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Energy & Environment

NPC Calls for National Program to Map US Subsurface Resources

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NPC Calls for National Program to Map US Subsurface Resources

WASHINGTON – September 03, 2026 -- The National Petroleum Council (NPC) has issued nine recommendations urging Congress and federal agencies to launch a coordinated national program to assess America's subsurface energy and mineral resources, warning that over 80% of the country's energy needs depend on assets that remain largely unmapped for decades.

The report, titled "American Resources for a Secure Future: A National Cooperative Subsurface Assessment Program," was commissioned by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and developed by roughly 80 experts spanning state government, Tribal organizations, industry, and academia. It was approved by a full vote of NPC membership.

Defense Metals Hits 2.86% TREO Over 65m at Wicheeda Rare Earth Project

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Defense Metals Hits 2.86% TREO Over 65m at Wicheeda Rare Earth Project

VANCOUVER – September 03, 2026 -- Defense Metals Corp. (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE:35D) has reported assay results from an initial eleven core drill holes totaling 1,633 metres at its 100%-owned Wicheeda Rare Earth Project near Prince George, British Columbia, with drill hole WI26-96 returning 2.86% Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) over 65 metres, including a higher-grade section averaging 6.15% TREO over 20.3 metres.

Drill hole WI26-93 delivers 1.70% TREO over 184 metres at the deposit's southern margin

Collared from the same setup as WI26-96, hole WI26-93 cut obliquely across the southern margin of the Wicheeda Deposit, intersecting mixed xenolithic and dolomite carbonatite grading 1.70% TREO over 184 metres, including 2.52% TREO over 57 metres.

Summit Midstream Greenlights $100M Double E Pipeline Expansion

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Summit Midstream Greenlights $100M Double E Pipeline Expansion

Houston – September 03, 2026 -- Summit Midstream Corporation (NYSE: SMC) has reached a final investment decision on a mainline compression expansion for its Double E Pipeline, backed by a new 200 MMcf/d long-term firm transportation agreement with an investment-grade shipper.

Open season secures 550 MMcf/d of new take-or-pay commitments

Double E Pipeline, LLC concluded an open season that generated 550 MMcf/d of binding long-term commitments, pushing total contracted firm capacity on the system to approximately 2.2 Bcf/d. The expansion will add a bi-directional mainline compressor station that increases forward haul capacity to the Waha Hub by roughly 900 MMcf/d, with an in-service target of the fourth quarter of 2028. Double E has already placed a purchase order for the long-lead gas turbine compression units to lock in manufacturing slots, though the project still requires FERC and other regulatory approvals.

ePointZero to Buy 90% of Africa's Azura Power in Major Energy Deal

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ePointZero to Buy 90% of Africa's Azura Power in Major Energy Deal

Abu Dhabi, UAE – September 03, 2026 -- ePointZero, a subsidiary of 2PointZero Group, has agreed to acquire a 90% stake in Azura Power Holdings, a pan-African independent power producer with 752 MW of operating capacity across Nigeria, Senegal and Mozambique.

ePointZero enters African power generation via a 752 MW operating platform

The deal marks ePointZero's first entry into African power generation, acquiring the ownership stakes previously held by Actis and Africa50 through a new acquisition vehicle formed with Amaya Capital. Azura Power's founding partner, Amaya Capital, will retain a 10% minority interest, having built the platform since 2010.

Transformer Monitoring Market to Hit $4.98B by 2031, MarketsandMarkets Says

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Transformer Monitoring Market to Hit $4.98B by 2031, MarketsandMarkets Says

Delray Beach, Fla. -- Aug. 31, 2026 -- The global transformer monitoring market will grow from $3.11 billion in 2026 to $4.98 billion by 2031, a 9.9% compound annual growth rate, according to MarketsandMarkets. The firm placed the 2025 market size at $2.84 billion. Utilities and industrial operators are driving the expansion by prioritizing transformer reliability and asset health as aging fleets and rising renewable integration strain existing grid infrastructure.

Niutech Inks Plastic-to-SAF Pyrolysis Deal With Energy Major

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Niutech Inks Plastic-to-SAF Pyrolysis Deal With Energy Major

Jinan, China -- September 01, 2026 -- Niutech Technology Group Co., Ltd. signed a sales contract with a major global energy company for an industrial continuous pyrolysis line that converts plastic waste into feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel, the Jinan-based firm said Aug. 31, 2026. The system, rated at 10,000 to 50,000 tonnes per year, will retrofit one of the client's large-scale refineries to run the full chain from plastic pyrolysis oil to hydrotreated SAF. Niutech said the deal marks its first entry into the client's equipment supply chain.

EU Blending Mandate Pushes Refiners Toward Plastic-Derived Oil

The European Union's ReFuelEU Aviation regulation requires a 2% SAF blend starting in 2025, rising to 6% by 2030 and 70% by 2050. Used cooking oil, the dominant SAF feedstock today, remains in short supply, pushing energy companies to test plastic waste as an alternative pyrolysis oil source.

DoGo Power Wins Brazil Innovation Award for Grid-Forming Storage Tech

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DoGo Power Wins Brazil Innovation Award for Grid-Forming Storage Tech

São Paulo, Brazil -- September 01, 2026 -- DoGo Power received the Top Innovation Award Brazil from EUPD Research for its in-house-developed 4S architecture, announced during Intersolar South America 2026, held in São Paulo from August 25 to 27. The energy storage company joined a roundtable discussion co-hosted by EUPD Research and Intersolar focused on grid stabilization technologies and next-generation power systems. DoGo Power presented its Software-Defined Energy architecture, built to integrate energy management, power management, power conversion, and battery management functions into a single system.

CIP Secures AUD 1.7bn Financing for 512MW Wind-Battery Project in Queensland

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Aug. 31, 2026 -- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has acquired the Gawara Baya hybrid wind and battery project in North Queensland on behalf of its fifth flagship fund, Copenhagen Infrastructure V. CIP reached financial close on a AUD 1.7 billion facility backed by 10 banks after securing all major approvals and taking a final investment decision. The project was bought from Australian developer Windlab. Construction has now started, with commercial operation targeted for 2030.

Gawara Baya combines 408MW of wind with 104MW of grid-forming storage
The project sits on Gugu Badhun Country south-west of Ingham and pairs a 408 MW onshore wind farm, built from 68 turbines, with a 104 MW grid-forming battery energy storage system. CIP said the combined output can supply clean power to up to 240,000 Australian homes and avoid 1.2 million tonnes of carbon emissions from the grid each year.