg | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: OPEC+ delegates told Bloomberg they expect the group to agree to restart modest production increases — roughly 137,000 barrels per day — at its video conference this weekend, ending a three-month output pause. The decision is unsettled, with escalating U.S.-Iran tensions clouding the outlook and potentially keeping a floor under oil prices despite the supply addition. 🔗 Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-25/opec-delegates-expect-group-to-resume-modest-supply-hikes

2. U.S.-Iran Tensions Drive Oil to Seven-Month Highs; API Crude Build Adds Uncertainty

Source: Market Insights / Price Group Energy Report | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: Crude prices are hovering near seven-month highs as geopolitical risk from U.S.-Iran confrontation provides a floor, even as an unexpected API crude inventory build (announced Tuesday night) applied short-term downward pressure. The official EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report releases today and could significantly diverge from the API number. Natural gas futures (March NYMEX) traded around $2.82–$2.85/MMBtu as shoulder-season warm weather forecasts weigh on prices. 🔗 Link: https://blog.pricegroup.com/2026/02/25/big-lies-the-energy-report-02-25-2026/

3. U.S. AI Boom “Faces Electric Shock” — Grid Falling Behind Data Center Demand

Source: EnergyNow / multiple outlets | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: A surge of alarming analyses today points to a structural mismatch: hyperscaler AI capex is on track for $650B in 2026, but grid infrastructure, permitting, and generation capacity cannot keep pace. EIA data shows electricity demand driven by data centers is now the primary growth engine of U.S. power consumption, with Texas and mid-Atlantic grids under the most stress. 🔗 Link: https://energynow.com/

🟠 Policy & Regulation

4. Trump Tells Big Tech to Build Its Own Power Plants

Source: EnergyNow / White House | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: President Trump publicly instructed major technology companies to self-supply electricity for their AI data centers rather than rely on the public grid, signaling the administration’s preference for private energy infrastructure over utility expansion. The statement has significant implications for grid planning and the future of behind-the-meter nuclear and gas generation. 🔗 Link: https://energynow.com/

5. House Passes “Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act” 224–200

Source: Energy Workforce & Technology Council | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: The House approved legislation aimed at accelerating U.S. LNG export capacity in a bipartisan vote — notably, nine Democrats crossed party lines to support the bill. The move comes as the EIA forecasts U.S. LNG exports will surpass 18.1 Bcf/d by 2027, having already overtaken Australia and Qatar to make the U.S. the world’s largest LNG exporter. 🔗 Link: https://energyworkforce.org/january-ofs-jobs-report-energy-services-sector-signals-cautious-start-to-2026/

6. Occidental CEO: Industry Needs $70/Barrel Oil to Grow Production

Source: EnergyNow | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: Occidental Petroleum’s CEO publicly stated that the U.S. oil industry requires Brent crude at or above $70/barrel to justify increasing production — well above the EIA’s current forecast of $58/barrel for 2026. The statement is a direct signal that U.S. shale growth will stall at current prices, with bullish implications for longer-term supply tightness. 🔗 Link: https://energynow.com/

🟡 Investment & Deals

7. SM Energy Issues 2026 Outlook: $2.7B Capex, 10% Dividend Hike, $950M Asset Sale

Source: PR Newswire | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: SM Energy (NYSE: SM) revealed its 2026 capital plan of $2.65–$2.85B focused on maximizing free cash flow, alongside a $950M South Texas asset divestiture expected to close in Q2. The company also raised its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.88/share annually and increased its revolving credit facility maturity to 2031, signaling financial consolidation after its Civitas acquisition. 🔗 Link: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sm-energy-provides-2026-outlook-302697526.html

8. EOG Resources Announces $6.5B 2026 Capital Plan After Strong Q4

Source: EnergyNow | Published: Feb 24, 2026 Summary: EOG Resources unveiled a $6.5B capital expenditure plan for 2026, one of the largest in the independent oil and gas sector, after reporting solid Q4 2025 results. The plan reflects continued confidence in multi-basin development despite softening crude prices. 🔗 Link: https://energynow.com/

9. Cadeler Signs Offshore Wind Monopile Installation Deal for Large European Project

Source: Business Wire | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: Danish offshore wind installation company Cadeler signed a new contract for transportation and installation of monopiles and transition pieces at a major European offshore wind farm, adding to its growing order book as the continent’s offshore wind buildout accelerates. 🔗 Link: https://www.businesswire.com/newsroom/industry/energy

🟢 Renewables & Clean Energy

10. Form Energy’s 30 GWh “Iron-Air” Battery to Power Google Data Center in Minnesota

Source: Green Energy Times / Canary Media | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: Form Energy — still building its first commercial iron-air battery project in Minnesota — announced it has secured a follow-on deal to deploy a massive 300 MW / 30 GWh long-duration battery system to support a Google data center in the same state. The deal is a landmark moment for long-duration energy storage, validating the technology’s commercial viability for around-the-clock clean power. 🔗 Link: https://greenenergytimes.org/2026/02/february-25-green-energy-news/

11. Ørsted Begins Turbine Installation on 924 MW Sunrise Wind Farm

Source: Green Energy Times | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: Danish wind energy giant Ørsted has started turbine installation on the 924 MW Sunrise Wind offshore project off New York, using Cadeler’s Wind Scylla jack-up vessel. The project is one of the largest U.S. offshore wind farms under active construction and a key milestone for the East Coast clean energy build-out. 🔗 Link: https://greenenergytimes.org/2026/02/february-25-green-energy-news/

12. EIA: Solar to Lead U.S. Electricity Growth — 17% Surge in 2026, 23% in 2027

Source: EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook (February 2026) | Published: Feb 10, 2026 Summary: The latest EIA outlook projects utility-scale solar will be the single largest source of new U.S. electricity generation — up 17% in 2026 and a further 23% in 2027 — as 69 GW of new solar capacity connects to the grid over the two-year period. Wind generation is expected to rise 6% and 7% respectively, while overall electricity demand grows driven by data centers and economic activity. 🔗 Link: https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/

🔵 Nuclear & Emerging Energy

13. Meta Commits to 6.6 GW of Nuclear Power for AI — Oklo, TerraPower & Vistra Deals

Source: Meta Newsroom | Published: Jan 13, 2026 (ongoing coverage) Summary: Meta signed agreements with Oklo (1.2 GW advanced reactor campus in Ohio), TerraPower (up to 2.8 GW of Natrium reactors), and Vistra (life extension of three Ohio/Pennsylvania nuclear plants), positioning Meta as one of the largest corporate nuclear energy buyers in U.S. history. The deals underscore nuclear’s growing role in powering hyperscale AI infrastructure with 24/7 carbon-free electricity. 🔗 Link: https://about.fb.com/news/2026/01/meta-nuclear-energy-projects-power-american-ai-leadership/

14. IEA: Nuclear + Renewables to Generate Half of Global Electricity by 2030

Source: ANS Nuclear Newswire / IEA Electricity 2026 Report | Published: Feb 6, 2026 Summary: The IEA’s annual electricity report found that global nuclear generation hit a record in 2025, and that nuclear combined with renewables is on track to supply ~50% of world electricity by 2030, up from 42% today. The report warns that 1,600 GW of stalled grid-connection projects could be unblocked with targeted regulatory reform, and that energy affordability is worsening in many countries as network charges outpace income growth. 🔗 Link: https://www.ans.org/news/article-7744/iea-report-describes-nuclear-growth-and-need-for-grid-flexibility/

15. DOE Awards $2.7B to Expand Domestic Uranium Enrichment Capacity

Source: Tortoise Capital / DOE | Published: January 2026 (ongoing) Summary: The Department of Energy distributed $900M each to American Centrifuge Operating, General Matter, and Orano Federal Services to expand domestic low-enriched and high-assay uranium enrichment over the next decade. The funding addresses a critical bottleneck in the U.S. nuclear renaissance — domestic enrichment capacity — with first new production targeted for 2029. 🔗 Link: https://tortoisecapital.com/nuclear-infrastructure-investing-why-ais-power-demand-changes-everything/

⚫ Grid & Infrastructure

16. U.S. Natural Gas Falls to Five-Month Low as Warm Weather Forecasts Shift

Source: EnergyNow | Published: Feb 25, 2026 Summary: Natural gas prices slid to a five-month low today as updated weather models shifted warmer, reducing the near-term heating demand outlook. The pullback follows January’s historic inventory drawdown during Winter Storm Fern — the largest single-week withdrawal in EIA history — and signals the market is pricing in an early end to winter heating season. 🔗 Link: https://energynow.com/

17. Continental Resources: Argentina Shale Could Be “Another Permian”

Source: EnergyNow | Published: Feb 24, 2026 Summary: Continental Resources executives told investors that Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale play has the resource potential to rival the Permian Basin, potentially making Argentina one of the world’s top oil and gas exporters over the next decade. The statement is attracting attention from majors and financiers exploring Latin American energy positioning. 🔗 Link: https://energynow.com/

📊 Quick Hits

Smaller stories worth noting:

• EIA forecasts Brent crude at $58/barrel in 2026, $53/b in 2027 — global supply continues to outpace demand; OPEC+ strategic choices remain the key swing variable. 🔗 Link
• Canada’s oil sands saw $37.8B in consolidation deals in 2025 — control is concentrating among a handful of major operators heading into 2026. 🔗 Link
• Kazakhstan oil output disrupted by Black Sea storms and drone alert — tanker loading delays at a key terminal are slowing crude export ramp-up. 🔗 Link
• Enel powered Winter Olympics on “100% low-carbon electricity” — though partly dependent on carbon credits, the milestone highlights clean energy’s growing role in major international events. 🔗 Link
• Energy services sector shed 1,254 jobs in January — industry maintaining disciplined hiring and capex as policy uncertainty lingers at the start of 2026. 🔗 Link
• WinDC x Megaport partnership — renewable-powered AI compute factories in Australia will now connect to Megaport’s global network, pioneering co-located renewables and AI infrastructure. 🔗 Link

Report generated: February 25, 2026. Sources covered: Bloomberg, EIA, EnergyNow, OilPrice.com, Green Energy Times, Business Wire, PR Newswire, Meta Newsroom, ANS Nuclear Newswire, Market Insights/Price Group, Energy Workforce & Technology Council, Tortoise Capital.

⚠️ This report is compiled from web search results. Some links may require a subscription to read in full. Commodity prices are indicative and may have moved since publication. For live market data, check Bloomberg, Reuters, or your trading platform directly.